Description

Warrior is the third album by the Swedish hard rock band Jerusalem, released in the US on Lamb & Lion Records in 1982, distributed by The Benson Company. As well released on Myrrh Records in the UK, a division of Word. (The original Swedish version of the album, entitled Krigsman, was released on the Swedish gospel label Prim the previous year.) The album was recorded in three weeks at Supreme Studio in Stockholm, Sweden; with Andy Kidd producing and engineering. All songs written and arranged by lead singer/guitarist Ulf Christiansson.

Jerusalem features Ulf Christiansson on guitar and vocals, Dan Tibell on keyboards, Peter Carlsohn on bass, and Klas Anderhell on drums.

The first two releases from Jerusalem showed sparks of musical brilliance and powerful, heavy blues influenced rock, but nothing that could have prepared the fans for the onslaught that is Warrior. Warrior was followed by Jerusalem frontman Ulf Christiansson’s solo debut album, I mina drömmar, originally released on the Swedish gospel label Prim in 1982. An English edition of the solo album, entitled In My Dreams, was released in the US by Lamb & Lion Records the same year.

Trivia: Jerusalem became the first band signed to a CCM label to have a video featured on MTV. (Jerusalem was as well the first Swedish rock band on MTV.) The band’s “It’s Mad” video was aired for the first time late November 1982. The video was directed and financed by Jan Petrus, a Hollywood producer who knew the band in Sweden, where the video was shot. According to a note featured in Billboard Magazine 20 November 1982, Prim (Jerusalem’s Swedish label), sent the video to MTV who according to a MTV spokesperson accepted it “on the quality of the video first, the music second. We didn’t know it was a Christian rock group, and that is irrelevant to our uses.” Jerusalem also made a video for the song “Constantly Changing” which was aired on MTV as well. Both songs featured on Warrior.

Jerusalem, the Christian heavy metal band from Sweden, presents their third and finest album, ‘Warrior’ (Lamb & Lion LL-1065) to the ever-enthusiastic American Christian rock audience. While Jerusalem’s earlier offerings, Volumes 1 and 2, were hindered by weak production and less-than-great translation of originally Swedish lyrics into English, ‘Warrior’ has the sound and clarity of any top-flight English rock project.

Ulf Christiansson, Jerusalem’s creative force, guitarist, and vocalist, writes with a directness and musical intensity that is matched by few artists in Christian rock. And I mean rock – the loud, hard-hitting, finger-blistering kind. A secular equivalent might be Deep Purple and the likes. This is no-holds-barred music with lyrics that are the same.

The title track speaks of “figthing for God” on the side that has “already won in the Son.” «Constantly Changing» and «Pilgrim» encourage Christians onward through life’s changes on the journey of faith. «Man of the World», «Ashes in Your Hands», and the 12-minute opus «Sodom» decry the culture and kingdoms of this world, calling individuals to repentance.

‘Warrior’ may be one of the finest-sounding records of its kind in Christian music. Andy Kidd produced and assisted in the translation of the lyrics, giving the album a clear, professional quality sound. The powerful rhythms of bassist Peter Carlsson and drummer Klas Anderhell are embellished by the synthesizer and keyboards of Dan Tibell, while Christiansson’s power chords, smooth strat lines, and energetic vocals are centerstage. Jerusalem may well be the warrior God uses to speak to a generation into the harder rock sounds. [Quincy Smith-Newcomb, CCM, November 1982]

Jerusalem were Sweden’s first Christian rock/metal band. And what a band! ‘Warrior’, released in 1982, was their third album and the moment that the band truly came of age. Radical in message and pushing back the boundaries of Christian rock musically, this passion fuelled outing put the band on the map. This English language version of the album saw band leader Ulf Christiansson and his bandmates break out of Scandinavia and begin making an impact across Europe and into America where they found fellowship with fellow rockers like Resurrection Band and Petra who had a similar desire to create hard rock with a radical message. Appearances at Greenbelt made this album a popular choice for British Christian rockers and there is plenty to love here. The riffy «Constantly Changing» gets the whole thing underway and introduces us to two things – Christiansson’s gruff vocal style and crisp lead guitar work, all built on a solid rhythm section with some added keyboard flourishes to add plenty of atmosphere. Highlights include the hard rocking «Man Of The World» and the brilliant title cut which highlights some of the band’s musicality, mixing power and melody. «It’s Mad» is another change of style and almost has a new wave feel and a very catchy chorus. The highlight of the second side of the album has to be the 12 minute prog rock «Sodom». With many musical changes, this track simply stuns the listener with its sheer rock versatility and spiritual passion. A lot of this album really stands the test of time now that over thirty years have passed since its release. It’s a Christian rock classic and I am left wondering where the spiritually passionate Christian rockers of today are hiding? [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, January 2017]

> Apple Music (Jerusalem Classics 2 – English Version: https://music.apple.com/us/album/warrior/467858008?i=467858016)

LP tracklist (US version):

Side One
A1. “Constantly Changing” – 5:48
A2. “Warrior” – 6:17
A3. “Pilgrim” – 4:14
A4. “It’s Mad” – 5:36

Side Two
B1. “Man of the World” – 4:26
B2. “Sodom” – 12:10
B3. “Ashes in Our Hands” – 4:36
B4. “Farewell” – 6:08

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by both Lamb & Lion Records and Myrrh Records. Remastered by Rob Colwell and re-issued on CD by Retroactive Records in June 2018, entitled Warrior (Legends Remastered). Comes in a jewel case featuring a 12-page booklet with lyrics and band pics.

