Rob Beckley – Vocals

Kalel – Bass

Noah Henson – Guitar

Lester Estelle – Drums

             Pillar strikes again with their fifth studio album. This time they go back in time a bit after their experiment album The Reckoning. I can’t say that they drop all of the experimental material they had during that album, because they infused some of it with the great hard rock from the Where Do We Go From Here adventure. The newest journey For the Love of the Game, is a hard rock assault on your ears. The album begins with just that as the title track lights up the rock world with great riffs and pounding drums, not to mention great vocal and backing vocals perfect placed. “Turn It Up,” the second track, is not as hard as the title track, but during the chorus they “turn it up” a notch. “Reckless Youth” is a true hard rock song. It is one of the best on the album and will make a great live track. “State of Emergency” is another outstanding song. With great rhythm lead by the drums and followed by the guitar and vocals, not to mention a powerful message. “Smiling Down,” which is one of the slower tracks on the album, is an emotional blast of energy and passion. “Throwdown” is an edgy and raw hard rock track. It features amazing riffs and a mix of great vocals and backing. “Get Back” is another hard rock track with steady vocals and a message telling you to go after it again. This is a great choice for another single of the album. “I Fade Away” is a straight up jaw-dropping song. It goes from a simple track to exploding during the chorus with an additional artist’s vocals. “Forever Starts Now” ends this near perfect album with a spiritual track. The drums lead the way during this song while the blazing riffs fill the music out. The vocals are clear will a great echo effect. Overall this is an outstanding album from start to finish. No Pillar fan should be without this album. The amount of repeating in a few tracks could be cut down just a bit, but it’s not as bad as some album.

Rating:  9 out of 10

My favorite tracks:

For the Love of the Game, Reckless Youth, Get Back

Track List:

1. For the Love of the Game
2. Turn It Up
3. Reckless Youth

4. State of Emergency
5. Smiling Down

6. The Runaway

7. Throwdown

8. Get Back
9. I Fade Away
10. Forever Starts Now

Website (s): www.pillarmusic.com, www.essentialrecords.com