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With a name like Knuckle Sucker, one may not be quick to think that they would be a faith based band, but they sure are and unabashedly so! FFO: Loose End, Pocket Change, Preach it Ray Ray!, Relient K, Slick Shoes, and MxPx.

One of my all time fave releases, Lemonade, was from a band released by the defunct R.E.X. Music. Forming circa 1993, the 4 band members had changed their name from Leaderdogs to add For The Blind. They blew Christian indie music lovers away with an industrial/hard rock hybrid with iconic songs such as Yellow & Black Attack (no, not the Stryper album!), Better Ways, Ripple & Supersaturated. They followed up with The Resurrect Me EP that included other the greats Pollinate & Lie You Buy. Then, boom, that was it.… Continued →

Facedown Records indie rock band Weathered’s first & latest single Quick Tempered from their upcoming album lyrical content is simply some of the most profound lyrics that I’ve seen in a while. They seem to align with my favorite Bible verse that I have tattooed on my arm. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Here are the lyrics up until the bridge.… Continued →

Rackets is the best shock rock band imho with loyal fans called Therapy Patients. Led by vocalist Kandy Kane (Kiffany), they have definitely had a controversial impact on the Christian music industry & have been repeatedly listed as sounding akin to Marilyn Manson. Starting out in 1994, they formed under the name Human Soup. Many years have passed & they have released recent music more akin to their first 2 albums. The first was released under the moniker of A Violent System with this new one back to Rackets & Drapes.… Continued →

Listen: Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Lyrics:… Continued →

Rock & Punk… Continued →

When Seventh Angel’s debut album The Torment came out, I was an instant fan. I was a huge thrash fan in my teenage years, and their unique take on it–lots of acoustic interludes, and darker chord progressions–appealed to me. A couple of years later, the band followed up with Lament for the Weary. I must admit that at first I didn’t get it. It was much slower than any thrash I’d ever heard, and I hadn’t discovered doom yet as a genre, so I didn’t have a frame of reference for slower tunes.… Continued →

The following list is a mix of new independent bands and recent bands releasing music in the past year. Unlike other “lists” in Christian Music that wallow through the sea of sameness, this list embarks on a journey to share good music that doesn’t suck. Read below for MY list of the 30 greatest indie bands of 2020. Leave your cynicism and snobby pseudo journalistic opinions at the door. This isn’t a definitive list and is simply some of my current faves and recommendations. Drop your current faves in the comments below.… Continued →

So I had a chance to meet these guys while I was recording a sound byte from their record label owner for my online radio station a few years ago at Audiofeed Festival in Central Illinois. Wow, has their style changed. I would have classified As We Are’s (stylized sometimes as AsWeARe or just plain AWA) sound as pop punk, but with a rock twist a few years back when they came out with their self-titled EP. The 3 member band consists of drummer Caden (drums), vocalist/guitarist Dale & bassist Eli.… Continued →

When it comes to black metal, true fans will generally argue that the more raw, the better. And the more underground too. And there’s not much more rare, raw, and underground than Flaskavsae. The band was spearheaded by the mysterious “E” and most of their releases were in limited runs of a few hundred copies. I happened across the band when I was running a distro about 15 years ago specializing in underground metal, hardcore and indie rock (among other things). Their sound, though bleak, brings in bits of atmospheric layers, and at times, downright noisy textures.… Continued →

So this track is one of my favorite songs of all time. There are a couple different versions out there, but the one off We Are Not Ashamed is my go to. I remember hearing this song for the first time circa 1993 on a University of Illinois indie Christian rock/metal show whose DJ introduced me to greats such as Living Sacrifice, Reflescent Tide, The Clergy amongst many others at the time. Lust Control’s background can be found on many other sites, but what I liked about this specific song is the in your face lyrics & the romping punk music.… Continued →

Attention friends, family, and loved ones. This is the statement on the ending of the IVM Record Label and what to expect from this website in the future…. Please read on. The site will operate the same way it has the last 20 years.… Continued →

Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music Lyrics:… Continued →

Power pop was (is?) a strange phenomenon. Despite the big hooks, melodic overtones and just enough of a punk edge to keep things interesting, it never really caught on in a huge way. Although it’s made inroads into new wave and, more recently, indie pop, the leaders of the subgenre still remain fairly underground, with a few notable exceptions (Cheap Trick and The Romantics are among the few artists with major radio hits). It should be no surprise then, that in Christian circles, artists in the style were even fewer.… Continued →

Mad at the World went through at least three distinct phases throughout their history, which impressively spans across 4 decades: synth-pop/new wave, hard alternative rock/metal, and retro rock/alternative. We’ve already featured a song from their synth-pop era, and here’s one from their hard alternative phase, but one that interestingly enough hints at their retro phase that would be unleashed in 2 more albums’ time. Both of the songs I’ve chosen from the Rose brothers have spoken words of encouragement to me when I needed them. Let’s face it: 2020 has largely been crap.… Continued →

While I haven’t been posting about it the past few months like I was earlier in the year, I’ve been continuing to update the New Release Sampler playlist on Spotify every month with new songs. I felt like taking some notes while I was putting the finishing touches on it today though and thought I’d share them readers. So here are the 55 new songs I picked out from September 2020 that I think that you should hear. 1. ’68 – Bad Bad Lambo Love is Ain’t Dead has been one of my most listened to new releases this month.… Continued →

I’ll just come out and say it, “Deathbed” is quite possibly the best “Christian” song that has been written in the past 15 years. That is quite a statement to make and I’ll tell you why. First of all, bands who can create an 11 minute “epic” song with constant peaks and valleys all the while captivating the listener with a heavy dose of heart tugging melodrama, you know they are doing it right. I don’t know what it is and maybe that’s just me being a sentimental, sappy fool, but when I give this track a listen, I am left with a tear(s) streaming down my cheek.… Continued →

