Artist: Allegiance Quartet
Project Title: Looking Ahead
Label: Independent
Producer: Darren Doyle
Reviewed By: Scott Evans

I listen to all types and styles of music.  Southern Gospel Music is my favorite by far but of course, the umbrella that is Southern Gospel Music covers a wide variety of styles.  However, my favorite is, and always will be, male quartet music.  That is why I am always thrilled to find a brand new talented male quartet.  I found one in the Allegiance Quartet!

Their latest project starts out with a familiar quartet song featuring the bass singer.  The song is titled “Lord Do It Again” and the guys do a great job on this song and get the project off to a rousing start!  “Royal Blood” is the next song on the project and I do not recall ever hearing this song before.  The Allegiance Quartet gives a great performance on this song and it quickly became a favorite.  If you are a male quartet it is probably likely that you will sooner or later record a Cathedrals song.  The Allegiance Quartet picked a good one with “I Can See The Hand.”  Strong performances from bass singer, Shaun Stice and tenor singer, Daniel Bolton enhance this song and make it very enjoyable as we are reminded that we can see the Hand of God working in our lives.

“Love Lifted Me” is the next song on the project and this is performed in the same style that the Kingsmen recorded it in several years ago.  I am not sure that I have ever heard another group record that song in that style but it was a great reminder and the guys do a good job with it.  The title song of the project is next and “Looking Ahead” is a good quartet song.  The song encourages looking ahead in life and clinging to the hand that guides us.  That is good advice!  “Living Water” is another good quartet song that reminds us that Jesus is the living water and we need to get a drink of that living water.  The next song on the project is an old song recorded by the Anchormen and some other groups a few years ago.  The song is a great song about going to Heaven titled “I Feel Like Running.”

The next song on the project has been recorded by more groups that I could count!  Perfect Heart was the first to record “Somebody Touched The Lord” but this version from the Allegiance Quartet is a very good one.  Several years ago the Kingsmen recorded a unique song titled “The Judgment.”  I do not recall any other group recording that song since until now.  The Allegiance Quartet does a wonderful job on this song and I loved hearing the song again!  The project ends with a classic quartet song and the guys do a great job singing “The Old Gospel Ship.”

The Allegiance Quartet has only been singing for a couple of years but they have a sound that would indicate a group that has been singing together for a decade or more.  The group has good harmony and they have a good selection of songs on this, only their second project.  There are ten mostly familiar songs that are all performed very well on this project.  My favorite songs from the project are “Royal Blood,” “I Can See The Hand” and “Living Water.”  The entire project is a very good one and if you like traditional male quartet singing you cannot go wrong with this project!  For more information on the Allegiance Quartet, visit their website at www.allegiancequartet.com.