Review of the Album Sit Stand Kneel Prey by American Thrash Metal Band Whiplash

Whiplash is one of the oldest American thrash metal bands that has seen quite a few changes in the vocal department and they have either taken breaks or disbanded on two occasions and their 1997 studio album called Sit Stand Kneel Prey offers us some good melodic vocals with a good crossover kind of feel similar to Corrosion of Conformity but these guys may do this crossover thing slightly better on this album. The album has a rather strange beginning, having some very weird sounds and the TV is on before out of nowhere we are presented with a speed metal beginning that feels like Metallica's Hit the Lights. The message is lyrically that it feels like in life we are presented with a situation where someone is after us and trying to get rid of us in any way possible. It is no coincidence that Metallica has a song called Whiplash.

Sit Stand Kneel Prey is still a good album

Hitlist” is a song that feels different than what we have seen from these guys up to this point and it has a blues style solo and some pretty good harmony vocals. The feel of this song is like something that Houston area heavy metal band Galactic Cowboys would have written back in the day and we are talking about way back in 1993. The style of this album is vastly different than what fans have been used to up to this point. It can be categorized as speed metal with harmony vocals. Notice that it was mentioned earlier that Sit Stand Kneel Prey has a crossover feel to it in some instances but still, what we have on this album is definitely metal so if you are afraid that this is going to be some cheesy, trendy, alternative metal, put those fears to rest because while the style of this album is not how the band's first three albums are, this one is good in its own way.

Left Unsaid is the song that has that crossover feel to it. The song is about feeling empty on the inside and it feels like the person going through this situation is dead without actually dead. Jane Doe is a song that features some Iron Maiden style melody before the solo kicks in and yes, this is not a misprint because there actually is a song on this album called Jane Doe. Cyanide Grenade starts with some interesting bass guitar play and I know you are wondering what the heck is going on with these guys because they came up with a title like this for a song. The song lyrically might as well be about the dangers of warfare. There is definitely a risk that human life could be in danger as wars are started and soldiers come home in body bags. However in 1997, the world was in a different situation than it is now. Jane Doe starts in similar fashion that the previous song did as these guys use a bass line to start things off as this song has a very blues kind of feel to it.

“Knock Me Down” is a song about a person that went through struggle and hardship. He tries to pick himself up but he gets knocked down again. “Lack of Contrition” is a song that basically is trying to get the message across that though some people say that they are sorry, they don't really mean it and they will change their story.

While the musical approach in this album is different and it works, still there isn't the feeling that this album is spectacular even if the first two songs set the tone. Don't get me wrong this album is different and good enough but it is not like an elite Metallica or Testament album. The album is mostly crossover metal mixed with blues style and the vocals sound like early Corrosion of Conformity.

“Strangeface” starts out rather differently than the other songs on this album. Rather than starting out fast like the first song or starting out with a bass line, this feels like a ballad song with harmony vocals which isn't something we have even heard from Whiplash. This is the one song in this album that feels kind of like it is out of place. “Catharsis” is a short instrumental song that may be appropriate after all of the other heavy songs to give our ears a break. The strongest songs in Sit Stand Kneel Prey are Climb Out of Hell, Left Unsaid, Hitlist, and Catharsis. This one may be the weakest album from New Jersey's Whiplash but still as a metal album it is one that makes sense musically and the vocals are varied.