Pillar’s “For the Love of the Game”: A Review
Nutshell Version:
What Jesus Freak was for dcTalk and 10 was for Pearl Jam, For the Love of the Game ( Essential, 2008 ) is for Pillar. They will never outdo this album. With only 10 tracks, Pillar keeps things short and sweet, but manages to make their latest studio effort flawless. The album is unadulterated rock. Grinding guitars, hard drums, raspy vocals, everything is here. All vestiges of their rapcore sound are conspicuously absent. With For the Love of the Game, Pillar has crafted a project that will define them for years to come.
Long Version:
What Jesus Freak was for dcTalk and 10 was for Pearl Jam, For the Love of the Game is for Pillar. They will never outdo this album. With only 10 tracks, Pillar keeps things short and sweet, but manages to make their latest studio effort flawless. Not bad considering I have hated this band since they hit the music scene. This is a total conversion for me.
Pillar was introduced to the music industry roundabout the same time when all the rap/rock hybrids were hitting the airwaves and the shelves. Limp Bizkit. Linkin Park. Thousand Foot Krutch. So, they had the strike against them that they were simply another Christian knock-off in a long line of Christian knock-offs. But, when the rap/rock genre fell out of favor with the fickle teenage populace, Pillar was forced to sink or swim. For the Love of the Game is proof positive that they decided to swim. The album is unadulterated rock. Grinding guitars, hard drums, raspy vocals, everything is here. All vestiges of their rapcore sound are conspicuously absent.
Title track ‘For the Love of the Game’ starts off the album on a very strong note, setting the tone for songs to follow.
‘Turn It Up’ sounds like it would fit nicely in Thousand Foot Krutch’s Phenomenon album. This isn’t to say that they’ve stolen a sound or a vibe. But, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the guys at TFK should be deeply honored.
‘Reckless Youth’ is just awesome. The chorus sounds as if a mob has gathered to demand that their voice be heard, chanting,
We are the fearless ones/We are the loaded guns/With nothing left to lose/We are the reckless youth/We are the chosen ones/We’ll never have to run/There’s nothing left to lose/We are the reckless youth
‘Smiling Down’ is the one slow track on the entire album. If I could offer one complaint about an album that I have already admitted to be perfect, I wish they had more songs like this. They do a really good job of slowing things down with a powerfully introspective and acoustic-driven track, speaking of God being there when we don’t feel like going on in life. In all honesty, this is one of those golden songs that you can imagine someone writing a letter to the group saying, “I was just about to do something horrible to myself, but then I heard this song…” Ultimately, it is a song of hope.
The back half of the album is just as solid as the front end without getting repetitive. Tracks like ‘Throwdown,’ ‘Get Back,’ and ‘I Fade Away’ definitely merit multiple listens. ‘Forever Starts Now’ finishes out the album and is likely my favorite track. Both musically and lyrically, the song is first-rate. Challenging the notion that eternity starts when we die, the song suggests that maybe eternity starts here in this life, continuing on when we pass from this world.
As I stated earlier, this album is perfect. You don’t have to agree with me. I’m okay with you being wrong. With For the Love of the Game, Pillar has crafted a project that will define them for years to come. They have managed to evolve without compromising and mature without losing themselves. This is a top-notch effort and deserves to join your music collection.
RATING: 5/5
C. E. Moore
Chris Wise
Tina Helmuth
Kristine Webster
Lauren Bombardier
Wayne Beason
Camaren Stebila
Jake Chism
I’m glad to see that you don’t “hate” Pillar anymore, I’ll take that for what its worth. But I guess I dont see why you didn’t like the two before this as well. Where do We Go From Here and The Reckoning was the set up for this album. This is the end of a trilogy of the post-rap albums.Dont get me wrong I liked Above and definitly Fireproof. I talked to Rob when he was here in Minnesota and he said they were talking about doing a dual-disc album next. But I kindly reminded him that FTLOTG had not been released yet. Fun stuff. LET THE GAMES BEGIN, GET THE WORD OUT PEEPS!!
I don’t know. The previous albums just didn’t resonate with me like this one did. Maybe hate is a strong word. It’s a little like Star Wars. I like Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back just fine. But, contrary to popular opinion, I think Return of the Jedi was the magnum opus of the series. And even though it was a triology, by comparison, I “hated” the first two because the third was so amazinng in my eyes. Same goes for LOTR. So, even though this is the culmination of a 3-disc journey, For the Love of the Game is the magnum opus. Does that make sense?
In my opinion, this album sounded much like a combination of their previous 3. To me it sounds like it’s got the fast paced lyrics of “Fireproof” - which, by the way, almost sound sometimes like they were ripped out of that album - and the combined guitars and drums from “Where do We Go From Here” and “The Reckoning”.
I have to agree that “For the Love of the Game” is their best yet, and I haven’t taken it out of my car CD player yet. There is just nothing wrong with this album. No song sounds too rap-y (i.e. “Fireproof”), or to screamo (i.e. “The Reckoning”). It’s almost like they took all the good songs from their previous three albums and made a compiliation.
I too am very glad that you like their new album, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that the next few will be like it.
[...] If you’re a fan or your curiosity has piqued, there is a review available here. [...]
I am glad this is a Christian website review place, but face it Pillar has always been an awesome Christian rap/Rock band. they have never sunk but have been flown to the Heavens. 1 of their first rap songs is called the original superman, which sings about how Jesus Christ is the original superman.
