Tag: texas

November 4, 2024

Song of the Day: Scars of Eden - Fade Away

Texan metalcore Scars of Eden formed in 2009 & released 2 EPs: Resistance & The Awakening. Check out this SOTD & the song’s lyric`s. I’ve walked away from the one who bled to take me From deaths cold embrace where flesh would surely take me Break me, Father Send me, Humbly God pour your spirit Into our hearts You will not abandon Those who call Your name I will not fall To the vices that restrain my soul We press on knowing Eternity was written on my heart Your looking at the ones who will never fade We will never fade away  
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October 29, 2024

October 2, 2024

Song of the Day: City of Refuge - FFM

Have you ever wanted to hear more music like Burlap to Cashmere? City of Refuge created music that sounded like a cross between Jars of Clay & Burlap. They started in a college dorm room & created a worship song called Amaze Me & went from there. Appears they did a few more singles & another full length called Clear in 2006 that I did not even know about. Anyways, the band still has a Youtube channel & a Soundclick page if you want to know more about them.… Continued →

September 9, 2024

Song of the Day: Eva O- Panting For Love vs Audio Paradox -Grace One

Controversial deathrock artist Eva Ortiz has a complicated past & present, but decided to become a Christian for a few years. Panting for Love was the first song I heard from her on a “Christian” show from the college I was attending at the time while I was still in the military in Columbia, South Carolina. Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine) produced the album & the industrial rock band Audio Paradox provided the instrumentation. Both these releases were from 1999 also. AP are probably known most for this song’s appearance on the Flaming Fish Records compilation Electro Shock Therapy.… Continued →

September 5, 2024

REVIEW : Breakaway - Warrior

Breakaway is a one-man oi/punk band from south Texas. In fact, all guitars, bass, “beats” (does this mean a drum machine?) and vocals on Warrior are handled by David Burke. The EP is produced by Breakaway as well, which I assume means Burke again. While this is impressive in many ways, it can also be limiting. We’ll come back to that as a recurring theme on this EP. The tempos, for the most part, are fast and furious, and yet there is a rock and roll undertone to the sounds.… Continued →

August 21, 2024

August 19, 2024

Song of the Day: Memphis May Fire: That's Just Life vs Need To Be

MMF is a crossover catchy metalcore band from the mainstream into the “Christian” scene. Usually you see vice versa. They have been working on new material & have seen lots of radio play in recent years. Also, Matty Mullins released 2 worship albums & also has stepped up to replace long time Anberlin vocalist Stephen Christian. Their latest release Necessary Evil is heavy, but these 2 songs of the day elude to our Christian faith. Check out the following lyrics &  their whole catalog. I know how it feels to feel alone  The king of my own fears, I never leave the throne   And I’ve been searching for a place inside my soul   Where all my demons can’t find me when I go   “Pull it together, ” they say   So I keep hoping for better days    I’d be lying if I said that I was fine   Cause I feel pain sometimes that I cannot describe   So do I raise my fist and curse up at the sky    Or do I close my eyes and realize, that’s just life? … Continued →

June 20, 2024

REVIEW : XREDLINEX - Tongue Tied

xREDLINEx is somewhat of a supergroup, from the DIY/independent hardcore scene, featuring ex-members of Zao, 2Minute Minor, October Bird of Death, Blindside (the one from Chicago, not Sweden or Pennsylvania), and several others. The music on Tongue Tied features a throwback sound that is a mixture of late 80s hardcore and mid-90s metallic hardcore. Unlike 2Minute Minor, there is not a strong punk presence, and while there is no metalcore whatsoever, there are some clearly metallic riffs a la 90s ‘chugga chugga’ style hardcore. That’s all cool in my book as that’s one of my favorite subgenres of hardcore, and there seems to be a real lack of the style is the current scene.… Continued →

