Author: Loyd Harp

Not so much a new band, as a continuation of a previous one, Famous Names was essentially the same line-up as Writz. The core of the band is husband-wife duo Steve and Bev Fairnie. They had begun earlier in the 1970s as Fish Co. doing folk-pop not too dissimilar to a lot of Jesus Music of the day, before heading into a distinct punk/new wave direction in the late 70s as Writz. However, they had to change their name due to an American pop group of the same name.… Continued →

Eyes of the Defiled was a deathcore band (death metal + metalcore) from Maryland. Information about the band is scarce, but it appears that they formed in the early 2010s, putting out their debut EP in 2012 before signing with Vision of God Records, for 2016’s Distant Tellings album. They were also involved in almost every installment of the Christian Deathcore compilations on Bandcamp. The band’s sound focused on traditional deathcore–heavy riffs, often in a breakdown style, the occasional melodic lead guitar, and lots of pig squeal-type vocals that are associated with the genre.… Continued →

Lugnut was a hardcore punk band from Northern Florida, only active for a few short years in the late 90s/early 00s. Their sound was somewhat melodic, but they were way too intense and too fast to be pop-punk. Some have called this sound skate punk or new school punk. They only released one full-length album entitled . . . Like the Dickens and a split release with fellow JCHC punk Officer Negative. Both releases were on Screaming Giant Records. In the band’s ashes, members went on to play in a number of other acts.… Continued →

Some of our readers will be familiar with Seth Metoyer’s work through his extreme metal bands Mangled Carpenter (brutal death metal/grindcore), Pulpit Vomit (grindcore), or Brain Matter (industrial metal), but he has also been moonlighting in the film industry, creating scores for horror films for well over a decade. We recently caught up by email to discuss the prospects and perils of making scary music for scary movies as a not-so-scary believer. LH: For those who don’t know, how long have you been making music? SM: I’ve “officially” been making music for about 20 years.… Continued →

Early 90s indie pop darlings The Swoon have just released a new version of a long-lost track from 1990, originally released on a demo cassette. The band have premiered “Army of Plenty” on YouTube, and have been hinting at the possibility of a new release in the near future.… Continued →

Alright, you’re gonna need to buckle up for this one. For two reasons: 1) Koinonia has a somewhat lengthy history, and the band’s members are/were probably more connected than any other band ever in contemporary Christian music; and 2) they were a jazz fusion band, which is probably not a genre most IVM readers are astutely familiar with. The band formed in 1980 and were active throughout that decade before disbanding in 1991. While the members were Americans, several of whom were of Latin/Hispanic descent, their music was more widely-known in Northern and Western Europe where they often played to sold out crowds.… Continued →

Two raw European black metal bands meet head to head on this new split CD. Both of the ‘bands’ are effectually one-man projects. Duister Maanlicht hail from the Netherlands, while Kärv is from Sweden. The first thing we’ll notice after popping the CD into the player is how well produced this is. The style is raw/primitive or “old school” black metal, but fortunately for the listener, this doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a metal barn. All of the instruments come through clearly, and yet nothing is too polished or over-produced.… Continued →

One of the “Big Three” in Christian ska, The Insyderz formed in Detroit, MI in 1995 out of their Salvation Army worship band. Like their counterparts in The O.C. Supertones and Five Iron Frenzy, the band featured a mix of third wave ska, punk rock tempos, and worshipful lyrics. Unlike their counterparts, The Insyderz were the first of the group to release an entire album dedicated to ska-core worship songs. For their second album, the aptly-titled Skalleluia!, the band assembled a setlist of mostly modern praise and worship songs and turned them into ska anthems.… Continued →

Truth be told, heavy metal was my entry point into any kind of independent Christian music. I mean, I started out on Petra, Amy Grant, and Russ Taff as a young teenager, but it wasn’t long before Jerusalem, Whitecross, and Sacred Warrior were taking up my listening space. One of the pioneers of Christian metal was Swedish band Leviticus. The band formed in 1981 in the town of Skövde. They recorded 4 albums, plus an alternative/Swedish language version of their debut, before breaking up in the early 90s.… Continued →

SoCal rapper Peace 586 (born Rene Vasquez) has been hitting the hip-hop game hard since the late 80s (first as M.C. Peace), as a member of the seminal and innovative Freedom of Soul, and through numerous collaborations with artists like S.F.C., Jon Gibson, Scott Blackwell, J.C. and the Boyz, and many others. He went solo following the break-up of Freedom of Soul and released his first solo album in 1996. As impressive as that is, what’s even more impressive is the fact that he’s still been active as recently as 2023, releasing a full-length solo album on his own label.… Continued →

