No Lost Cause with a simple yet profound message delivered in punk rock fashion. In our culture it’s difficult to stop moving. Say no to invitations, push the to-do list aside and just slowing down the pace goes against our grain. It’s these toned down times, though when God can get his message through to us. It’s amazing how he can speak volumes to us in one unhurried day while we can run for a month straight trying to accomplish his will and feel empty and out of touch in the process. How many things do we spend time on that are irrelevant to his plan for us? Rushing through life, we don’t realize the activities that rob us of our joy, peace and from living God’s perfect will. Maybe we need to take more time to slow it down a bit.
What is your go to place when you want to stop and unwind? Is it a place in your home, a bench by the lake, on the beach or a crowded city street where you sit still while everyone else around you keeps on going? Sometimes just sitting still without thinking at all is therapeutic. Other times reading through a book of the Bible all in one sitting listening for God’s voice is revolutionary. When our physical bodies slow down they might enjoy a nap, a relaxing bath or a spa treatment. All of us, soul, body and mind need these slowed down times to refresh, nourish, reboot, retune our minds to God’s purposes and allow these weary bodies to rest. Maybe we need to put these times of refreshing on the calendar along with everything else.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
A trio of sisters from Jacksonville, Florida tearing up stages with a hard rock/metalcore/punk sound that is a perfect blend of awesome. The punk edge brings Paramore style lyrics that are strong, with clear messages coming from the roots of their relationships with God and a desire to share what they’ve found. As they say on their website, “If you enjoy the melodic content of Paramore, and the character themes of Slipknot, then you have found the perfect matchup in GFM.” They’ve even come up with their own flavor of genre called Beautycore. Perfect descriptive genre! They are some rock beauties too, with great personalities that they share often on live broadcasts on social media.
I haven’t seen them in concert yet but I love how their hard rockin sound makes me want to dance. I know I will be dancing when I finally get to experience the energy of their beautycore. These girls produce music that is real, with a professional sound that is impressive to be sure. “Nineteen-year-old CJ shines as the band’s lead guitarist and shares vocals with eighteen-year-old Maggie, who rocks dual instruments on bass and keys. The youngest of the group, fourteen-year-old Lulu, anchors the band with an intensity on drums that is way beyond her years.” (http://artistecard.com/thegfmband)
Realizing that Lulu is just fourteen, this list of the bands credentials so far is pretty incredible, “GFM began touring in 2014 and has shared the stage with artists such as Motionless in White, Breaking Benjamin, Thousand Foot Krutch, Demon Hunter, A Day To Remember, Disturbed, Sevendust, and Drowning Pool. A few of their touring highlights include the Axes & Anchors Cruise 2016, Summer RockFest Tour 2017, Soul Fest 2017, Showdown Fest 2018, Summer RockFest Tour 2018, Rock Fest 2018 (Cadott, WI), Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2018, and Loud & Proud Fest 2018 (Germany) (http://artistecard.com/thegfmband)
GFM has loved hard rock, metal music with screaming vocalists since they were little kids and with the support of their parents decided to make a living at this. They are hard working girls with a clear mission as stated on their website, “The most important goal of GFM is to use their gifts to reach people for God and to always spread a positive message. The stage is their home, and they want to share their home with their fans.”. What’s not to love about these sisters and their beautycore. Go get a hold of their latest EP, Oh the Horror” It’s frighteningly good! https://thegfmband.bigcartel.com/
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
I listened to the Lead Singer Syndrome podcast hosted by Shane Told, frontman of the rock band Silverstein recently. Shane was interviewing Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter . Ryan talked about Demon Hunter’s recent albums War and Peace, explaining the thoughts behind releasing both of them around the same time. Interestingly , much of the conversation centered around the band’s album art . If you are not aware, each Demon Hunter album depicts a demon skull split in half with a bullet hole right through its forehead. Imagine each album has this but with a version taylored artistically to each individual album. That’s amazing creativity! Listen to the podcast for an closer look at Ryan’s passion for music and art.
Album Covers
Demon Hunter’s album War
Demon Hunter’s album Peace
What I didn’t realize is that Ryan and his brother Don are graphic artists and run a studio called Invisible Creature where they have designed album art for bands Alice in Chains, Mae, Anberlin, August Burns Red, Despised Icon, Foo Fighters, will.i.am, Korn, Kanye West, The Chariot, Stone Sour, Underoath and Poison the Well. The studio also has been nominated for Grammy Awards for the album artwork for Norma Jean’s O God, the Aftermath, Fair’s The Best Worst-Case Scenario., Hawk Nelson’s Hawk Nelson Is My Friend. Just browsing through the studio’s website is fascinating, especially the story of how Don and Ryan decided to open their own studio after working with Asterik Studio. They desired to have a focus on album and art centered around music. The work they’ve have done is phenomenal and their credentials impeccable. These CD jackets are a few examples of the studio’s work. In times when many band find it hard to make a living solely on their music alone, Ryan and Don’s passion for excellent album art brings a multifaceted approach to the world of music and a way to make a living at what you love with not just the music.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
I am always amazed at the volumes of incredible music out there. Everyone has a different definition of “Indie”. For these playlists, I am including artists that are not mainstream, but super talented . Rockin’WithPurpose is working to present music from talented bands and musicians and ask that you share those that you like . “Getting the music out” is our passion. Enjoy!
Independent music (often referred to as indie music or indie) is music produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing. The term indie is sometimes used to describe a genre (such as indie rockand indie pop), and as a genre term, “indie” may include music that is not independently produced, and many independent music artists do not fall into a single, defined musical style or genre and create self-published music that can be categorized into diverse genres.[1]
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
I am always amazed at the volumes of incredible music out there. Everyone has a different definition of “Indie”. For these playlists, I am including artists that are not mainstream, but super talented . Rockin’WithPurpose is working to present music from talented bands and musicians and ask that you share those that you like . “Getting the music out” is our passion. Enjoy!
Independent music (often referred to as indie music or indie) is music produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing. The term indie is sometimes used to describe a genre (such as indie rockand indie pop), and as a genre term, “indie” may include music that is not independently produced, and many independent music artists do not fall into a single, defined musical style or genre and create self-published music that can be categorized into diverse genres.[1]
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
I am always amazed at the volumes of incredible music out there. Everyone has a different definition of “Indie”. For these playlists, I am including artists that are not mainstream, but super talented . Rockin’WithPurpose is working to present music from talented bands and musicians and ask that you share those that you like . “Getting the music out” is our passion. Enjoy!
Independent music (often referred to as indie music or indie) is music produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing. The term indie is sometimes used to describe a genre (such as indie rockand indie pop), and as a genre term, “indie” may include music that is not independently produced, and many independent music artists do not fall into a single, defined musical style or genre and create self-published music that can be categorized into diverse genres.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_music
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Two Band Merch Items That Can Start a Whole New Trend
By Linda
Are you looking for items that will help you absolutely kill it on the merch table? For bands these days, merch is king. If you do it right, merch can massively increase revenues for your band’s business. I have two recommendations that I believe can start a whole new trend.
Fans love band T-shirts, Jerseys and Sweatshirts but in addition to the classic merchandise that a band typically offers, new, fresh items will get fans excited. What can be that next big items that they will buy, wear and spark their friends to want too? I’m getting to that. I believe these two items have the potential to go big. This can only happen if they are awesome, of course. Just slapping a band logo on them without considering design and style won’t cut it. Are you ready to promote your music with some incredible new merch that will have your fans posting pics on social media? I propose the two next big items that have to the potential to bring more sales to the merch table.
LEGGINGS
In case you don’t know, leggings have made a big comeback for women. They have been reinvented to come in all kinds of funky patterns, worn with T-shirts, dresses and just about anything really. As excited as some women get about their Disney leggings, rockers can absolutely kill it with band branded versions and fans will rock them with style. Seriously, this trend is growing like wildfire but few bands sell them. Some metal bands have been selling them, mostly because they were part of the genre look in a sleek, spandex version. Today’s band leggings will go far beyond that to appeal to any style, sporty, girly, rocked out, simple with just a band name. Here are some styles to help you get a vision about the potential for leggings as band merch to go BIG!
SOCKS
Fashion is always looking for a new twist on a staple item. Socks are that item that can be taken from common utility item to fashion statement. Rolling up those jeans to show off your socks, wearing them with sandals or even high heels are trendy ways to show your a fan. Sharing ourselves is what this era is all about, not only on social media but out in public too. Sock competitions at the workplace and at events are becoming a popular thing. Your fans can show off their band socks at these events and represent their fav bands. Awesomely created band socks with album art, cool band logo or lyrics can be the next collectible item that fans will wear. The more they wear, the more they share . This is an exciting opportunity you don’t want to miss out on. Everyone wears socks and who wouldn’t want to buy a pair of socks with their band on them? These styles are for inspiration. Just imagine the styles that you can create with your band’s style, logo and band name that will have your fans in a frenzy.
To Wrap it Up
There’s not much more to say but the success of how big this can go is in how creative you get in the design and how well you market them. You will want to keep your fans personalities in mind when creating designs and have simple versions as well as trendy. You can get in on increased merchandise sales and be part of the buzz that I believe will be happening in the world of band products and merchandising.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
-There’s no such thing as maybe, burn it like it’s fading, No more hesitating, Let the sparks fly baby. Drive it like ya race it, You can call me crazy, I’m just tired of waiting, Let the sparks fly baby.
Give me one if it’s real And two if you can feel it Give me three signs that you’re awake It only takes one spark For two to fall apart And three more to blow it away
Give me one if it’s real And two if you can feel it Give me three signs that you’re awake It only takes one spark For two to fall apart And three more to blow it away
Let me take you into the light There’s nowhere to hide There’s nothing but darkness left here Shake it off and let’s take a ride ‘Cause heaven’s not far away And I’m not gonna leave you here
There’s no such thing as maybe Burn it like it’s fading No more hesitating Let the sparks fly baby Drive it like ya race it You can call me crazy I’m just tired of waiting Let the sparks fly baby
Give me one good reason Two more to believe in And three shots at why I should wait ‘Cause I got one more match Two strikes left You got to three to get out of my way
Give me one if it’s real And two if you can feel it Give me three signs that you’re awake It only takes one spark For two to fall apart And three more to blow it away
Let me take you into the light There’s nowhere to hide There’s nothing but darkness left here Shake it off and let’s take a ride ‘Cause heaven’s not far away And I’m not gonna leave you here
There’s no such thing as maybe Burn it like it’s fading No more hesitating Let the sparks fly baby Drive it like ya race it You can call me crazy I’m just tired of waiting Let the sparks fly baby
Let the sparks fly baby
Let me take you into the light There’s nowhere to hide There’s nothing but darkness left here Shake it off and let’s take a ride ‘Cause heaven’s not far away And I’m not gonna leave you here
Let me take you into the light There’s nowhere to hide There’s nothing but darkness left here Shake it off and let’s take a ride ‘Cause heaven’s not far away And I’m not gonna leave you here
Let me take you into the light There’s nowhere to hide There’s nothing but darkness left here Shake it off and let’s take a ride ‘Cause heaven’s not far away And I’m not gonna leave you here
There’s no such thing as maybe Burn it like it’s fading No more hesitating Let the sparks fly baby Drive it like ya race it You can call me crazy I’m just tired of waiting Let the sparks fly baby
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Adelaide is working on their second album. You can be part of this exciting project by supporting them on Kickstarter. They are close but need your support by March 19th to be funded. They heart and mission is clear. They hope to reach people with their music and the message of hope in Christ. Won’t you support this worthy mission?
