Send "Ivoryline " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 Following their catchy, promising and enjoyable debut album ‘There Came A Lion’, I used a throwaway comment to describe Ivoryline in a nutshell: “Anberlin without ambition”. Many would have taken such a description as derogatory, yet that could not be further from the truth. If anything, presuming you are a fan of melodic alt-rockers Anberlin in the first place, it was actually a rather large compliment. There are thousands of inferior bands which the Texan outfit could have chosen to model themselves on, so aspiring to sound similar to Anberlin was a wise decision. Relevantly, one had to recall that ‘There Came A Lion’ was Ivoryline’s debut LP, so the then quintet would hopefully have plenty of time to forge their own sound with subsequent releases. On follow-up album ‘Vessels’, that is exactly what they do; moving from Anberlin without ambition to Anberlin with less ambition.Successfully managing to talk Jason Vena out of his four year long retirement, a further link to Anberlin emerges on infectious opener ‘The Healing’. Vena was once the promising lead singer of Acceptance; a band whose guitarist Christian McAlhaney now plays for Anberlin! Vena’s guest vocals seamlessly combine with Jeremy Gray, while synths and guitar power the song along at a rapid rate. While synths are used in a much subtler fashion elsewhere, the remainder of the first half of ‘Vessels’ progresses just as satisfyingly, with astute refinements. Lead single ‘Instincts’ eventually wins you over with its deceptively catchy chorus, the heartfelt ‘Hearts Open’ slows things down, while the title track pleasingly gets heavier. With assistance from producer Aaron Sprinkle (guess who else he has worked with), Ivoryline have beefed up their sound here, almost completely ditching their original pop-punk leanings. In fact, moments such as the “woh wohs” littered through the otherwise solid ‘Walking Dead’ seem rather out of place. While the three musicians play their part more than competently, Gray is undoubtedly the major selling point of the now quartet; his vocals often channeling the sublimely soaring nature of Anberlin’s Stephen Christian. His lyrics are solid in their conviction, but as a word of warning to those who are averse to the occasional bit of religious preaching; many lyrical passages here directly relate to the band’s christian faith. I am fairly certain that the choral chant of “Thank-you father” at the climax of ‘Hearts Open’ is not a schoolboy thanking his dad for a lift, nor is the line “He didn’t bleed forever” in ‘The Greatest Love’ a reference to the film ‘Predator’....full text |
| Reviewrinserepeat |
| In certain circles, Christian Rock has become something of a laughable phrase, a gimmick that greedy, and usually untalented, bands use to gain as much fans (and money) as possible. Which is why it’s always a pleasant surprise when a band breaks through that not only take their faith seriously, but provide some kickass tunes in the process. This is what Ivoryline does with their sophomore album Vessels. The album starts off with “The Healing.” The track begins with a strong guitar riffs and drumbeats as frontman Jeremy Gray belts spiritually-tinged lyrics like “You can’t live a full life/standing just outside the truth,” and captures much that is great about this band and this album: thoughtful lyrics, excellent post-hardcore influenced instrumentation, and strong verses and chorus. On “Search Me Out,” the band carries a slightly darker tone, with a hint of discord spread throughout the song’s riffs. With “Hearts Open,” Gray does indeed open his heart for the listener to peruse as he yearns “it’s much easier to cast a judgment/ we’ve forgotten where our hope is.” Title track “Vessels” sounds ready for rock radio, while the band blasts materialism and the current generation on “Walking Dead” with lines like “All the things we think we need/ All the things we need have taken his place.” On “Made From Dust” and “You Bring Fire,” the album’s two closing tracks, the band shows off their softer side. Overall, Vessels, is a very strong album. On it, the band prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Christian scene. While the blatantly Christian lyrics might turn off many secular listeners, the album’s poignant lyrics regarding spirituality and exceptionally strong post-hardcore-tinged instrumentation will make the album a hit among more religious listeners. All in all, this is a strong release from a great band, and only time will tell how far they go....full text |
| Christianmusiczine |
| Tooth & Nail Records Released July 27 2010 Reviewed By Tyler Hess It’s been about two and a half years since “Be Still And Breathe” exploded into my ears as it was introduced as Ivoryline’s first single off their debut label album, “There Came A Lion”, ushering in a new line of bands for Tooth & Nail that came out early in 2008. Out of the ashes of several good albums, where only a few bands survived the good life, Ivoryline has re-surfaced with a sophomore album that takes the promise from days past and fulfills it with a solid set of songs with a few gems. Starting off with the hypnotic “Instincts” to the title track to “The Walking Dead” not much bad can be said about the album. If it wasn’t enough that the album is a lot more complete than the debut, it is magnified by the idea that Ivoryline has come forth with a much more to the point set of lyrics regarding their faith and their desire to be used by the Lord, in case the very name “Vessels” didn’t give it away,. Grade: A- Tracklisting: 1. The Healing 2. With The Daylight 3. Search Me Out 4. Instincts 5. Hearts Open 6. Vessels 7. No one else 8. Walking Dead 9. Broken Bodies 10. The Greatest Love 11. Made from Dust DELUXE SONGS 12. Naked 13. You Bring Fire...full text |
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