Video Flashback

This disbanded Finnish metal band released 1 EP Energystorm & this SOTD on a compilation which also featured HB, Essence of Sorrow, & a few others that I have seen around the Christian circles. Appears the band consisted of siblings & a couple of friends. Check out the live version also.   … Continued →

This is an innovative band that at least started in the Christian industry & several of their songs found their way onto “Christian” radio/charts/comp cds. Here are 2 of my faves. And isn’t that an awesome snake they are holding!!!     … Continued →

Industrial project Bridgeshadows is composed of KL (Kenneth Lemery) who has also been in a few different projects over the years. He has finally signed with Broken Curfew Records that has put out tons of heavy bands ie Abated Mass of Flesh amongst many others. He has recently released several songs like Hidden in the Rust & Razor, but here is his latest & a live goodie from the past.   … Continued →

This “metal/hxc core” band hits hard. I first heard about them through a darn good comp called Battle of the Bands released by Rugged Records back in ’99. Appears they were from Nebraska & disbanded in 2003. They stood out from other bands as the bass guitar stands out & you can understand the vocalist mostly. Check em out.  I have also added live distorted footage from another great song of theirs called All Is Silent. … Continued →

Remember when punk & ska music collided in the 90s? There were all these comps & tons of labels had a punk or ska band or both on their labels. N’ Soul was primarily a dance label & this L.A. band also included a member of Pax217. The demo appears to have been released in ’98 the same year as the N’Soul one. Check it out. … Continued →

Bringing it back to the early 90s with this one. They only released 2 LPS, but man were there tons of great songs ie Bad Place, Don’t You Run, Heaven’s on my Mind, Story just to name a few. They also crossed over onto CCM radio which was a feat imho. Vocalist Pagano released a couple of LPs after the band disbanded also. … Continued →

Last Tuesday (pop punk) & The Alarm (new wave) hail from 2 different decades, but have great renditions of The Stand which was inspired by the Stephen King novel of the same name. Mike Peters (frontman for The Alarm) & Dave Sharp wrote the song & had this to say “This song follows the Christian doctrine that The Rapture, when Christ returns to Earth and believers are transported to heaven, will be a time of celebration. ‘I accept The Bible as being the truth,’ Mike Peters told Smash Hits.”… Continued →

Kenny Marks is an epic singer/songwriter IMHO & I have owned several of his heartfelt discography over the years. He first came to my recognition with his song The Party’s Over back when my generation had cassette tapes. Then he came out with the phenomenal LP Another Friday Night. Every single last song on it was mind blowing & I was hooked. Today’s SOTD is actually the 3rd part of a 4 part song series on a relationship that started with Growing Up Too Fast & ends with Fire of Forgiveness which is what his story is all about.… Continued →

I never did listen to this band when they were around, but caught up to them much later sad to say. This song has an awesome groove & is basically a worship song as shown by the lyrics below. The band got some mainstream success ban in the day when their song I Still Believe (which was also covered by Russ Taff) was in the vampire movie The Lost Boys Listed also is a live version just because 80s live videos are always a treat! I was never too wild about big shots I was never too calm about pain I was never too cool about the heat But I’m [burning again?]… Continued →

Today’s SOTD was one of my top 10 songs of all time growing up. I have this song hundreds of times & it has never gotten old. The lyrics deal with YHWH being there for us & is patiently waiting for us to come to HIM or return home. Hailing from New Zealand, the band dabbled in roots, funk & modern rock, but Jenny Gullen’s voice set the band apart from any other. I remember actually playing this song in a setlist I was djing in Columbia, SC at an outdoor festival.  … Continued →

Another quirky 90s alternative rock fun band, Hokus Pick (Maneuver) hailed from Canada. The band focused on writing sarcastic silly lyrics that portrayed a deeper message of Christian truths such as revealed in this SOTD – that  Jesus will hold true to His promise that He will return. Now that is an optimistic feeling. I chose this SOTD for a few reasons, with one being to make my son laugh. Listen to the guy yell at the beginning lol!  Also included a live show from them.… Continued →