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
The kingdom’s under siege, I still believe we can overcome together till the fight is done – together no we won’t go silent in the night, together we defend the city even to the end – stay with me. Love is our weapon of choice love is our weapon of choice. Love – raise the banner – lift it up – up above the noise.Shadows they would threaten – darkness would destroy us without love as our weapon – our weapon of choice. I will amplify your voice of peace riding on the wings of freedom. I’ll take you to the east of Eden, we can be innocent again. Love is our weapon of choice, love is our weapon of choice. Love – raise the banner – lift it up – up above the noise. Shadows they would threaten – darkness would destroy us without love as our weapon – our weapon of choice. Take your best shot, take your best shot, take it we’re coming in hot, take your best shot. Love is our weapon of choice, love is our weapon of choice love – raise the banner – lift it up – up above the noise. Shadows they would threaten – darkness would destroy us without love as our weapon – our weapon of choice.
David Zach, Philip Zach 2014
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
With Spring on the horizon getting your concerts lined up may be on your agenda. Following is a listing of links for concerts , tours and festivals lined up in the US this Spring. If you know of any concerts that aren’t listed, email us at rockinwithpurpose@mail.com so we can add them.
You can track your favorite bands’ concert schedules on
It’s exciting to have concerts lined up to look forward to. It gets you through those long work days. I hope you’ll share your concert experiences with us on the RockinwithPurpose Facebook Page.
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Messenger of ages, carried on the wings of second birth Unto the silent secrets of the earth Justice generation, anthem for the sense of purpose we lost We rise above and count the cost We are the ones the others left behind Breath of life from the four winds Watch these bones of death now march again
Pay the piper, here we go Got a ticket for a one-way journey Slay the viper, come follow, even if you’re ordinary There’s a place for you here Raise the anchor, all aboard as the Captain calls his misfits This Ghost Ship Sets off to shake the world, Let’s go!
Cast off for the journey, join us as we sail the open seas Unto the great adventure – follow Me All the world’s unwanted Come aboard and leave your darkness behind Desperate to count, redeem the time We are the ghosts awakened to the light Forged and branded in His name Ancient workmanship before ordained
Pay the piper, here we go Got a ticket for a one-way journey There’s revolution in the air Slay the viper, come follow, even if you’re ordinary There’s a place for you here Though you were dead, come alive Raise the anchor, all aboard as the Captain calls his misfits This Ghost Ship Sets off to shake the world – let’s go!
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
How much do we take from people who push us to that point of complete anger and frustration? Thousand Foot Krutch reminds us of those people that can push our buttons and take us to that place of anger or even rage. Learning how to stand up for ourselves, while maintaining the perspective God wants us to have is no easy task. We aren’t called to be pushovers or to just take injustice. Ephesians 4:26 in the Bible instructs us on this, “When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.”
As Christians, we are instructed to love, forgive and turn the other cheek. When people really cross over that line and hurt us or those we love, it’s difficult to restrain our anger. God does not deal with his enemies gently and we as Christians have spiritual armor that can blow our rivals out of the water so to speak. We do have to remember, vengeance is the Lord’s, not ours. With the right perspective, this should be enough to help us let it go. God will call out our enemies as He did Jonah’s. They have the opportunity to repent and turn to Him but if they don’t, the punishment they receive will be coming from the throne room of justice. So let’s love our neighbors and pray for our enemies if they drive us to that wicked streak. If they insist on pursuing the battle, God will be there to take care of it. The battle is the Lord’s.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Target on my back, lone survivor lasts, They got me in the sights. No surrender, no trigger fingers, go, Living the dangerous life.
Hey, hey, hey, everyday when I wake, I’m trying to get up, they knocking me down, Chewing me up, spitting me out. Hey, hey, hey, when I need to be saved, You’re making me strong, you’re making me stand, Never will fall, never will end. Shot like a rocket up into the sky, Nothing can stop me tonight.
You make me feel invincible, earthquake, powerful, Just like a tidal wave, you make me brave. You’re my titanium, fight song, raising up, Like the road of victory in a stadium. Who can touch me? ‘Cause I’m, I’m made of fire! Who can stop me tonight? I’m hard wired! You make me feel, Invincible! I feel, I feel it, Invincible! I feel, I feel it, Invincible!
Here we go again, I will not give in, I’ve got a reason to fight. Every day we choose, we might win or lose, This is the dangerous life.
Hey, hey, hey, everyday when I wake, They say that I’m gone, they say that they won, The bell has been rung, it’s over and done. Hey, hey, hey, when I need to be saved, They’re counting me our, but this is my round, You in my corner, look at me now. Shot like a rocket up into the sky, Nothing can stop me tonight.
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Punk music had it’s roots in garage bands of the 60’s and old school, African-American blues. Some of the bands that kicked off the musical sound are The Animals, The Buckinghams, The Kinks, MC5, The Seeds, The Standells and The Yardbirds. I’ve always loved the punk genre. It is born out of that sense of rebellion which, if channeled in the right direction, can be a good thing. I may even be attracted to breaking with the status quo at times. Much of the punk I found was released quite some time ago. I wanted some fresh punk albums, so I searched for albums released in the last few years.
Flatfoot 56
The use of Scottish Highland bagpipes has led to the band’s classification as a Celtic Punk Band. There street punk roots still shine through in this album with great songs that work together to make a mostly energetic album of songs with a contrast in pace to keep you engaged. Punk can get repetitious without some creativity but Odd Boat is interesting throughout. This album has power and drive maintaining street punk roots but with a Celtic flair.
These two bands have released a split EP entitled “In Stereo” featuring six songs of high energy, positive punk rock. This is the kind of punk that will have you pumped up about about being a rebel for God. Crank it up and bop your head throughout the whole thing. It’s a requirement.
The release in 2017 of this live album recorded July 24/25th 2015 at the Observatory in Santa Ana. They also released “Life in General 2.0”. The band started out in the 90’s. Their music is rooted in skate punk, pop punk leanings. The band has quite a collection of discography. Their early music had ties to Christian music but like many bands, they distanced themselves from it. It seems that these days many bands just want to make music without all the labels. Mike Herrera also seems to have changed his mind on matters of faith over the years. Again we are all on a life journey. Sometimes life colors the views we have had in the past for better or worse. This live release is well worth listening to, especially if you’ve been a fan. Michael Weaver of Jesus Freak Hideout had this to say about “Life in General 2.0”, “As a long-time fan, though, celebrating 20 years of Life in General with this re-recording has been fun. Something tells me that I’ll be rocking this record for another 20 years to come.” I haven’t been following them too closely, just here and there but I agree the album is a keeper.
The album Science Fiction released in 2017 is a supposed swan song for the band. I have always been attracted to their music as a searching for the answers to life mentality that Jesse Lacey’s lyrics embody. The thoughts and feelings of Jesse Lacey are all grown up in this album but still searching for answers and wrestling with faith. If you’re looking for a Christian album, this isn’t the one. It peeks inside the heart of a soul searching for rest, looking back, gazing ahead and asking the hard questions about life and eternity. How many people are out there who have heard the truth of the Bible but it hasn’t taken root? The thorns of this life have choked it out.
I like to get a feel for the struggles of faith from those that are still on the journey for truth. Their fans identify with this probably because they are searching for meaning in life too. Jesse has had his problems as Rolling Stone reported allegations of sexual misconduct that he was accused of as women came forward. He admitted and apologized for these. On the album there are a few instances of using God’s name to damn, you know what I’m saying. These are hard to hear but the lyrics are a true look into the soul of someone that has biblical concepts embedded but has not yet come to rest on them. In Pitchfork’s review of the album, Ian Cohen hits the nail on the head, “The real punchline, though, is the chorus: “I’ve got a positive message, sometimes I can’t get it out.” Sure, if we could all constantly radiate love for everyone and shrug off our demons, maybe Brand New wouldn’t need to exist. But Lacey was built to fight through all this to the bitter end.” I am praying that Jesse and the band members fight through it all and rest on Jesus, if they haven’t already and become brand new.
A reunion story with the band, who broke up back in 2005 not long after they released, Phantoms, which gained a bit of a cult following after they broke up. The band reunited in 2015. Having toured with bands like Anberlin and Seether i, they have a pop, punk, alternative sound akin to bands like Jimmy Eat World and Anberlin. This reunion album “Colliding By Design” is outstanding. It really mimic’s Anberlin’s sound.
I hope you enjoy this punk/alternative mix of recent albums and come back to them when you are in the mood for punk.
Punk out.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Josh screaming, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is just awesome to me. I enjoy the “core” genres of music. Spirit and the Bride, is a Christian hardcore, metalcore, melodic hardcore band who is passionate about things of God. Their latest album “Dry Bones” has Christian based lyrics through and through. It’s heavy, with Josh effectively screaming truths of our being in the bloodline of Christ, Armageddon, perseverance in Christ, leaving a legacy of praise, God’s kingdom over everything, one true faith, putting on the armor of God and so much more. So many great biblical reminders presented through passionate, heavy music that moves you to do something about it.
The band began in 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. There have been a few band member changes but original members include Josh Simmons (vocals) and Adam Simmons (drums) and Josh Summerville (guitars), who just recently left the band (November, 2017). The band is looking for a new guitarist. Jeremiah Medley started as the bass player in 2013. They are signed to “On The Attack Records”.
Spirit and the Bride’s discography consists of With Eyes and Ears to See and Hear (2016) and the most recent, Dry Bones (2017). The band is clearly passionate about their faith. Talented musicianship is displayed, with creativity in the delivery. While hardcore can become far too repetitious at times, Spirit and the Bride know how to keep it interesting, taking you with them in a worshipful rendering of hardcore music. The Dry Bones album gives me a hopeful, reflective outlook and an enjoyable ride musically. This is a really solid album in every way.
I give it an 8 out of 10 rating.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Another memorable year for Christian rock and metal to celebrate. These songs will be with us for years to come, adding to the legacy of music exploring life from the view of a believer in Jesus Christ, unashamed, honest and transparent even when some may not understand. Bands that express faith are often criticized for some lyric that stirs up the Christian community or by others who feel that there’s audacity in strongly sharing faith in your music. Honest music can push the boundaries on either side. That’s what makes the music real and not the status quo. We hope you enjoy this playlist of music released in 2017.
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
“The ocean sounds like a garage band coming at me like a drunk man”. Have you heard that lyric from Switchfoot’s song “Vice Verses”. What is a garage band? You would naturally think of it as an amateur band practicing in a garage with a loud, raw kind of rocking sound. In the 1960’s garage bands actually were considered a separate music genre. It was sort of an early form of punk rock. The Crusaders were a Christian garage band originally called Freddy and the Fanatics. The band changed their name to The Crusaders and signed with Tower Records in 1966. The band’s debut single was called “The Little Drummer Boy” backed with “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Their debut album was called “Make a Joyful Noise with Drums and Guitar”. The song “Praise Ye The Lord” had one of the heaviest garage sounds for its time. Learn more about The Crusaders.
There were all kinds of garage bands out there. This video captures the drums captioning the names of many of the bands and the sound that they carried.
