Dear fans and followers...

...However many of you there might be (we're up to six now, woo-hoo!). I'm sure you've noticed it's been FOREVER since I've updated the blog. Life has been really busy with me, and I haven't really had a lot of time for stuff like this, which I find really disappointing. I really enjoy exploring music by writing about it, but I have priorities, and--I know, this is going to shock you--I'm not really obsessed. I have a normal life with normal things that need to be taken care of, but one of the things I love most is music and writing. So just so you guys don't decide to forget about me, I'm going to try to make up for my absence by blogging a whole bunch come mid-November. So try not to hate me for leaving you guys for a bit, but I didn't like it either.

Now, what I said before about "exploring music by writing about it" may turn out to be another blog that I want to start. Basically, I find that God teaches me so much through music, and I'd just really like to share that and write it out for whoever might need it. I have lots of good ideas, and I really hope I can get that started soon.

So, again, Christian Rock OBSESSION is far from finished, and look for some crazy stuff to come mid-November. Thanks!

-FISHER

Pillar- Confessions

I'm sure by now you've heard me say once or twice that settling for the ordinary these days is just not enough. Newer bands such as Since October or Decyfer Down have a style that just screams bland. They stick to the formula of rock and they don't do much to switch things up or add their own flair. Unfortunately, long time Chrisitian rock band, Pillar, has fallen into that category one too many times. Yes, they're very well known in Christian music, but they've never really done anything that lasts for long. The eleven years they've been around has increased veneration among Christian music fans, but nothing they've done has drastically changed the genre. Lyrically they're decent, and musically just they're your typical rock. There isn't anything too unique about it. Their newest album, Confessions, has a few exceptions, but not enough to make a very big difference for the band's reputation.

"Fire on the Inside" kicks off the album after a short intro, bringing your average Pillar rock to the table. No surprise. The follwoing two songs, however, caught me a little off guard. They both seem a lot bigger and better. It feels like Pillar suddenly gained a ton of confidence in themselves and realized they can make great music! "Whatever It Takes" and "Secrets and Regrets" are remeniscent of RED, or another band that has been singled out because of their talent. But sadly, the mood doesn't continue for long.

The record has the normal ballads that you would expect from Pillar. Out of the three, I don't find any of them particularly attractive. All other songs are heavy and aren't bad, just not anything people should be raving about. I really wish Pillar could maybe pull off something fantastic, because they have the potential--they just don't really know how to put that to use. "Not Without a Fight" is the best of the heavier tracks (besides the earlier mentioned two), full of screams courtesy of Rob Beckley. Longtime fans are sure to find that track to their liking, especially those who were into "Bring Me Down" from their Where Do We Go From Here? album. The rest of the songs seem to run together a bit too much.

I was hoping Pillar could pull off something good. The album is decent--don't get me wrong--but it's nothing that'll drastically change the way Pillar is viewed. Maybe if they keep up the style of a few songs with a tad more tweaking, they can achieve something a bit more impacting. Until then, we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds for this long-time rock band, and hope they can change into something great... which we all know they're perfectly capable of.

Switchfoot :: Hello Hurricane Collector's Deluxe Edition-Pre-Sale

OK... this is sweeeeeeet!
Switchfoot :: Hello Hurricane Collector's Deluxe Edition-Pre-Sale

Thousand Foot Krutch- Welcome to the Masquerade

For years, formerly Canadian-based rawk band Thousand Foot Krutch has been delivering their crunchy adrenaline-powered music to the Christian music scene. Their energy has earned their music spots in a ton of sports montages on ESPN, including various other televised sporting events, the 2009 summer movie trailer for GI Joe, and even made them champions in Taco Bell's "Feed the Beat" contest earlier this year. Their single, "Fire It Up," helped to increase the hype for fans, as well as land TFK in the track listing for EA's NHL '10. So if not for the earnest lyrics, driving music, and impressive trakc record, Welcome to the Masquerade is at least worth checking out because of the raving reviews that have been floating around this week... not to mention that it's quite possibly their best yet.

"The Invitation" opens the album with an instrumental track that slowly builds the hype even more for fans, leading up to the title track. Crunchy guitars fill the song while mixing more melodic components into the chorus. Trevor McNevan (a very common name in Christian music) sings about the masks we all hide behind the cover our insecurities at times in our lives. That theme vaguely carries on through the album (kind of like Emery's ...In Shallow Seas We Sail), giving it something of a concept. Songs like "Bring Me to Life," "Scream," and "Look Away" showcase the theme of having hearts and feelings that need God's fixing.

Continuing the album are the previously mentioned tracks, "Fire It Up" and "Bring Me to Life." The former is one of the most amped-up, energetic songs ever to come from TFK. Trevor yells the chorus: "I've got a bad case of turning it up, it's getting cold in here, so fire it up..." It's definitely one of those songs you'd want to be listening to before a game or something to get you pumped. The following song pales in comparison, but is overall not a bad song, besides a slightly weak piano piece that opens before jumping into the action. There is a small difference between the "Bring Me to Life" free single that was released when TFK won "Feed the Beat" this year, but only a scream at the end of the chorus that wasn't as deep as the original and seems to blend with the rest of the album a little better.

