Reviewed by Alex Figgis

During the mid '80s, amidst such AOR bands as Foreigner, Asia and Styx, there arose a band of believers with a sound that matched their musical peers with a faithful and bold message of hope. Idle cure's self titled debut album originally hit the scene in '86, and although admittedly the majority of the album has not fared well over time, such classic songs as 'Silent Hoes', 'Come Back To Me' and 'Come Alive' stand firm as fine examples of early christian art by a group of competent musicians, whose early work can now be enjoyed thanks to KMG's decision to re-release both Idle Cure's debut and '2nd Avenue'. At the turn of the decade, with the release of '2nd Avenue', Idle Cures sound had altered in keeping with the change in musical trends. Even some nine years on from its original release in '90, '2nd Avenue' is a wonderful blast of nostalgia when AOR arguably hit its peak. Such anthems as 'Human Solution' and the superb 'Dead Or ALive" seem to have faired relatively well over time on one disc, AOR fans are without excuse!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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