Expression of the bands’ views, beliefs and emotion finds its way into the music naturally. In every era, these expressions encompass the wide array of lifestyles, opinions, and views of the musicians. Music is a sign of the times covering all that an era represents. The Grasshoppers’ song “The Very Last Day” talks about Judgement Day. The lyrics go “ everybody’s gonna pray on the very last day when they hear that bell ring the world away”.
Dancing to the sound of the garage bands provided another outlet for fun and expression as you can see in this video of 60’s Garage, Surf, Freakbeat and Psychedelic Music. It was an exciting time of new music that was a springboard into the wide array of rock we enjoy today.
We have a rich Christian music history with so many stories behind it. God is representing himself through musical ambassadors. I strongly believe that he uses music to carry his message to a world that so desperately needs him.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Thousand Foot Krutch’s 2012 release has been stuck in my car CD player for five years! This concept album takes us on a journey through our faith as Christians. It starts out with a Darth Vader type voice drawing you in with these words “You have activated all systems, deactivation is not an option. If you don’t stand for something, you might fall for anything.” and ends with a similar message to take with you. The title song brings us back to our life apart from God where all our dreams collapse and leave us brokenhearted. The end is sometimes that same place that we find ourselves having tried it a second or third time and falling back in that pit of disappointment and brokenness. Again we run away from the mess that we have made of our lives and then we begin.
Where we begin is recognizing that we are aliens, not of this world but living in it, having been lost, misunderstood. Becoming traitors to our own faulty reasoning and distorted dreams we begin to live as changed people, our broken hearts mending and like angels singing with a million voices we are overcome with the joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ personally where it all began. If we find ourselves repeating the cycle once again we crawl back to the end of our own rope and again we begin. We begin to live as who we really are, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, royalty. I don’t listen to CD’s much anymore and the only one I listen to in the car is this one. I never get tired of it! If you haven’t engaged with this album, I recommend that you take the journey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvIlytIm9cY
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Is branding a vital element to surviving in the music industry? When you think of a band, Skillet, for instance, what images come to mind? My mind envisions Skillet as industry professionals, well produced, always entertaining, declaring faith, exploring life’s ups and downs. The band is well recognized in mainstream rock/metal and the Christian music scene. They are polished and confident. These images are the components of branding. Think of your favorite bands. What comes to mind? Does the thought of them bring the “personality” of the band to mind? Should it?
Some may feel that a band should first and foremost concentrate on producing the best music possible. This could be the case but are all bands tied to this being their number one priority? What if they have another purpose for their music besides just the music. Is that OK? Portraying an image to the public can connect a band them with the fans that would appreciate them. Some may think that sharing the gospel and faith based ministry is number one in priority when it comes to Christians that make music. Do you think so?
The fact is, bands, if they were to pin down a mission statement, have different ones. Branding is what reveals the heart of a band to their audiences and attracts fans that identify with them and appreciate their music. Without strong branding, building a fan base can be more difficult. A well thought out brand strategy personifies a band to it’s fans. There is always the danger of overdoing it and coming across as too commercial as if you are selling yourself to the public. Commercialism in branding is not what works but a genuine face of the band revealing what drives them is.
Starting a career in marketing, branding is on my mind a lot. I listened to a New Release Today live show recently entitled A New Paradigm for Christian Music with Keven and Marcus that got me thinking about this more. They discussed a variety of topics, the emphasis in Christian music by lots of bands these days on worship, bands that devote themselves to a cause like Remedy Drive’s connection with The Exodus Road and a general discussion of the shift of music produced by Christians. This spurred my thinking in the direction of the importance of having an image in mind that identifies yourself as a band to the public. Let’s face it, bands want to be successful and this means music, concert ticket and merchandise sales. They also want to connect with people, increase their fanbase and draw support for the causes that are important to them. Branding can be such an effective way to do this.
When creating a brand, musicians should guard against being a shell that looks amazing on the outside but lacks heart. People like to sense depth to the bands they follow. A shallow band may not keep their fans interested, neither can one that is too predictable. We like a little variation in our music and the presentation of it. Thimblerigsark writes in his article entitled, “Branding the Christian Faith” “I personally know a few Christian musicians and songwriters, and they are – without a doubt – talented people. In fact, the ones I know have more talent in their little toe than I have in my entire body. And yet, popular Christian family-friendly music, the kind you hear on our radio stations, arguably the most visible (audible?) part of the Christian brand, is just… bland. Uninteresting. Predictable. Over-produced. Safe. And those are not words that I would use to describe the Christian faith.” I have felt the same thing. I will listen to mainstream Christian radio from time to time and with the exception of a few songs that are really well done, they underwhelm me. Is it because the music’s message is too safe or the same familiar message that is heard over and over to the point where it just doesn’t hold your attention? Maybe it’s just that some people like repetition in their music and others don’t. Obviously pop music or mainstream Christian Contemporary musicians sells lots of music so this kind of music has a market. It’s just not for everyone and seems to dominate the airwaves.
Depth in a band’s lyrics may touch those areas of humanity that are not as safe, like human trafficking, suicide or substance abuse. Music that touches on our life experiences are not always safe and may not have a widespread appeal but will attract those who are touched by the message or can identify with the subject matter. Identifying with people walking down particular walks of life can bring a sense that they are not alone and that there is hope, which can be instrumental in healing. Making this known in their branding, even Christian bands can seem dark and maybe go against the nerve of some believers, but God has a different mission for everyone. Jesus reached those in the shadows when he hung out with the tax collectors, prostitutes and those who found themselves in dark places. John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
There are those bands that bring the light in smaller doses because not everyone is ready to be flooded with light. Light is what we want for humanity as well as hope and a future. There are those Christians in bands that don’t choose to brand themselves as “Christian”. They may hope to appeal to a wider audience bringing music that may not be overtly Christian but is for everyone. Just like David played the harp for Saul simply to cheer him up and relieve stress, there are those bands that are just fun and get the audience involved. Family Force Five has been criticized for this but I find that I have such a great time at their concerts, its pure fun and games. What can be wrong with that? Some music may not have a real message and could just be silliness that makes us laugh or dance (Chain Saw) and feel like life is worth living. Some people aren’t looking for meaningful music but just the fun stuff. Family Force 5 brands themselves as just that, fun, party music. This has been their claim to fame and success in the industry.
Branding is a valuable tool for bands and musicians. Projecting an identity and connecting with fans is an important element in success. Musicians should guard against being over marketed without delivering in their product, the music. Ensuring that the music really is what it claims to be is crucial. Albums that don’t live up to the hype, being well promoted but lacking quality can really disappoint fans. This is detrimental to a band. Whether promoting the latest album, an upcoming concert tour or an event or cause, well-done promotional material with strong branding sends a clear message that helps fans to engage. Thoughtful planning in the area of branding and marketing is a huge component in the success of musicians in today’s music industry.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Experience video previews of bands on the Main Stage concerts on Thursday, June 29th at Creation 2017. These are the concerts and special attractions. This does not highlight worship times and speakers.
The Main Stage events end with communion and Creation Cinema (movie shown). There is also a dance party in the Late Night Tent.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Creation 2017 is upon us. The HM Stage is about to be fired up on Wednesday, June 28th. Introducing some of the bands that will bring us those incredible moments that will rock our world.
Earth Groans, a South Dakota based hardcore band brings aggressive vocals and organized dissonance, as they put it. “No one whispers about something they are passionate about” according to Jeremy, front man for the band. Starting out in 2015, the band is hardworking and has built a following by touring right out of the gate. The bands passion is to bring hope to people and connect with the heart of their fans. The band opens the HM stage at 8:35 pm
“The meaning behind “The Death In Me“: Die to yourself so you can bring life to others. This hardcore band is out of Raleigh, North Carolina brings music with a message of love, forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ and . They categorize themselves in the genres of Melodic Metalcore, Chaotic Hardcore. I love the combo (melodic and chaotic)! You can catch them on the HM Stage at 9:15 pm.
Convictions, a metalcore band from Ohio classifies their music as”aggressive worship”. Realizing the struggles we all face, they touch topics that may be beyond the norm, touching a nerve here and there. Their live shows are captivating and draw you in with emotion and passion. This is going to be an incredible show starting at 9:55 pm.
Comrades is a post rock, post hardcore band from Richmond, Virginia started back in 2008. Listed under the genres of post-hardcore, christian punk, screamo and emo. The band consists of husband and wife, Laura McElroy doing clean vocals and playing bass, Joe McElroy on lead guitar and Ben Trussel on drums and unclean vocals. They start at 10:35 pm.
To Speak of Wolves will close out the HM Stage starting at 11:30 pm on Wednesday night. They are from Greensboro, North Carolina that started back in 2007 and made a comeback in 2016. They are considered metalcore, posthardcore.
And there is the first night of Creation 2017’s HM stage.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Creation 2017 is upon us. The Main Stage is about to be fired up on Wednesday, June 28th. Introducing some of the bands that will bring us those incredible musical moments that we will long remember.
Next to hit the stage at 5:00 pm will be Jordan Copas. Jordan is a rapper with a calling from God that brought him through difficult years. God is using him, an unlikely candidate (like the rest of us) being used to reach people for God’s glory.
What started out as a one night worship gathering featuring what was then called “Solomon’s Porch” in 2008 at Calvary Chapel in Carson City, Nevada has brought us the super talented band now called “I Am They” begins at 5:50 pm. They have been categorized in the genres of worship, Christian rock, pop, country, folk rock, pop and country pop but whatever genre you put them in, this will be a beautiful, inspirational and worshipful concert under the stars. This will set the audience up in the attitude of worship to sing our hearts out to the Lord in the worship time led by Sorensen.
Bread of Stone is set to hit the stage at 8:30 pm. The band was established in 2004 with music that includes pop, rock and praise. Ben and Bill Kristijanto, followed their father’s advice when he shared with them that he felt the brothers had a calling to music ministry. “We have never set out to make a statement of ourselves as artist,” said Bill Kristijanto, “We are able to do so only through God’s grace.” The band released their 5th album, Hold the Light in 2016. This Bread of Stone video features with their single, The Change features Beacon Light.
The closing performance at 9:50 pm is the one and only Crowder. What an amazing collection of music this talented artist has given us. He is passionate about his Jesus and ours. His songs are injected with faith in God, worshipful, inspirational, and can break into a hoe-down at any time. He is classified in the genres of contemporary Christian, worship and folktronica. His former band “The David Crowder Band” formed in 1996 It disbanded in 2012. Crowder’s songs permeate the Christian music airwaves. His most recent album is called “American Prodigal“.
This will wrap up the first night of Creation NE, Main Stage.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
The summer’s fast approaching it’s time to start shopping for t-shirts. Band shirts and merch are such a cool way to express your musical side and expose everyone you meet to your fav bands. They can be the most expressive fashion statement out there. Bold statements, splashes of color, interesting graphics, trendy subject matter or symbols can give a T-shirt that edge that gets attention. Here a few T-shirts we think you have to check out! There are tons of others, to be sure. Have fun T-Shirt shopping!
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Exciting news for The Letter Black fans. The band is releasing their heavier rock/metal album, Pain in May. Their last album, Rebuild was released back in 2013 so it’s been a while, creating a great excitement from their fans for new music from them. In recent live streaming, Q & A’s the band members have stated that they have discovered they were meant to carry a heavier sound. Sara Anthony enjoys screaming and has incorporated more of it into this album. Mark Anthony, on the other hand, revealed that he doesn’t really enjoy doing vocals so is focusing more on guitar this time around. To get you ready for the new album, we will take a little journey down The Letter Black’s music memory lane.