Impossibly difficult to categorize into any nice, neat genre, Norway’s Drottnar originally formed as Vitality, in 1996. They began playing death metal, but changed names when their sound shifted towards black metal. The band’s sound continued to evolve more and more, incorporating progressive and technical elements into something more avant-garde over time, while still retaining elements of black metal, death metal, and other extreme sounds. It is this level of experimentation and excellence that both sets them apart from their peers musically, and simultaneously makes their music less accessible to the general populace of listeners–even amongst fans of heavy music.… Continued →

Glen Galaxy is perhaps best known for his work in two different San Diego-based experimental indie rock bands: Trumans Water and Soul-Junk. The former was a non-religious noisy indie rock band in the proper sense of the term. Soul-Junk was a truly experimental band dabbling in a dozen different genres with lyrics filled with Scripture. On the one hand, you never knew what you were going to get musically (would it be hip-hop or noisy punk?). On the other hand, you knew that each and every album or 7″ EP was going to be chock full of quirky scriptural renditions and psalms of praise.… Continued →

Paradigm Shift was an electronica duo based in the Dallas, TX metroplex. They released one full-length album (for N-Soul/Velocity) and a 4-song CD EP. Unfortunately, very little is known about the group despite lengthy web searches. And the common group name doesn’t help! The one and only full-length album was self-titled and featured some of the most creative electronica the Christian scene ever produced. In contrast to the over-saturated techno/rave scene as well as the popular praise-house genre (that often tended towards the generic), Paradigm Shift featured a creative take on house/breaks that featured both funky retro and forward-leaning/futuristic sounds.… Continued →

Cleveland’s Six Feet Deep were instrumental in the advent of “new school” hardcore that was emerging in the early- to mid-90s. They were one of the few Spirit-Filled Hardcore bands that didn’t end up on Tooth & Nail or Solid State (No Innocent Victim was the other major example). After an independent demo cassette aptly titled Self in 1992, they released two fantastic metallic hardcore albums: 1994’s Struggle and 1996’s The Road Less Traveled. The debut issued on Christian indie stalwart R.E.X. Music and the sophomore on Flying Tart/R.E.X.… Continued →

Daniel Markham has just released a third video from his brand spankin’ new album Just Like a Dream. The Denton, TX-based multi-instrumentalist has crafted a powerful dreamscape that blends elements of power pop, classic rock, and alternative music straight out of the 90s. The album was recorded and mixed by acclaimed producer David Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt, Deerhunter) at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, Georgia, in May 2022, and features Kris Killingsworth on the drums and Kyle Harris on the bass. It is his tenth (!)… Continued →

March 18, 2024, Santa Cruz, California. Minor Rockstar has released its new track “Rise” that builds off its recently released Wasted EP on Thumper Punk Records. Minor Rockstar’s latest track is an emotional reset on life, as it urges the listener to rise from darkness to light. I’m getting back all the things that were stolen from me A sense of hope, peace of mind and my dignity Was living life cast aside, down and pushed around I feel myself rising up now Rise up, rise up, rise up, rise Armed for war the goal is clear, no more fear In battle we march straight ahead, does anyone hear?… Continued →

It’s been a rough week for Christian rock fans. Not only did we lose Michael Knott, but also Ezekiel Vade, bassist for glam metal band Stryken. Ezekiel died on Monday, March 11th. He had been the bassist for the Paul Q-Pek Band (pre-One Bad Pig), Stryken, and later The Cry (not to be confused with Canadian band The Kry), known for their two songs featured on Light from the Underground Volume Two, on Ocean Records.… Continued →

This split LP is a vinyl release featuring two hardcore/metalcore bands from Las Vegas. It appears from the photos that both bands also share some members. One of the first things you’ll notice about this 12” is the provocative cover art and exquisite packaging. Liner notes are printed on a full 12” booklet with glossy printing. It’s very similar to the booklets that have traditionally come inside CD packaging, except this is like 4 times the size. I don’t know if this is becoming a trend in vinyl packaging, but I’ve never seen anything quite this extensive.… Continued →

As you’ve undoubtedly already read elsewhere, and seen all over the chrindie corner of the internet, Michael Knott died earlier this week. Much has been written about the man, the music, the iconic artist, so I don’t intend to re-tread any of that ground here. This is a Song of the Day post after all. Nonetheless it does seem fitting to use this week’s SOTD column to feature more of Knott’s work. He wrote and recorded so many incredible albums from the 1980s through the 2020s that it’s hard to pick a “best” or even a “favorite.”… Continued →

The world of Christian music has lost a true icon. Michael Knott was confirmed dead yesterday, March 12th. Knott was a true pioneer in independent Christian music, leading a plethora of bands, dabbling in multiple genres, engaging prolific solo work, in addition to being a visual artist. Starting in the 1980s, Knott joined existing band Lifesavors, a Southern California power pop/new wave band, but later took leadership of the band. Initially Knott continued the new wave direction, but things took a darker shade in 1987 when he rebranded the outfit LifeSavers Underground and released one of the most influential album our scene ever produced, Shaded Pain.… Continued →

