PETRA - THIS MEANS WAR (*New-CD) WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE w/ LTD EDITION TRADING CARD, GIRDER RECORDS

Name: PETRA - THIS MEANS WAR (*New-CD) WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE w/ LTD EDITION TRADING CARD, GIRDER RECORDS
Brand: Petra
SKU: B9
Price: 12.50 USD
Availability: InStock

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8 Page Booklet Jewel Case CD
LTD Collectors Trading Card #37
2021 Girder Records (GR1092)
Originally Release in 1987
Remastered by Rob Colwell (Bombworks Sound)

When Petra regathered for their second project with new vocalist John Schlitt and producers John and Dino Elefante, they ditched the flying spaceship guitar, pushed the keyboards way back in the mix in deference to highly processed and crunchy guitars, and embraced a militaristic lyrical and visual theme that was perfectly in step with the Reagan era. On This Means War The Elefantes brought the rock in a big way, with monster drums, stacked vocals, and everything sounding like it was born for arenas. Hartman’s fist-in-the-air, slogan-ready lyrics continued to define the Christian rock template and Schlitt’s vocal found the perfect balance between sneer and smile. It all came together perfectly and a new era was born for the band. Petra meant rock after all.

PRODUCED BY: DINO ELEFANTE & JOHN ELEFANTE
Engineered by: Dino Elefante, John Elefante and Mike Mireau

Recorded and Mixed at
PAKADERM Studio, Los Alamitos, CA

Bob Hartman Lead Guitar
Mark Kelly Bass Guitar
John Lawry Keyboards
John Schlitt - Lead Vocals
Louie Weaver- Drums

Computer Programming by: John Lawry
Additional Programming by: John Elefante, Tim Heitz, Bob Hartman & Louie VWeaver

Background Vocals by: John Lawry, John Elefante, Mark Kelly, John Schlitt

This Means War! Drum Section: Tom Hrbacek, Los Alamitos High School Marching Drummers

TRACKS

This Means War 3:30
He Came, He Saw, He Conquered 4:10
Get Down On Your Knees And Fight Like A Man 4:32
I Am Available 4:27
Kenaniah 3:43
You Are My Rock 4:21
The Water Is Alive 3:48
Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened 3:41
Dead Reckoning 3:23
All The King's Horses 4:17

PETRA

Petra got its start in 1972 as one of the pioneers of Christian Rock. Now 20 albums later with 4 Grammys™ and 10 Dove Awards™, they are the World’s Most Popular Christian Rock Band. It didn't matter if you were listening to Deliverance, Amy Grant, and Michael W. Smith, one thing is for certain, you knew who Petra was. Even Stryper fans would never enter into a debate on who the greatest Christian Rock Band of all time was. Although Stryper may have been large in the mainstream, no one came close to Petra in the Christian circuit selling 10 MILLION records and selling out large capacity arenas. Their impact was monstrous and their music was explosive. Their albums More Power to Ya, Beat the System, and This Means War! rock like none other and were clear defining moments for a band that just a few albums earlier had everyone convinced that they would be a status-quo CCM act. Nothing was further from the truth.

As Petra soared to new heights with Greg X. Volz, Bob Hartman and Louie Weaver, More Power to Ya was THAT defining album that broke down all the barriers of what an effective ministry focused rock band could be, embracing backward masking (If you know, you know). Look no further than the powerful rockers “Second Wind” and “Judas’ Kiss” for songs that defined a generation.

By the time Beat the System hit the speakers, fans knew that these guys had no interest in just another record, they embodied an attitude that said, "Let's break down barriers and do something relevant" by moving more towards a keyboard driven rock act. With songs like “Computer Brains,” “Witch Hunt,” and “It Is Finished,” the band included sampling and effects not found on their other records along with a sense of urgency in every song, slowing the heavy tempo for only two songs: “Adonai” and “Hollow Eyes.”

This Means War! dropped four years later, ushering in a new era, with new vocalist John Schlitt (formerly of the rock band Head East) in his prime. The band knew after their debut record with Schlitt, when everyone thought they were on their way out, that a hard rock/arena rock record was want everyone wanted and exactly what producers John and Dino Elefante could deliver and did they ever. Just speaking with John Elefante a few days ago, he reminded me that they had a top hit on all 4 major charts at the same time which helped them amass a large following of converts, Dove Awards, and Grammys.

Girder Music is proud to bring these rock classics back in remastered deluxe editions on both vinyl and CD so fans can rediscover just what made these albums so pivotal in the history of CCM, as well as introduce them to those who may have missed these iconic releases the first time around.