Thousand Foot Krutch reunited with producer Aaron Sprinkle for Welcome to the Masquerade, who also produced Phenomenon back in 2003, which is one of the reasons why everything might be so much bigger and better, considering that he's worked with bands such as Demon Hunter and Emery. Also, Project 86 guitarist Randy Torres made a few heavy contributions. So overall, the sound is solid and has a much bigger and more professional sound than any other TFK album to date.

The song "E for Extinction" is another powerful one, and although I wouldn't say it's fantastic, it has that "always stuck in your head" factor and is very likable. The song after, "Watching Over Me," allows the listener to take a short breather with a signature TFK ballad. It's a good song by all means, but suffers because of its mediocre and rather cliche chorus, which says, "I know You're out there, and I know You care, 'cause I feel You like an angel watching over me." It's honest and has a good message, but I feel that there are just too many others songs with similar meanings, which gives it a little bit less of the impact it would have initially had. The verses are much more original, and the orchestration sounds great with the guitars. Two other ballads make up the tracklist, both of which are very strong, lyrically and musically. They're very emotional songs, and are without a doubt two of the most heartfelt.

Things pick back up with one of TFK's best songs ever to be released, "The Part That Hurts the Most (Is Me)." The hard-rocking guitars and piercing vocals are accompanied by intense lyrics that sing, "The part that hurts the most (is me), the most (is you), it's everything I do without you." It's the most outstanding song on the record, and definitely a Thousand Foot Krutch favorite for me. The final rocker on the album is a song that is very similar to Queen's "We Will Rock You," and is very enjoyable.

To say that Thousand Foot Krutch improved this time around would be an understatement. To say that they've crafted the perfect record would be an overstatement. But overall, Welcome to the Masquerade is a very well done effort from the rawk trio. I'm sure we'll be seeing (and mostly hearing) a bit of them in the near future, especially with football season started. Just know that the adrenaline from this album won't be wearing off anytime soon.

Update 9/5 and Poll Updates

Hey everyone! I hope everything's been going well with you. Life's been really busy with me, but I just wanted to take a few minutes and let you in on what's been going on with a few bands...

To start off, everyone that's been enjoying the new Skillet album and contributing to it's success (being the #1 album on iTunes for a day) should be happy to know that they've released the video for "Monster," which you can watch here. Jon Cooper, strangely, reminds me of Superman. Haha.

Showbread, Project 86, The Wedding, and Children 18:3 have announced plans to tour in October, which sounds like a pretty unbelievable lineup. But it's true. No dates have been announced yet, so stay posted and I'll get you those when they pop up somewhere...

Anybody hear Anberlin's new single? It's a cover of a song called "True Faith" and I think it's pretty good!

Project 86 is going to be shooting their video for "Dark Angel Dragnet" this month, as well as a short film. Sounds interesting. They'll be releasing info on how you can be an extra in the coming days.

Relient K's new album "Forget and Not Slow Down" will be hitting stores on October 6th, but you can choose from three pre-order options TODAY! Click here to prepare yourselves. Also, you can hear the title track on their Myspace. Enjoy!

Earlier I told you that Secret & Whisper's new album would be coming this October. But now I'm hearing that it'll drop in February? But if that gets you down, I hope you'll be please to at least know that it's titled Teenage Fantasy. Excited? Me too.

So for the most recent poll, I asked what everyone's favorite Children 18:3 song was. The results:

LCM 33%
Even Sleeping 33%
Homemade Valentine 33%

So that was kind of a tie, but I'll agree that those are some of their best. Look for a new poll soon, and PLEASE VOTE!!!!!

Look for an overall review of Purple Door 09 coming soon--I know it's been a while, but I promise it soon. See you soon!

-FISHER

Philmont- Attention

Last year, a little-known band called Philmont introduced us to a fun EP called Oh Snap. But the year before that was what earned Philmont the attention they felt deserving of. After getting a spot at Cornerstone festival (which, by the way, doesn't sound too easy), they worked non-stop to attract people's attention and draw in as many fans as possible. Their commitment and killer performance was recognized by EMI/Forefront Records, and they signed shortly after. Now if that kind of hard work doesn't deserve just one or two listens, I'm not sure what does. And with a rather obnoxious album cover assaulting people's "attention" with that exact same word, Philmont pleads you to give them one shot with this debut.

Now, if you aren't familiar with last year's EP, let me fill you in. To start off, Oh Snap--the rather punny title, taking into consideration the rhinoceros crushing the title on the cover--pretty much sets the tone for the EP. Their pop/punk style mixed with a few electro elements and crunchy guitars suits their quirky--and sometimes slightly cheesy--lyrics. Of course, it's evident that they do love God, and however odd their method of displaying that might be, they've done a good job of creating some honest music. They're without a doubt aiming at a younger audience, but that only makes their meaningful lyrics more impacting. For example, the line from their single: "Tear down these walls; I'd climb, but I can't stand to fall without You." It's a good, heartfelt lyric, and at the same time holds a quality that's just kind of childish. But that's not always a bad thing, right? Just look up Matthew 18:3. The simpleness of it might not satisfy those looking for deeper, more intriguing lyricism. But, songwriting aside, Philmont managed a fairly respectable pop/punk first effort. Songs like "The Difference" and "My Hippocratic Oath" hold Philmont's heavier guitars. "Photosynthetic" and "I Can't Stand to Fall" are the more punk sounding tracks, while a rather boring and anti-climactic ballad, "Another Name," parted the EP in two.

