It’s not out of print, but it can be got for around a buck on Amazon and half.com, and I consider it the greatest true metal album of recent years. It has a heavy/melodic confidence not unlike Dio’s Holy Diver, or Sanctuary’s Refuge Denied, or even Fates Warning’s Awaken the Guardian.
These kids were truly coming from someplace that boggled me musically, as I was prepared to dismiss them as just another metalcore/screamo act; and I was REALLLY surprised to hear their densely articulate melodic song structures and the astounding vocals of Christian Guerrero, who manages to vamp and swagger with soulful, charismatic freedom in every song. Trustkill Records was right to push this release with the opening track “Ephemeral Addictions“, which is probably the most whimsical track on the album, and the most instantly likeable. The rest of the disc is more expansive and crafted toward climactic passages, with every song incorporating signature moments. Additionally, they’ve contributed a clever Christmas song and a Third Eye Blind cover to some compilations, and even appear (very) briefly on the Taste of Chaos DVD. There was once some talk of recording a Spanish language version of the CD, which did not materialize. Sadly, due to apparently differing visions of the band’s future, Guererro parted ways with Bedlight, leaving behind this single gem of a powerful debut record.
From The Dawn:
So, they adopt new vocalist Danny Rinaldi, and the release of Life on Life’s Terms was initially akin to Iron Maiden’s days with Blaze Bayley. Although obviously recruited with his pipes in mind, Rinaldi seemed too “green” and, well…young. However, after numerous listens, this one has really settled in. There are some missteps, like the Stryper-meets-Winger hybrid ‘Ms. Shapes’; or ‘Michael’, which could be a Hanson b-side. Yet, there are far more grand motions on this CD which echo the songwriting vision of The Dawn, with perhaps less elegaic lyric content. For example, try not to cringe when Danny sings that he’s “dressed to a T” in the album’s opener. Still, their song ‘Broken Door’ officially outdoes Life of Agony’s ‘How it Would Be’ as the greatest rock song about an unknown parent, melancholia, and lost youth. Even if the singer is only 19.
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