Ransom – Ransom 1991

Came together in the mid-eighties when bassist Michael Ciado met vocalist Lisa Faxon through an ad placed in a Los Angeles area music paper. Initially got its start using the First Aid moniker but later changed name to Ransom. Ransom was, quite likely, the best of the fully-female fronted Christian bands of the “hair era”. Not only did Lisa Faxon have some incredibly strong vocals, the band, as a whole, was very talented, with guitar player Tony Ortiz being one of the better axe slingers you have probably never heard.

The group’s 1991 self-titled Intense debut brings a joining of commercial metal and hard rock that fans of Crystavox, Shout, Stryper, Guardian, Angelica and Holy Soldier will be certain to appreciate. Female fronted groups of the time such as Arsenal, Scarlet Red and Rosanna’s Raiders also deserve consideration.

There are two things that stand out about Ransom: 1) the groups all around heaviness 2) creativity of its better material. Both factors play a key role in top of the lines pieces “Lasting Love”, “Break Into Darkness” and “Fallen Angel”. If it is muscle you are looking for then check out the double kick drum action on “Break Into Darkness” or the rhythm guitar assaults of “Lasting Love”. “Fallen Angel”, in particular, is a special piece with its variances in time and tempo and exquisite chorus. These three are as good as it gets and represent the pinnacle of Ransom’s songwriting abilities.

Intense Millennium has seen fit to reissue this classic album. They’ve remastered it which, naturally, improves the sound quality immensely. They’ve also added the band’s Once and For All demo as bonus tracks.

01. Lasting Love
02. Rumors
03. Memories of You
04. Fool That I Am
05. Break into Darkness
06. Tonight
07. Etched in Stone
08. Fallen Angel
09. Your Broken Heart
10. I’ll Never Leave You
11. When I Die
Tony Ortiz – guitars
Michael Ciado – bass guitar
Randy Cantor – drums
Lisa Faxon – vocals

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