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This band formed in Florida in the early to mid-80s, and had recorded a 5-song demo by 1985. Two of those songs ended up on the Regency Records compilation East Coast Metal, released in 1988. The compilation featured 6 other bands, all of whom achieved some level of regional and/or national success. Arsenal played in the traditional heavy metal style, but featured a female vocalist, an uncommon trait in heavy metal bands, which gave them a distinct edge in their sound. Based on the strength of the ’85 demo, a second demo of 3 songs released in 1988, and of course fan reaction to the tracks included on East Coast Metal, the band signed to Regency Records (home of Rage of Angels, Mastedon, and a host of other metal compilations), and released their one and only full-length, 1989’s Armored Choir.… Continued →

This Las Vegas metalcore band just released a cover of The City Harmonic’s anthemic worship song. The premiere of the music video is this Thursday October 16, 2025. … Continued →

Forming first as Spud Puddle, this band from southern California changed their name just prior to the release of their second album. Partly due to confusion with punk band Spudgun, but more so due to a change in styles–away from the pop-punk of their debut, and into alternative/indie rock on the self-titled Quaylealbum, the old band name just didn’t fit anymore. With a sound that touched on alternative rock, power pop, and just a hint of emo, Quayle wowed listeners with a sound that was both raw and melodic at the same time.… Continued →

Seminal deathcore band Earth from Above formed in 2005 in Los Angeles and were active through 2011, when they disbanded. Incorporating elements of metallic hardcore, traditional metallic leads, and borrowing vocal styles from both death and black metal (with two vocalists at that), the band brought a fresh style to the newly developing subgenre. The band released an EP independently in 2007, called Partakers, and a full-length in 2009 for Facedown imprint Strike First Records, entitled Numbered with the Transgressors. The band was upfront about their faith, utilizing lyrics that were both evangelistic and worshipful in nature.… Continued →

The Felluz was a third-wave ska band from Michigan. Not a lot is known about the band, but they came to national light via the SkaCraze2 compilation. The second installment of the Christian ska series focused on the “East Coast,” and/or bands that we were not from the dominant West Coast scene. The Felluz offered a distinctly third wave take on ska with a light but upbeat punk-ska feel. They released one 5-song CDr, that was released independently in 1998. Our Song of the Day is the first track on the EP, but you’re in luck.… Continued →

This pop-punk duo comprises brothers Seth and Paul Hyde, who are separated by thousands of miles (North Carolina to Hawaii). Seth spearheads the project, with Paul adding the drums. However, Paul spearheads the independent (and non-profit) record label Small Step Records. While I’ve been aware of GLR from quite some time, I only recently dug into their sound, and incidentally only then discovered that my friend Paul (whom I met at Furnace Fest last year, but had corresponded with before that) was in the band. I had heard them described as pop-punk, which they certainly are, but it’s a different take on the genre.… Continued →

Echocast is just one out of 4 names that I know of for this band. I saw them live under this moniker, but they went from Seven to Redline to Echocast & then to The Ironside Collective. This song is a rarity & thus I uploaded for the world to hear/reminisce. … Continued →

This Texan band hit the scene during the Myspace Days. The band was formed of a couple members of another great rock band Modern Day John, but this time around with a female singer. Today’s song comes from their EP Dreams of Darkening Spain. Check both bands out! … Continued →

In celebration of these incredible what we now term as “Classic” alternative, rock, (or whatever you want to call it) releases, I am reposting this article in celebration of 30 years of wonderful music that originated out of the Christian music scene. Let’s take a look back and maybe find a new favorite that’ll keep you comforted during these current turbulent times we live in. I have updated the article to include 30 Releases (instead of the original 25 from 5 years ago in celebration of 30 years).… Continued →

Joel Piper is the brainchild behind Avery PKWY & has been around for a few years now. His latest released just dropped last month & has 19 songs. If you haven’t heard of him, you might know his old band Confide that had a little mainstream success on the Warper Tour. Check out these lyrics & his latest release Walk With You. I’m done escaping all the pain of the labor It’s time to face what I have labeled as danger Now I’m done Believing all the liеs of the traitor (Ooh-ooh-ooh) Now I know I was made for something so much grеater Than only to survive I’m coming back to life I was breathing, but dead inside I know that I am the one The one You were chasing when You left the 99    … Continued →