The Letter Black was formerly known as Breaking the Silence and started in Uniontown, Pennsylvania in 2006. The band consists of Sarah (vocals) and Mark Anthony (guitar), who are married, Matt Beal (bass) and Justin Brown (drums). They are classified in the genres of rock, hard rock, alternative metal, post-grunge and nu-metal. Many of their earlier songs reflect the feelings they had as a result of being hurt by people in their church. You can experience the feelings of working through bad relationships with people and coming out on the side of forgiveness, yet a severing of ties with those that did damage in their lives. Former members of the band were Adam DeFrank, Keith Anselmo and Matt Slagle. Although they raised money for their upcoming album on Kickstarter, they have signed with
Although they raised money for their upcoming album on Kickstarter, they have signed with EMP Music Group to help with release and marketing of the album after talking to (Megadeth bassist) David Ellefson and Thom Hazaert of EMP LABEL GROUP.
DISCOGRAPHY
2007, Stand, Independent
2010, Hanging on By a Thread, Tooth & Nail Records
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
What you think of when you think of giants? Huge, frightening, bullylike, loud, obnoxious, arrogant, paralyzing, these are some words that I think of. Of course, the biblical Goliath comes to mind and David’s encounter with him. On the other hand, there is “standing on the shoulders of giants”. These are pillars of the faith like Mose, Abraham, the apostle Paul, C.S. Lewis, Bonhoeffer, Tozer, and so many others that have had a huge impact for Christ. We admire their courage and strong faith. The song Running with Giants by Thousand Foot Krutch brings lots of thoughts to mind.
In a Loudwire exclusive, Frontman Trevor McNevan says of the single, “This song is about faith & trust, and staring our fears right in the face and saying, ‘No more. You have no shelter here.’” I like that! FDR said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”. There are dangers in this life that should be avoided and can cause problems. We do have to be wise with our risk-taking and adventures and not engage in foolish, destructive behavior. We have to remember the perils that are out there, but God has us here for a reason. As believers, I highly doubt that he wants us to play it safe. There is a whole world out there that needs to know the love of Christ and they are not always welcoming.
“Running with giants everywhere I go, It’s an unspoken alliance so I can just let go.”
When we band together to accomplish our mission for Christ, in prayer, in power, and in love, we are mighty. No bullying giant can stop us whether internal (fear, emotions, pain, depression, etc) or external (Christ haters, government, etc) With the apostle Paul as our example, it is clear that we can railroad through every obstacle if we are moving in the will of God until the day he takes us home. Will we trip over stray debris on the journey? Yes. Will we hit road blocks that seem immovable? Yes. Will we feel like God has left us at times? Probably. Can we lift each other up when we hit those valleys? YES!
Let’s do this! Let’s make Jesus famous no matter what the cost. The world should know what an awesome, amazing, out of this world, loving, merciful Savior he is. If we don’t tell them, who will? Romans 10:4 in the Bible says, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” There it is. This is our call to action.
So when the giants in your life have got you in a stronghold, remember TFK’s song, Running with Giants. We can stand on the shoulders of the good giants, pillars of the faith that have gone before us and made their mark on the world for Christ.
“And I feel the pressure of ten men
When the floor cracks and the walls start moving in
I feel the strength that’s from within
Kickin’ down the doors and walls
We’re coming in”
Ask your friends to pray, support you and lift you up while you’re weak. That’s why it’s so important for the church to bind together. We are strong when we come together and we can kick those doors and walls right out of the way. We are giant for Christ when we let him work through us. Are you with me?
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Have you heard of the bad Christian movement? I became interested in reading the book, Bad Christian, Great Savior by Matt Carter, Toby Morrell, and Joey Svendsen after being introduced to the movement through some of the bands that I like. The band members of Emery are the authors of the book and started the phenomenon. Intrigued by it all, I decided to investigate what the whole “bad Christian” thing is all about. I will give you my take on the book coming from my perspective. If what you read here interests you, I suggest that you read the book. If you are open to hearing people out, even if they may not feel just like you do about everything, this book will open your eyes to understand why a lot of people feel the way they do about Christians and the church. I feel that hearing people out is a worthwhile exercise that broadens our horizons and helps us to understand God and his people better.
Have you noticed a shift in Christian culture toward a more genuine, honest look at just who we are as Christians and just as people in general. The pretenses are falling away, the hypocrisy has been exposed time and time again and people don’t have any tolerance for fakes anymore. This demand for transparency seems to have been initiated by millennials but is spreading and becoming mainstream. The book falls along those lines being very honest, written the way the authors really talk, sometimes using strong language. The overarching message is, we don’t have to act like we’re better than we are. It is Jesus who is perfect, not Christians. As Christians, even once we’re saved we really do not become “good” just hopefully better than we were. We still do bad things and fall short of God’s standards. In the beginning of the book Emery band members, Matt, Toby, and Joey (also a pastor), share a little bit about how each of them, still bad, maybe better in some ways, but still not “good” Christians” by God’s standards struggled in their faith. Noticing that they weren’t the only Christians who didn’t have it all together brought them to this place of realization that we are bad Christians at best. Jesus confirmed this when he said, “Why do you call me good?” “Only God is truly good.” Luke 18:19 Why then do Christians act like they are “good” and the rest of the people in the “world” are bad? The book exposes the reality of the matter, “It’s a big problem that we try to appear “good” when the core of our beliefs state that we are, by nature and choice, “effed” up, so much so that we require the supernatural God to save us (Romans 8: 3-4). Hence the title of the book, Bad Christian, Great Savior.
The book’s chapters cover
Bad Christians and the Bible
Bad Christians and the church
Bad Christians and the community
BAD CHRISTIANS AND THE BIBLE
Bad Christians are to be seeking God’s righteousness (Matthew 6:33). The verse doesn’t say we are to be seeking to perfect our own righteousness. We can’t! The Bible calls us out time and time again as what we are, fallen humans, prone to sin but with a great Savior that loves us and gave his life for the times that we “eff up”. Following “the biblical model of honesty and storytelling” as mentioned in chapter 2 will lead more people to Christ than pretending to be a “good” Christian.” Paralleling the biblical characters that followed God and those that didn’t, the book points out that the Bible only describes two kinds of people, non-Christians, and bad Christians. Listing some of the awful sins that people who didn’t follow God in the Bible engaged in paints a dark picture. But Christians are certainly better than that, right? Hold on, chapter 2 goes on to show that those that followed God engaged in the same or similar sins than those that didn’t. They were bad Christians who loved God. They didn’t keep all the commandments and neither can any of us. That’s the point the book is trying to make. That is why the biblical characters and why we too need a Savior.
BAD CHRISTIANS AND THE CHURCH
Having grown up in churches where legalism prevailed and Christians pretended to be better than they were, a sort of distaste for the church developed in the authors. Does that sound familiar? I think many of us m may have experienced this. The views presented in the book are freeing. A sort of permission to be truthful and honest about who we really are, how we struggle and a rejoicing in the fact that we have a great Savior that has rescued us and gives us the power to be better Christians and still loves us even though we are still not good enough. The guys state their mission as desiring to get out the gospel with the before mentioned realities in mind. We are worse than we may think and Jesus is so much better than we realize is the message they are proclaiming.
A list of what the church may present as the way to be a good Christian is presented with things like “go to church” and “read your Bible” on it but are we addressing the deeper rooted sins? God’s list of change and repentance that is needed in our lives is a little harder to fess up to. This is an honest representation, no holds barred book. Wait, isn’t that what the Bible is too? There is a transparency about biblical characters and the sins that they struggled with. Why then can’t we be honest about our real sins, you know the secret sins that most people don’t know about.
The book does not take a view that the church isn’t important, quite the contrary. The authors simply feel that the way that change occurs in Christians is by drawing close to God, not by checking sins conquered off of our sin list. The church is made up of Christians trying to appear holy when we’re really not. This is hurting us and keeping people on the outside from coming in. When we are not being real with each other, we are often shocked when a fellow Christian, especially a leader falls. I love the statement in chapter 3, “When leaders fail, we should be the first responders, not the crowd watching the accident scene in shock or hurling blame” . We have to stop the hypocrisy and instead help each other get back up when we stumble. That’s what Jesus did. That’s what the church should do.
BAD CHRISTIANS AND THE COMMUNITY
We Christians can be bad about spending time together. Getting to know each other more deeply in community takes time, requires vulnerability, maybe sacrifice. Chapter 4 discusses the fact that many churches try to wrap everything up in the Sunday church going event. If we are to go and make disciples, grow in grace, loving and serving God together, we need more than a Sunday together. We want Jesus to change the church not just do church better, as this chapter points out. The early church spent time together, ate meals together and shared their belongings. Many church people spend a few hours on a Sunday together, then go home to their own little domains with nothing to do with each other. To be fair, not all churches are this way. I have to say I see definite breakthroughs in my church where we actually do spend time together, serve together, eat together although we could certainly do more of it. We are stronger when we’re together, but we have to be more vulnerable and honest because the more time you spend with someone, the less you can hide about yourself. The Emery band members and road crew shared lots of time together in close quarters, becoming very up close and personal with each other which they say caused that sense of community that is sometimes not found in the church. They grew together through it. That is what we need more of, Christians in community.
THE BAD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT
It seems so simple. Recognizing we are bad Christians drives us to the arms of Jesus, where alone we can find forgiveness and love to save us from our bad ways. If we focus on him and not on trying to do the impossible, eradicate all of our sin, we should be constantly reminded of the fact that we have a great Savior who loves us despite the bad things we do. His arms of forgiveness are wide. If your interest in the bad Christian movement has been sparked, visit the website for discussion and materials about the harder topics in life, you know the ones we don’t want to admit to. On the website, you can explore music, podcasts, books a men’s study and more. Let’s get real, keep it honest and cling to our great Savior.
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
I became obsessed with Islander’sPower Under Control when every song drew me in and kept me engaged. The songs vary in genre being described as alt-rock, punk via hip-hop inspired, alt- punk, emo, second wave nu-metal, modern with some retro undertones and likened to a Deftones, POD, Afghan Whigs and Incubus. The album is wonderfully chaotic but comes together with a characterization of finding someone wrapped in a life of selfish hedonism and taking them by the hand to a more hopeful existence. Every song drew me in and kept me engaged. I loved the energy and every time I hit the last track on the album, I wanted to hear it again soon. When this happens, I know it’s going to be one of my journeys of complete album immersion. Power Under Control is such an album for me.
Islander signed with Victory Records and have released two EPs, Side Effects of Youth in 2012, Pains in 2013, a studio album, Violence and Destruction in 2014 and this album Power Under Control was released in 2016 with the band’s new line-up. Only Mikey Carvajal, the frontman for the band remains from the original band. The current bassist is ex-ForeverAtLast bassist Ezekiel Vasquez, the drummer former is Arin Ilejay formerly of Avenged Sevenfold and guitarist J.R. Bareis, from Love and Death, Brian “Head” Welch’s (Korn) band. Mikey revealed what he feels about the shift in band members, “I truly believe that what God tears down, God rebuilds,” says the singer, who, like Fieldy and Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch, is seriously devoted to his faith.” (Rolling Stone) The title of the album comes from the New Testament theme of power under control, realizing the power we possess as believers, but using that power in meekness. The songs follow the adventures of a character that starts out angry, selfish and hedonistic and gradually learns the value of love and sacrifice.