“Constantly Changing” (MUSIC VIDEO)

“It’s Mad” (MUSIC VIDEO)

Jerusalem – Live on TV1, Sweden’s National Public Television, in December 1980. Tracklist: “Domedagsprofeter” / “Pass på” / “It’s mad” / “Krigsman” / “Pappa vem har gjort”.

Jerusalem with British producer Andy Kidd (left) in Prim studio in Stockholm during the Warrior sessions.

A Cable Music First? Lamb & Lion act to be seen and heard on MTV. (Billboard Magazine, November 20, 1982, page 43) + Billboard, Dec. 4, 1982: For The Record. “The MTV-aired video clip of Lamb & Lion recording act Jerusalem is co-produced by the Benson Co., owner of Lamb & Lion. It was incorrectly identified in Billboard’s Nov. 20 issue as a production of Prim Records, the group’s Swedish label.”

JERUSALEM – Warrior (Legends Remastered)

We’ve Evolved In A Very Strange Way…

Warrior, Jerusalem’s iconic 3rd release, remains probably the most celebrated of the Jerusalem studio albums… and for good reason. While I would argue all of the albums have an incredible impact, Warrior showcased a much more musically intricate and entrancing entity. The vocals/lyrics had always been the emphasis of the music up to this time, but these songs transcended on an instrumental level as well. Oh the lyrics are plenty contagious and convicting, but there was this added element of performance that took the band to the next level. Ulf’s vocals, Tibell’s keys, Anderhell’s drums… it was all more intense. Peter Carlsohn took over on bass and everything fell in place – the formula for breakthrough was immediately evident. The album now appears in its entirety on CD (the final track «Farewell» included now) as part of the Retroactive Records Legends Remastered series. Like the others in the series, the CD is packaged in a clear case jewel with 12 page booklet.

The opener «Constantly Changing» set the tone right from the start. One thing that was immediately apparent was that these guys were bringing the music to life with plenty of aggressive chops. Anderhell added a lot more flourishes on the snare and toms to lend a much more progressive vibe. How many songs can you count in the history of Christian hard music that speak so well to the process of sanctification?

The title track «Warrior» introduced us to a whole new Jerusalem – one we had hints of on songs like «Gethsemane» and «Introduction» from Volume 2. There is all this dynamic contrast and the improvisational fills and experimentation on the drums and keys. This song builds in intensity right into the groove of the first verse where the message is delivered with clarity – “I never dreamed I’d be a fighter one day/ now I’m enlisted in the heat of the fray/ entrenched on the front line, fighting for God.”

The Clapton-esque «Pilgrim» followed with a dreamy, swirling organ call to “live as a Christian should live.”

Are you mad? The quirky «It’s Mad» was a bit hard to swallow at first. The pop 80’s new wavish synths and beats seemed a bit out of place on this 70’s prog rock album, but with repeated listens the song speaks well to the insanity of God’s plan to those who don’t believe.

«Man Of The World», what are you doing? What are you doing? This song is no less impactful in 2018.

I need an album side to describe «Sodom». A twelve-minute song in Christian rock? Really? The keyboards and synths just added walls of credibility to the Jerusalem story – yes, Christians can be creative in rock music and play more than a 4 on floor verse, verse, chorus, verse song. This song was huge, and it’s still huge! Not only did it contain all of the elements of 70’s greats like Kansas, Queen, Genesis and Led Zep, but the lyrics remain timeless. It may have been more than 3 decades ago, but are these words not more even more true today than in 1981?

“If it’s hard for you to believe it/ Just switch on your TV screen/ Reality looks like a nightmare/ This Sodom is more than a dream.” – «Sodom»

I love how when the song hits the 7:30 mark you think it’s done, but Ulf, like a prophet, takes the message home – “For the message we preach is diluted…” and then this outrageous Lynyrd Skynyrd guitar solo follows. It is all hammered home with the proclamations that we are all basically “living in Sodom.” The anthem at the end the “Amen” icing on the cake.

Oh, but it’s not over. «Ashes In Our Hand» is the old-time Pentecostal worship blues rocker full of “hellfire and brimstone.” Where is the big tent revival, brothers and sisters? “The future lies with Jesus/ Resting in his hand.” And if that finale wasn’t enough, «Farewell» closes things out with an epic ballad of hope and consolation. “Even if friends, they let you down/ His love always remains/ Farewell, Farewell/ But, we’ll meet again.”

The world is constantly changing, we are constantly changing, the music is constantly changing, but some things remain the same – Jerusalem and Jesus. Selah.

[Jonathan "Doc" Swank, HM Magazine, June 2018]