Open your eyes goes something like, ” yo yo yo your running the race again, so many friends that you have had since your life began, your caught up in the rap race when you face disgrace cause their is a time and a place for everything, so here we are giving glory and honor to the 1 we call the King, you gotta fix your eyes on Him, cause you know that death is the wages of sin so open up your eyes, open your eyes time you realize its your demize, etc.”
Pillar is the best band out there…and has always been the best band. Pillar’s music is so Pillar and yes Pillar has done some pretty awesome things such as sing dcTalk’s Jesus Freak. (Note) Pillar sings Jesus Freak better than dcTalk. But I do wish Pillar would for each album do 1 or 2 rap songs, cause I used to hate rap (and still do) but Pillar’s rap is awesome, Indivisible is also a good rap song. Well anyways
-God Bless
It is awsome
Pilllar just keep getting better and better. With each album their skill and talent increases, as does their passion for sharing the word of God. For the Love of the Game is a touchdown in the 4th quarter with a few seconds left down by 5 on the scoreboard. All to long as christians we have been denying our need to take action. FTLOTG cleary is a battle cry that should be taken seriously. I recently met Noah, Rob, Lester, and Kalel; they are an awesome group of guys for sure. They have deeply impacted and inspired my life, to live my life better for Christ.
Excellent album. I remember when “Were Do We Go From Here” came out, it was a landmark album. “The Reckoning” was OK, but it just seemed to dull, like a filler album, not much zeal and almost secular. But “For The Love Of The Game” resurrected Pillar’s fiery hard rock style from “Were Do We Go From Here” and even improved on it. Overall, with the exception of being a little short, this is a great album.
I think FTLOTG is good, better than The Reckoning, but thats it. There so much in this album I dont like. Where Do We Go From Here is the best and will always be.
I’ve been a Pillar fan for a long time now, and even though I’m one of the few who is still really into the rapcore sound that Pillar used to have, I think For The Love Of The Game is by far their best album yet. It will be tough for them to top this one. Its really one of the best cds that ive bought in the last year (along w/TFK’s The Flame In All Of Us and Skillet’s Comatose). The title track, along w/State Of Emergency and Reckless youth, are Christian anthems that you just want to jump up and down w/your fists in the air. They rock. Same w/Turn it up, which is a song that only Pillar could pull off. The lyrics flow together so well that you dont really think its names of other songs and albums if you dont really sit there and listen to it (well at least i didnt, and i was amazed to find out that the lyrics were song names). I Fade Away is really good too, they female vocals blended really well. Also, Smiling Down, the only “ballad” on the entire album is moving. I cried, no lie. Pillar almost always has at least one song on each album that is like that for me, like Further From Myself on Fireproof (anyone w/me on that one?) and Rewind on Where Do We Go From Here. Overall, I couldnt have been more impressed with the new album!
The first song I heard by Pillar is Holding On from Where Do We Go From Here, and they have gotten better. I would like to see maybe one or two Christian Rapcore songs on their next album, but as long as they keep the same style as they have for For The Love Of The Game, Where Do We Go From Here and Fireproof, they will be the next mainstreem band. The Reckoning was a good album, but it was a little too slow for me, however, it was still a good album. I have heard people refer to The Reckoning as a style finding album, where Pillar was toying with their current style, deciding what to keep, and what to change. For The Love Of The Game is still their best work yet. If you listen to all of their albums from start to currnet, you will see them progress from Rapcore, to more Rock than Rapcore, and then to Rock, then to more of a Pop sense, and finally to their current state which I would define as a mix, because some of their songs are a little more pop, some are rock, and some are closer to metal.
Overall, they have changed for the better, as I have had numerous friends who havent heard of Pillar tell me after hearing “For The Love Of The Game”, the song, that if they keep writing songs like that, they will become the next Linkin Park, or Sum 41, but with a christian sense to their music. Pillar, keep up the good work, and im looking forward to your next album!
I read most of the reviews in this page and I must say…”who cares if they sound like whoever you think they sound like!” No matter what band out there, new/old, each band is always going to have some kind of origin/influence. One thing…STOP COMPARING PILLAR WITH THE SECULAR MUSIC SCENE! How can you compare music that has the word of God to bands like limp bizkit, which by the way, every other word is the F-BOMB! The skill that all four guys have is awsome. They keep on getting better and better. You can hear the progression and you can feel it when you listen. One more thing…Stop comparing each album to each album. Without the other albums they would have never made For The Love of The Game. If it isnt to much srceaming than its not enough screaming. Just be happy there is a band you really like and exist so you can listen to them. If they would have stopped at The Reckoning, you guys would have said that it was their best album ever, or the same for Where Do We Go From Here. I bet on their next album you guys will start dissing on For The Love of The Game. These guys are the best and I have never and I think I will never like any other band like PILLAR! They have and will always stay number one for me!!!!!! God Bless Pillar and God bless you!!!!
Every Pillar album is my favorite, i have everyone from Above up til FTLOTG, even the two EPs, and Pillar will always be the best Christian Rock band, i look for them to get signed to a major record label and hear them on mainstream radio very soon, and “Turn It Up” has to be the best song on the album i mean come on, how amazing is it that they took lyrics/song titles from other bands and wrote a song aroud them.
God Bless
Anyone know who does the female vocals on ” I Fade Away”? i think that it just might be my favorite track on the album. Anyways it almost sounds like Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf just wondering if it was her.