Tag: song of the day

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 →

New Zealand folk/roots rock artist Derek Lind released his first album Mixed Blessings in 1986, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that I first heard his music. In 1993, R.E.X. Music, who had mostly been known for metal releases and a handful of alternative artists, began a sublabel dedicated to acoustic and folk music, Storyville Records. So Lind’s third album, 1990’s Slippery Ground was repackaged for distribution to the U.S. Lind’s association with Storyville, and the label’s existence, was short. 1994 saw the release of Stations, this time exclusively through his label Someone Up There, but this time the release saw distribution in the US as well as his native New Zealand.… Continued →

Melodic death metallers Exousia hail from Mexico. They have been making music together since at least as early as 1999 when they released their debut Serpiente de Bronce through their native label Alcance Subterraneo Producciones (who also put out releases by Deborah, Encryptor, Uzias, and others). The band released two more studio albums across the next four years, often incorporating elements of gothic metal, thrash, and black metal, though still staying true to melodic death metal for the most part. They also released two different DVDs featuring live concert footage and other video content.… Continued →

Richard Nicholson was a relatively important figure in independent Christian music in the 80s and 90s, but sadly too few American listeners are familiar with his work, largely because of his British origins. So let’s start with a little history lesson. He first became known through his work with new wave/punk act Giantkiller, who released three influential albums in the 1980s. Sadly only one of those reached American shores, 1981’s Valley of Decision (or Whose Side You On? as it was known in their native UK).… Continued →

Chilean band Dustt operate in the doom/stoner metal vein (the genre, not necessarily the lifestyle choice). They have been active at least since 2010, when their debut album Testigos de Dolor first released. An eponymous album followed in 2011, through Martyrdom Records. A remastered version was issued in 2012, as well as another album Refugio the same year. Both of the latter are available for digital download or streaming via Bandcamp (Dustt). I don’t know if the band is still active, but it would be great if they are, as there are not enough faith-oriented bands playing in this style.… Continued →

Our longtime readers will know we try to dig pretty deep into the diversity of what independent Christian music really means. While the connection from psychedelic rock of the 1970s to the indie rock and punk of the 90s and beyond isn’t obvious, it is real nonetheless. Psychedelic rock and acid rock was directly influential on the development of heavy metal, and indirectly on the development of punk rock–even if it was as a reaction to it. One of the best and most iconic artists of the Jesus Music era was Concrete Rubber Band.… Continued →

25 Years of Indie Vision Music: Blood, Sweat, Tears, and Perseverance I began this write up back in June of this year and it has taken me more than half the year to finish it. It has been a crazy and chaotic year with everything that has taken place in my personal life. Much of it was good and surprising and some other parts have been well, rather stressful. Now as we approach Christmas I am met with my home in escrow, another home to move into, planning a wedding in April 2026, and the passing of my late grandmother on December 23rd.… Continued →

Every year at Christmastime I try to choose a selection for the Song of the Day that is both seasonally appropriate and also relevant to our scene. Sure, it’s the day after Christmas, but since Christmas historically is a 12-day feast, we’re still in Christmas! August Burns Red has been making engaging and sometimes complicated metalcore since 2003. They are known as one of the more progressive and technical bands in the genre, regardless of faith affiliation. They are also known more for being “Christians in a band” than being a “Christian band.”… 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 →

Oh my gosh, why is it that sometimes the best bands have the shortest-lived careers?!? Pink Daffodils released one 3-song EP and then a follow-up single (literally a one-song CD) and then disappeared. Their style of female-fronted semi-melodic yet intensely screamy hardcore scratched my brain in very particular way. To this day, their Listless EP is one of my favorite and most unique hardcore releases ever. There was one more Pink Daffodils track, offered on the Trampled compilation from Boot to Head Records. Hailing from Philadelphia, the band shared some members with punk mainstays One-21, but with a very different sound.… Continued →

