Articles

I do not know much about this artist, but saw the song on a “Christian” publication of some sort online a few years back. My research has found it came out in 2013 and was a solo artist whose name was Maxwell Lee who also played shows with Blues Traveler. I added it to Youtube as the only version I could find was a live version. There are Bible verses listed on the artists’ Facebook page as well. And no, the Jessika spelling is deliberate as I have seen it listed as with the k and the c.… Continued →

I totally think this pop punk artist is one of the best artists of the past 10 years. His music is so catchy and he plays all the instruments. Every video showcases his musical talent and his lyrics are as real as they get. Be sure to check out his latest EP Exit 9B which released yesterday. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. -Matthew 28:6

John Gold, one half of the progressive indie duo, Gr8frt, has emerged with a new solo album after almost a decade of focusing on other projects. Gold begins the album with clear intent for this project: each song was recorded in an hour, keeping in plenty of rough edges and imperfections which contrast his typical nature of overthinking the tracks. The end result is an album of folk-infused indie rock without ornament. Gold’s lyrics are pensive as usual, diving into topics of marital strife and endurance, addiction and recovery, fatherhood and feeling like an orphan, and plenty of other thoughtful contrasts.… Continued →

While there are many bands that might qualify as “Biblical indie rock”, none have been quite so bold to use it regularly – and truly embrace it as their central emphasis for songwriting. Sower, the emo/alternative/post-hardcore project of multi-instrumentalist and evangelist Eric Tuffendsam, first broke into the mainstream last year with TWO EPs and a handful of singles, all encapsulating rich and convicting truths found within the pages of Scripture. This year has likewise seen the release of several singles and collaborations. Tuffendsam’s work ethic has not dulled in the slightest.… Continued →

It seems every few decades, the sounds of older bands resurface in a new light. The reason that complex – kids who grew up listening to their parents’ favorite classics or even just the artist active during their foundational years finally arrive at a point where they’ve developed enough musical aptitude to put a twist on the styles they loved growing up. They borrow and expand on their inspirations. One listen to James Koan III’s debut album, Time, feels like a time machine, no pun intended.… Continued →

Over a decade after the advent of the first “Spirit-filled hardcore” movement, Sleeping Giant helped kick off a second wave of the movement, sometimes referred to as “preachcore.” There is now actually a third wave of Spirit-filled hardcore happening now, but that is a story for another day. The first wave was spearheaded by bands like Southern California’s Focused, Unashamed, and No Innocent Victim, as well as Florida’s Strongarm, Cleveland’s Six Feet Deep and Arizona’s Overcome. Each of those bands featured different takes on the genre but what they had in common was a deep commitment to sharing Christ through the music.… Continued →

Along with the 80s alternative rock bands like U2, Midnight Oil, The Alarm, and Simple Minds, King’s X were the ultimate “Christians in a band” scenario. Despite numerous Christian labels and festivals trying to get the band on board, they always felt their audience was much wider. And yet, their lyrics always hinted at faith in bountiful ways. Musically, the band often functioned as a ‘band’s band.’ They were praised and recognized by members of Pearl Jam, and tons of others as an influence. They played a strange mix of classic rock, funk, heavy metal, and alternative in a unique concoction of progressive metal that predated genres like grunge, alternative metal and even post metal.… Continued →

Sev Statik (born Joseph Evans) is a hip-hop MC originally from Albany, NY. His credentials and discography run pretty deep. While most average listeners were first introduced to his music through his 2002 release on Uprok Recordings (a short-lived hip-hop label affiliated with Tooth & Nail Records), he had been active with Deepspace5 since 1996. The collective also included Labklik (featuring Listener), Ill Harmonics, and Mars Ill. Are you keeping up? To make matters even more confusing, Sev Statik has also recorded under the alias Stu Dent.… Continued →

The 90s was such an interesting decade for music in general, but for the Christian scene in particular. There was such a diversity of sounds and multiple genres exploding in all different directions from alternative to metal to punk to hardcore to hip-hop and electronica. Then even within each of these there was a multiplicity of subgenres all moving in different trajectories at the same time. It wasn’t uncommon to go to a gig in the 90s and see a ska band opening a show that also included indie rock and hardcore.… Continued →

