Pillar has come a long way from their debut Above which was a solid rap/rock album. Now fitting more appropriately into the hard rock genre, they continue their legacy with yet another EP before another highly anticipated album (as they did previously with Where Do We Go From Here and the Broken Down EP).

The Nothing Comes For Free EP is only available online and at live shows this time around. It's a pretty good deal, ringing in at under 10 dollars, and offers seven songs on this rare release that will only have 10,000 copies made. The kicker about that is that even if there are still copies left when their next full-length album hits streets, the band is going to pull the EP, never to make it available again. So, with all these little selling points, is it worth picking up?

In a word, yes. For diehard fans of Pillar, this is a definite must-have. For relatively new fans who just want some new music, it might be worth it as well. The seven track disc starts off with an early mix of the new single "Everything," which any fan of Pillar has heard already at recent shows. It's a great rock song, and an even better way to get the single out to their fans. The only potential problem with the song is that the beginning of the song the music is so loud that you really can't hear what Rob Beckley is singing. Thankfully, this is corrected later.

The album continues with two bonus unreleased tracks, "Dangerous" and "Our Escape," which sound like songs that were left off of their previous album. Both songs are catchy heavy rock tracks, the better of the two being "Dangerous," which almost sounds like a mix between a few songs off Where Do We Go From Here. It's a wonder why these songs didn't make the final mix of the record.

The rest of the EP shines through with four live tracks, all recorded at Blue Cats in Knoxville, Tennessee on a recent tour date. Included are the hit "Fireproof," the emotionally-driven "Simply," new track "Everything," and the battlecry anthem "Frontline." These tracks show the true sound of Pillar, and encourage its audience to see the songs done live.

Overall, Nothing Comes For Free is a great EP, and an even better way for new fans to get into Pillar. A definite treat for old fans, Nothing Comes For Free EP serves as the perfect prelude to the days of The Reckoning...

- Review date: 7/17/06, written by Justin Mabee of Jesusfreakhideout.com