The band has been reinvented into an exciting, eclectic combination of sounds bringing them a wider fanbase. When asked if there is a theme to the album, Mickey told Audi Ink Radio, “Absolutely. This album is a concept album following a character on their own path. They learn how to harness their energy for something good rather than having energy spewing out of their life in all directions. It’s all about being focused and at peace. That doesn’t come without a struggle though.” He also explained in another interview that “each song brings an attitude that represents the next step of the progression.” At the end of this road this progression, the power under control is found.
The first song on the album “Darkness” picks up with a turbulent sound with rhythmic rapping and alternate singing that starts you off on this wild ride. The subject matter takes us to people that most of us know, have known and in many cases have been who are admittedly hedonistic and selfish, just living life whatever way they choose with no thought for others and no apologies. This song introduces you to a character running on the extreme end of “darkness”. A sarcastic look at such a character makes you realize how empty that kind of life is and just plain void of any meaning or purpose. Have you known people who celebrate their bad behavior and just don’t want to change? Have you been there? This character refuses to look at their soul in the mirror to see how gross it really is. They use their self-destructive lifestyle for bragging rights. I can remember living life in the shadows, for only me. My experience wasn’t as extreme as this character but a walk in the dark to any extent is enough to remember how completely turbulent this type of life is. This brush with “Darkness” makes you want to cling to the light that Christ shines in a life surrendered to him and hang on for dear life. I remember having dreams as a new believer where I found myself slipping back in the darkness and it scared me to death.
Bad Guystarts with one of Mikey’s characteristic shrieks. I love that. It makes it feel natural. This song could have mainstream appeal and addresses a role that we all have to play at times. You know how sometimes you have to be the “bad guy or gal” and call out a friend on their bad behavior. It could be something that’s hurting them or those around them and someone has got to call it to the table. Nobody likes doing it but a true friend will play the bad guy if they have to.
This is something that I don’t wanna say
But I’m gonna say it
You better believe it
Green Slime Man is a quick 1:09 minutes long, starts out with a moody guitar intro, then steps into fast paced rhythm with hard hitting lyrics,
“because they’re all neon, and their all scary and mean”. What is the green slime man?
I tried to put it together, the Green Slime Man, but I couldn’t figure out what the song is talking about. If you know what it means, maybe you can fill me in.
Take a ride with me to a Better Day. When things get dark, we can go back and remember the good days. Deep down inside we know we can go back to those better days.
Cause you’ve been waiting for a better day (Waiting for it)
To come along and love you like it used to
Mend the pieces of your heart
Cause you’ve been waiting for a better day (Waiting for it)
To come along and love you like it used to
Mend the pieces of your heart
You’ve been waiting for a better day, a better day
(To love you like it used to like it used to)
The feeling of invincibility that often goes along with the teen years and for some sticks into adulthood can shut us off from sound advice and from building bridges with authority figures. The song’s characters, feeling powerful and independent, they don’t need anyone. All these characters need is the crowd they run with and their music (punk rock). They run their own lives, separating themselves from anyone that tries to interfere. All We Needreveals this mentality.
Out on the streets they’ve been calling the shots. But not for long because we run this block. On the grind, we’re on the clock. All we need is our punk rock.
Devil Redstarts with the sounds of a party that goes into heavy metal guitar riffs described as “sneering punk meets hip hop meets emo meets proto-rock by Blabbermouth and then the musical sound of a warning that you would expect in a movie when something bad is about to happen. This leads into a detailed description of this Devil Red. The accuser of the brethren is being called out for his dirty deeds as ruler of the darkness. I love the intense feeling of the subject, yet the musically fun tone of the song. I love Mikey’s screams that totally fit the mood of the song. My favorite lyric in the song is,
You’re a mislabeled poison with a bitter aftertaste
They call you the lord of the flies….AHHH, Devil Red
It makes you want to go gang up on that demon of red and throw him into the pit ahead of his time.
A Boat Going By is a moody, short, instrumental that to me feels like a transitional time, taking you from darkness to a better day.
Starting out with music almost resembling church music, the lyrics to Beelzebub start out with a statement with shock appeal but musically carries a softer tone.
I know the church is a whore, but she’s my mother and I love her
There’s not a thing you could say, or price you could pay to make me think any less of her
Addressing problems in the church has left many with a dismal feeling of frustration. Recognizing the problems but keeping the love for God’s living organism, the church intact is something we all have to deal with. The song also seems to address government (taking away guns) and those that are aligning themselves with Satan, although they may not think of it that way.
You’ve got an engagement ring shining on your finger
You’re waiting to be married to hell
You’ve got an engagement ring shining on your finger
It’s beautiful
It’s beautiful as hell
Ready to crack a few dance moves, Think it Over gets you bopping. It is a hopeful song, encouraging and learning how to put that power under control into action (THINK it over).
Take a good look in the mirror, and tell me what you see
All I see is potential staring back at you and me
Embrace the good in life and run with your dreams is the message here. Celebrate the light. I love it, let’s go!
Dance Dance. Party trance
Get on the floor and take a chance
Move Move. Bust a groove
Get so crazy that you lose a tooth
Accepting the fact that some things in life change, they don’t Last Forever and others take time. Be it relationships, bands, families going their own separate ways, people leaving this earth or a host of other things, acceptance is key. We have to move on to the place God is taking us next. We can’t get stuck in the past.
And here I go again
Dreaming of the end
The beginning of my forever
No fear
I’m wanting more and more of what I have in store
A dream I’ve had since before I was born
One of my favorite songs on the album,Caskethas a powerful message. It takes a good hard look at death and where it will be taking you. Putting your arm around a friend and helping them to see the two choices before them is not an easy thing to do but its reality. How can we just ignore this. We’ve got to clue them in to the ultimate reality and meaning of life itself.
Would you rather be devoured by the hounds of hell
Or would you rather say…
You can put me in a casket and lay it in a grave
Write my name on a tombstone, but I promise I’m okay
Throw my body in a river
Or burn it up in the flames
Write my name on a tombstone
I keep asking death “Where is your sting?”
I said it.
I love it! Death where is your sting? The song ends with that and I love the way “Sting” is drawn out by Mikey as the last word.
Bringing friends around to the promise of eternity with Jesus is the greatest privilege we get to experience. Wait For Itis a pretty songdescribing to a friend what they should do to embrace life, to transfer their name from the book of death to the book of life. Listen to the album below on Spotify (free streaming) and feel the journey. Allow God to speak into your heart the message he has for you in it all and then talk about it with your friends. Be a good friend, make a difference.
Enjoy this amazing album of commotion, drama, twists and turns taking you from the pit of darkness where Devil Red and Beelzebub dwell and leading you to the light. Rolling Stone quoting Islander who shared their feelings about what fans want from music, Johnny Cash once said, ‘The people just want four chords and the truth,’ and at the end of the day I think that idea still applies.” Islander works hard to please and to bring hope to their growing fan base.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
The journey of discovering the heart of an album is exciting. I have always loved music, especially rock, metal, alternative, indie and all the “core’s”, rapcore, metalcore, etc. Writing album reviews, for me is totally not what you would typically consider a review. I don’t know the ins and outs of musical lingo or what the music should sound like. I only know what speaks to me. When a song carries me away because of its style, vibe, interesting guitar riffs, amazing drum sequences, captivating vocals and lyrical content, I jump on board. This entices me to learn more about where the musicians are going with it.
I listen to the entire album looking for themes and connections if they exist.
I take a thought journey by allowing the lyrics to evoke ideas and life experiences that are in line with where the songs are going
I listen over and over until I feel like I get it.
I ask myself, What is the band saying?
What emotions are the songs appealing to?
Do they strike a nerve?
Am I being inspired, moved to act?
What emotions are the lyrics drawing out of me?
I work at learning the lyrics word for word so I can sing along.
This is how the songs become a part of me. There’s nothing better for me than to sing with the band at a concert with all the ideas that have flooded my mind behind the experience. After I have immersed myself in the album I love to find interviews with the band about it, what it means to them and catch some of the themes of the songs. The whole experience of getting inside of an album is an amazing journey for me to the center. The heart of the album is where I want to be. This is what I share with you. So if you’re expecting a typical album review from someone who knows what fans are expecting, whether the album falls short of previous releases, how it compares to other bands in the genre or how it stands up musically, you won’t get that from me.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Walls have been used throughout history to provide protection, divide countries, lock away prisoners and isolate captives. President Trump is moving to build a 40-foot-tall, 7-foot-deep, 10-inch-thick, and 1,000-mile-long wall border wall with Mexico to stop illegal immigration. The thoughts and opinions surrounding this order abound but we won’t get into that. I remember how exciting it was when the 11.81 foot Berlin Wall was destroyed in 1989 and my mom’s cousins and families were able to cross over into West Germany freely. The fact is that walls have an impact on people one way or another. While we’re on the topic of walls, let’s look at a few songs that mention walls that we can build in our lives and how they can affect us.
The Maze – Light 45 – debut EP, Decibels
Light 45’s intriguing video starts off with Justin looking at a brick that says unfaithful, which he adds to a stacked number of other bricks, each naming some vices, such as thief, liar and maybe some lies the enemy throws in, such as idiot. The scene flashes to Mark, who stands strumming his bass in a hallway surrounded by walls of brick, confining his space. The scene keeps returning to the three band members playing the song out in a desert like setting then flashing back to the wall. The video begins to show Justin in distress, beginning to feel like this is his lot in life, to reap the ruin of the wall of sin that he has built.
As each brick revealed the lies and the sins that I had fused And as each brick I laid, I raised the thought that this is what life has for me And that is what I got
That crushing reality that we have really screwed things up can bury us unless we look up to the Son, which Justin does and it turns things around. Jesus paid the price so we don’t have to carry the unbearable burden of our sin. We have to admit it, call it what it is, not explain it away or chalk it up to “no one’s perfect”. All we have to do is lay it down at the cross of Christ where he paid for it all and we are free. Yes, FREE!
Then the Son got hot, yeah. For the first time I lifted up my eyes, and as my hands, they had followed suit, then to my surprise the sun had Made this maze burn away and in these endless days (this endless daze) I’ll sing to my Creator That is what I got.
What do we get when we turn our sins over to Christ? We get freedom from our crushing guilt. We get the assurance that all is well with our soul even if it isn’t so great in our circumstances at the moment. We get to look forward to living eternally with our Creator in a place that He is preparing for us. We get to experience his limitless love for us. We get all this and so much more. God, bring down the wall of sin in our lives.
Fly On The Wall – Thousand Foot Krutch – The End Is Where We Begin
This is a unique song for the band, creating a dreamlike image in your mind that builds into a description of escaping our addictions. Trevor, in an interview with New Release Today, explains “This song is about someone speaking to their addictions and written from the point of view of me describing it in a dream.” Addictions build so many walls in our lives, between those we care about and ourselves, between our goals and dreams and being able to work toward them and between God and our relationship with him.
We weren’t divided
We were the same
And we were free
But we all wore chains
We couldn’t see it
But we created
A place between truth and overrated
The crazy thing is the walls that we build, the chains that we wear are often self-imposed and can be removed. With the power we have as God’s royal family members, we are not slaves to anyone or anything. We can be free. When life throws us for a loop and we are faced with deep pain or intense fears, we may escape to alcohol, drugs, food binges, unhealthy relationships or other addictions. We may use those to isolate ourselves from God and others because we don’t want to deal with it. Before we know it, the world has grown completely dark, depression sets in and we rely on our addictions to stop feeling at all. This is a sad place to be.