So I’m going a long ways back for this SOTD. But, the truth is that it brings still holds true today. Pulling from 3 different Bible verses, the lyrics deal with going through life while dealing with different choices that can take us down a dark path. The most relevant is 1 Peter 5:8  “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” I really do miss the days when my fave music was directly tied to the Bible & the lyrics sheet had the scripture reference.… Continued →

Indiana’s Richard Wayne Mullins is a vital part of the Christian music industry. Besides penning & performing one of the best worship songs of all time, “Awesome God”, he also was a very talented musician who was proficient with the piano & the dulcimer which can be heard on many of his songs. His first couple albums did not gather much radio play, but The World As Best As I Remember It Vol 1 & 2 garnished many songs heard all over the radio at the time.… Continued →

This is an impromptu review in homage of Carman’s passing. For those who may not know who he is, he was a singer/songwriter/performer whose music was all over contemporary Christian radio in the 80’s & 90’s. He did many ballads, but also dabbled with rock & rap & even kids music. Many of his songs were stories put to music. To get a good overview of his more upbeat stuff from his extensive discography, check out the following songs & today’s SOTD: A Witch’s Invitation, The Champion, God’s Got an Army, Addicted to Jesus w/ DC Talk, Great God, Who’s in the House & Sunday School Rock.… Continued →

Norma Jean’s upcoming record, All Hail, releases next week on October 25. Truth be told, I only listened through O’ God, the Aftermath (2005) for the first time this year, and was very impressed by its balance of chaos and complexity. As we anticipate All Hail, here is a classic song from one of 2005’s metalcore masterpieces.… Continued →

Some music videos deserve to be shared, even if they’re only 144p. “Falling Further” by Spoken tells a story of prodigality, placing emphasis on feelings of regret and the rejection of God’s love. While the band has a lot of great songs, I always thought the chorus for “Falling Further” was particularly strong in its emotional communication.… Continued →

“Ain’t been to church in about a year / All my old friends are outta here” I finally got around to listening through The Fall of the Light Bearer (2015) this year, and it’s turned out to be one of the best albums I’ve heard as of late. Serious lyricism and experimental production abound. The melancholic “Unforgivable” is accompanied by fine cinematography and gives an accurate impression of what the album is like as a whole.… Continued →

Take me past familiar waters to a place so deep / it reserves itself for the eyes of those who dream. “Dream” by GS Megaphone communicates the essence of God-as-artist, the One in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Taken from their album Beautiful World (2003), it is a reminder that God is the source of all creativity. So often our imaginations are caught in a torrent of meaningless distractions, and still, the opportunity for metanoia (Greek term for changing one’s mind) awaits us in and through Christ’s grace.… Continued →

The North Pole Project (2008) wasn’t supposed to be a Number One Gun album. Rather, this was once the name of vocalist/guitarist Jeff Schneeweis’ solo project in the aftermath of Number One Gun’s breakup. In any case, The North Pole Project is a beautiful indie rock anthem. Not only did Schneeweis play every instrument on the album, but he also produced and mixed it. In these songs, he goes beyond some of the margins of the band’s past work, and this is best exemplified by closing song “This Holiday.”… Continued →

Remember “Cooler Than Me” by Mike Posner? That song used to be really cool in 2010 and was popular enough to be played at shopping malls. But maybe, perhaps, you thought yourself cooler than Mike Posner, despite his single having a lot of pizzazz and swagger. Fair enough. Well, I hate to break it to you, but Starflyer 59 is actually cooler than both of you. “We’re the Ordinary,” taken from The Fashion Focus (1998), is cool enough to freeze a hipster shopping mall on a blazing summer’s day.… Continued →

I became a fan of The Devil Wears Prada in 2011. There were many reasons for this: peer pressure via a friend, the positive review in HM Magazine, and Dan Seagrave’s dark and mysterious artwork. Dead Throne made me realize what I’d been missing out on. It’s near impossible to choose a favourite song from a near perfect album, but in my iTunes library, “My Questions” has the most plays. To my knowledge, the band has never played this song live, but the mesmerizing guitar work and depressing bridge echo in my head often.… Continued →

