Factor 11 CD - ‘It’s All In the Blood’

-Dave Howell 

The red and black cover of ‘It’s All In the Blood’ makes the CD look like metal music. Actually, though, this is Christian rock. The term Factor 11 is a trace protein in blood. The blood in the title of the CD refers to the fact that two generations are represented here, and it also refers to a blood deficiency of one of Spencer Scheer’s relatives. 
Factor 11 is led by singer/songwriter Spencer Scheer, who does all the lead vocals (except one song) and wrote all but one song. Incidentally, there are only eight, so this is somewhere between a CD and a EP.
Since this is Christian rock, I searched for anything that might be seen to support G.W. Bush. I could not find anything, except surprise that this CD rises above much of the blandness of its genre. 
“Mystery Called Love” and “Inject the Truth” are good songs. The first has a nice melody with a beat, while the second becomes dramatic with its repeating chorus.
Scheer does a respectable version of U2’s “With or Without You,” even if an argument could be made that Bono’s vocals on the original make this one a dubious prospect for a cover. 
“American Pride” features vocals by bass guitarist Joe Rivera. The lyric “Freedom’s our engine/Faith is our pride,” pretty much shows what this one is about.
“Jerusalem” is a standout, a beautiful song with a rock beat about the “city in the desert.” “Eighth Day” is a bit less successful, a rock-and-roll number about the creation of woman in the Garden of Eden that seems inspired by Bob Dylan’s “Highway 51 Revisited.”
Christian rock listeners can rejoice at the release of this CD, which is more listenable than many others.
Web site at http://www.factor11.org/ 

-Dave Howell