We had a plan to build a wall
A great divide that would never fall
To separate us
From all the pain
And keep our skeletons locked away
And brick by brick
We built it so thick
That it blacked out the sky and all the sunlight
And one by one
We all became numb
We were making the bullets to a broken gun
OK so you know the scripture, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) If we will recognize his schemes to destroy our lives we can begin to sever the addictions from our lives. We may need human intervention to help us through it but we have God’s kingdom power to overcome. We don’t need it anymore, whatever addiction it is that is ruining our lives. With allusions to what it means to be part of God’s kingdom and the power contained in that privilege, the song builds into a point of victory over addiction and freedom.
I’m on the run from a thief
I let into my head
I know, I hold the keys, so don’t be scared
When I turn and shout:
I don’t think I need you anymore
Take your words, and your lies and just beat it!
I don’t think I need you anymore
Take the hurt and the pain, I don’t need it
We have the power as God’s kings and queens to overcome and celebrate recovery. Jesus told us that we do. Is it harder for God to help us with our addictions than it is to move a mountain? (Matthew 17:20) I don’t think so. Anyway, God can do absolutely anything and although he many not want us to ask him to move Mount Everest, we know he wants us to be free from addiction.
I wanna live, I wanna be the change
We can all be kings and queens
If we can just learn to believe
Unity is what God wanted for his people. Jesus said “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one–as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:21) It seems like unity is hard to come by these days. Our country is split in its ideas of how our country should run, churches have problems with unity both with other churches and within their own walls. Families struggle to get along. It seems unity is against our nature.
We are one but we’re not the same For a thousand years we’ve played this game And the tension rises up Ya the passion’s given up
So our God reaches to unite While amongst ourselves we fight And I’m sick of wasting time Ya I got something on my mind
Tearing down the walls that divide us takes prayer, sacrifice, and action on each of our part. It is never easy and may leave us feeling vulnerable. In Christ, however, unity is possible. He prayed for his spiritual family to have it. If Jesus prayed for us to be unified than unity should be something we strive for, shouldn’t it? We should be the role model for the world in our love for one another and our unity. In these times of heated debate about a wall going up, let’s work on the walls among us as believers coming down so we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, a mighty army, unified to be a light in this dark world.
Cause there’s something going down Ya these walls are coming down Cause the truth that has been said Will unite us once again Cause there’s something going down Ya these walls are coming down
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Reflection on Jon Foreman’s Open Letter to the American Church
By Linda
There is much to be said about today’s church in America. The body of Christ, as it is called in the Bible or the family of God can reflect God by spreading his love and grace but it doesn’t always act in love and mercy. Why? Well, as Jon points out in his song, Terminal, it is made up of people who are “fatally flawed” while at the same time being “in the image of God”. If we call ourselves Christians, we have great privilege but also a great responsibility.
Jon’s Article, published in the Huffington Post, entitled An Open Letter to The American Church really provokes us to examine ourselves as the “body of Christ” A healthy check up to determine what state we are in and to identify whether a change in perspective is needed. He begins the article by identifying himself, “American Church, I am you”, he declares. Admitting that he “wrestles with the faith of his fathers, from glory to shame” he goes on to repent of his own personal sins and failures as part of the church of God. Jon assures us that he has no stones to throw, as we the church, including himself, are human and flawed. He, however, doesn’t allow this flawed state as a reason for excusing our behavior.
In this country of unrest, hate, and violence, Jon brings us to the mirror to examine our own behavior. Are we as Christians reflecting God or do we engage in spewing careless, unloving words. That look in the mirror can really be an eye opener! Jon asks, “Oh church, who has blinded us? Know this, it’s not your hatred that makes you godlike. It’s not your fear. It’s not your political rhetoric tossed back and forth on social media. No. It’s your love that makes you look like God.” Switchfoot’s song, The Sound (John M. Perkin’s Blues) is dedicated to the civil rights leader and pastor, whose powerful quote, “Love is the final fight” encapsulates the way of God in fighting our battles. Jesus did not fight for our salvation with violence and hateful words. He spoke the truth in love. He humbled himself and suffered for us, who he counted as a worthwhile cause. We the American church should follow his example.
With compassion, mercy, and grace Jon’s love for people shines through. His heart his for the hurting, the broken, the needy of this world. His insightful statement, “The kingdom of the heavens is waiting in the wounds around us” gives us another perspective on how to spread God’s kingdom in America by caring for the wounded. Not only wounded or sick physically but also emotionally and spiritually. Switchfoot’s recent song, The Wound is Where the Light Shines Through brings this same perspective to light. Wasn’t this the heart of Jesus? He spent time with those in need, stating that those that those that are healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick and needy. He offered hope and love where it was lacking. Are we the American church acting as the hands and feet of Jesus, caring for those that are in need? Are we being the visible body of Christ and bringing glory to him by our words and actions? Sometimes we do and other times we are a poor reflection of his grace and mercy.
Jon ends the article with a reminder of our debt. “We have a debt that remains outstanding: to love our neighbor as ourself.” This he got from Romans 13:8 in the Bible. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” God loves us and gave it all so we could be forgiven. He paid our debt of sin in full. Fulfilling our debt to love should be our response to his great sacrifice. So will we pay up on our debt of love toward others, American church?
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
A bluesy, Southern rock style guitar riff in a short introduction beckons you into A River Wild, the latest album released by Awake O Sleeper in 2015.
All Hands On Deck uses imagery of navigating a ship in rough waters, requiring “all hands on deck” mustering all faith and proclaiming “this ship ain’t going down. When tough times come we need to give all that we have to get through, helping those around us to stay the course. Using our God-given determination we can overcome insurmountable odds.
Saw This Coming is a very realistic look at love. “Love ain’t always what we think it should be” the lyric goes, “we know all about it” and “we saw this coming, now we’re wiser.” Unrealistic expectations can destroy a relationship. A more realistic approach with commitment provides staying power. ” I will choose and I have chosen to love you every single day”. This is great advice.
Gethsemane is a powerful song of imagery going back to the garden where Jesus prayed sweat as drops of blood while his disciples, instructed to watch and pray, fell asleep. “Early morning dream like state, sleep comes for me but I try to stay awake.” You can just feel yourself identifying with the disciples, struggling with the flesh, trying to do what Jesus asked but failing to pull it off. Isn’t that the way we feel sometimes? God has a plan for our day, to reach someone, serve them or to spend time with Him but we aren’t awake to his plan. We sleep right through it.
Into the Water has my favorite lyric on the album, “I face my demons, they wear their scars. I call on Jesus, He’s overcome”. The song ends repeating this several times, emphasizing it. Like a victory song against the enemy of our soul, it creates a rise of faith in me. 1 JOHN 4:4 says “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” God is greater. Call on Jesus because He has overcome!
Ghost of a Manspeaks to our humanity. “I wish I were a finer man, like the ones who came before. If I were an angel, would the mountains be dissolved? If I were an angel, maybe then I wouldn’t fall.” How we fail God time and time again in our lack of faith, in our disobedience, but he loves us still. Bearing the heart of failure with the line “In the end, it’s all I’ve been, a ghost of a man.” is a despairing thought but then “Like a river wild, you forgive.” speaks of God’s great love for us. I love the bluesy guitar ending. The song leaves you with a feeling of surrender to our Savior who forgives our sin. Like a river wild, you found me and washed my sin away.
This is an album you can listen to over and over. It soothes the soul with reflection, demands repentance and leaves you with the hope of a Savior who gave it all so we could be forgiven and love others. Listen to the album here:
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Awake O Sleeper – Bluesy Rock with a Southern Flair
By Linda
Gathering around for a concert with these guys feels like hanging out with friends. Brad, Andrew, Drew, Dan and Jordan of the Canadian band Awake O Sleeper from Chilliwack, British Columbia started in 2012. The guys started jamming together making changes along the way ultimately finding their sound and running with it. The guys started out playing at churches and youth groups, branching out to bars and other venues. Andrew was only 12 when he started in the band, being the youngest member. The guys shifted instruments and experimented with their musical tastes taking a little time to find their niche musically.
AOS has been steadily gaining attention with their bluesy, alternative rock sound. Having seen the band live for the first time at the Creation Northeast festival in PA in July of 2016, I began to love their music and the band’s warm, relaxing style. The friendly relationship between the band members was evident creating a cozy, intimate feeling when watching them. They perform well both on the big stage and in a low-key acoustic environment.
Having seen the band live for the first time at Creation NE in 2016, I began to love their music and the band’s warm, relaxing style. The relationship between the band members was evident making for a cozy, intimate feeling when watching them perform both on the Fringe Stage and the Acoustic Cafe. This video recording of the band’s song, The Well” around the campfire is a perfect example of the relaxed, peaceful feeling you get watching them perform.
Brad writes most of the lyrics, exuding honesty in his writing that really shines through when they are performing. In an interview the band has said that the more they play a song, the more it means to them. They are actually buying into it more each time they perform it. The lyrics to the band’s songs are heartfelt and meaningful. Brad talks about coming up with the name for the band, capturing the phrase Awake O Sleeper from Ephesians 5. The band feels that the name fits their message well. As far as discography, the band’s initial self-titled album was released in 2013 and their most recent, A River Wild was released in 2015. You can listen to A River Wild on Spotify (see below).
The band has announced on its Facebook page, December 1, 2016 that they are working on new and exciting “things”. What are these “things”? Hopefully, we will find out real soon. You can keep up with the band on their Facebook and Twitter Page, as well as their website.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
In celebration of Jesfreakhideout’s 20th anniversary, check out this awesome 21-song mix they put together. Offered through Noise Trade, the songs will delight fans of Christian rock, Pop and Indie Music. This downloadable mix will introduce you to a variety of artists, including some whom may be new to you. Exploring music is an adventure and, who knows, maybe your next fav song will come from this mix. You can leave a tip on Noisetrade if you are so led. The artists will give 100% of artist tip proceeds to Blood:Water Mission.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Lacey’s highly anticipated album, Life Screams was released in February of 2016 living up to the expectations of Lacey’s Flyleaf fans as well as taking her music in some new directions. Lacey’s band includes husband and guitarist, Josh Sturm, Tom Gascon, drummer and Ben Hull, bass player. After spending a decade fronting rock band, Flyleaf and gaining quite a following, it took some time for fans to adjust to Lacey’s new endeavors. She shares some of the reasons that she made the decision to step down from Flyleaf in this short, explanatory VIDEO. Having been given amazing gifts Lacey’s talents come with many responsibilities and decisions. After having been saved out of life’s hard places and meeting God along the way, she knows who to go to for answers. Lacey peforms Flyleaf songs as well as her new solo music. Watch her video performance of the Flyleaf song, Rot HERE.
Having a story to tell, Lacey has been using her life experiences with not only her music but by speaking and writing. Lacey has written, The Reason, How I Discovered a Life Worth Living and most recently, The Mystery, Finding True Love in a World of Broken Lovers. Pouring herself out the way that she does has been a hope and encouragement to so many. We all need the hope that only God can provide, ultimately, and Lacey is quick to share where her hope comes from. She is a beautiful flower in the garden of hard rock, metal, post grunge and alternative music. Beauty pours from her lips, but also honesty. Nothing about her is cliche or scripted. She is genuine to the core. Listen to the song, Impossible from the Life Screams album HERE.