While much of the music we cover here has its origins–or at least its influence–in the music scenes that developed in the 80s and 90s, there was independent Christian music long before that. I won’t get on that soapbox once again, as I’ve written about it multiple times elsewhere. All I’ll add for now is that there was some incredible and influential faith-oriented music in the 1970s. One such act was Louisville-based quartet Kristyl. The band only released one album, 1975’s eponymous full-length, and then disappeared.… Continued →

Join Newselph and Illect Recordings for a free listening party to celebrate If It Ain’t Broke, Remix It (vinyl & digital). Come along to listen to the music with the artist and chat about the making of the album. If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It features an incredibly lengthy list of collaborations including K.I.N.E.T.I.C., Sareem Poems, Sivion, Rel McCoy, Ozay Moore and many others. Follow the link below to RSVP: https://illect.bandcamp.com/merch/if-it-aint-broke-remix-it-listening-party… Continued →

While German metal band Chryztyne may have formed in 1990, their sound is pure 80s! Traditional heavy metal with touches of glam/melodic metal abound in their material. The band formed in Karlsruhe in SW Germany in 1990, and released a 5-song demo cassette in 1992. Shortly thereafter, they signed with Pila Music, one of the larger Christian music labels from their home country. Their one and only full-length Tales of Paradise released in 1993 on the label, and featured 11 tracks of pure 80s metal. This, of course, proves the rule that although heavy metal had gone by the wayside–in the wake of grunge and alternative rock–in the United States, it was alive and well in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe.… Continued →

Texas-based indie rocker Daniel Markham is set to release a new full-length on April 5th, entitled Just Like a Dream. It will be released independently of a record label, as is his standard fare. The new material will add a heavy dose of power pop to his twangy alternative rock sound. He’s also released a super-fun new video for the lead single “Big Star,” a title which is surely a nod to the power pop greats themselves.… Continued →

Caustic Eminence was a raw, fast, hardcore punk band from Marion, IN. The band formed when they met as students at Indiana Wesleyan University. They released 2 demo cassettes before issuing the fabulous Another Day, Another Dollar 7″ through Cling Recordings in 1996. Not much else is known about the band other than their recorded output. Their take on punk was fast and furious, raw and lo-fi, contrary to the gamut of pop-punk bands that were popular at the time, which were moving towards more sophisticated sounds and production techniques.… Continued →

I had fully intended to cover something punk today, when I began listening to some old traditional Gospel for a project at work (I’m an associate pastor at a diverse, inner-city church). I was reminded of a Gospel song I first heard in the early 1990s when I was a member of a Gospel choir at my college. Yes, little ol’ white boy me, metalhead/punk rocker. In fact at one point in time I had a 4-inch mohawk while I was in this Gospel choir, but I digress.… Continued →

Impending Doom just confirmed to appear at Audiofeed this year! The announcement couldn’t come at a better time, as it is clear that heavy music is going to be featured prominently at the fest. For more information, check out the festival website: https://audiofeedfestival.com. While there, be sure to check out their social media links, which are updated more frequently than the website.… Continued →

Unwed Sailor announce the release of a new album. Entitled “Underwater Over There”, the album is available to pre-order! You can pre-order the album now on at the band’s official online store (https://unwedsailorstore.com), and on their Bandcamp page (https://unwedsailor.bandcamp.com/album/underwater-over-there). Be sure to watch the video for the first single “Final Feather” on Youtube, and you can also stream “Final Feather” on the streaming service of your choice.… Continued →

Blonde bombshell Windy Lyre appeared seemingly out of nowhere in 1991 with her self-titled debut on Blonde Vinyl Records. Truth be told her connections to alternative Christian music ran deep, but on a personal level, which is not appropriate to go into here. The album was a refreshing display of acoustic alternative, which hinted at folk rock, jangle pop, and in a way preceded the dream pop/alt country craze that swept the middle part of the 1990s and beyond. Lyrics and music were all written by label owner Michael Knott (LSU, Lifesavers, Aunt Bettys, etc.)… Continued →

World Theatre released only one album, the brilliant eponymous full-length, for Frontline-imprint Graceland Records in 1989. But the band’s credentials are deeper than that might suggest. Founder Tim McAllister (vocals, guitar, bass, programming) had previously been in another one-album-only new wave band called Flock 14. Jim Abegg (AKA Jimmy A, from Vector and more recently The Ascendants) provided some guitar work. Gene Eugene (Adam Again, Lost Dogs, hundreds of production and studio credits) mixed the album. And piano and keyboards (along with some additional bass guitar work) were provided by none other than Cincinnati’s own Linford Detweiler (this was pre-Over the Rhine).… Continued →