Articles

SoCal rapper Peace 586 (born Rene Vasquez) has been hitting the hip-hop game hard since the late 80s (first as M.C. Peace), as a member of the seminal and innovative Freedom of Soul, and through numerous collaborations with artists like S.F.C., Jon Gibson, Scott Blackwell, J.C. and the Boyz, and many others. He went solo following the break-up of Freedom of Soul and released his first solo album in 1996. As impressive as that is, what’s even more impressive is the fact that he’s still been active as recently as 2023, releasing a full-length solo album on his own label.… Continued →

Impossibly difficult to categorize into any nice, neat genre, Norway’s Drottnar originally formed as Vitality, in 1996. They began playing death metal, but changed names when their sound shifted towards black metal. The band’s sound continued to evolve more and more, incorporating progressive and technical elements into something more avant-garde over time, while still retaining elements of black metal, death metal, and other extreme sounds. It is this level of experimentation and excellence that both sets them apart from their peers musically, and simultaneously makes their music less accessible to the general populace of listeners–even amongst fans of heavy music.… Continued →

Glen Galaxy is perhaps best known for his work in two different San Diego-based experimental indie rock bands: Trumans Water and Soul-Junk. The former was a non-religious noisy indie rock band in the proper sense of the term. Soul-Junk was a truly experimental band dabbling in a dozen different genres with lyrics filled with Scripture. On the one hand, you never knew what you were going to get musically (would it be hip-hop or noisy punk?). On the other hand, you knew that each and every album or 7″ EP was going to be chock full of quirky scriptural renditions and psalms of praise.… Continued →

I debated posting this on my music site but I felt the need to share. On March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, my wife, Charis Jones went home to be with the Lord. She was tragically taken from me after a nearly month and a half in 2 different hospitals battling end stage liver failure which had several complications of its own. Read on for my full story, her story actually. We lay her to rest next Wednesday and I know it’ll be an incredibly tough day.… Continued →

Thumper Punk presents Breakaway's long awaited "Warrior" EP now available for digital download and limited CD order!

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. -Matthew 28:6

Clonek aka Cleiton Ferreira is an EDM artist from Brazil. Check out this catchy dance track. … Continued →

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 →

Saw this band on the Scream the Prayer tour many years ago. I have always dug their metalcore sound which was very prevalent at the time. Unfortunately, the sound oversaturated the scene and its hard to find many decent metalcore bands these days. Check these 2 gems out. … Continued →

Pop punk Cities & Saints released 2 catchy EPs in 2010 & 2012. They were from Michigan. Check this SOTD out & Again Again if you like this one. … Continued →

This track is off the Osmotic Fusion compilation released by LowRoof Records. I have always had a special place in my heart for dance music and have accumulated tons of it over the years. This artist is from the Netherlands and released a 2005 LP Influence. “My Savior my Healer My Friend”   … Continued →

Cleveland’s Six Feet Deep were instrumental in the advent of “new school” hardcore that was emerging in the early- to mid-90s. They were one of the few Spirit-Filled Hardcore bands that didn’t end up on Tooth & Nail or Solid State (No Innocent Victim was the other major example). After an independent demo cassette aptly titled Self in 1992, they released two fantastic metallic hardcore albums: 1994’s Struggle and 1996’s The Road Less Traveled. The debut issued on Christian indie stalwart R.E.X. Music and the sophomore on Flying Tart/R.E.X.… Continued →

This singer/songwriter wrote a lot of worship songs that also talked about missionary work. He released his 1st LP in 1974. Read his Wikipedia page to find out more. He has an extensive discography, but here are 2 of my faves. Thank mom for introducing me to these songs so many years ago. … Continued →

I found this hardcore band at a Christian bookstore right after they had released No Compromise. They created some great music over the years including these 2 heavy hitters. My Beliefs is about standing up for Jesus in the hxc scene and Raping the Mind is about the cold hard truth of what lust can do to your mind.   … Continued →

This deathcore band is comprised of 2 friends from high school. Hailing from Indiana, I have had the privilege to talk with Ryan Miller for the show I produce on Ripper Radio. This song also reminds me of the metalcore band Context whom I saw live a couple years ago. Listen to this song loud and follow this band as they are working on releasing the full length Over Goshen. Some of the lyrics reference 1 John 1:9. … Continued →

As you’ve undoubtedly already read elsewhere, and seen all over the chrindie corner of the internet, Michael Knott died earlier this week. Much has been written about the man, the music, the iconic artist, so I don’t intend to re-tread any of that ground here. This is a Song of the Day post after all. Nonetheless it does seem fitting to use this week’s SOTD column to feature more of Knott’s work. He wrote and recorded so many incredible albums from the 1980s through the 2020s that it’s hard to pick a “best” or even a “favorite.”… Continued →

While much of the music we cover here has its origins–or at least its influence–in the music scenes that developed in the 80s and 90s, there was independent Christian music long before that. I won’t get on that soapbox once again, as I’ve written about it multiple times elsewhere. All I’ll add for now is that there was some incredible and influential faith-oriented music in the 1970s. One such act was Louisville-based quartet Kristyl. The band only released one album, 1975’s eponymous full-length, and then disappeared.… Continued →

While German metal band Chryztyne may have formed in 1990, their sound is pure 80s! Traditional heavy metal with touches of glam/melodic metal abound in their material. The band formed in Karlsruhe in SW Germany in 1990, and released a 5-song demo cassette in 1992. Shortly thereafter, they signed with Pila Music, one of the larger Christian music labels from their home country. Their one and only full-length Tales of Paradise released in 1993 on the label, and featured 11 tracks of pure 80s metal. This, of course, proves the rule that although heavy metal had gone by the wayside–in the wake of grunge and alternative rock–in the United States, it was alive and well in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe.… Continued →

