In 1991, Shotgun Messiah released a lengthier heavy metal follow-up to their 1989 self-titled debut. This time around they dropped their candy-voiced lead singer, Zinny J. San. Their original bassist, Tim Skold, took over full-time on vox. Although Tim's voice is somewhat similar to Zinny's, it doesn't sound quite as cartoon-ish. 'Second Coming' offers a standard fare of heavy metal that was mostly overlooked since the musical climate was shifting more towards Seattle grunge at the time.

The subject matter of this lackluster sophomore effort is fairly typical for this Johnny-come-lately LA metal act. "Sexdrugsrockn'roll" opens the album which is about, well, sex, drugs and rock & roll. Being one of the heavier tracks on this disc, it still doesn't pack the same punch of their debut tunes. Guitar wizard Harry Cody does provide an adequate shredder solo, as he is really the heart of Shotgun Messiah. "Red Hot" follows and it's a decent mid-tempo rocker as are "Nobody's Home" and "Trouble".

"Heartbreak Blvd" covers the broken relationship angle and is one of the better tunes despite not being particularly original. There's a few obligatory slow songs featured such as the sugary ballad "Living Without You" (guess what that one's about) and "Ride The Storm", which hits all the right emotional notes albeit none are lasting. "Free" is Shotgun Messiah's best attempt at pop metal but falls short. They also serve up a metal rendition of The New York Dolls' punk classic, "Babylon", which is average at best.

I have always enjoyed Shotgun Messiah and this CD does have a few worthy tunes. For that reason I give 'Second Coming' a marginal thumbs up, but this album definitely lacks imagination. Also it's not nearly as memorable as their debut or their final release 'Violent New Breed'. This album was really a victim of being too little too late. Fans of late 80's metal that seeped into the early 90's might want to check this one out, but trust me when I say there's nothing special about it. Try on their 'Violent New Breed' disc to hear what this band was really capable of.

Track Listing:
1. Sexdrugsrockn'roll
2. Red Hot
3. Nobody's Home
4. Living Without You
5. Heartbreak Blvd
6. I Want More
7. Trouble
8. Ride The Storm
9. I Wanna Know
10. Babylon
11. Free
12. You & Me
13. Can't Fool Me



Recommended: Yes