With Flyleaf’s vocalist, Kristen May leaving the band there has been talk of Lacey’s return. When asked about it, she doesn’t rule it out but also doesn’t have any current plans to return. Lacey and Josh Sturm have two sons, Joshua “Jack” Lewis Sturm (Lewis after C. S. Lewis, one of Lacey’s favorite authors) and Arrow David Sturm. Life is busy, for sure with touring, writing new music, writing books and being a family. With both mom and dad endowed with musical gifts, it will be interesting to see whether Jack and Arrow will be blessed wth musical talent like mom and dad or their own unique gifts and talents.
Lacey has made quite a splash with the Life Screams album last year, even being the first solo women to top the hard rock billboard charts. We knew the album would be amazing and we were not disappointed. The album has certainly been one of the highlight album releases of 2016. We look forward to any future projects that Lacy and the team, as she calls her band, embark upon.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Brimming with talent and creativity, FTU, a metalcore band from South Africa got their start in 2006 in Benoni, Gauteng. The band members are lead vocalist and guitarist, Gideon Karsten, lead guitarist and vocalist, Mitch Pearson, bassist, Eckard van Tonder, and drummer and percussionist, Craig Palmer. Brimming with musical talent and creativity, Forfeit Thee Untrue has made quite a splash with their first studio full-length album, Cremationem Jesus Lacrimam (2016), with the Rottweiler Record label. They have revealed that the name of the album means “the cremation of Jesus’ tears”.
FTU is on the cutting edge of metal in South Africa, the live metal scene still being somewhat small. They enjoy playing with the local metal bands with no immediate plans to come to the US. Hopefully, a tour including the US will unfold as they gain momentum. The band’s first release was their Blood Soaked Splinter EP in 2013 with the Sanctus Gladius record label. As far as the metalcore/hardcore genre, there is real depth lyrically and musically to FTU’s music. There is a passion for excellence in the execution of each song that comes across the soundwaves and captures the spirit. The spirit of the music is encompassed by their heart for God. In an interview by Mace Beard with Mitch Pearson of the band, at the end of the interview was asked if there’s anything else he had to say, to which he stated “Just that we wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere near this far if it had not been for Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. We don’t take credit for this album or the band. It is for His honour and we do what we do only for the furthering of His Holy Word.”
What is behind the band’s name? In a interview by His Divine Shadow the band explained, ““Forfeit Thee Untrue” comes from an idea, philosophy and band mission statement to get rid of the fake areas in one’s life; whether it be in one’s own heart, at school, at work, in relationships, in politics, in religion, etc. and subsequently to strive for being yourself and being real, to drop the masks and to be/become the person God created you to be.” What a great mission statement. If you haven’t heard Forfeit Thee Untrue, listen to the Cremationem Jesus Lacrimam, you can listen to the album playlist on You Tube using the link below.
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Creativity in the hardcore genre is desperately needed and this is a band that delivers those song arrangements that don’t disappoint. On the band’s website wolvesatthegate.com they are described as “a forward-thinking, art-minded group whose music is as cerebral and nuanced as it was ferocious and deliciously heavy.” Wolves At The Gate is a hardcore Christian metal band from Cedarville, Ohio. They have been around since 2008 but only Stephen Cobucci and drummer, Abishai are original members. The band released two independent albums before signing with Solid State Records in 2011. Their newest release is their fourth with Solid State.
Reviewer, Christopher Geriak giving his thoughts of a previous album, VxV not speaking well of Christian rock and metal music in general, says of WATG that they “are a Christian post-hardcore band that contains the typical “Jesus saves” lyrics, so you would expect to hate them because of it. However, there’s a surprise at the end of the tunnel, especially when it comes to VxV.” (2014) He also says of the band that they write and perform their music with the feel of an ongoing mission in mind giving them a passion that is radiated to their audiences. This is an interesting perception from a non-Christian reviewer watching Wolves At The Gate burn with a fire for God. Though those that watch the fire may not buy the message, they can’t deny that the band is burning with passion to share it. This is an exciting perception of what people are noticing about Wolves At the Gate.
A few weeks before their newest release on November 4th, Types and Shadows, Stephen Cobucci, lead singer and founder of WATG and his wife introduced a baby boy AND baby girl (yes, twins) into their lives. In an interview on The Riot on RadioU Stephen discusses sleepless nights with the twins, shares about his other job and his thoughts about the new album. Though WATG has been known to tour extensively, gaining an impressive following that way, the band will be laying low with touring for a while, staying close to home to give Stephen and his wife some precious family time with their newborn twins.
Never wavering in their vocal stance on their faith, WATG has said their mission is to “show the incredible love of God to every person we come in contact with”, WATG strongly believes that “the salvation message of the Gospel is free to everyone, and our primary purpose on this earth is to spread that message to everyone we meet.” (Wikipedia) The single, Flickering Flame, from the new album, speaks of how faith can flicker like a flame at times in our lives, discussing how we often try to self-motivate to counter this without success. Instead, we are encouraged to focus on God’s love, which never changes, even if our faith does.
Early reviews of the new album seem to reveal that hardcore fans are feeling a little disappointed that the band has toned their sound down a bit. For the same reason, the band is picking up new listeners that like the new album having more melodic clean vocals balancing the screams. Many are enjoying the maturity and strong faith message of the album as well. The song, Fountain, includes lines from an old hymn from the 1700’s “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” written by William Cowper . David Craft of Jesusfreakhideout wrote an excellent review of the album.
But the album in the Wolves At the Gate web MERCH STORE
Discography
Types & Shadows, 2016 (Solid State)
Reprise EP, 2015 (Solid State)
VxV, 2014 (Solid State)
Back To School EP, 2013 (Solid State)
Captors, 2012 (Solid State)
We Are the Ones EP, 2011 (Solid State)
We Are the Ones EP, 2011 (independent)
Pulled From the Deep, 2010 (independent)
Band Members:
Steve Cobucci — clean vocals, guitars (2008–present)
Ben Summers — bass, backing vocals (2008–present)
Nick Detty — unclean vocals, piano (2012–present)
Abishai Collingsworth — drums (2015–present)
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
It seems like we can’t go anywhere without our mobile devices these days. How connected should we be? Pillar’s song, Disconnect from their album One Love Revolution shares thoughts about today’s communication issues that have come about because it is so easy to keep in touch with everybody these days. Being connected anytime, anywhere with family and friends all over the world is simply amazing. But do we need a break from it regularly? Should we plan times of disconnection to clear our minds, take time to pray and connect with God and sort out our own thoughs? We can do our banking, shopping, dreaming, discovering, learning, researching, sharing and communicating all on our mobile devices. We can wake up to our phone’s alarm, check for messages or posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat. We can check stock prices, the latest news, recipes; the possibilities are endless. But wait a minute, halt all communication, Pillar warns! There’s static in the air. Our messages are getting lost. We can’t always hear the message clearly. We don’t experience the emotion, the facial expressions, the human touch of the people we communicate with is lost in the translation. Was that text serious or sarcastic? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. Was that article based on facts or opinions?
Disconnect, Discern and Reflect
Drowning in information, images, photos, videos, and news, how do we know what messages we can trust? We are bombarded with so much communication. Can our brains process this information efficiently? Do we take the time to step back, tune out the noise and reflect on what we have seen and heard online, discerning truth from fiction, good advice from lies? Can we rise above the noise and the lies and hear the truth instead? That is what Pillar’s message is saying to me. “Disconnect the lies put in our brain, disconnect the dots, disconnect the pain”. This is how the song ends. We can all use a little time off the grid. Maybe we can create a new national holiday when we all put down our devices and remember or imagine what life was like before all of this connection. How painful would it be?
Justified Revolution, 2015, YouTube, Retrieved from https://youtu.be/bVBmPzxnWHA
https://youtu.be/bVBmPzxnWHA
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Drummers are the backbone of a band, setting the energy level, mood, and emotion of the music. A skilled drummer can change the feel of the music, creating a hard-driving energizing beat or a unique ambiance. Such a drummer can stay “in the pocket” playing a complex beat that is just right for the music, holding down the rhythm for the whole band rather than just following along. He knows when to add a bit of flash, not solely to show off his own skills but to add a little spice to the performance. This is the kind of drummer that makes a band great. He knows his abilities, that he can lay down an impressive solo but won’t fill in a tune without clearance from the band. A drummer that works well with his band is a team player. Talented, hard-working drummers should be given the recognition they deserve. Here are a few drummers that are in that first-class league just to give you a taste. There are countless others that could be covered but we will take a look at these few.
Neil Peart of Rush is one of the greatest rock drummers of all time, in my opinion. He is the one that caused me to take notice of the role a drummer takes in making a band great. An excellent drummer sets the tone and takes fans on a musical journey. The rhythms and beats beckon you into the heart of the song and capture you until the last beat is played. That is the art of a passionate drummer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErOej1PJeW8
The Top Tens lists the hardest songs to play on drums. Schwanie2 considers “The Dance of Eternity” by drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater to be “easily the most challenging song I have come across. I have seen multiple transcripts of this song and it is mind blowing. While Neil Peart’s parts for various Rush songs are amazing, my hat goes off to Mike Portnoy for this masterpiece.” (thetoptens.com)
On the Christian rock scene, Jen Ledger of Skillet, a female drummer who gets a lot of attention puts her heart and soul into her performances attributing her inspiration to David Grohl, drummer for the Foo Fighters. In this excerpt from Modern Drummer, Jen outlines her influences, inspirations, and experiences.
Another talented drummer in the Christian Music biz is Joe Rickard of the band Red. Red is known for their fiery and energetic live shows. Joe’s drumming plays a huge part of their high-powered performances.
Seth Hostetter of Children 18:3 is another amazing drummer. Watch him rock it out in this drum solo.
Matt Greiner drummer for August Burns Red, a Christian metal/metalcore band, since 2003. The band started out in high school practicing in Matt’s basement egg house on the family farm.
Zac Mayfield of Oh Sleeper a fast as lightning, skilled, technical drummer, doesn’t miss a beat. You can feel the vibrations running through you driving the song from beginning to end on this “Marriage of Skin and Steel” performance.
A well-done drum solo engages the audience and creates that excitement and energy that permeates through the crowd. Talent drummers tap out performances that are memorable and stick with you long after the concert is over. A salute to the hard working, skillful drummers that excite and energize the music we love.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
Have you ever taken a detour from your faith? Seizing an opportunity that promised pleasure, you felt yourself slipping deeper into a dark place. Having convinced yourself that it wasn’t a problem on the outside, deep down inside you knew that this wasn’t going to end well. Slowly, gradually your eyes adjusted to the darkness and your heart followed. At first, it felt like freedom, thinking you have somehow escaped the watchful eye of God. You can begin to enjoy the ride, continuing down that path of your own making, directed by none other than you. As night settles in, however, you begin to feel the weight of your wandering. Running from God can be suffocating! Trying so hard to convince yourself that God isn’t there, yet hoping deep inside that he is you feel a wrestling inside of you, the spiritual battle going on for your soul. Feeling crushed, you just want to escape this trap you have set for yourself and breathe again.
Grace and Forgiveness Can Dispel the Darkness
Mercifully, the God that you once called Father, loves you too much to leave you in the dark. He will give you glimpses of the light again so that you will see the darkness enveloping you. Opening your spiritual eyes, you catch the glimpses of light again. As you embrace the light of God’s love and surrender your wandering ways to him, the darkness flees. If you are unsure of your next move, remember the prodigal son in Luke 15. When he returned, the father came running to embrace him and welcome him home. Our Heavenly Father will do the same for all his prodigals who turn back to him.
