Reviews

Choirs Of Veritas is a symphonic metal project that literally means “Choirs Of Truth”, symbolizing the union between music and the spiritual truth of Jesus Christ. Those Christian themes are made abundantly clear on their debut full-length, I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life. The project was birthed from the mind of Davide Scuteri, keyboardist and composer, as an offering to God and from a desire to thank God for the gift of music. The album’s purpose is to unite both the love for God and metal music.… Continued →

I first discovered Danen Kane through a mutual friend when I lived up in Green Bay. There’s a coffee shop that draws in bigger acts like Disciple and Flatfoot 56, but they also host open mics and local acts. I hadn’t heard of him before, but I was curious enough to check out his music online and liked what I heard. His solo acoustic offerings were dripping with hints of soul. His lyrics were honest-yet-artful. Needless to say, I was an instant fan. Flesh and Soul, Danen’s most recent full-length, may have been released in 2015 but certainly warrants a review because, well, Indie Vision Music was down during that time and more people ought to know this Wisconsinite writes some some pretty great songs.… Continued →

While not treading any new ground in the genre, Nothing Left successfully bring life back into a stagnant and diluted hardcore scene with the ways of old.

In a universe where everybody and their grandmother has a punk band, its refreshing to hear a new band that stands out. This particular band is Pleading guilty and from the first track they immediately stand out above the crowd. This punk rock foursome hail from colorado and as a fellow Colorado resident I was very involved in the scene during the late 90s. We had some great punk bands but sadly only a handful of christian bands. Of course the most well known band was Five iron frenzy and Pleading guilty would have fit in nicely alongside them in the scene during the late 90s.… Continued →

Demon Hunter return with a powerful 8th album that proves once again why Ryan Clark and crew are heavy metal legends.

Lil Dre is back (for the last time?!?) with an album that brings deeply intelligent lyrics alongside some of his sharpest rapping yet, to create some of 2017's best hip-hop.

2016 was the year for comebacks. There was bands like Destroy the Runner, Hopesfall, and Advent. Advent has brought their A-game with their comeback. And they bring the pain with their new EP, Pain and Suffering. You could call it a “Revival”. “Wind from the Valley” is the first track of the EP. The bass is thick, the guitars bring in the metal, while the drums are very hardcore style. Joe Musten’s vocals are some of the most violent vocals ever. “Wind from the Valley” sounds like a slower version of the band Nails.… Continued →

Even the title of Anchor & Braille’s latest release conjures powerful emotions. Driving at night is certainly a mixed bag of emotions, but I’ve seen my fair share of it. Whether it’s driving through hours of open country fields or through a busy city at five in the morning, there’s a nature inclination to be pensive and introspective. While it’s sometimes good to throw on something with a bit more energy to stay awake, the natural setting is dark, moody, quiet, and empty. Characteristically, Stephen Christian manages to capture this mood to some degree.… Continued →

Waymaker is yet another strong release from American Arson, showcasing a blend of punk, pop-punk, alternative, and straight up rock. It's a passionate EP ripe with self-referential treasure from the rest of the band's discography and serves as a great starting point for new listeners to get acquainted with exactly what these two guys from Detroit can do.

The windy city during the mid 90s was a whirlwind of punk rock bands that came and went, but their reputations and influence still resonate to this day. There is one modern day street punk band that has emerged from the shadows and is currently tearing up the city of Chicago one mosh pit at a time. That band is, October Bird Of Death. If the name hasn’t already caught your attention, I assure you, their music will. Death made its offer is 8 songs clocking in at 18 minutes.… Continued →

Read this review of Dire's "Volume 1"

Plenty of bands have reunited to mass appeal lately, but does the latest offering from Acceptance follow suit?

    The tallest man in punk rock music, Tobin Bawinkel and his band of merry Celtic brethren have done it again. Towering at 6’10“, the gentle giant of punk rock comes out swinging with the first track, “Ty Cobb”. His signature gravelly, husky voice continues to stand tall amidst his Celtic punk rock counterparts. The song starts with a clip of a baseball game announcer that mixes smoothly with the guitar and then, alas, the bagpipes jump in. The second track keeps up the tone and doesn’t disappoint.… Continued →

Hearts Like Lions largely widened their audience reach when they signed with Tooth and Nail Records in 2015. They released an EP titled These Hands and as impressive and fulfilling as an EP can be, These Hands sufficiently succeeded in both. The sound was a mix of The Almost and My Epic, a combination that is every bit intriguing as it is effective. So here we are with their first full length album. Did they keep up with the momentum and release an album worth following a great EP?… Continued →

Even if electronics are not quite in your listening wheelhouse, yet you like heavy music, do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on this unique gem.

