Articles

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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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Here is a nice adult contemporary Sunday SOTD for ya…NOT!!!! This artist consists of an acquaintance of mine Logan Thompson who started solo back in 2016 who hails from Indiana, USA. What drew this fan twas the name & the debut single In Anger’s Midst. Since then, I hung out with most of the band members at my local festival Audiofeed (which is what Cornerstone festival became). Covid has deterred us Christian metal heads from hanging out again this year. His patch “WE are Metal, We Are Family” refers to Pastor Bob’s Sanctuary International.… Continued →

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Not much is known about this band, who released one album for major label Curb Records in 1997, called Yours Truly. They played a fairly straight-forward brand of alternative rock that hinted at grunge without ever fully going to Seattle. The lead single was “Low,” with its provocative chorus: I’m wasted! I’m wasted! I’m wasted . . . without You!” While the song might have raised eyebrows among critics of faith-based rock music, the lyrics hit home for some. I remember playing the song for a friend of mine, who at the time was not a fan of anything hard or heavy.… Continued →

So it has been messing with my head this band Azusa & how I think I know whom they sound like. I know the band is composed of members from The Dillinger Escape Plan (whom I saw live many years ago), Absurd2, Frodus, Arvinger, & lo & behold-Extol, Mantric & Benea Reach! This band is like a female vocal version of those 3 latter bands & has released 7 singles so far. Solid State Records truly knows how to find awesome music IMHO. Eleni Zafiradou is (believe it or not) a pop vocalist, but she screams like the best of my fave female vocalist fronted bands (Your Chance to Die & Bloodlined Calligraphy).… Continued →

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The band that just keeps on parodying hit after hit! I have been a follower of this parody band for at least 15 years or so. They take mainstream songs and compose Biblical lyrics & release 2 songs per month. The name of the band stems from 1 Peter 3:15 & is a derivative of the word apologetics which means “defense of the Christian faith. The past few years they have been churning out 2 songs at once even with female vocals. Their massive discography covers songs from System of a Down to The Beatles to Eminem to Ozzy.… Continued →

Emo seems to be a genre that people either love or hate. Heck, even most of the bands who played in the genre didn’t want to be associated with the name for one reason or another. While Roadside Monument toyed around with various genres like indie rock (Beside This Brief Hexagonal), math rock (I Am the Day of Current Taste), and fusions of the two (Eight Hours Away from Becoming a Man), they also stayed just close enough to the emo genre to never fully break free from the tag.… Continued →

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If you asked me what the heaviest Christian release of all time was, a strong contender would be the self-titled EP from Portand’s Warlord (not to be confused with the secular heavy metal band of the same name). One of the earliest releases on the Tooth & Nail imprint, Solid State Records, their debut EP featured deep, dark, heavy riffs and lengthy songs. In fact, this 4-song effort clocks in at longer than some full-lengths, due to the longevity of the tracks. Often overlooked and underappreciated, the release was the first of its kind in the Christian market.… Continued →

Many people nowadays have a love-hate relationship with worship music. It can sometimes be too simplistic, or based on shallow theology, yet believers have a real desire to connect with the Lord through music. The so-called Modern Worship movement has both helped and hindered this process. While it’s outside of our purposes here to give an overview of the practical, musical, and theological ramifications of modern worship music, let’s take a look at an early innovator. the violet burning (lower case intentional) started out as a hard-edged alternative rock band with both goth and post-punk tendencies.… Continued →

Zurisadai (Translated from Hebrew: The Almighty is my rock and strength) are a 3 piece Christian Extreme Metal act hailing from Brazil. FFO: Thrash and Black metal. RIYL: Herd, Hating Evil, and A Hill to Die Upon.

Jangle Pop. While the term might not mean much to most listeners today, it was the dominant form of alternative rock (on both sides of the Atlantic) in the late 80s to early 90s. As 70s punk gave way to 80s new wave and synth pop, underground bands were looking for more earthy sounds, moving away from sythesizers and often including acoustic guitars and instruments borrowed from folk rock. There was less emphasis on the lead guitar licks of glam metal and arena rock, and more emphasis on jangly guitar rhythms, hence the name.… Continued →

La Ruta (translated: The Route) is a Spanish Christian Pop Punk band from Lima, Peru. RIYL: Blink 182, Slick Shoes

Homonovux is a Spanish Christian punk band from Yucatan, Mexico. FFO: Metanoia, Dogwood, and good old punk rock!

I first heard of Cross-Check a few months ago through social media channels. Shortly thereafter, I was asked to review their mini-album Overwhelming Odds for Heaven’s Metal. What I found on that release equally excited and bewildered me. The band has a way of weaving some very interesting and somewhat disparate influences into their sound. While they clearly take as their foundation a traditionalist line of old school hardcore, they manage to weave such diverse sounds as street punk, post-punk, rockabilly, and occasionally even surf rock.… Continued →

In conjunction with my new 20th Anniversary story I posted here on IVM a few days ago, I have released 3 compilations titled “The Greatest Hits You’ve Never Heard” featuring songs from IVM past history. All mastered by Sef Idle at Simpul Studio with artwork by Jordan of The Prettybads. Jordan is working on a layout for Vinyl/CD right now and once that is finished it’ll be revealed here and on bandcamp. You can currently download all 3 volumes now on Bandcamp for “name your price”.… Continued →