2007 National Youth Gathering Music Reviews:Remedy Drive's Invitation Into Eschatology

Part of a series of reviews of concerts at the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod National Youth Gathering, July 28-August 1, 2007

Remedy Drive brings their homestate of Nebraska with them when they hit the stage. Nebraska is in the crowd and in the music.

First of all, as they played the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod National Youth Gathering which brings together 26,000 youth and leaders from around the country, it simply seemed like a Nebraska District gathering in the room since so many fans flocked to see Remedy Drive who make the circuit around the Husker State.

Secondly, though, certain songs have the plains right in the rock music. An instrumental bridge seems inspired by one of those big, severe thunderstorms coming crashing across the land with Daniel Zach’s drums flashing with lightning and pounding with rolling thunder. The moment just before the rain comes down happens musically in the half-tempo, arena rock finish.

Remedy Drive has a tight sound that immediately took the room on their opener, “Come Up,” also the opening track from their newest album, Rip Open the Skies. You also realize right away that lead singer/pianist/guitarist David Zach would jump around with his piano if he could. Instead, in Ben Folds or Jamie Cullum fashion, he jumps, slides, bangs, stands, and thrashes on that piano.

“When the Skies” shows their emo croe with the falsetto vocal high points such as in Subseven and Further Seems Forever. Elsewhere, Remedy Drive can take classic rock riffs and harmonics while adding more atmosphere and an electronica loop/piano jam on the end. The new song, “Drop in the Ocean,” is like a skate punk ballad as balladry as a thrashing band gets. Like Philip Zach’s bass solo seemingly inspired y the funk of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Statues” has that funk in the mix with a jazz-influenced rock styled chorus.

Yet, David Zach can also tap into a rap sing pattern with some Clash inspirited back there somewhere in the song before going toward a more straight, hard-edged melodic rock. After a bass breakdown, they invited audience members up to help on percussion and piano banging making a great racket for the Lord.

That’s a huge strength of Remedy Drive: getting the audience on board. Like I said, it felt like a Nebraska reunion with their state’s house band, but the band’s show brought everyone along the journey. Yet even when David Zach got us all singing, they didn’t let the audience participation interrupt the eschatological force of their songs.

Remedy Drive brings such power and emotion to eschatology, a theme recurrent in their songs about waiting and hoping and wondering about the day when Jesus returns to end this world and raise all believers to eternal life. Remedy Drive creates an “Invitation Into Eschatology” rather than an “Inside the Church Eschatology” (see Leeland review) which welcomes people to ask God when, why, and how long. The music shows we stand together—believers and inquirers—learning what Jesus meant when He said He will return to take us to be with Him forever.

“King of Failures” is a piano-led song like Unforgettable Fire-era U2 where David Zach’s preaching comes through the music. He’s a good preacher, too, with a Gospel-focused message that stands within the force of a song with this huge, crashing ending. The band doesn’t have to do a requisite stage speech in order to deliver a message that in the end is much more compelling and welcome. It is eschatological rock without being based on fear (“Right Side”).

Thanks to Remedy Drive for the review copy.