Articles

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 →

Okay, forgive me, but we’re doing two obscure instrumental songs in a row for Friday’s Song of the Day feature. Last week it was Dutch experimental noise artist Dolenaer. This week we have German psych rock band The CT Four Plus. I know very little about the band, other than the fact they were German and active in the 1970s. The band released four different singles (for a total of seven songs), all on the MFB Produktion label, a Christian label based in Germany that was active from the 60s through at least the 1980s.… Continued →

Okay, we’re about to go crazy-obscure for this Song of the Day. First off, is this even a song? I recently discovered Dolenaer while listening to Hymns of the Blackest Light Volume 2, a compilation of black metal and experimental noise put out by Fallen Oak Recording. You might recognize that name as being closely affiliated with atmospheric black metallers Vials of Wrath. Dolenaer ride that incredibly fuzzy line between ambient, experimental noise, and black metal, with a sound that hints of all three, but leads them into something entirely new.… Continued →

Flynn Adam Atkins was part of the Cali collective LA Symphony. He continued on in another project called Rootbeer along with going solo. As opposed to last weeks SOTD, this one focuses on what love is really about. Check out these lyrics. I do the dishes; you know I love you  Take out the trash; you know I love you   Saving my kisses; you know I love you   My love’s like that, love’s like that And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST.… Continued →

Before he became a household name in prog rock, Neal Morse had already played in a handful of bands throughout the 80s and 90s. He’d recorded at least half a dozen albums with the notable Spock’s Beard, and also formed a prog-rock supergroup called Transatlantic with members of Flower Kings, Marillion, and Dream Theater. In fact, Morse’s partnership with famed drummer Mike Portnoy would carry over into several other projects, most notably (for our purposes here) the Neal Morse Band. In 2002, Morse became a born-again Christian, and began writing music with distinctly Christian lyrics and purposes.… Continued →

This quirky alternative rock band has members that are still in the music industry after all these years. I had this one on CD back in high school. The opener (no pun intended) Open was pretty popular on Christian rock charts. This SOTD reminds me of what happens when we remove God’s intended plan for love. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →

There was a lot of anticipation about this band before they ever released one song. Founder/vocalist Brett Detar had been in Zao, playing on one of their most popular albums, Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, as well as the unique and creative–and tragically underrated/unheard–emo-core band Pensive before that. With The Juliana Theory, Detar, along with bandmates Neil Hebrank (drums), Chad Alan (bass), Joshua Fiedler (guitars), and Joshua Kisker (guitars) took emo in a more accessible direction. The band released four full-length albums between 1999 and 2006, along with a few live recordings, EPs, and the seminal split release with Dawson High.… Continued →

There has been an ongoing silence on the latest happenings in the Christian music realm and it’s not by accident, it’s pure engineering. So much so that we’ve decided (well me actually) to amp up the fun by diving head first into the world of “Reels” and short streaming clips as evidenced by some recent posts on Instagram and Facebook. While not as cutting edge and China-centric as say TikTok or as private as a Snap (not that kind of private and also, do people still use this app?),… Continued →

This is raw industrial music. The 3 core members of the band were from Iowa & I am pretty sure the Quad Cities area where my family is originally from. They were likened to mainstream’s Skinny Puppy. Check em out & this article that goes in depth about the band. https://opus.ing/reviews/life-equals-death-globalwavesystem-1993-intense-records And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →

Brazilian black/death metal band Zurisadai came from the coastal city of São Luís in the northern State of Maranhão. The band formed in 2001 and released their debut album Symphony of the Souls the following year via Extreme Records, one of the more prolific Christian metal labels for Latin America. After a lengthy silence they released the follow-up The Coming of the Annihilation in 2014, also initially on Extreme Records. However, the album was impactful enough that it was re-issued no less than four times (!)… Continued →

I used to have this one on cassette tape back in the day. Red Sea was a hard rock/bluesy band that included Die Happy’s vocalist & Fear Not’s guitarist. It was released on Rugged Records which also featured artists such as Reflescent Tide & Disciple. I remember 3 singles from this one & this SOTD was the first. Roxx remastered & released the LP in 2021. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST.… Continued →

