It will be soon when festival season is upon us and we get to see our favorite bands live. The Germany-based, two-day Loud and Proud Festival recently announced their final line-up, featuring hard rockers Disciple, Petra, and Project 86's final show as a band. The three-day Alive Music Festival in Ohio features rock icons Stryper, Skillet, and even Pillar for one of their first and few shows in many years. The rock-focused, three-day festival in Indiana--Kingdom Come Festival--features rock bands Ashes Remain, Spoken, and Relentless Flood. Let us know how these festivals go if you attend.
Suppose you remember the legendary band For Today. In that case, you'll be interested in listening to my friends at The KingdomCorePodcast, who recently interviewed lead singer Mattie Montgomery about spiritual warfare and music. And while you listen, you can read up on the new music released in the scene.
Convictions - "Sleeping Lotus"
If you've been reading these articles for a while, you'll know our love for the Christian metalcore band Convictions is high. But it has been a while since we got new music from them. That has changed with an explosive new track, "Sleeping Lotus."
In this killer song, Convictions explores slipping into and out of apathy in faith, challenging us to rise from our apostate state of mind. The newer vocalist delivers impressive clean vocals, and Michael Felker, the lead singer, surprises us with gnarly, high-pitched screams at the end. You will want to take advantage of this one. We want more Convictions.
Tierra Vacia - Rumble
I have a soft spot for symphonic metal, and there need to be more great, Christian-based symphonic metal bands. I'm excited to share with you Tierra Vaica. This Tennesee-founded band released their debut record, Rumble, which praises the Lord while proclaiming that spiritual warfare is real and must be fought.
The band's name means "empty earth." They want to bring meaning and truth back to earth and stir people's hearts with their hopeful, godly music. The vocals are female-led and commanding, the musicianship is fantastic, and the songwriting is mature—everything I'm looking for in symphonic metal. I hope you enjoy them.
Meet Your Maker - "Worship Is Warfare"
Independent bands always have a welcome place on my playlists, and I hope they do in yours, too. Please focus on Meet Your Maker, a mindblowing metalcore band barely scratching the surface. But where quantity is lacking, quality is plenty. They released their second single (after about three years) at the end of 2023, "Worship is Warfare."
I've just highlighted the excellent music video that was partially supported on Kickstarter and has just been released. Oh, and did I mention it features a 21-second scream and a breakdown? With the music video produced and released, I'm hoping for new music from them soon because what they have started is fantastic, and I hope you think so, too.
