Azariah's Prayer
Prize Fighter

CleanxCut Records, August 2006
Genre: metal/hardcore/thrash/punk
Official site: www.myspace.com/azariahsprayer
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
In the vein of Seventh Star, Alove For Enemies, Bury Your Dead, and Hatebreed, with touches of thrash and punk.

Azariah's Prayer is a five-piece, Straight Edge hardcore band hailing from Warsaw, Indiana [also known in hardcore circles at the "War City"]. The group formed in the fall of 2004, with ex-members of bands such as One Man Down, Stealing September, Perish the Thought, Necessary X Vengeance, and the infamous kings of Indiana grindcore xxxVomitingxxxCorpsexxx. 

Musically
There are only 5 tracks on this release but it is filled with extreme diversity and musical talent. "The Excellence of Execution" start with a great intro talking about hitting the opposing force head on and then kicks in with some double kick drum and metal guitar. The song quickly goes into a thrash punk feel with tempo changes and at times doesn't mix 100%.  "After Affect" kicks in quickly and also ends quickly coming in under 2 minutes.  The song has a great hardcore metal feel with extremely hard bass lines. "Dance Dead Man Dance" has a great mixture of metal and thrash overtones.  Unlike the first track, Azariah's Prayer has an amazing way of blending in the different styles to bring the tracks into perfect metal harmony. The best track is "Conviction" where the drumming is insane and a constant grinding of guitars is held and then the music stops and the tempo drops.  I love tracks like this.  The unexpected holds you into this track wanting more as it ends. 

Lyrically/Vocally
AP takes a straightedge overtone mixing their Christian influence into a few tracks.  Songs dealing with standing up and taking personal responsibility for your life and outcomes are held constant. The band has a unique approach with 2 lead vocalists and after listening to it it isn't that noticeable.  The vocals blend extremely well as the intensity of the growls melts the choruses. The overall punk feel comes in on the yelled chant backs which would have fists raised in the air at a live event. 

Overall, this is an excellent 5 track ep that will leave you wanting more from the band.