Tag: California

The name Saviour Machine evokes a wide variety of reactions: love, confusion, controversy, and about a dozen others. My friend George reveres them as his favorite band of all time. Others find them dense and difficult. Still others enjoy the dark mysterious sounds as well as the lyrical approach. The band formed in California in 1989, and soon after issued a demo CD of gothic metal replete with classic metal riffs and dramatic vocals. Their label debut released in 1993 for Intense Records and still featured an even combination of gothic rock and heavy metal.… Continued →

Protect Your Heart are on a literal roll with fantastic new material already this year! We’ve gotten “Losing My Mind” and “Run” so far in 2026 and now today they drop “Kings Rd”, an absolute fantastic, road tripping, an endearing so cal adoring new single. This perfect tribute to their beginnings and all that sums up their hometown appeal in the form of an easycore springtime anthem. Check out the music video for “Kings Rd” right here on IVM, below.… Continued →

Third wave ska hit the Christian scene hard in the mid- to late-90s. There were dozens of bands in the chrindie scene fusing punk, ska, reggae, and alternative rock in different measures. San Jose’s Freeto Boat was one of such bands, but their brand leaned heavily on the punk side of ska-punk. It was almost like punk with horns at times, especially on their debut album Hindsight 20/20. By the time the sophomore album End of the Beginning hit, they pretty much dropped the ska influence altogether, opting for a primitive hardcore punk sound.… Continued →

Guardian (or rather Gardian as they first spelled it, or even Fusion as they named themselves to begin with) started out in the 1980s as a traditional heavy metal band and had morphed into a hybrid hard rock/alternative/groovy blues project by the time they finished in the early 2000s, changing their sound dramatically throughout their existence, though always in hard rock territory. However, along the way, they recorded quite possibly the best (or at least one of the best) glam metal releases ever put out by a Christian band (yeah, I said what I said–of course they’d have to contend with Stryper, Zion, Holy Soldier, Angelica and Whitecross for the top spot).… Continued →

Quickly rising as one of the most important deathcore bands in the Christian scene, southern California’s (Un)worthy returns with a new 4-song EP, their 7th EP since 2019 (not counting 3 singles), but only their 3rd release on CD. A couple of things stand out quickly about this offering. Firstly, it’s a concept EP focusing on the story of Jonah, with each of the four songs representing different aspects of Jonah’s journey. Secondly, while other releases from the band have been just from two members (Dennis Woods and Jordan Jiminez), the band has expanded to a full 5-piece outfit this time.… Continued →

I would label this genre modern thrash. Oil released 1 EP, 1 LP & a live album from 1997-2004 before calling it quits based on my recollection. The most recent project by the band members is a little known band called Blankenstein. Their vocalist Ron Rinehart was in mainstream thrash band Dark Angel back in the late 80s, early 90s. Their 2000 release Refine was a mainstay in my CD collection that year. Kalubone Records released several hard to find bands that I have music from all of them of course.… Continued →

Garage punk trio Upside Down Room first popped up on most fans’ radars with the release of their 1995 self-titled EP for Tooth & Nail Records. However, they’d already released 3 cassette demos prior to that, going back as early as 1991. The band hailed from southern California, and for the most part played a raw, gritty form of punk rock and roll. Jason Martin (Starflyer 59, et. al.) was recruited to produce their T&N debut and also contributed some guitars to the record. While UDR was definitely committed to punk rock, Martin’s signature layered approach added a quality to the garage rock previously unheard.… 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Adam Nigh who is the lead front-man/bassist/songwriter for Too Bad Eugene and a current (and past) member of Craig’s Brother, has been releasing a steady stream of new acoustic “solo” songs with plenty of guest contributors. Not only are there some new songs but also new acoustic versions of classic (and newer) Too Bad Eugene tracks. These are all available via Bandcamp here and also on your favorite digital networks! What’s the old adage about (music) aging like fine wine? Well, give it a listen and you’ll agree.… Continued →

A local Southern California singer-songwriter with an incredible & eclectic sound, recently dropped a new single which is a hit in the making, titled “Sunnyside Up”. I’ve known David Di Maria a long time and his music continues to get better and his artistry grows with each subsequent release. Give the song a listen, below.… Continued →

Everyone’s favorite quirky pop musical genius returns with five songs. Having done stints with Fold Zandura, Lassie Foundation, and Cush, Lenz has ventured out solo since 2001’s Hot Stuff. So what’s it like? This is pop cynicism at its finest. Sugary sweet pop melodies with some of the most bizarre and quirky lyrics yet. Is Lenz Scottish? Because this is right up there with Belle and Sebastian or early Teenage Fanclub. Then again, this EP is hard to peg for so many reasons (yes, the release title is ironic).… Continued →

The 90s was such an interesting decade for music in general, but for the Christian scene in particular. There was such a diversity of sounds and multiple genres exploding in all different directions from alternative to metal to punk to hardcore to hip-hop and electronica. Then even within each of these there was a multiplicity of subgenres all moving in different trajectories at the same time. It wasn’t uncommon to go to a gig in the 90s and see a ska band opening a show that also included indie rock and hardcore.… Continued →

We continue our series in February of focusing on contributions to the Christian independent music scene from our black brothers and sisters for Black History Month. While heavy metal, and especially this form of ‘glam metal’ was dominated by people whose skin color resembles mine, Seventh Seal stood out from the crowd. They were a commercial metal band from Palmdale, California whose 5 members were all African American. Seventh Seal was truly an anomaly in this regard. While there are other heavy metal bands with black members, I can’t think of any others where the entire band was made up of black members *and* who played in this particular style.… Continued →

