I have noticed that Christian rock is something a lot of people tend to stray away from, unless of course you are Christian. People who follow other religions will tend not to listen and for those who don’t believe don’t want to be preached too. I have found though that not all Christian music overtly tries to convince the listener into worshipping God. I myself do not belong to any religion, yet I still listen to many Christian bands and am happy to purchase their albums.
Not many Christian bands tend to cross over into mainstream music, but still manage to receive a huge fellowship due to the fact Christians can relate to their music. Of course with Christian music there is no vulgar language, so anyone can enjoy its simplicity and subject matter. Some bands that have cracked into the mainstream markets are the likes of P.O.D., Lifehouse and Switchfoot. These bands may openly express their beliefs, but this does not make the music suffer. So many people I have known over the years cringe as soon as I mention “Christian rock” and I still don’t know why. Sure there are some Christian bands that come across as preachy and whose lyrics focus solely on about praising the lord, but not all of them. Most of the Christian bands I like also focus on relationships and everyday life, like regular rock bands. So what’s not to like?
There are many lesser known Christian bands that have released several albums, which are fine rock albums but no one outside the Christian community has heard of them. Bands like Kutless, Red, Skillet and Pillar are all in my top 50 artists. The fact that they are Christian bands has never fazed me or made me stop listening. If the music is good enough for me to pay attention to it than they are doing something right.
I would like anyone who has read this article to take something away from it and go listen to a Christian band. This of course is coming from someone who doesn’t go to church or belong to any religion. I am simply trying to guide those who are like me towards some Christian music, because it’s not as bad as some think. These artists have extreme amounts of talent and deserve as many people as possible to listen to them. Most of the songs written about God (by the bands I will list down below) aren’t even that easily to depict as such. The lyrics are written in a way that could relate to a number of things, for example “You’re the light that is guiding me home”, taken from the track ‘Guiding me home’ by Kutless.
So now it is time for you to stop reading this article and head of to check some of my favorite Christian bands. You will enjoy these bands and will be rocking along to them in no time!
Christian band that will rock you: Kutless, Lifehouse, Pillar, P.O.D., Red, Skillet, Switchfoot, Decyfer Down, Day Of Fire, Relient K, Underoath, Sent By Ravens
Cheers Guys
Friday, January 21, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Talk Is Cheap, Can You Afford A Little More?: Sleepwalker's "Living Dead" Review
From the moment you place Sleepwalker’s debut release ‘Living Dead’ into your CD player, you can hear these guys mean business. The E.P kicks off with the title track ‘Living Dead’, which incorporates melodic guitar, soaring vocals and a catchy chorus all into one song. ‘Living Dead’ seems to be the most radio friendly song on the record and is sure to receive adequate amounts of airtime. The next few tracks slot in perfectly for the midsection of the release and see the band varying their sound in places, whilst maintaining their signature sound.
On the track ‘Sleeper’s Beware’ amidst crashing cymbols a chant can be heard shouting the title of the song. This layered vocal effect adds eeriness to the ending of this track and in my opinion makes it the stand out song from the album. The slow to fast paced flow of the E.P continues until the final track finishes, but not without a few more surprises on the way.
‘This Grand Illusion’ showcases the band’s ability to start a fire with their music and let it burn rapidly. It’s fast pace, echoing guitars and use of piano makes it a pleasant thrill ride for your ears to enjoy. It also boasts one of the best lines off the album which states ‘Talk is cheap, can you afford a little more?’
Overall this recording is very solid and well structured for a debut release. I’m sure overtime Sleepwalker will develop their sound further and set themselves apart from their peers. Sleepwalker sound like a young Senses Fail and despite their name they certainly don’t do any ‘sleepwalking’ on this first effort. They know where they want to go and exactly how to get there.
Rating: 7/10
Stand Out Tracks: Living Dead, Sleeper's Beware, This Grand Illusion
Check Out Sleepwalker At:
The Beginning Of A Phenomenon
Well now, it’s about time I’ve posted a second entry into my new blog! I’ve been really slack lately when it comes to blogging, but I’m putting a stop to that now.
The thing that has mainly been taking up the majority of my spare time is a story I’ve been writing. This is no ordinary story either. It’s heavily influenced by the thing that I am the most passionate about, music. The story is very creative and features a twist that is rather unique. What makes this story stand out from the crowd is in its subject matter. The story must feature a certain artist or band and include every song/album title they have in their catalogue within the words of the story. Challenging hey! Once I had the basic idea for the story, I shared my thoughts with a good friend of mine, who is now completely onboard and teaming up to co-write it with me.
The band we have chosen to highlight in the first story is none other than CHEVELLE. That’s right, a complete written story paying tribute the hard rockers who hail from Chicago. Once the story is complete we are going to send it to Chevelle as a gift for their 10th Anniversary celebrations. I’m hoping we will hear a response from the band once they receive it. If we don’t hear a response, it doesn’t really matter, but I will continue to use this idea to craft intelligent short stories to share with the world via my blog. The Chevelle story is near completion and will be posted on my blog as soon as it’s done. So if you’re interested stay tuned!
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