The late, great Exeter Flud was an alternative rock from the Atlanta area, whose music danced around indie rock, emo, and shoegaze, but never fully committed to any of those. It’s not too surprising that the band had formal connections to other Georgia and Florida bands like Dear Ephesus, My Hotel Year, Vivian, and more. The roots of Exeter Flud were in Remnant, who released one brilliant 7″ single in 1995, “The Cloud/Dirge.” The songs were recorded while they were still in high school, and engineered by the masterful J.C.… Continued →

Let the debate be finished, and let this be the final word: Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the first Christian rock artist ever. Decades before Larry Norman, or even his English predecessors like The Crossbeats or The Pilgrims, Tharpe was writing and performing a new take on Gospel music, utilizing skillful guitar playing and innovating techniques that were used by hundreds of others after her. In fact, it is likely that Tharpe is not only the first Gospel rocker, but the first rock-and-roll artist period, with her early material being created as early as the late 1930s, more than a full decade before Bill Haley and the Comets released “Rock Around the Clock” or Chuck Berry was instructing Johnny on how to B.… Continued →

We continue our series in February of focusing on contributions to the Christian independent music scene from our black brothers and sisters for Black History Month. While heavy metal, and especially this form of ‘glam metal’ was dominated by people whose skin color resembles mine, Seventh Seal stood out from the crowd. They were a commercial metal band from Palmdale, California whose 5 members were all African American. Seventh Seal was truly an anomaly in this regard. While there are other heavy metal bands with black members, I can’t think of any others where the entire band was made up of black members *and* who played in this particular style.… Continued →

For the remaining weeks of February, I’ll be focusing on African-American contributions to independent Christian music, in celebration of Black History Month. Both rock and roll in general, and Christian rock/indie/whatever music owe a huge debt to the African-American experience. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to overstate this. Andrae Crouch is one of the most influential Gospel artists of all time. In fact, he has often been known as the “father of modern gospel music.” And while the connection between traditional Gospel music and Christian indie/punk rock might not be obvious, it’s not as distinct as one might think.… Continued →

Sower returns this Friday with another new song titled “Eyes To See But Do Not See” this time as a collaboration with the artist Second Adam & The New Creations! Check out a teaser, below. You can also catch Sower this summer at Audiofeed Fest!… Continued →

For 33 years, Sonny Sandoval has been the front man for P.O.D. The band hardly requires introductions, having been highly successful band in both Christian and secular music. Known for a highly energetic live show and an eclectic sound that ranges from reggae to hard rock to nu metal to hardcore, the band has surely set their feet on more than enough stages around the world, that Sonny surely has an immense trove of tales to tell.   Well, the wait to hear some of these tales will not last much longer.… Continued →

This Ukrainian band started out as a semi-melodic black metal band, who later morphed into a thrash/death metal band, with a sound that worked a little better overall. After forming in 2003, in their hometown of Kremenchuk, they released a full-length album in 2007 in their native tongue. In 2008 Sullen Records issued an English language version of the album, which was entitled Evangelion. This pressing was on limited edition, hand-numbered CDr. The label re-issued the album yet again in 2010. In 2010, Australian label Soundmass (known for top-quality extreme metal releases) issued a follow-up release, the mini-album Death is Dead.… Continued →

Southern California based Indie Rock band – Hopeful., just released a really special new song that is all the best parts of Faith, inspiration, and a message of hope and redemption. Give this new track a listen right here below this news post. Check these guys out and give them a follow.… Continued →

Rising young pop/rock/indie artist Allison Eide has just dropped her inspirational new anthem which serves as the perfect gateway into 2025, “Light Inside You”. Check out the song below this post. More to come this year.… Continued →

It’s been a while since we’ve covered some grindcore here, so it seems like the right time. One of the most–if not the most–intense genres of metal and/or hardcore and/or noise (depending on which angle is taken), grindcore is generally an acquired taste and is more often than not a ‘love it or hate it’ genre with very little room for bystanders. Having emerged in the 1980s as an ever-increasingly intense subgenre of hardcore punk, it is generally characterized by ridiculously fast, and very short songs.… Continued →