Sorry about the long time between song of the day’s y’all. And Happy Christmas Eve 2025!!! So The Wednesdays started out as a pop punk/rockabilly band in 1999 releasing an LP on Jackson Rubio records which also released music from Blaster the Rocketman (boy), Havalina, amongst several others that most long term fans of this site would probably readily recognize. Today’s song of the day is the first one I heard from them and hearkens to their Alabama roots. Just a fun rockabilly song. Unsure of the “Christian” influence on this band, but Jackson Rubio was pretty prevalent in the Christian indie punk./rock… Continued →

Comprised of twin brothers Noel and Robbie Arthurton, the Bronx-born but California-raised Dynamic Twins were part of the first wave of legitimate Gospel rap coming out in the early 90s. Like so many others of that era (including S.F.C and Freedom of Soul), they had early connections to J.C. and the Boyz, and even wrote a song for Crystal Lewis (who returned the favor by singing on one of their tracks). Dynamic Twins had that southern California, West Coast rap style, but wanted to proclaim the Gospel clearly through their craft.… Continued →

Midwest emo act Kerith Ravine formed around Akron, OH in 1997 and were active until 2001. In that short time they recorded 2 self-released CD EPs, released a split 7″ with fellow Ohioans Cpt. Nemo, and also released a full-length album through Bulletproof Music (Dear Ephesus, Aleixa, etc.) The band played a fun subset of Midwest emo which had them incorporating strings on one track and screaming on another, all the while holding subtle melodies close. After Kerith Ravine (name for the brook where OT prophet Elijah took refuge while hiding from Ahab) finished, some of the members then formed Lovedrug, which also contained former members of Eso-Charis.… Continued →

Russian Orthodox gothic/black metal? While that description might sound unusual to most American listeners, that is exactly what we have here. Gospod hail from the Russian Federation, and have released one album for Michigan-based Vision of God Records. I don’t have a ton of details about the band, but we do know that it’s a one-man project written and performed by Tumanov Roman Mikhailovich. Musically, however, there is much that can be said. Their sole album, Исход Израиля (or, Israel’s Exodus) features a really intriguing mix of gothic metal and black metal.… 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 →

Today’s band hearkens back to what many consider the fun days of what got them into metalcore.  Collective Dust is a crabcore revival band which references the metalcore subgenre known for incorporating electronic elements and “crab-like” chugging guitar riffs, often with syncopated rhythms. This is a ministry band rooted in Christian beliefs as seen in their mission statement. “The band’s mission first and foremost is to be servants of Jesus Christ and stewards of the gospel, reaching and ministering to as many as will listen,” Wilson says eagerly.… Continued →

A new band that I’m not sure has gotten much coverage by IVM (my apologies) but is entirely worthy of exposure is… HOPE DEFERRED. The band are releasing their debut full length titled “Darkness Remains” next week. The band is comprised with members of Embodyment and The Showdown including Showdown lead vocalist David Bunton who also fronts this new band. Check out their new song “Brethren of Blood”, below! This sounds very much like the heaviest side of Embodyment meets the heaviest of The Showdown.… Continued →

Liverpool-based The Free Zone duo met in a Christian Union at Liverpool University in 1982, bonding over post-punk and especially Londoners, The Clash. Initially called Cross Purposes, The Free Zone wanted to take the energy, urgency, and excitement of punk rock without the music sounding too primitive. The Free Zone was officially born in 1984. The band comprised drummer/sequencer Peter Scarlett and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Tim Thwaites, and played mostly secular venues around their home city, even opening for NW England stalwarts The La’s. They also played a handful of gigs with fellow Liverpudlians, neo-folksters Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus.… Continued →

This writer has been listening to Christian music since the early 80s. Steve Camp has been a part of this almost 50 year experience with great songs like Run to the Battle, Guard the Trust, etc… One fact I find very interesting is that just like Martin Luther wrote the Ninety-five Theses, Steve wrote his own 107 theses on Reformation Day (October 31), 1998, calling for a reformation in contemporary Christian music: calling Christian musicians to make direct, uncompromising music that confronts the world with the message of the scriptures.… 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 →

