Spyz in da house

Every once in a while you listen to a CD or an album that has it all. It stays with you for years and you can listen to it almost at any time. One of those albums that has this effect on me is Strength in Numbers from the 24-7 Spyz.

The Spyz are a Heavy Metal Soul crossover band from New York that started out in the late 80s. The driving forces behind the band are Jimi Hazel on guitars (and nowadays on vocals) and Rick Skatore on bass guitar. Initially, the band released a couple of albums with P. Fluid on vocals and Anthony Johnson on drums. The music on both albums was very diverse from straight up metal to soul and r&b type ballads. When Anthony Johnson and P. Fluid left the band, Joel Maitoza and Jeff Brodnax joined the band. Their label released the EP Harder Than You first to measure their marketability. Since they received a lot of praise they proceeded with the release of the full album Strength in Numbers.

Strength in Numbers will rock your socks off.
I have owned the CD since 1992 and played it over and over when I wanted some good groovy head banging. The album starts out with Break The Chains and it literally breaks the chains and boundaries of conventional music classification into genres and styles. Starting out as a funky masterpiece with clean guitars and a rhythm section that will make you get off your butt and DANCE, it easily breaks into a hard hitting heavy rock song with an unforgettable hook. Now that's an opener. It also sets the stage and raises the expectations for the album. How many times did you listen to an album only to discover that there are only three or four songs really worth listening to? On Strength In Numbers there are maybe three or four songs out of fourteen (!) that are a little weaker.
The change of pace and mixture of styles is seamless. Other songs that follow the example of Break The Chains are for example Judgment Day with the funky verse that turns into a stomping chorus, My Desire, a song that hits you in the face from the first note or I'm Not Going.

If you're still not convinced that these guys can rock check out Crime Story, Purple, Stuntman and Last Call. The guitar riffs go far beyond a simple onslaught of power chords and are paired with intricate rhythms that are full of intensity.

With such a tour de force of energy you need a break at some point. Strategically placed are two ballads, Earth And Sky and Traveling Day and a very soulful Got It Goin' On.

But wait, there's more. The group shows its versatility by adding the fantastic reggae-like Understanding that also carries a mellow vibe and pushes the groove out of the well-known structures of the genre. Also, Sireality is a four minute guitar solo with Rick and Joel jamming along which turns into some kind of obscure cacophony of noises.

Adding to the overall listening pleasure are the arrangements that are well thought out and the excellent musicianship of each member.