For anyone who’s followed Sower for any length of time, you’ll know Eric Tuffendsam is a pretty vocal guy. First, because he is actually singing the songs, but secondly, because the core of his project is around the proper care and deliverance of the Gospel. “Hollywood” and “If You Don’t Love the Church” both show powerful rebukes – one of the world and the other of the worldly – but on his latest EP, Tuffendsam takes shots at the industry and its own worldliness. With the recent scandal of Michael Tait and the ways it’s been covered up to a more broad trend of apostasy over the past few decades, it’s clear that the industry isn’t all claims to be.… Continued →

Everdown was a hardcore band from New Hampshire, active in the mid-90s, but their roots were in earlier versions of the band like Crawlspace (who recently had their material re-issued by The Charon Collective) and Dry Bones. Unlike their counterparts from southern California or New York City, Everdown incorporated other influences into their music like post-hardcore and even sludge. Perhaps it was their New England location, or maybe they were simply influenced by a different scene, but with unusual arrangements (for hardcore), and song lengths at times over 7 minutes, their take on hardcore was certainly unique in the Christian scene.… Continued →

Californian Devoted Molded changed their song for a quirky punk rawk band to a modern rock sound by their 2nd LP. Screaming Giant Records released so much cool music & this is just one from their discography. Check out the entire label’s catalog which one can find on Bandcamp. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my Ripper Radio show that airs on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. And here’s a link from an old page they  used: https://www.angelfire.com/pa/devmolded/uturn.html    … Continued →

Speck was one of those bands that was easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention. They released two albums for Bulletproof/Gray Dot Records in the late 90s. That decade produced a plethora of alternative rock bands. In fact, there were so many that at times it was difficult to keep up, and even harder to wade through them in order to find the gems among the mediocre. Speck, sadly, didn’t make a huge splash like their counterparts in Plankeye, Grammatrain, The Prayer Chain, Poor Old Lu, and the like.… Continued →

Exit 40 from Maryland released 2 LPs that I finally tracked down & uploaded to Youtube. The NuMetalforChrist  channel is helmed by a friend of mine from The Philippines. Check em out if you like late 90s/early 2000s groovy nu metal/hard rock. Here is a link for more on the band: http://mp3-2003.computer-legacy.com/info/304/exit_40.html And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my Ripper Radio show that airs on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →

This fun band hailed from Texas & released southwestern punk rock. Like a lot of the Bettie Rocket Records family, it is hard to track down down much on the band’s history. They do actually have a Facebook page though. If you haven’t already, seriously check this band out. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my Ripper Radio show that airs on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. 0… Continued →

Heartbeat started in the early 80s as a music ministry extension of Youth for Christ in the United Kingdom. They initially began as a back-up band for solo performers (like Sheila Walsh), but they also performed as their own band, often appearing in schools, colleges, and even serving as a worship band for Christian events and festivals. As such, they paved the way for later, similarly-minded music ministries like World Wide Message Tribe (except that WWMT were dedicated to the Birmingham area, specifically). Heartbeat’s sound was a distinctly European form of synth-pop: sugary sweet and intensely melodic, not at all resembling the post-punk or new wave fusions of some of their synth peers (New Order, Depeche Mode, etc.)… Continued →

Metalcore Florida band Second Thief released a few EPs from 2005-2012. Their vocalist sounds similar to The Agony Scene’s. This SOTD comes from their 2010 release Brainwashed. Also, check out this IVM review of one of their EPs: https://www.indievisionmusic.com/reviews/second-thief-prelude/ And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my Ripper Radio show that airs on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →

This progressive unblack metal from, Norway was comprised of 3 members with the vocalist being in Extol previously. Tor is also a member of the band Mantric. They only released 2 albums before changing their name to Ganglion. Lengsel means longing in Norwegian  with Stille Dualisme meaning silent dualism. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my Ripper Radio show that airs on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →

This Long Beach, California-based band formed in the 2000s and have put out a number of underground releases. Made up of Latin-American believers, songs have been written in both Spanish and English, thus featuring a multi-cultural flair! Their first demo was released in 2006 and was self-titled. It showcased a brutal old school death metal (OSDM) sound, combining elements of thrash, grind and sludge in tempo changes that would leave your head spinning. A split CD with Dissolve Being was also released in 2006, and featured live recordings of songs from Grave Defier, as well as a few additional live tracks.… Continued →

This rarity band appears to have come from Ohio. I have not found much on them, but on the Christian Tape Underground site. This SOTD comes from a HM Magazine compilation. I know they also have a song called I Cried. Their music is of the hard rock genre & have been compared to Saint & Messiah Prophet. And  this post is dedicated to my stepdaughter Alissa who is having a birthday today! And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my Ripper Radio show that airs on Sundays 5-6 pm EST.… Continued →