It’s hard to believe this release is nearing 20 years old. Although I’ve been hearing about it for years, I only recently acquired a copy for myself, and it sounds just as innovative and fresh now as it must’ve done when it first dropped. I’m not sure how many industrial music fans we have at IVM, but this is the real deal. It’s not metallic industrial, nor dance stuff, just harsh, sonic, rhythmic experimentations. And what really caught me off guard was how much this album infuses ambient sounds.… Continued →

Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube Music Lyrics: … Continued →

When listening to music, do you ever get the feeling you’re hearing something deeply personal, and you’re not really sure if you should be listening in? Of course, recorded music is made to be heard. It’s marketed for consumption. But there are some songs that just seem so intimate it’s like you’re accidentally listening to a private conversation. “Days End” from Brandtson’s debut strikes me that way. I was equally excited and perplexed when I first heard about this new band (in the late 90s). Six Feet Deep had been a staple in the Spirit-filled hardcore scene–passionate and preachy as that genre was known for, when the members changed the band name and style, replaced by the new “emo” tag (at the time, anyway).… Continued →

Beloved (US) released this absolutely flawless cover of U2’s classic song, “Like a Song”, last month. It is without a doubt, one of my favorite cover songs by an artist we write about and quite simply one of the best songs of 2020. To be honest, I wasn’t as familiar with this U2 song as much as their other more famous tracks but nonetheless the band put their own unique spin on it and blew it out of the water. It’s not only lyrically poignant but the sound quality of this one song is on par with anything a major label artist would release in 2020.… Continued →

Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music Lyrics:… Continued →

So Mattie is not a soloist per se. He is the former dreaded frontman for disbanded metalcore bands For Today & Besieged. He branched out & has 3 prophetic teaching CDs that are basically short sermons set to music. He currently serves as the pastor of a ministry he founded called The Altar Fellowship. Here are the lyrics for his 2nd sermon from his first album, Restless What is my destiny? What is God’s plan for me? Who was I made to be? Now, these are questions that are in every one’s heart.… Continued →

Fresno, Cali nu-metal band Gryp (fronted by educator Curtis Shamlin) is epic imho. First heard this band’s firt release Indecision while checking out demos at a defunct Christian bookstore in Bloomington, IL & I was immediately hooked. It was different than what was out in 1997 in the Christian realm with staples Ungrateful, Heal Me Back & You Were There. I remember being on their street team when they released their ep Left Behind while stationed in the military in Columbia, SC. I was so excited and gave out numerous CD singles & stickers while hanging out at New Brookland Tavern with numerous bands such as SF59, MeWithoutYou, Underoath, etc… & was having an awesome time being on fire for YHWH.… Continued →

Film director Guillermo del Toro and spastic hardcore punk band Blaster the Rocket Man have at least one thing in common. Whereas most of society, and particularly within Christianity, monsters are usually the bad guys, these two artistic entities–operating in disparate fields as the case may be–often take the side of the monster. Pan’s Labyrinth, for instance, juxtaposes the kind but terrifying Pan against the inhuman, yet human, monsters of the Spanish fascists under Francisco Franco. Blaster the Rocket Man uses traditional monster and sci-fi imagery, all the while connecting these images to faith in Christ.… Continued →

For seasons in my life, I’ve found myself as a professional designer. But even outside of that, I’ve been pursuing hobbies in video and photography for some years. In high school, I did pixel art for a few games (which never launched, RIP). Suffice to say, even if I’m not the best at composition, I spend a lot of time with it. I’ve spent hours getting websites laid out properly and edited videos late into the night. I’ve seen things, many of them even. So, band merch is weird to me.… Continued →

I had this song on my mind the other day as I was thinking about what song I was going to choose for this week. The modus operandi: Ruminate on a song and make a choice. Find it on YouTube. Listen while I’m writing. Dang. I’ve loved this song for years, but was still surprised at how good it sounded more than 2 decades after it was recorded. I highly recommend headphones! This song has so many layers. So many things that make it great. It’s difficult to know where to begin.… Continued →

Sam Ule (the moniker of Samuel Schmidt) is in an Indiana-based songwriter fresh off the press with his debut single. “Paint” glistens piano-pop sensibility, the kind of song that feels theatrical and upbeat. Sam Ule draws comparisons to Jason Mraz and Jon Bellion, making use of careful electro-acoustic arrangements that are warm and captivating. More music is on the way shortly. Check out Sam Ule on Instagram for updates. … Continued →

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and do not reflect all of the IVM staff. Orthodoxy isn’t cool, and non-Christians make better music than Christians. Now, I don’t seriously believe this – but it may as well be the mission statement underlying most formerly-professing-Christian artists. David Bazan seems to deftly annihilate the creation account in a single verse. Derek Webb parodies the liturgical experience with a song about alcohol. Bands like Animal Flag seem to dismantle the character of God. Motherfolk said next to nothing on their spiritual changes before writing an album that simply states there is no God.… Continued →

Lo-fi indie rockers, hailing from Kansas, Jetenderpaul were delightfully weird. They simultaneously embodied the avant-garde and pop music, writing short, melodious ditties that would never be on radio even though they should be. I was a huge fan of Velvet Blue Music in the 90s and picked up this EP on a whim, and I wasn’t disappointed. Although there really was nothing else like it in the Christian scene, the band’s work often appeals to fans of material from Danielson Famile and Havalina Rail Co. to Soul-Junk and Pony Express.… Continued →