Author: Loyd Harp

Blenderhead was an indie rock/punk/post-hardcore/math rock band from the Pacific Northwest and active throughout the 1990s, disbanding in 2001. They were one of the coolest and hardest to peg bands to come out of the 90s Christian alternative scene. It was this innovation and genre-blending that made them unique, but also perhaps limited their fanbase, always being just slightly out of reach for the average listener. While much of Christian punk in the 90s was either in the pop-punk vein or moving towards hardcore, Blenderhead dabbled in a range of angular, dissonant sounds, all the while maintaining a sense of cohesion.… Continued →

Glae’s latest EP is their 6th release overall (including 4 full-lengths and 2 EPs). The one-man band has made already made a significant impact on the deathcore genre, pushing beyond the limitations of what is typical in that particular scene. Black Cloud pushes those limits even further, and somewhat ironically inches them closer to traditional death metal, with some grindcore-like fragments as well. There are definitely still some deathcore hallmarks, particularly in the crunchy guitar tones and use of pinch harmonics. But structurally, the songs are much more interesting than what is typical for the genre: breakdown/pig squeal/breakdown/etc.… Continued →

Tooth & Nail post-hardcore/emo-core outfit Idle Threat have just released a new video, and it is incredible! See for yourself . . .… Continued →

Guardian (or rather Gardian as they first spelled it, or even Fusion as they named themselves to begin with) started out in the 1980s as a traditional heavy metal band and had morphed into a hybrid hard rock/alternative/groovy blues project by the time they finished in the early 2000s, changing their sound dramatically throughout their existence, though always in hard rock territory. However, along the way, they recorded quite possibly the best (or at least one of the best) glam metal releases ever put out by a Christian band (yeah, I said what I said–of course they’d have to contend with Stryper, Zion, Holy Soldier, Angelica and Whitecross for the top spot).… Continued →

New Zealand folk/roots rock artist Derek Lind released his first album Mixed Blessings in 1986, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that I first heard his music. In 1993, R.E.X. Music, who had mostly been known for metal releases and a handful of alternative artists, began a sublabel dedicated to acoustic and folk music, Storyville Records. So Lind’s third album, 1990’s Slippery Ground was repackaged for distribution to the U.S. Lind’s association with Storyville, and the label’s existence, was short. 1994 saw the release of Stations, this time exclusively through his label Someone Up There, but this time the release saw distribution in the US as well as his native New Zealand.… Continued →

Melodic death metallers Exousia hail from Mexico. They have been making music together since at least as early as 1999 when they released their debut Serpiente de Bronce through their native label Alcance Subterraneo Producciones (who also put out releases by Deborah, Encryptor, Uzias, and others). The band released two more studio albums across the next four years, often incorporating elements of gothic metal, thrash, and black metal, though still staying true to melodic death metal for the most part. They also released two different DVDs featuring live concert footage and other video content.… Continued →

Richard Nicholson was a relatively important figure in independent Christian music in the 80s and 90s, but sadly too few American listeners are familiar with his work, largely because of his British origins. So let’s start with a little history lesson. He first became known through his work with new wave/punk act Giantkiller, who released three influential albums in the 1980s. Sadly only one of those reached American shores, 1981’s Valley of Decision (or Whose Side You On? as it was known in their native UK).… Continued →

Quickly rising as one of the most important deathcore bands in the Christian scene, southern California’s (Un)worthy returns with a new 4-song EP, their 7th EP since 2019 (not counting 3 singles), but only their 3rd release on CD. A couple of things stand out quickly about this offering. Firstly, it’s a concept EP focusing on the story of Jonah, with each of the four songs representing different aspects of Jonah’s journey. Secondly, while other releases from the band have been just from two members (Dennis Woods and Jordan Jiminez), the band has expanded to a full 5-piece outfit this time.… Continued →

Las Vegas hardcore band Take has just released 3 new songs (one of which is actually a re-worked older tune), and made them available on all digital platforms. Gobble these up as it might be the last we hear the band. They are set to play Audiofeed this summer, and have no more scheduled shows after that, possibly ever. https://linktr.ee/takeband… Continued →

Fans of indie popsters The Julies have good reason to celebrate. Lost in Ohio (who released Always & Always in 2023, and re-issued the much-loved Love Life on vinyl in 2020) has announced two new releases from the band, both set for February 27th of this year. A brand new full-length will emerge, entitled Cherisher, described as leaning “fully into reflection, memory, and meaning, delivering a deeply personal collection about holding on, on purpose . . . The album draws from shimmering post-punk urgency and ’90s shoegaze-influenced walls of sound, allowing Alex and Pat, both playing multi-instrumentalist these days, a chance to repurpose the past as well.”… Continued →