I have always loved the sounds of surf music. The Beach Boys were a staple on the oldies station that my dad listened to when we were on the road. I remember Dakoda Motor Company coming out & that 1st & 2nd LP blew me away. These 2 SOTD bands have released these 2 songs very recently which I thought was cool. Other bands that have dabbled in the genre are 1998’s The Surfers, my friend’s band Bub Walker & the Tombstones, and Switchfoot. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com… Continued →

While this artist is known as a sort of darling in the indie folk scene, his roots are in the Christian punk/emo scene of the Pacific NW in the 90s. With connections to Pedro the Lion, Roadside Monument, Poor Old Lu, etc. Jurado released some 7″ singles on the then-fledgling Christian label Tooth and Nail Records. Even his debut was a co-release with Tooth and Nail and SubPop, the latter a connection that came through his friend Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate. Apart from some of his early punk-leaning projects, Jurado has not been one to proclaim faith through his music, opting instead to tell stories both real and fictional.… Continued →

Crazy, but this SOTD was literally in my queue for y’all without knowing that Loyd had posted recently on Acoustic Shack! Anyways, I uploaded the album to Youtube as for some reason wasn’t up. Great album with the highlights being Spiritual Beast, Go Now, Cello, Select & Not Like That. The Saints comes from a Bettie  Rocket comp. To me they sounded like a more modern grunge than Nirvana akin to Smashing Pumpkins. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my Ripper Radio show that airs on Sundays 5-6 pm EST.… Continued →

Husband and wife duo Michael and Laura Misiuk comprised alternative folk/rock act Acoustic Shack. Their stellar debut for Blonde Vinyl (1991, self-titled) was replete with poignant lyrics, Michael’s competent guitar playing, and the pair’s vocal harmonies led by Laura’s distinctly 90s alterna-pop croon. While it was slightly outside of my tastes at the time (which mostly leaned in a punk/metal/grunge direction), I couldn’t help but be captivated by the band’s combination of acoustic-led music and heartfelt reflections on topics as far-ranging as trying to understand a friend’s trauma from childhood abuse (“Deliver Me”), the comforts of home and belonging (“Red Door”), and the assurances of love (“It’s Good to Know”).… Continued →

Pioneers of the early Christian metal scene, Daniel Band formed in 1979 in Toronto, Canada. Along with Resurrection Band, they were one of the first band to fuse true hard rock with faith-filled fervor and lyrics. The band’s sound often rode the line between hard rock and traditional heavy metal, much like secular artists Kiss, Van Halen, and AC/DC. They released 5 albums between 1982 and 1988, with a live album in 2001 and a handful of re-issues. Though they haven’t released any new material since the 80s, the band have played a scattering of live shows, including appearances at Ohio’s Immortal Fest as recent as 2024, and they are scheduled again to play Part 2 of the festival this August!… Continued →

Embrace is/was a Spirit filled, metalcore, melodic hardcore band from San Angelo, Texas. FFO: Conveyer and The Dwelling.

Stavesacre emerged in the mid-90s as sort of Christian punk/alternative/metal supergroup. Featuring ex-members of The Crucified, Focused, Chatterbox, The Blamed, scaterd-few, and Saviour Machine, the band had a lot of hype to live up to before their debut album was even heard. And while the members’ previous project mostly dabbled in hardcore, Stavesacre forged new sounds more akin to post-hardcore or alternative metal. The late 90s landscape was ripe for such a shift, with nu metal and other forms of non-traditional metal emerging. The band’s debut album, Friction, was metal with eager praise from both fans and critics, covering ground that was often neglected in Christian circles.… Continued →

Spirit filled melodic/post-hardcore out of West Texas. FFO: Plead the Widow's Cause, The Dwelling, In Shepherds Arms, (Un)worthy, Remembering Never

Hardcore band Clear Convictions originally formed in their home territory of Puerto Rico, but have since settled in Florida. I got to see the band live (for the first time) at Audiofeed last weekend and they absolutely killed it! In fact, they rocked hard enough to get this 51-year-old gray-haired guy out of mosh retirement. In fact, I surprised myself at how hard I went. But when the grooves are this deep and the riffs this thick, it’s hard to resist. The band formed sometime in the 2000s, but I couldn’t find a specific year.… Continued →