…the enemy was conquered!

This is what modern Christian music needs! This has testimony, a Bible lesson and musicianship. This is so well rounded and that’s why it’s timeless. It’s 2023 and it still sounds fresh. Who makes albums like this anymore that edify? Modern CCM has it’s place in radio but it’s not really rockin’ like this stuff. I highly recommend this purchase. It’s top notch both spiritually and musically.

If at first you don't succeed.....

When many of our favorite classic CCM albums were released, cd's were really the new kids on the block.
Unfortunately, in most cases, the music was taken from the original masters and slapped onto the new digital format without too much concern.
If you purchased This Means War sometime in the late 80's, you were probably overjoyed to have it on a medium that would last for 'a hundred years'.
Now here we are decades later, older and wiser.
Those cd's that we were so excited about, we have come to see rudimentary and inferior even to vinyl.
Along comes Girder.
Their releases make the music come alive!
This is how these classic albums should have been released in the first place.
I have replaced 6 existing cd's and have added 2 cd's never releases before, with these beautifully remastered gems.
Do you want to hear your favorite albums from your favorite artists the way they should have been released the first time?
Pick up just 1 of your past favorites from Girder, and you will not look back.
This Means War, one of Petra's best, would be a great place to start.

Worth picking it up?

In the past I’ve bought albums from girder that have been remastered and I was very pleased as the classic albums sounded brighter and clearer than on the original releases (especially the Shout/Ken Tamplin CDs). I remember telling my wife if Girder ever released classic Petra albums I don’t think I could stop myself. A few months later 3 Petra albums were announced and I immediately pre-ordered.

How much better could they sound than the original releases? In my opinion most Petra albums were pretty well mixed to begin with and sounded as good as basically anything out there… except “On Fire” which sounds muddy to the detriment of most of the songs. When they arrived I listened to them all closely and found that the sound a little better. Back to back they do sound clearer than the originals but not enough that I was wowed.

Every Petra collector SHOULD buy them. The layout is very nice and the collector cards are a cool feature.

I hope that Girder re-releases my three favourite Petra albums: Beyond Belief, Unseen Power and No Doubt. All of which already sound amazing so, again, I don’t know how much better they would be. I would love to see new layouts, collector cards and perhaps something like demos of songs or something.

Overall I like the CDs and glad I purchased them (even considering the originals sounded pretty well perfect) I would buy more Petra albums if they are produced.

2021 This Means War! [Remaster]

If you have already read my reviews on the More Power To Ya or Beat The System 2021 remasters, then you already have a flavor for what I'm about to say here: there's more music in the music! On my first listen through the TMW! remaster, I was pleasantly surprised at the fullness and richness of the CD. They are the same Petra songs in every meaningful way you always remembered them, except better. 2021 production wizardry applied to a mid-1980's rock classic results in something even more classic-er! Your ears are in for a musical treat from start to finish. It's like asking for a chocolate sundae and getting triple chocolate with chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles on top. You cannot go wrong - you just can't. // Do yourself a favor and pick up this CD for yourself, for a friend, or for a friend of a friend. Fire up them guitar engines and blast off into the land of 1987 for a joyous romp around the sonic rings of Saturn and back. You'll touch back down on cloud nine just in time for...well, next time. Just push repeat already!

A Remastered Masterpiece

The Girder record label together with John Schlitt and the legendary band Petra gave us a unique pleasure to our ears this year by reaching an agreement and making this deluxe edition with remastered sound; really the album is a classic from start to finish without boring songs or just filler, this album is a masterpiece that will never go out of style generation after generation starting with the powerful “This Means War” continuing with the classic “He Came, He Saw, He Conquered “and “Get On Your Knees And Fight Like A Man ”going through the great ballad “I Am Available” very inspiring which motivates us to say to God “Here I am, Send me to Me” and of course not leaving back Hard Rock classics like "Kenaniah, You Are My Rock and The Water Is Alive" of course the second ballad of the album highly acclaimed in its time and also in concerts "Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened" and ending with two greats plus AOR rhythm songs “Dead Reckoning” and “All The King's Horses”.
The sound is simply fantastic, totally defined by each instrument, balanced in each ear canal, no instrument is heard better or less than another, the remastering work was really impeccable, no detail of each song is lost and it is enjoyed to the fullest.
The covers on each disc only include a photo of the original vinyl when unfolding the cover and then the lyrics of each song on a background that contrasts perfectly with the white color of the font that was chosen to print the lyrics.