Caustic Eminence was a raw, fast, hardcore punk band from Marion, IN. The band formed when they met as students at Indiana Wesleyan University. They released 2 demo cassettes before issuing the fabulous Another Day, Another Dollar 7″ through Cling Recordings in 1996. Not much else is known about the band other than their recorded output. Their take on punk was fast and furious, raw and lo-fi, contrary to the gamut of pop-punk bands that were popular at the time, which were moving towards more sophisticated sounds and production techniques.… Continued →

I had fully intended to cover something punk today, when I began listening to some old traditional Gospel for a project at work (I’m an associate pastor at a diverse, inner-city church). I was reminded of a Gospel song I first heard in the early 1990s when I was a member of a Gospel choir at my college. Yes, little ol’ white boy me, metalhead/punk rocker. In fact at one point in time I had a 4-inch mohawk while I was in this Gospel choir, but I digress.… Continued →

This is Mike Musick’s band.  If you want to more on him specifically, check out his bio on the indie on the move site. Mike’s solo career had some songs chart including Funk#5 & This Town. Also looks like he wrote a bunch of song for mainstream country artists. This modern rock song is pretty catchy so check it out. … Continued →

The Ohio band Pits are a band whose roots started in Panama. They are a hard band to list genre-wise, but I would say emo-pop punk-alternative esque. Appears they only released 1 full length & an 8 song EP on Angryson Records. This was the same label who released music from Neshamah & Aftertaste. The short lived Mono vs Stereo label picked up this SOTD for their The Revolution Will Begin in the Blink of an Eye 2nd comp. Check this catchy song out & try not to sing along the 2nd time!… Continued →

Even though I covered Adjy in the past here, it’s been a few years and a lot of time has passed. In 2021, the group released their ambitious debut album spanning nearly 100 minutes – the FIRST part of a larger tale. And if you are a fan of conceptual works and multi-media projects, this is THE album for you. An accompanying hard-cover book (purchased separately) lays out the lyrics in a way that might be compared to House of Leaves, and there are all sorts of references to history, psychology, mythology, and literature that abound.… Continued →

Blonde bombshell Windy Lyre appeared seemingly out of nowhere in 1991 with her self-titled debut on Blonde Vinyl Records. Truth be told her connections to alternative Christian music ran deep, but on a personal level, which is not appropriate to go into here. The album was a refreshing display of acoustic alternative, which hinted at folk rock, jangle pop, and in a way preceded the dream pop/alt country craze that swept the middle part of the 1990s and beyond. Lyrics and music were all written by label owner Michael Knott (LSU, Lifesavers, Aunt Bettys, etc.)… Continued →

This band delved into a rare subgenre of heavier surf rock. The tollboth.org site has an interview with the band if you want to read all about the theory behinds the bands’ name. Also, vocalist John used to be in the old skool hxc band Clay. The live version if of their song The Arsenal which is their interesting take on the armor of God. Check this one of a kind band out. … Continued →

There is really such a thing as a heavy trap subgenre. Artists which have elements include Autumnboy, Man Ov God aka Brook from Impending Doom, Bella Futuro (members of MewithoutYou & The Operation) and Arizona artist HandsXFeet. Check out these thought provoking lyrics from HandsXFeet. Oh my God What have I done what have I done Oh my God I killed Your son, killed Your son The devil he entered my body All of that money it got me Our time spent it meant nothing An army of demons surround me I betrayed who set me free It should be me up on that tree Weight’s too much, fall to my knees Kiss of death was on my breath Take it back, I don’t want it All this blood money is haunted I just let the devil taunt me Shut your ears to sins confessed Broke that bread, passed that cup Flesh torn apart, You gave that up No salvation, out of luck Innocence now laid to rest [MAN OV GOD:] Lost, can’t believe I forgot Lost, can’t believe I forgot All alone in my sin Betrayed the Son of Man Guillotine, that’s the plan Hanging from a tree Flesh, the heart of man Save me from my grave My soul is strong, but my flesh is weak    … Continued →

This pop punk band from California reminds me of ska elements at the same time without the horns which is probably since the band are big fans of Fire Iron Frenzy. If you like the band, check out their S/T on IVM’s Bandcamp page.     … Continued →

World Theatre released only one album, the brilliant eponymous full-length, for Frontline-imprint Graceland Records in 1989. But the band’s credentials are deeper than that might suggest. Founder Tim McAllister (vocals, guitar, bass, programming) had previously been in another one-album-only new wave band called Flock 14. Jim Abegg (AKA Jimmy A, from Vector and more recently The Ascendants) provided some guitar work. Gene Eugene (Adam Again, Lost Dogs, hundreds of production and studio credits) mixed the album. And piano and keyboards (along with some additional bass guitar work) were provided by none other than Cincinnati’s own Linford Detweiler (this was pre-Over the Rhine).… Continued →

Hailing from Leopoldshöhe, Germany, this rare melodic thrash band released 1 EP & 1 LP before disbanding. Their music is very hard to find so I uploaded most to Youtube for your listening pleasure. Instead of thinking thrashy Vengeance Rising, think of newer music that falls within part thrash/part metalcore & you will get a feeling of how this band sounds. The Spirit of Metal site still has them listed as active. but they haven’t released anything since 2005 from what I have found. Also their lyrics are definitely Christian as each of their songs comes directly from different parts of the Bible.… Continued →

This melodic death metal band is another rarity from my archives. Hailing from Duluth Minnesota, their lyrics are definitely Godly. The only other place I have found about them is the Spirit of Metal site. Their cd even references myspace if that tells you anything. Anyways, check ’em out. https://www.spirit-of-metal.com/en/album/Vox_Dei/114308 … Continued →