Rivulets and Violets was a short-lived project spearheaded by Masaki Liu. Liu is a producer and engineer whose name appears in literally dozens (actually over a hundred!) of albums from Christian alternative and metal bands, especially in the 90s. He also owns his own studio, and has been a member of post-punks The Lonely Now and roots rockers Dimestore Prophets. But R&V was a unique project. Their first album was released in 1993, and featured mostly instrumental songs. While there were no lyrics, there were occasional vocal parts, mostly in the form of la’s and other non-verbal vocal sounds.… Continued →

Jonathan Emanuel Gremyr aka Jonathan Vrålstad under the moniker Coretex is an early Christian EDM trance artist from Sweden. This SOTD was featured on a couple compilations from N Soul & 3 Cell. He released a lot more music just like many EDM artists so check him out. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →

I’ve been a big fan of Eric Tuffendsam’s Sower project since connecting inadvertently last year over Instagram. Our initial conversations were around around the theological distress of the so-called Christian music industry and the need for greater clarity Gospel; in retrospect, I shouldn’t be surprised that all of these conversations were building toward Sower’s most complete work to date. Before we get into the details of the music, I feel it necessary to explain this truly is a one-man show. Tuffendsam not only played all instruments and did all vocals (apart from a few noted guests, including the likes of No Treaty), but he also did all production, mixing, AND mastering.… Continued →

This is an early nu metal/metalcore/screamo band that released one full length on Rescue records and some other songs on compilations. Unfortunately, I don’t have much insight on the band itself or where they were from. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →

True Liberty is a true-school punk rock band from Richmond, VA. The band was active for roughly 10 years, from the mid-2000s through the mid-2010s. In that period, they released an impressive collection of four full-length albums, all in the old school punk rock style. “Lost” is the opening track from their sophomore album Brotherhood, released in 2008 via Raging Storm Records. The band also released albums through Wounded Records and Thumper Punk Records. They also contributed tracks to several different Christian punk compilations via labels like Indie Vision Music, Rottweiler Records, Caustic Fallout, SkyBurnsBlack Records, in addition to the aforementioned Thumper Punk.… Continued →

This North Carolina band formed in 1999 & released a couple albums before going dormant. They ended up releasing more music in 2021. One of the original band members Joe Musten has been in a few bands including drumming for The Almost, and was the vocalist for Torn & The Advent which I saw live a few years back. They play what is called post hardcore. Check out this catchy song out. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST.… Continued →

Denison Witmer is a guitarist and vocalist. A classic singer-songwriter in the indie folk style. Witmer grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania attending Lancaster Mennonite School, representing the faith tradition in which he was raised. At some point during his youth, Witmer began taking guitar lessons from Don Peris (The Innocence Mission), and recorded his first album while he was in high school. The project was not marketed to the public, so his true debut came a few years later in 1998, in the form of Safe Away.… Continued →

Here is a catchy southern rock song that is currently running through Christian radio. Emerson had her first stint on Christian radio when she sung on Micah Tyler’s People Like Me. Her background is a lacrosse player and a degree in Homeland Security per the New Release Today bio on her. She reminds me of a singer whom I worked her mech booth a year ago now called Anne Wilson. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST.… Continued →

The music community lost a great one this week. Sadly for us, Mike Peters of The Alarm has passed from this life and into the next. The Welsh singer/guitarist was 66. Peters had first been diagnosed with cancer in 1995, and fought throughout the better part of 10 years before being diagnosed with yet another form of cancer in 2005. All throughout this time, Peters continued to perform, sometimes with The Alarm, sometimes solo, and at other times collaborating with others. He briefly fronted a version of Big Country, and also collaborated with Billy Duffy of The Cult in a project called Colorsound.… Continued →

I do not know much about this artist, but saw the song on a “Christian” publication of some sort online a few years back. My research has found it came out in 2013 and was a solo artist whose name was Maxwell Lee who also played shows with Blues Traveler. I added it to Youtube as the only version I could find was a live version. There are Bible verses listed on the artists’ Facebook page as well. And no, the Jessika spelling is deliberate as I have seen it listed as with the k and the c.… Continued →

I totally think this pop punk artist is one of the best artists of the past 10 years. His music is so catchy and he plays all the instruments. Every video showcases his musical talent and his lyrics are as real as they get. Be sure to check out his latest EP Exit 9B which released yesterday. And be sure to check out my website www.castingsuchathinshadow.com and my pre-recorded radio show on Ripper Radio aired on Sundays 5-6 pm EST. … Continued →