A member of the mighty Scribbling Idiots crew, Theory Hazit has an impressive discography to his name. He’s the artist behind underground classics like Extra Credit, Thr3e (produced by DertBeats), and Fall of the Light Bearer. If you’re familiar with his work, you already know he’s an incredible emcee. But sometimes words don’t suffice and you just have to let the music speak for itself; this is what he does on his first beat tape of 2017. In usual beat tape fashion, there are a lot of tracks to choose from.… Continued →

Prior to 2015’s stunning Into the Sea, Attalus was a fairly unknown. Fronted by Seth Davey, vocalist, pianist, and lyricist, this Facedown debut made plenty best-of-the-year lists. Though Davey has since amicably parted with the band, he has nonetheless kept up with musical endeavors which come to fruition in his debut solo album, Till You’re All I See. While this isn’t an Attalus record by any means, it’s hard to overlook the common elements. Davey again brings lyrical brilliance, this time in a more bare and vulnerable manner with naught more than piano to complement his vocals.… Continued →

How many live EPs do you have? Cause you’ll want this one. Undead Metal (for those who don’t know what that means, it’s my play on Christian death metal) band, Taking the Head of Goliath has released a great live recording of their first show; the first show of one band and one of the last for the band For Today. “The Expulsion of Putrid Illusion” reminded me of Abated Mass of Flesh, with brutal-ness of the guitars, the speed of the drums and the guttural vocals.… Continued →

You don't need to know how to pronounce Bjéar to enjoy their atmospheric folk debut. For fans of Bon Iver and The National.

“Worship music.” It’s a descriptor that makes avid music listeners groan more often than not, even in Christian circles. While there are many people out there who are happy turning on their local Christian radio station–and more power to them!–the more picky among us are a little weary of hearing the same style of U2-influenced radio rock that Chris Tomlin and Casting Crowns have used and reused again and again. As much as we may respect the impact those artists have had, are there not more bands out there who are dedicated to reverent, biblical lyrics and creative musicianship?… Continued →

Read this review of Hands new EP!

Read this review about Becoming Saints' debut!

Denver's Medic brings a blend of ambient, funk, pop, and acoustic on their 2016 LP.

Foreverlin proves some risks are meant to be taken with an EP showcasing their renditions of some of the biggest songs in worship.

Just what should you expect from an album whose first track is titled Planes, Trains, and Automobiles? Though 7 is Orion Walsh’s seventh album, it’s my first listen to any of his work. Naturally, the first exposure to any artist comes with baggage. I can’t say I’ve ever met someone named Orion, but it’s definitely a masculine name and inherently reminds me of mythology first and astronomy second. The album art is a desaturated photo with a strong depth of field, with a central figure who we might assume to be Walsh himself.… Continued →

"State of Mind" by Those Who Fear will be the soundtrack to my Hulk-like transformation of 2017.

The Danger of Falling channels European melodic hardcore influences on this succinct-yet-power EP.

How common is metal in Asia? Does anyone know? The genre of metal is a rare one to say the least, especially over in Asia. Final Surrender is one of the pioneers of the genre there. The Progressive metalcore act has been working hard on this album. Their debut album, Empty Graves, was released 4 years ago. The album begins with the single “Nothing But Void”. The track brings elements of techno music, Progressive metalcore, and thrash metal. There is plenty of work going on with the drums and percussion.… Continued →

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. -Psalm 91:11 Following the success of their first full length, Volontà Legata, Tuscany based S91 have returned with their first all English language release, Behold The Mankind. Deriving their name from “Salmo”, the Italian word for psalm, S91 formed in 2006 to realize their dream of creating progressive metal with Christian lyric content. Each release by S91 has been an extensive process. In 2012, S91 began writing Behold The Mankind in collaboration with producer Cristiano Bertocchi (Labyrinth, Vision Divine, Wind Rose) before finally entering the studio in 2015 to record.… Continued →

Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, neither should you be expecting cowboy music from Easter Teeth on Shake Hands With Danger. You can expect something oddly brilliant and challenging. Since 2009, the Eymann brothers, Josh and Tim, have been messing with peoples ears as they mix soul into hardcore. Think what would happen if Death From Above 1979 were liberally coated with the soulfulness of James Brown, with a wild assortment of sounds thrown in from a box of unusual gadgets, and you get a hint of where Easter Teeth is heading.… Continued →