Christian Rock Recap #4 welcomes new Christmas covers, alongside a few new albums and singles. There's something for every rock fan. Some new releases include a tribute album from icon Kevin Max, rock band Anberlin's live stream concert recording, and more. We also got a look at this year's Rock nominees in the 9th Annual We Love Christian Music Awards.
9th Annual We Love Christian Music Awards
NewReleaseToday's annual celebration of the best artists, albums and song of the year returns with two categories celebrating Christian Rock and Alternative music.
The Amp Award celebrates Rock/Alternative Album of 2020 and this year's nominees include Anchor & Braille, Fight the Fade, Fireflight, NEEDTOBREATHE and RED.
Rock Song of the Year nominees include Adrienne Camp's "I Can't Save Myself," Disciple's "Darkness Dies," Lacey Sturm's single, "The Decree," RED's "The War We Made" and Relent's "Low."
Kevin Max - Revisiting This Planet
When we think back to early pioneers of Christian-based rock, singer Larry Norman is at the forefront. Several artists over the years have covered his 1972 iconic album,Only Visiting This Planet. Now, the unorthodox hitmaker Kevin Max, whose musical talents were most prominently shown in the legendary band dc Talk, covers Norman's album, which is unique to Kevin's own style of rock. This new release definitely deserves a listen from Christian rock fans, new and old.
Manafest - "Bring The Fire"
A very influential artist in the Christian-based rock scene is Canadian-born Manafest. He has always had a keen sense of both hip-hop and rock, similarly to his longtime contributing partner, Trevor McNevan of Thousand Foot Krutch. His newest single, "Bring The Fire," is a great track. It's a powerful, anthemic song that encourages listeners to embrace any upcoming challenges.
August Burns Red - All I Want For Christmas Is You
If we're crediting bands for contributing to the metal side of Christmas music, rockers August Burns Red has to be on that list. Back in 2012, the band released their first, almost-fully-instrumental Christmas album, August Burns Red Presents: Sleddin' Hill, A Holiday Album. Fans loved it. From then on, they have consistently released something Christmas-related—a single or album. For 2020, they covered Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," both visually with the album art and musically (instrumentally). They combined some previous releases as well for this appropriately named Christmas album.
Ryan Adams lives in Ohio, yet grew up in Boise, Idaho. He loves the Christian rock and metal community. He has been sharing his passions with NRT, going into his second year writing with them.
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