Surrender is the Answer
All of our climbing and struggling to get right with God can be frustrating. If we surrender, asking God to pull us up and out of the pit of despair before we become completely buried in it. Our loving, merciful, gracious, forgiving God will pull us out of the dark pit and set us on the higher ground. Here we can build our house on the foundation of Jesus Christ and not the sandy, shifting shores that the world builds on. The suffocating pressure will disappear and we will feel like we can breathe again, smile again, live again. It’s time to rise from the rubble. We are free from the burden of our wandering and on the path that leads home. No more side roads leading to dark destinations. Following Christ, we will run and not grow faint on God’s path to the place that he has prepared for us, his children.And of that place, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
You know when you are excited about a band’s music and you share it with someone and here it comes, the question that they think will simply require a yes/no black and white answer. It may not always be that easy to provide that answer. Let’s step back a minute and reflect on what the real question is. Some of the things that may be at the heart of the question.
Does the band brand itself as a Christian band?
Does the band’s lyrics reflect Christian themes?
Do they perform strictly at Christian festivals and tour solely with other Christian bands?
If they perform with so called, secular bands, do they stand out as Christians?
Have some or all of the band members proclaimed to be Christians?
Does the band openly discuss their faith, on stage, in interviews?
Is their music worshipful?
Is cursing used in their music?
Does the band’s lyrics display holy living?
The Gift of Music
Music is a gift to us given by God. It can be used for worship, celebration, self-expression, to inspire, bring passion about injustice, to unite people for a cause. It can provide empathy, dispel loneliness and provide a voice for a message or expression. Songs can be written about any of life’s experiences such as love, relationships, politics, Christ, biblical realities, death, disease, loss, sadness, anger, pain, darkness, depression and so much more. On the dark side, music can be used to bring hate, inspire violence, degrade women, describe lewd sexual behavior. So how do Christians that happen to be in bands handle this? This is a very important decision each band or artist has to make. Brent Rambler of August Burns Red once commented on the fact that “It is important to us that people know that we are indeed Christians… without having us stand up there and ram it down people’s throats.” (JesusFreakHideout.com)
This gift called music is precious and humanity holds it in our hands to use for the good or to recklessly express messages that are damaging, hurtful and inspire dark behavior. Bands that contain Christians may express life experiences that some don’t understand or favor. Being a Christian doesn’t mean we don’t go through life with our own unique baggage. This may be expressed by musicians as they journey through this life with Christ or perhaps experience times of wandering. It can get uncomfortable at times but musicians may feel a need to express the dark side of life as well as the bright side.
What Music Will I Listen To?
Understanding that some Christians may want to limit their music listening to bands that brand themselves Christian and that is fine. Others may want to keep to the Christian worship genre of music which helps to keep our focus on God’s glory and how worthy he is of our worship. Some bands may want to relate to people on the streets, get real about life, bringing their faith in as it applies. Being natural in expressing faith may help to reach the otherwise unreachable. Also, a band may go through a time of doubt, where the journey is strained and disappointment in God or maybe in the church sets in. Many seem to have been hurt by those in the church. There may be a need for it to be expressed. It can help to sort out these realities of life in the public eye.We can look at it as a family chat, beginning with a song, followed by reactions and discussion and inciting prayer.
Understanding people is important. We are all in this together, right? We live in a fallen world, lost Adamic race with an amazing Savior waiting for his prodigals to come home. Sometime those preaching a strong message of purity in Christ fall hard and others that are honest about their sins and struggles become mature and strong in the faith. Those who prefer to live the message of Christ in love and share it as they are led, in a more private, relational setting are being used by God. Those preaching Christ from the stage and being very upfront about their faith are reaching people for Christ. God uses us where we are as believers and in different ways. Look at the apostles after Jesus left this earth, they were each used so differently but all had an impact for Christ.
I’ve seen entirely too much judging going on and not enough self-examination. Sure, there are times when a band disappoints? Their message starts out as hopeful, trusting, with a Christ-centered reality and strays from that to a place to a place of anger or darkness. This should inspire us to pray, to intercede for them. The journey may have taken a turn into a tunnel of doubt or darkness. Haven’t we all journeyed through those tunnels? Maybe the fog has rolled in and it’s hard to see the light. This is a time to pray that they would see God’s unwavering love for them shining through the shadows and darkness.
You ask, are they a Christian band? Are they a band that is searching for life’s answers? Are they a band of individuals at different places in their faith walk? Are they having a positive influence on their fans? Is the band’s lyrics bringing about deeper thinking about life and faith? Christians have to draw their lines as far as what music they will listen to. God has us all in different places and gives us different passions, callings, and ministries. So when we ask, “Are they a Christian band?”, let’s keep in mind the complexity of the question. Just realize that this can be a loaded question.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
The eighties had some Christian Metal bands with personality. You’ve no doubt heard of Stryper but have you heard of Stryken? Starting out in Arizona the Band started out with the name Stryker, founded by Dale and Steve Streiker in the 70’s. They hired a drummer by the name of Joey Knight, moved to Austin, Texas and added lbassist, Ezekiel Vade, completing the band. The band created their own record label, Chrystal records on which they released singles and their debut album “First Strike”.
With Stryper becoming more and more popular, the band changed its name to Stryken because the names were too similar. They were sometimes branded as a Stryper copycat band, but their sound has its own distinct sound.
The band members used stage names to conceal their identities. A glam metal band with a flair for drama, the band was once escorted out of a Motley Crue concert in San Antonio, Texas and detained for carrying a wooden cross wearing full body armor representing the armor of God. They were later released without being charged. The “armor” concept came from the Ephesians 6:11 description of the armor of God. The band was criticized by some Christians for their violent tones in songs such as “Crush the Head of Satan” which eluded to passages in the Bible, namely Genesis 3:15. Stryken was an 80’s band radiating a rock/metal sound with their own unique biblical twist. Not as popular as Stryper, Stryken made some noise in their own time.
Stryken – 1987 – Fisrt Stryke (Christian Hard Rock) Complete Album
Pastor Ricardo Castro
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
There is something captivating about brothers and sisters sharing a passion for music. Sharing the stage with siblings has to be a remarkable feeling. Imagine recounting the highlights of your latest show at a family gathering or with friends. Some bands that have found themselves in this unique position are:
Switchfoot
Jon Foreman, lead singer/songwriter and co-founder of the alternative rock band, Switchfoot, shares the stage with brother, Tim. The brothers started the band together in 1996 along with drummer, Chad Butler. Seeing them perform together is always a special treat. There is a real joy in the way they communicate with each other, their fellow band members and their fans. The radiate love and hope.
Children 18:3
Coming from Minnesota, Children 18:3, a Christian punk rock band, consists of siblings Seth Hostetetter (drums), LeeMarie Hostetter (bass, vocals), David Hostetter Jr. (vocals, guitar). The lead vocals are shared by David and Lee Marie with their brother Seth on the drums. The band’s name refers to the Bible verse Matthew 18:3, “and He said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Their music includes strong Christian themes and interesting arrangements. The band released what is said to be their final album in 2015 entitled, Come In.
Family Force 5
This Christian alternative rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia’s three of the five members of Family Force 5, Solomon (AKA: Soul Glow Activatur, who recently left the band, Joshua (AKA: Fatty), and Jacob Olds (AKA: Crouton), are sons of Jerome Olds, a Christian artist popular in the late 1980s. Prior to the formation of Family Force 5, the brothers were members of a “boy band” known as The Brothers, releasing Fact and Reality (1994) and RPM (1995). Both albums were released on Star Song Records, and produced by their father. The three brothers added Derek Mount (AKA: Chap Stique) and Nathan “Nate” Currin (AKA: Nadaddy). Before the band chose the name Family Force 5, they used the name “The Phamily” but were forced to change it later due to copyright issues with Prince’s band, The Family.
http://familyforce5.com/
Love Collide
Sisters Lauren and Brooke DeLeary have a passion. It is stated on their website as ““Our mission is to awaken a movement and to ignite a wildfire passion for Jesus in the hearts of this generation and those to come.” The name they chose, Love Collide, represents the cross of Christ where God’s love collided with us. The sisters’ lyrics to their songs are so important to them that they have written devotions for each song to share their thoughts.
lovecollide.com/about/
Brothers, formerly Oh Tear the Veil
A Christian hardcore band consisting of four brothers. They have recently changed the band name to “Brothers” from Oh Tear The Veil. The brothers that make up the band are Colyn, Hayden, Chase, and Kasen Perreault. All that talent all in one family! It is amazing to see brothers working together so closely, with the purpose of their music being to share the message of Christ with people who relate to music in the hardcore genre. On their Facebook page they call themselves an “Alternative Rock Metalcore group seeking to make a difference in this world”.
https://www.facebook.com/brothersbandoh/
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
“The ocean sounds like a garage band coming at me like a drunk man”. Have you heard that lyric from Switchfoot’s song “Vice Verses”?
What is a garage band? Well you would naturally think of it as an amateur band practicing in a garage with a loud, raw kind of rocking sound. In the 1960’s garage bands actually were considered a separate music genre. It was sort of an early form of punk rock. The Crusaders were a Christian garage band originally called Freddy and the Fanatics. The band changed their name to The Crusaders and signed with Tower Records in 1966. The band’s debut single was “The Little Drummer Boy” backed with “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Their debut album was called,“Make a Joyful Noise with Drums and Guitar”. The song “Praise Ye The Lord” had one of the heaviest garage sounds for it’s time.
There were all kinds of garage bands out there. This video captures the drums captioning the names of many of the bands and the sound that they carried.
Expression of the bands views, beliefs and emotions finds its way into the music naturally. In every era these expressions encompass the wide array of lifestyles, opinions and views of the musicians. Music is a sign of the times covering all that an era represents. The Grasshoppers’ song “The Very Last Day” talks about the judgement day. The lyrics go “ everybody’s gonna pray on the very last day when they hear that bell ring the world away”.
Dancing to the sound of the garage bands provided another outlet for fun and expression as you can see in this video of 60’s Garage, Surf, Freakbeat and Psychedelic Music. It was an exciting time of new music that was a springboard into the wide array of rock we enjoy today. This video shows the dance floor with people grooving to the garage sound beat.
The history of rock music is fascinating. The following is a taxonomy of music chart that is so interesting to look at. The chart originated on Pinterest. This is the link to it.
Linda Fau
Owner/Blogger
With a passion for Rock and Roll with a purpose-driven message, I've dedicated myself to providing you with all the best news and resources possible for Rock 'n Roll with a Purpose. Rock on!
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This Christian alternative rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia’s three of the five members of Family Force 5, Solomon (AKA: Soul Glow Activatur, who recently left the band, Joshua (AKA: Fatty), and Jacob Olds (AKA: Crouton), are sons of Jerome Olds, a Christian artist popular in the late 1980s. Prior to the formation of Family Force 5, the brothers were members of a “boy band” known as The Brothers, releasing Fact and Reality (1994) and RPM (1995). Both albums were released on Star Song Records, and produced by their father. The three brothers added Derek Mount (AKA: Chap Stique) and Nathan “Nate” Currin (AKA: Nadaddy). Before the band chose the name Family Force 5, they used the name “The Phamily” but were forced to change it later due to copyright issues with Prince’s band, The Family.