It’s been a while since we’ve covered some grindcore here, so it seems like the right time. One of the most–if not the most–intense genres of metal and/or hardcore and/or noise (depending on which angle is taken), grindcore is generally an acquired taste and is more often than not a ‘love it or hate it’ genre with very little room for bystanders. Having emerged in the 1980s as an ever-increasingly intense subgenre of hardcore punk, it is generally characterized by ridiculously fast, and very short songs.… Continued →

When Applehead surfaced, sole member Greg Minier had already cut his teeth as axe-slinger in highly respected crossover thrash outfit The Crucified, and put out a one-off EP (as a solo project) of more straight-forward thrash under the simply-named Minier. Just as The Crucified was ending, the guitarist changed directions considerably and recorded a full-length album of grunge/alternative metal under the band name Applehead. In fact, the project’s debut album Meaning was one of the most authentic attempts at grunge in the Christian market. The album hit hard not only musically but lyrically as well, tackling subjects like alcohol abuse, struggles with sin, devotional inconsistency, and as the album title suggested, the search for meaning in life found via hope in the Creator.… Continued →

With Christmas being right around the corner, you know what time it is! It’s time for our annual Christmas-oriented Song of the Day entry. With a plethora of punk, indie, and even metal Christmas tunes (seriously, there’s way more than you might expect!) to choose from, it can be a daunting task. I like to choose tunes that are thoughtful, yet playful. Fun, yet reverent. I can’t think of a Christmas tune that fits that description much better than the ska/pop-punk stylings of Flight 180’s “O Come All Ye Faithful” (incidentally also my favorite Christmas song).… Continued →

Doulos – Birth Pains This band was my big surprise hit at Audiofeed Festival last summer. Sure, I’d heard the name for several years and probably sampled a track or two online, but I’d never fully experienced the band until that live set in a hot tent in July. They blew me away with their energy and riffs galore. Lots of tempo changes, fast parts, mosh parts, exactly as hardcore should be! And so, while I was excited to review this album, my excitement also come with some degree of trepidation.… Continued →

This pop punk band is from LA. Their latest EP released back in January and proved that this band still has their chops intact. This catchy SOTD features Fire Iron’s Frenzy Leanor aka Jeff the Girl. Check it out and their discography of 44 songs. … Continued →

So here is another rarity band that I have pulled from the archives. The Terminal Generation considered themselves the world’s scariest band. Based out of California, they melded distorted guitars & vocals. Most would know them if they followed 90s Christian industrial movement when R.E.X. records released an industrial compilation called Electro Shock Therapy in 1995, but they actually got their start in LA in 1989.     … Continued →

I wasn’t sure what to make of this band the first time I heard them. It was heavy, metallic hardcore, created in the era just before full-blown metalcore had become a thing. And the vocals were unlike anything I’d ever heard in hardcore before. The band hailed from southern California and were only active for a couple of years in the late 90s. They released a pair of demos, before releasing a devastating 4-song EP for fledgling Solid State Records, then-brand new sub-label of Tooth & Nail focusing exclusively on hardcore and metal.… Continued →

4 (For) Pete’s Sake is a ska/punk band from California. They released 2 EPs & a single called Logic which is today’s SOTD. The song is also on IVM’s Ska Lives Vol 3. Check em out.     … Continued →

‘Imisi is a reggae duo spearheaded by brothers David Fohe and Jubilee Fohe. They play in the pop-reggae or “lovers rock” style, but with a worshipful emphasis on the love of God. Imisi’s music was first brought to a wider audience through Mark Mohr’s (of Christafari) label Lion of Zion Entertainment, who released a pair of albums in 2003 and 2006, respectively. They seem to have been active up until at least 2023, releasing more albums–mostly digitally–through their websites at ReverbNation and BigCartel. “God is Love” comes from the 2013 project Riddimtion Project Vol 1 of which I can barely find any info at all.… Continued →

One of Christian metal’s most prominent acts during the genre’s Golden Period (roughly 1986-1992), Barren Cross rocked a traditional heavy metal sound, managing to stay both heavy and melodic without ever succumbing to glam on the one hand, or thrash on the other. The band released 4 full-length studio albums, a live album and a handful of singles & EPs before calling it quits in the mid-90s. A pair of compilations appeared in 2007 and 2014, respectively. Members (especially vocalist Mike Lee) have been active in a number of other projects including Barebones, Michael D.R.I.V.E.,… Continued →

Charity Empressa is essentially a solo project of Eric Campuzano (The Prayer Chain, Lassie Foundation, Stranger Kings, ex-Starflyer 59, Cush) with a revolving cast of support and collaborators. While the list of those giving input is lengthy, among them are Troy Daughtery (Hoi Polloi, Duraluxe), Wayne Everett (Prayer Chain, Lassie Foundation, ex-Starflyer 59, solo), Frank Lenz (Fold Zandura, solo, ex-Starflyer 59), Andrew Prickett (Prayer Chain, My Brother’s Mother), Herb Grimaud (the violet burning, Raspberry Jam, Stranger Kings), Josh Hagquist (ex-Dogwood, The Beautiful Mistake), and many others.… Continued →