Chilean band Dustt operate in the doom/stoner metal vein (the genre, not necessarily the lifestyle choice). They have been active at least since 2010, when their debut album Testigos de Dolor first released. An eponymous album followed in 2011, through Martyrdom Records. A remastered version was issued in 2012, as well as another album Refugio the same year. Both of the latter are available for digital download or streaming via Bandcamp (Dustt). I don’t know if the band is still active, but it would be great if they are, as there are not enough faith-oriented bands playing in this style.… Continued →

Our longtime readers will know we try to dig pretty deep into the diversity of what independent Christian music really means. While the connection from psychedelic rock of the 1970s to the indie rock and punk of the 90s and beyond isn’t obvious, it is real nonetheless. Psychedelic rock and acid rock was directly influential on the development of heavy metal, and indirectly on the development of punk rock–even if it was as a reaction to it. One of the best and most iconic artists of the Jesus Music era was Concrete Rubber Band.… Continued →

Chaotic hardcore project Pipe Bomb have announced a new single, “I Will Kill the Worst Parts of Myself.” Fresh off the heels of its three previous single releases, Philadelphia chaotic metalcore band Pipe Bomb is dropping one final stand-alone song called “I Will Kill The Worst Parts Of Myself” on January 27th, 2026, in support of its upcoming 10-song album, Hell Hole. Mixed and mastered by John Naclario of Nada Recording (My Chemical Romance, Senses Fail), “I Will Kill the Worst Parts of Myself” stays true to the project’s math/metalcore roots, veering away from the chains of song structure and embracing a flair for dissonance.… Continued →

This is it. The band, the album, the first release on Tooth and Nail Records. I remember when this came out. Nobody had heard of Tooth and Nail or Wish for Eden. I just knew this abrasive alternative/punk/grunge/hardcore hybrid was good. Really good. A little simplistic maybe, but super raw and totally scratched where I itched at the time. Wish for Eden’s impact is hard to understate. I was talking to some friends recently who are younger than me, maybe 15-20 years. These are folks heavily involved in the Christian independent scene.… Continued →

✨AF X RESUSCITATION PRESENTS… ⚡️Resuscitation Records Night at the Subculture Stage on Friday, July 3rd!⚡️ The showcase will feature Clear Convictions, Dear Adversary, Pipe Bomb, Take, Plead the Widow’s Cause, and The Forefunner. These 6 bands will be only a fraction of the 90-100 artists the festival will book between now and July. The festival recently announced Bleach as a headliner as well. Grab your tickets today, go to Audiofeedfestival.com… Continued →

Every year at Christmastime I try to choose a selection for the Song of the Day that is both seasonally appropriate and also relevant to our scene. Sure, it’s the day after Christmas, but since Christmas historically is a 12-day feast, we’re still in Christmas! August Burns Red has been making engaging and sometimes complicated metalcore since 2003. They are known as one of the more progressive and technical bands in the genre, regardless of faith affiliation. They are also known more for being “Christians in a band” than being a “Christian band.”… Continued →

After the well-received album Pain Split in 2022 (vinyl in 2023), South Jersey’s melodic hardcore/post-hardcore heroes are back with another full-length. Once again, CDs were pressed by the band, while the vinyl release is through Resuscitation Records and comes in a beautiful transparent green vinyl. If you want the short version of this review, here it is: if you liked the debut, you’ll probably love Silver Glass Stare. That’s not to say it’s a remake by any means. In fact, there’s more of . .… Continued →

Oh my gosh, why is it that sometimes the best bands have the shortest-lived careers?!? Pink Daffodils released one 3-song EP and then a follow-up single (literally a one-song CD) and then disappeared. Their style of female-fronted semi-melodic yet intensely screamy hardcore scratched my brain in very particular way. To this day, their Listless EP is one of my favorite and most unique hardcore releases ever. There was one more Pink Daffodils track, offered on the Trampled compilation from Boot to Head Records. Hailing from Philadelphia, the band shared some members with punk mainstays One-21, but with a very different sound.… Continued →

Audiofeed Music Festival, which takes place every year in Urbana IL over the July 4th weekend has just made their first official announcement for 2026. And fortunately for IVM readers, it’s a band most of us are very acquainted with . . . “FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: BLEACH The moment you’ve been waiting for is finally here! We are excited to announce our very first band of the 2026 year lineup: Bleach. With many more to come, stay tuned Audiofeeders! Go check them out and grab your ticket at Audiofeedfestival.com”… Continued →

Comprised of twin brothers Noel and Robbie Arthurton, the Bronx-born but California-raised Dynamic Twins were part of the first wave of legitimate Gospel rap coming out in the early 90s. Like so many others of that era (including S.F.C and Freedom of Soul), they had early connections to J.C. and the Boyz, and even wrote a song for Crystal Lewis (who returned the favor by singing on one of their tracks). Dynamic Twins had that southern California, West Coast rap style, but wanted to proclaim the Gospel clearly through their craft.… Continued →

The man, the myth, the holiday-music-making-machine . . . Ronnie Martin has just released a brand new Christmas track, exclusive to Bandcamp. The former Joy Electric frontman and founder has released three Christmas albums in the same number of years, and has already quickly released the new single on the heels of his latest, Evergreen Melodie. Check it out here: https://ronniemartin.bandcamp.com/album/o-christmas-day… Continued →