Remember Syntax Records, the label that put out awesome underground hip-hop like RedCloud, the Night Owls compilations, and Sackcloth Fashion? Well, sometimes the label released music from other genres, too. This included rock bands like Green Olive Tree and Olivia the Band, and on other occasions, electronic music. Today I’d like to share a song from Formless (2007) by Shane Newville, titled “Roll Out.” It is seven minutes of D&B bliss and perfect for an epic high speed car chase, should you find yourself in such a predicament.… Continued →

Here’s a song from Canada’s own, Lucerin Blue, who released Tales of the Knife in 2003 on Tooth & Nail Records. While the album is stacked with great alternative rock songs, “Chorus of the Birds” resonates. One of these reasons, I think, is that it was also featured on The Nail, Vol. 1, a classic T&N compilation. As a bonus, a video of Lucerin Blue performing live at Cornerstone 2003 has been added to the bottom of the post.… Continued →

For whatever reason, The Moon is Down (2001) is rather inaccessible these days. It’s not on Spotify, or iTunes (R.I.P.), or Apple Music (edit: I’m from Canada). Yet, the quality of the album remains intact after 18 years. It took me all too long to hear “Monachetti,” given I own their compilation Hope This Finds You Well which excludes the track. The song shows an angsty side of Further Seems Forever that I hadn’t heard before, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.… Continued →

Sometimes the songs that sound least like a band as a whole are their best songs. Mortal’s Nu-En-Jin (2002) is not a particularly calming album. They like to use a lot of distortion, and with the postmodern lyrics and spooky samples, this can make for a claustrophobic listen. However, “Mujo (Uncertainty Mix)” is about as chill as electronica can get, and reminds me of the perfect autumn day. Take a listen and see if the leaves don’t start changing colors.… Continued →

You might be familiar with a couple of Andy Hunter’s songs. “Go” and “The Wonders of You” have been featured in video games and movies like SSX 3, Need for Speed Underground, and The Italian Job. However, 2002s Exodus is far from a one-hit wonder; every song on the album is brilliant. Today I’d like to share a personal favourite, “Radiate”. While the song clocks in at over eight minutes, it does not drag on at all. Ultimately, it’s an encouraging meditation on Christ’s life which lives in us and through us.… Continued →

“A Song for Amy” is a sobering song which focuses on issues of sexual assault and the problem of evil. “Why do bad things have to happen to good people?” is the oft-repeated question. Bobby Bishop, who is not only a musician but also a social worker, included this incredible song on his 2003 album The Hip-Hop Alternative (Community’s Call).… Continued →

  Amazingly, this song is now 23 years old, and I still feel the same way about it as I did back then.  It’s a fantastic song, and one of the highlights of the Christian alternative rock scene!  Plankeye’s first album (“Spill”) was raw and unrefined, showing hints of Orange County punk.  While their second album “The Spark” had that same raw energy, the songwriting and musical chops had improved, along with just the right amount of production–not too raw, not too slick.  “Open House” is the standout track and has a great message of God’s love and grace even in times of difficulty. … Continued →

Emo is not limited to rock; it can be hip-hop, too. Here is a song from an album that has remained far under the radar – even for underground hip-hop – since its release in 2006. Smoke is a member of Oldominion, a Northwest collective with over 20 members. While Oldominion are outside the margins of Christian music, Smoke’s solo release Bleed is more Christocentric in its lyrics. “Saylavee” focuses around those difficult thoughts and feelings that are inevitable in human life; the lyrics are dense and the sound is wistful.… Continued →

I’m starting a new feature here at IVM that’ll focus on a beautiful, important, and defining song for a particular band. Let’s start this feature off right and put the focus on the music of Stavesacre, particularly the song “Gold & Silver”. I remember 20 years ago hearing this album (Speakeasy) which had this almost “ballad” like track named “Gold & Silver” then being struck in the heart heavily by it’s somber melodies, inspired lyrical delivery, and that unmistakable voice of Mark Salomon. This is beyond just a typical ballad you’d hear in a grocery store, shopping mall, etc.… Continued →