Those songs from the EP take up a good portion of the newer album, which fans of Oh Snap might be slightly disappointed about. But if they're fans of the EP, they'll find the full-length much to their liking, so that's not a huge issue. The first track, "Hello, Jack," is one of the heaviest songs on the album. Some fans will recognize it from before they were signed. It sounds identical, except for the screaming in the bridge which is a little bit quieter and harder to hear over vocalist Scott Taube's singing. The song talks about a plane crash and questions who's really in control of the flight. We know that nothing is out of God's control, and the song points that out very well. "To Say They Hit It Off Would Be An Understatement" gets a little boring, and uses a lot of synths, which kind of makes things sound even more juvenile. In fact, a good majority of the songs have a point or two where a dance beat or synths are introduced. It sounds good in spots, but I don't think it complements the punk style or should be a prominent factor in a lot of songs.

The song "Back Down," has something of a pre-chorus that says over and over, "Back down, get your back down, baby, tonight," and almost wrecks a very good song with the cheesiness of it. Other than that piece, it's one of the most fun songs on the album, whith a chorus which sings, "I'm growing tired of climbing higher. Your love is all I have to keep me strong. As I'm ascending, I feel You with me. You wait with outstretched arms in case I fall back down." "Setting Off" is one song that is a little bit more different from the rest, and stands out considerably among the newer set of songs ("The Difference" standing out the most, for me, on the EP). The lyrics are still not enough, but the song loses all electronic influences for the entire song, something that is very rare. The song is also very catchy and very hard to get out of your head once it's in there. "Letter to the Editor," the next song, works a lot better for Philmont than "Another Name" did on the EP. This is one point where the lyrics are a bit more grown-up, and you can tell they're sung passionately, just like the final song, "The Terminal."

So if there was one thing that would make Philmont a better band, it would be maturity. It's great that they're reaching out to younger kids, but what kids listen to nowadays could be anything. It's hard to deny that these guys do have great hearts for God, and I give them lots of credit for that. Maybe as they grow up as a band, their music will follow...

Oh, Sleeper- Son of the Morning

Controversy isn't always a bad thing. Enough of it can draw in those brave and curious enough to find out what it's about, hence bringing more exposure and maybe even a few fans. Like when Oh, Sleeper released their debut in 2007, titled When I Am God. At a first look, that might seem very prideful and completely out of place. Some people might have found themselves checking the label. "That does say 'Solid State,' right?" So then what was this Christian metal band doing with a title like that?

"Vices Like Vipers"--the track from which the album title was taken from--talks about how "When I am God, the church is unsound," letting God be God, and allowing Him to rule your life. See? So this time, when their sophomore album cover was released to the public, revealing part of a pentagram, people might have taken a second look to see what this one was really about. And by not jumping to conclusions, they discovered that, again, things are not what they seem at first look. The upside-down star normally has the bottom two points at the top (those being the devil's horns) and the single point at the bottom (that being the head). However, the horns are missing, relating the the final song, "The Finisher," in which God tells Satan, "My angels will sing to a world reborn as I cut off your horns. I'll cut off your horns." Makes sense now, right?

So to start off the album, the title track speaks from Satan's point of view. A bunch of things against God and His children are said. The only part seen from God's point of view is the chorus, where He says, "If you could see like Me you'd see you haven't won anything, If you could see like Me you'd see it's by My grace you're breathing." It's a really powerful son, and can easily make us angry at Satan's mindset, all building up to the satisfying finale where God promises his demise. But between the beginning and the end is where God goes about bringing people to Him and preparing an army to defeat Satan. That's what takes up the eight tracks between.

As far as the music goes, it's your typical metal. There isn't a whole lot that sets it apart. Micah Kinard's screams are intense--as usual--but aren't as deep as a lot of metal vocalists'. They're more like the higher screams of TDWP's Mike Hranica. In most songs there are spots where things slow down temporarily, but nothing is too shockingly drastic. Kinard's singing voice is crystal-clear in places, and in others sounds like a combination of the growling and singing. The usual doubl bass becomes highly impressive in the songs "World Without a Sun" and "Commissioned by Kings." Some might even find themselves wondering how it's even possible that someone could move their feet that quickly. It's unbelievable.

Other than the fact that there's only one song over four minutes and only ten tracks, I'd say Son of the Morning is a great sophomore album for Oh, Sleeper. Any fans of Solid State should be prompted to give this album a listen with no hesitation. A great album that fantastically displays spiritual warfare, any fan of Christian metal should check this out--and always remember to look past the surface of things. They aren't always what they seem.