Slipknot cemented the state of Iowa on the extreme music map. You can’t think 311 without thinking Nebraska. Oklahoma’s Pillar have bigger designs: hauling the entire Midwest to national prominence on their backs, Atlas-style. “People get so wrapped up in the New York and L.A. mindset,” notes front man Rob Beckley. “Which I don’t have a problem with at all, because I know the creativity coming out of that area is just ridiculous, and many artists move there. But the suits forget that a lot of this country is not New York and L.A. The majority is small-town America and suburban living out in the middle of nowhere. Those type of hardworking people, that’s who we are, that’s where we come from. “We’re all from the Midwest. It’s all about AC/DC and Lynryd Skynyrd. Rock and roll in the Midwest is rock and roll.”

Consider The Reckoning hard notice that Pillar is the latest powerhouse to do the Rust, Corn, and Bible Belt’s rich rock legacy proud. The fourth full-length from the monolithic four-piece is the kind of staggering evolutionary leap all fans wish upon their favorite bands, but few ever come close to achieving. Sure, preceding albums Above, Fireproof, and Where Do We Go From Here?—arriving in reliable two-year intervals since 2000—were solid efforts, marking an assured progression from frothing rap-metal to muscular, hook-laden hard rock, but The Reckoning is truly truth in advertising.

To put it mildly, Pillar are like a fine wine, as they only get better with age. Then again with age comes experience. Put the two together and you’ve got a wicked combination. Pillar has got it and it is evident in their newest effort. Pillar’s sound has evolved over the years. Currently it’s at its best and can be described as being on the border somewhere between the edges of Rock and Hard Rock. The band draws many similarities to other Christian Rock artists such as Skillet and Thousand Foot Krutch. The album starts things off with a powerful track and the band’s single entitled ‘Everything’. This track exhibits hard rocking guitars, paired with high energy. The band comes out swinging and lays a crushing blow in the first round. ‘Awake’ continues the hard rock feel, with raw guitar riffs and a hard hitting chorus. ‘Sometimes’ has an upbeat punk feel to it and it a very effective approach for the band. ‘Tragedy’ and ‘The Crossfire’ attack with killer screams that mirror the dual guitar runaway trains that are felt throughout the tracks. Finally, ‘Angel In Disguise’ is a very real and emotional song with lyrics that surely hit home. I highly recommend this track for everybody’s listening pleasure.

Overall I was not disappointed at all with this album. “The Reckoning” was everything I had waited and hoped for. The word ‘reckoning’ can be defined as “To rely with confident expectancy”. I couldn’t have found better words to describe the album as I’m sure the band is very pleased with their latest project. After all, Pillar is truly a force to be reckoned with!