Midwest emo act Kerith Ravine formed around Akron, OH in 1997 and were active until 2001. In that short time they recorded 2 self-released CD EPs, released a split 7″ with fellow Ohioans Cpt. Nemo, and also released a full-length album through Bulletproof Music (Dear Ephesus, Aleixa, etc.) The band played a fun subset of Midwest emo which had them incorporating strings on one track and screaming on another, all the while holding subtle melodies close. After Kerith Ravine (name for the brook where OT prophet Elijah took refuge while hiding from Ahab) finished, some of the members then formed Lovedrug, which also contained former members of Eso-Charis.… Continued →

I hear a lot of talk on social media these days about “2008 metalcore.” That’s what we have here in this track from Bringing Down Broadway. This was the era of metallic hardcore before clean singing and ‘ambient’ keyboards took over the scene. Sure, they dabble in clean singing for a handful of lines in this track from 2007, but its use wasn’t excessive by any means. And there’s a certain rawness to this recording that tells us that over-production wasn’t an issue (I mean that in a good way).… Continued →

Elite Christian hip-hop affiliate Sphere of Hip-Hop has announced a Christmas listening party for this Friday: “If you can make it, please join the listening party Sphere of Hip-Hop is hosting on Bandcamp to celebrate the release of “A Boom Bap Christmas Story.” The instrumental project brings together producers from across the world, each offering their own spin on holiday-flavored boom bap. Friday // Free to attend 6 pm Eastern 5 pm Central 4 pm Mountain 3 pm Pacific Thursday, November 27th. We’re listening to the new compilation featuring Future Infinite (Imperial & Stewart Garry) and Newselph.… Continued →

Venezuelan thrash band Mashiaj formed in Caracas in 2009. They released an initial demo in 2010, entitled Loser, and then a string of EPs: Mashiaj (2014), Vomitivo (2015–reissued stateside in 2017 by Christian Metal Underground), and Perdedor (2016). Websites list the band as being still active, but we haven’t had any new recordings since 2016. The band members write and perform in their native Spanish language, but the style is clearly late 80s Bay Area thrash, and a decent representation of it! “Liberacion” (freedom or liberation in Spanish) is taken from their most widely-distributed release Vomitivo, featuring a gnarly album cover reflective of the type of thrash they play.… Continued →

I was recently made aware of Radium88, in part because of my recent Song of the Day entry for 80s/90s new wave band The Free Zone from Liverpool. Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Tim Thwaites is making music from Nottingham nowadays with Jema Davies as Radium88, and Bad Faith is a brand-new collection of 4 songs. Turns out they’ve been creating together since the 1990s, but I only found out about them in recent months. While there are similarities to The Free Zone (electronic-based alternative music), the new project doesn’t sound anything like the former.… Continued →

Logically, it makes no sense to fuse ambient music and industrial music. One is the softest, most minimalist form of electronic music; the other is the loudest and harshest. Yet the marriage of the two can create satisfying and interesting results. Swedish artists seem particularly good at it. We’ve featured Azure Skies in the past (which also featured members of Mental Destruction and Sanctum). Parca Pace is also known in the fusion style, and of course, our featured artist Haus Am Rand. It should be no surprise then that Jan Carleklev is involved in all three of these projects, not to mention EBM act November Commandment, gothic-industrial hybrid Sanctum, and a handful of other acts.… Continued →

Drummer and founding member of Barren Cross, Steve Whitaker died on Thursday. The Christian metal pioneer had been struggling with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), a rare neurodegenerative disease. He was dedicated family member and brother in Christ, who not only kept time for the band, but also wrote some of their most recognizable songs, including such standards as “Give Your Life,” “King of Kings,” and “Out of Time.” Forming in 1983, Barren Cross was seen as one of the most prominent Christian metal bands of the early era, signing to the influential mainstream label Enigma Records, while never compromising their Christian faith to reach a larger audience.… Continued →

Russian Orthodox gothic/black metal? While that description might sound unusual to most American listeners, that is exactly what we have here. Gospod hail from the Russian Federation, and have released one album for Michigan-based Vision of God Records. I don’t have a ton of details about the band, but we do know that it’s a one-man project written and performed by Tumanov Roman Mikhailovich. Musically, however, there is much that can be said. Their sole album, Исход Израиля (or, Israel’s Exodus) features a really intriguing mix of gothic metal and black metal.… Continued →

Pennsylvania’s indie pop stalwarts The Julies have released a brand-new single! It’s the third new single they’ve released this year, but so far mum’s the word on a new album. Musically, “Summermouth” dances in that space between Britpop (American style, of course) and shoegaze that the band has become so comfortable in. Check it out at Bandcamp, and consider contributing the $1.50 to download it, and support the band in the process! https://thejulies.bandcamp.com/track/summermouth… Continued →