To embrace the future, we must first discover the past. Although Contemporary Christian Music as we know it is still on the rise, the Christian music industry has a deep and rich decades-long history. Whether you listened to Petra as a child or grew up on Chris Tomlin, Christian music has birthed many memorable artists and bands. Every week, we want to take you on a trip down memory lane as we reminisce about some of the most influential albums to have ever touched our ears.

Summer is typically a dry season for album releases as festivals are in full swing and bands are in the studio recording, but the fourth week of June hit a sweet spot for releases by several up-and-coming artists and industry veterans over the past decade.

A METAL REVOLUTION
Looking at the archives, I came to two conclusions. First, August Burns Red really enjoys putting out albums in June. Excluding their Christmas album, four of the band's six studio efforts were released during this month, with Leveler and Rescue & Restore having released this week in 2011 and 2013, respectively. However, the group's second album Messengers might as well be included, as it kicked off the trend of June releases by debuting on June 19, missing this week by just a day. 

Apparently there's something in the water for metal releases in June. Just a few years prior, fellow hardcore giant Underoath also released an album this week to critical acclaim. That album was Define The Great Line, and it would cement their place as one of the best bands in the genre by selling over 98,000 copies in its first week. I've never been a huge metalhead myself, but I'll be the first to admit that Define The Great Line holds a very special place in my heart and in music history.

SOLO ARTISTS STRIKE BACK
Over the years, this week saw the debut of several solo artists eager to break out of the shadows of their former bands. If you've followed Christian music at all over the past three decades, you're probably familiar with the name Peter Furler. A founding member of the Newsboys, Furler has penned some of the most influential songs in Christian music history, ranging from the remarkably insane "John Woo" to breakout worship hit "He Reigns." After 23 years with the band, Furler finally parted ways in 2009. Two years later, Furler released his first solo album, On Fire. As the Newsboys moved on to a more straight-up pop sound, Furler kept things dialed back to the more familiar rock style of his glory days, and the result was a fantastic blend of his signature quirky fun and reverent worship.

Also released on the same day as Furler's solo album is what I consider to be one of the most underrated albums ever created: Never Odd Or Even by Shonlock. A former member of TobyMac's Diverse City Band, Shonlock was no stranger to the music industry when he finally got his chance to shine in the spotlight in 2011. If you've ever had the privilege of seeing a Shonlock concert, you know he leaves everything on the stage every single time he performs. In an impressive feat, Shonlock managed to bottle this live excitement and sell it as an eclectic mix of 13 high-energy songs. Fun fact: the album title Never Odd Or Even is a palindrome, which means it is spelled the same way both forward and backward. 

OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES
Matthew West carved out his own little piece of history on June 21, 2005 when he released his second album, aptly titled History. Who can forget foot-stomping lead single "The Next Thing You Know" (sent to radio one day before the album's release) or the anthemic "Only Grace?" 

Rapper Trip Lee, only 22 at the time, made waves in 2010 when Between Two Worlds reached No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart. We said hello to An Epic, No Less with their independently released We Are The Echo of Love and said goodbye to Superchick with Rock What You Got. And in We As Human's case, we did both at the same time with their stellar 2013 self-titled debut, which would be their only major label release.

Finally, I wouldn't be a true Panhead without pointing out that it's been three years to the week since Skillet released their most recent album, Rise. Skillet has never been one to rush their albums, much to the chagrin of both diehard and casual fans, and Rise was no exception. After a strong showing with Awake, Skillet had big shoes to fill. I would argue that Rise all but surpassed its predecessor in terms of overall production, lyrical depth and musical experimentation. To this day Rise remains my favorite Skillet album of all time, standing as a testament to the increasing popularity of the legendary group.