April 2, 2024

March 29, 2024

Song of the Day: Paradigm Shift - Grip

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 →

March 21, 2024

Daniel Markham Releases Third Video from New Album

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 17, 2024

RIP Ezekiel Vade of Stryken

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 →

February 29, 2024

Daniel Markham Releasing New Album and Video

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 →

December 9, 2023

November 25, 2023

Song of the Day: Hearken - Filthy Rags

I do these song of the days to hopefully spread the Christian music that I like  & have accumulated out into this big world. Some of this music has almost been buried into obscurity as such as this band Hearken. They are a Texan death metal band. Here’s the Bible passage where the lyrics come from. Isaiah 64:6-7 KJV But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.… Continued →

November 10, 2023

Song of the Day: M.C.R.G. - The Lord's House

Early Christian rap is a thing of beauty. Similarly to mainstream rap, early examples–though they give insight to the development of the genre–often suffer from simplistic lyrics, weak production, and/or rapping styles that are now outdated and sound lazy by today’s standards. However, we must remember that the genre took decades to develop. In fact, the early 90s were a tough era for the style. It had started to become mainstream and risked disappearing into a subgenre of pop music until it was rescued by gangsta rap and alternative rap a few years later, pushing the genre to new styles and heights, though not without controversy.… Continued →

August 9, 2023

Song of the Day: Lecrae - Jesus Muzik

So Lecrae is a decent gospel rapper that has done pretty well in the industry. I saw him live & talked to him in Chicago a few years back where he autographed a book I bought that was about his story. I like tons of rap genres & artists, but all of them have come from the Christian industry. That’s just my choice & I think it’s a good thing for Christians to be crossover artists as many people can relate & an artist’s dream is then a ministry.… Continued →

August 5, 2023

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January 14, 2023

January 11, 2023

Song of the Day: Bloodlines - Spiritual Warfare

Texan Bloodlines is a cross between metalcore/deathcore/djent. They have even tapped into the Mainstream with Colder. Anyways, my son & I like this song & it was my ringtone for about 6 months. Also check out the lyrics. I’m giving in, giving in once again Cause I can’t keep up I’m caving in to my sins and I feel like I’ve lost all hope I keep on fighting this war Thatdoesn’t seem to end And now I’m broken inside I think I’ve lost my mind When does it end, when does it end?… Continued →

November 23, 2022

November 18, 2022

Song of the Day: The Awful Truth - Ghost of Heaven

The Awful Truth–the best band that (almost) never was! In the late 80s I was huge into King’s X and what would soon become known as the “Houston sound.” It was part progressive metal, part groove, part rock, and lots of harmonies thrown in. I’d started hearing about this new band (at the time) called The Awful Truth, who had recorded their debut album for mainstream Metal Blade Records, and sadly broke up before it even came out. In fact, by the time the album was released, two thirds of The Awful Truth had formed a new band with two other members, the now-legendary Galactic Cowboys, increasing that groovy-metallic Houston Sound to yet another band.… Continued →

October 1, 2022

Song of the Day: Naos Project - Transcend

Naos Project aka Naos was a nu-metal band in the mid 2000s. They are pretty obscure & I have very few songs from them. This song came from a CDR album & was also listed on the old mp3.com site. They have another song called You that’s really good also. From what I have gathered over the years is that they changed their name to The Heroine & dropped the nu-metal vibe. for a more southern rock tone. I did come across a San Antonio Herald article on a very brief history of the band, but not including due to the language included.… Continued →

August 27, 2022

August 22, 2022

July 6, 2022

June 17, 2022

Song of the Day: Travail - Weakling

Hailing from the fertile heavy music scene of the greater DFW region, and specifically Ft. Worth, Travail mixed heavy rap-core and nu metal riffs with dark tones and lyrics about the Christian struggle. Heavier than most in the genre, the band was sometimes referred to as “gothic rap-core” due to the darker tones and minor keys. Yet the lyrics pointed to higher things: I’ve failed you I’ve lied to you Yet you forgive and let me live Oh God help my weakness Oh give me your strength Father help me I’ll go to any length On my face, on my chest, on my knees God help me please My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak The band released a split EP with Luti-Kriss (who, of course, eventually became Norma Jean), and two full-length albums: Anchor of My Soul for the secular Pluto Records and Beautiful Loneliness for Metrovox, a sub-label Metro One.… Continued →