RED- End of Silence

Back in 2006, I wasn't too familiar with a whole lot of Christian rock bands. Even then, I wasn't familiar with any form of rock that fused their heavy guitars with such melodic orchestration. And then there was the fact that Mike Barnes's fantastic voice and violent screams came with heartfelt and passionate lyrics. To say the least, RED won me over in very little time. And since then, RED's debut, End of Silence, has had a ton of singles that have made it really far on CHR and Rock Radio, quickly building on their success. It also proved to be just one more album to forever change the way we look at Christian rock.

The eerie piano/violin orchestration in the beginning demonstrates the mix of soft and hard, light and heavy. The soft music doesn't last long, however, as the first single to come from the band hits hard, asking God to "Breath Your life into me, I can feel You. I'm falling, falling faster. Breathe Your life into me, I still need You. I'm falling, falling. Breathe into me. Breathe into me."

Lyrics are nothing to question when coming from RED. All songs are, without a doubt, expertly written--penned by none other than guitarist Jason Rauch. Every song has lyrics that will haunt you or lift you up. Some are for worship, and some will give you something to think about. For example, we have track two, "Let Go," and track six, "Pieces." "Let Go" is about defeating the sin in our lives, and repeats that "You can't have me anymore" before launching into the longest and most brutal scream I've ever heard-- "LET GO!" And then in "Pieces" we find a beautiful worship song that asks God to put us back together again. There's quite a difference between the two, lyrically and musically. RED does a great job of executing both without leaving any doubts about talent.

The singles take up half of the album, and all are songs that must be heard at one point or another. Because if not, let me tell you, you're missing out. But other than the singles, tracks like "Wasting Time" and "Already Over, Pt. 2" stand out. While both are drastically different, they are both worthy of quite a few listens.

The End of Silence Deluxe Edition DVD is definitely a big addition to an already amazing CD. It features a live portion that displays the intense live show they deliver. If you've never seen RED live, this DVD will make you wish you had.

So 2006 proved to be a year that challenged us to forget what we knew about Christian rock. It taught us that talent can come from the oddest of places, and to listen to things a little more closely. Without RED and this release, I don't think Christian music would be the way it is today. So if you're at all into Christian music, this album is a definite must-own. And if you're into really good live shows, invest a little more to get the Deluxe Edition.