It's almost impossible to talk about Atomic Opera without also mentioning King's X or Galactic Cowboys in the same breath, as all three hail from the same city, all were originally mentored/produced by Sam Taylor, and all three specialize in rather unconventional hard rock with a noticeable emphasis on vocal harmonies. The road to the present for Atomic Opera has not been an easy one. Immediately after releasing the critically acclaimed For Madmen Only, the record label (a subsidiary of Giant) folded, leaving the band in the lurch, and prompting the departure of two of the three members that comprised the band at that time. The remaining member, vocalist/guitarist John Hart, kept on going, recording Penguin Dust essentially as a solo project, then recruiting a new lineup and eventually attracting the interest of Metal Blade Records, who signed them in 2000. That year's Atomic Opera is perhaps the most eclectic release of the aforementioned trio of bands, as it retains the vocal trademarks but is decidely less mainstream-sounding. Lyrically, the band is squarely in the Christian camp, though for some reason the band is reluctant to assume the tag of "Christian metal band". This band is not for everyone, as their style definitely takes some getting used to, but they are quite intriguing.