This band formed in Florida in the early to mid-80s, and had recorded a 5-song demo by 1985. Two of those songs ended up on the Regency Records compilation East Coast Metal, released in 1988. The compilation featured 6 other bands, all of whom achieved some level of regional and/or national success. Arsenal played in the traditional heavy metal style, but featured a female vocalist, an uncommon trait in heavy metal bands, which gave them a distinct edge in their sound. Based on the strength of the ’85 demo, a second demo of 3 songs released in 1988, and of course fan reaction to the tracks included on East Coast Metal, the band signed to Regency Records (home of Rage of Angels, Mastedon, and a host of other metal compilations), and released their one and only full-length, 1989’s Armored Choir.… Continued →

This Las Vegas metalcore band just released a cover of The City Harmonic’s anthemic worship song. The premiere of the music video is this Thursday October 16, 2025. … Continued →

Forming first as Spud Puddle, this band from southern California changed their name just prior to the release of their second album. Partly due to confusion with punk band Spudgun, but more so due to a change in styles–away from the pop-punk of their debut, and into alternative/indie rock on the self-titled Quaylealbum, the old band name just didn’t fit anymore. With a sound that touched on alternative rock, power pop, and just a hint of emo, Quayle wowed listeners with a sound that was both raw and melodic at the same time.… 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 →

This pop-punk duo comprises brothers Seth and Paul Hyde, who are separated by thousands of miles (North Carolina to Hawaii). Seth spearheads the project, with Paul adding the drums. However, Paul spearheads the independent (and non-profit) record label Small Step Records. While I’ve been aware of GLR from quite some time, I only recently dug into their sound, and incidentally only then discovered that my friend Paul (whom I met at Furnace Fest last year, but had corresponded with before that) was in the band. I had heard them described as pop-punk, which they certainly are, but it’s a different take on the genre.… Continued →

This Texan band hit the scene during the Myspace Days. The band was formed of a couple members of another great rock band Modern Day John, but this time around with a female singer. Today’s song comes from their EP Dreams of Darkening Spain. Check both bands out! … Continued →

Joel Piper is the brainchild behind Avery PKWY & has been around for a few years now. His latest released just dropped last month & has 19 songs. If you haven’t heard of him, you might know his old band Confide that had a little mainstream success on the Warper Tour. Check out these lyrics & his latest release Walk With You. I’m done escaping all the pain of the labor It’s time to face what I have labeled as danger Now I’m done Believing all the liеs of the traitor (Ooh-ooh-ooh) Now I know I was made for something so much grеater Than only to survive I’m coming back to life I was breathing, but dead inside I know that I am the one The one You were chasing when You left the 99    … Continued →

This hip-hop trio had a laid-back West Coast style. Stylized alternately and inconsistently as either “K2S” or “K II S”, the acronym stood for “Keys to Salvation.” The group was an unapologetic Gospel rap group, consisting of siblings Donald Newman (AKA Smooth) and Jennifer Lee-Newman (Jen-E), and Kabuc (AKA K-Buc). Kabuc left the group in 2004, leaving K2S as a duo for their final album. They released a demo cassette in 1994, and then four full-length albums for a variety of record labels including heavyweights Grapetree Records and Metro One Recordings.… Continued →

Everdown was a hardcore band from New Hampshire, active in the mid-90s, but their roots were in earlier versions of the band like Crawlspace (who recently had their material re-issued by The Charon Collective) and Dry Bones. Unlike their counterparts from southern California or New York City, Everdown incorporated other influences into their music like post-hardcore and even sludge. Perhaps it was their New England location, or maybe they were simply influenced by a different scene, but with unusual arrangements (for hardcore), and song lengths at times over 7 minutes, their take on hardcore was certainly unique in the Christian scene.… 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 →