This SOTD is the latest (at the time of this article) from the Michigander band. There are several bands currently releasing music that are devout Christians & that is so awesome to see imho; No Treaty, Context and HolyName just to name a few. They are working on the EP The Redemption Script. Take a listen & hear the lyrics of this powerful song. Feel free to follow the www.castingsuchathinshadow.comn site. Al genres of “Christian” music plays along with punk/ska from 1-3 pm CST.… Continued →

This is one of the funniest songs I have ever heard. It is a parody obviously of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s hit mainstream song. Basically the song is about a guy who likes a girl who is a Bible Believing Christian. The crazy thing is the Christian Broadcast Network featured it! https://cbn.com/article/not-selected/dan-smith-ode-women-big-bibles https://whiteboydj.com/   Feel free to follow the www.castingsuchathinshadow.comn site. Al genres of “Christian” music plays along with punk/ska from 1-3 pm CST.… Continued →

Lansing, Michigan's brutal death metal act, Voluntary Mortification, drop new single "Death Cult". FFO: With Blood Comes Cleansing, Earth From Above, Broken Flesh, and old Impending Doom.

The Remnants (not to be confused with Remnant, The Remnant, nor Remnant Militia) was a punk band originally formed in Alabama in the late 90s, but then transplanted to Chicago sometime in the 2000s, where they had a connection to JPUSA and Grrrr Records. The band was a part of a sort of hardcore punk revival that was taking place in the late 90s/early 00s, a movement that included bands like Headnoise, The Discarded, Combat Junkies and a handful of others. The band’s early material featured tried and true punk sounds (no pop-punk here) mixed with a raw rock and roll influence, drawing influences from the L.A.… Continued →

This artist played an experimental eclectic mix of various electronic/hip hop music. The people/person behind the project that released 2 full lengths are anonymous. This song seems to be a remix of a song Sackcloth Fashion released called Jungle on an N’Soul compilation .   Feel free to follow the www.castingsuchathinshadow.comn site. Al genres of “Christian” music plays along with punk/ska from 1-3 pm CST.… Continued →

Here is a relatively unknown band. They a cross of pop punk/rock music whom I heard on an indie Christian rock show at some point.. They released their first LP in 2009 & their most recent in 2022. This SOTD was also featured on their 2016 release Ghost of My Past. Feel free to follow the www.castingsuchathinshadow.comn site. Al genres of “Christian” music plays along with punk/ska from 1-3 pm CST.… Continued →

I love the old playful quote about the difference between knowledge and wisdom: Knowledge is knowing Frankenstein isn’t the monster. Wisdom is knowing Frankenstein is the monster! A similar thought could be applied to Norwegian band Royal: Knowledge is knowing Royal isn’t punk. Wisdom is know Royal is punk. If punk is about shedding notions of convention and rules, then Royal was as punk as they come. Royal blended genres like chefs blend fancy soups. They were simultaneously indie rock, jazz, post-hardcore, emo . . .… Continued →

This is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard.  The band hailed from Wyoming & did a cross between worship & rock music. Wikiepedia claims they are still a band, but I haven’t heard anything from them in a few years. Check em these lyrics. There was a time that I Felt so alone I felt so alone My heart without a home In that time I thought That I was gone That I was gone From Your love Oh you find me when I fall You say, Oh son you are MY own When I doubt your love, when I doubt my worth You show me every time, that I am loved There was a time that I thought “I’m the worst” I thought the worst things About my life In that time I thought That I could draw Draw all the lines between the world And where I fall Speak what I’m worth.… Continued →

Canadian Connie Scott is a singer from the 80s/90s whose music I didn’t discover until this song from a  cassette tape I bought from a local Christian bookstore ( remember when there was such a thing!) It’s music & lyrical content was powerful to my 12 year old ears/mind. Attached is a site that gives more of her career & the music video from back in the day. Check out her back catalog if interested. Feel free to follow the www.castingsuchathinshadow.comn site. Al genres of “Christian” music plays along with punk/ska from 1-3 pm CST.… Continued →

In the decade of the 2000s, there was an explosion of Christian metal bands in Brazil. For quite a while, it looked like that country, and the whole of South America, was set to completely take over Christian metal. And there were quality bands in all subgenres too from melodic metal to the extreme styles of thrash, black, and death metal. Skymetal formed in 1996 in Uberlandia, in the region of Minas Gerais, not too far away from fellow death metallers Krig, from Belo Horizonte in the same region.… Continued →