Space Time Continuum
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The Washington Projects This brother/sister duo is really awesome! I love Group 1 Crew and TobyMac, so this album instantly won my heart. Their unique blend of hip-hop soul, R&B, funk and pop is very clever and like...
Light Up The Dark
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The Washington Projects The Christian hip hop genre is something that I've always been a huge fan of, but this brother/sister duo are a great find! Their super catchy songs remind me of Group 1 Crew and TobyMac, who are...
People & Songs, Opus 1 Collective
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Jennie Lee This album is a fantastiac compilation of worship songs written by Jennifer Lee Riddle. It includes some of the most iconic worship anthems, such as "Faithful", "When The Stars Burn...
Authentic Rock 'n' Roll! | Posted October-13-2010
House of Heroes'latest album Suburba is a straight up rock 'n'roll funfest that doesn't stop delivering throughout the whole 12 songs on the album. Before this album I had no idea who House of Heroes were, until they got me hooked with great songs such as Relentless, Salt In The Sea, Elevator and the stand-out track, God Save The Foolish Kings. Suburba is 45 minutes of fun as you are taken through songs that describe the life of being a teenage kid living through the ups and downs of the American suburbs. This album may be 45 minutes of fun but that doesn't mean it's a shallow album either.
Themes such as the complications of love (Love Is For The Middle Class) and the school fights behind the bleachers (God Save The Foolish Kings) this album is a fast moving kick-butt rock album that is an absolute joy and pleasure to listen to, from the highlight opener, Relentless, to the closer, Burn Me Down. This album is clearly aimed at youth, so if you're not counted as a youth then you probably won't like this album as much. Other than that, Suburba is one of the funnest releases of 2010 that is a must buy!!
Skillet "Awake" Album Review | Posted September-21-2010
The first song on Awake is a song called “Hero” which was also the first single. This is a really good song, but the real highlight is the backing vocals of the new 20 year old drummer, Jen Ledger. The combination of the rougher voice of the lead singer John Cooper and the voice Jen Ledger, makes this song sound amazing. This song talks about mankind’s need for a hero, in this case that hero being Jesus Christ. The song was written in the midst of all the evil and tragedies that happen in the world today and highlights the fact that Jesus is the one who fights all this evil for us. Hero gets the album off to a hard edgy beginning.
Following Hero is a song called “Monster”. I know it sounds like a weird name for a Christian song, but the meaning behind it is pretty interesting. The “monster” referred to in the song represents the different and sinful beast inside of us. It talks about how we as humans do everything possible to keep others from seeing the beast from within and how sin is something that we can’t control. The main melody is very catchy. My only criticism of it is that after a while, it got a little repetitive. Other than that it’s an awesome song.
These two songs are great, but the real standout on this album is the title track “Awake and Alive”. I just love everything about this song. It opens up with the trademark of all Skillet songs, the violin. The violins then continue throughout the whole song, creating a great rock atmosphere. It’s also got an amazing guitar solo and it’s a fantastic hard rock tune. This is one of my favourite songs on the album. I just love the triumphant anthem “I’m awake, I’m alive”. This song was an instant hit for me as soon as I heard it. Check it out, “Awake and Alive”.
On a whole, Skillet’s Awake is a fantastic rock album. The album covers a lot of topics in today’s world such as sin, faith and even love. This album is great with the introduction of Jen Ledger and her great voice. She is probably the best female vocalist the band’s ever had.
For a huge fan of Skillet, this probably wasn’t your favourite album because it didn’t offer much new sound. For long fans of Skillet you’d probably think that this album wasn’t as good as Comatose.
Sanctus Real write from the "Real Heart" | Posted September-21-2010
Pieces of a Real Heart is fairly different to past albums from Sanctus Real. They are well renowned for their guitar-driven rock songs, but the only evidence of a rock song is Track 6, “Take Over Me” which brings back the traditional Sanctus Real sound, at the same time delivering the inspirational lyrics and message that the band aimed for with this album. So, if you are a rock fan or prefer the sound on the band’s other albums, then you won’t like this album as much. Sanctus Real uses a diverse range of sounds, such as the clever use of the banjo in the first single “Forgiven”. The album is produced by Christopher Stevens (tobyMac, Matthew West) and Jason Ingram (Tenth Avenue North, Bebo Norman). Jason Ingram is a well know contemporary Christian and worship producer, so his production of this album might have had some influence on the softer sound.
The main theme of this album is very clear. It is a reflection of the band’s goal to write honest songs that reflect their struggles in life, hence the title Pieces of a Real Heart.
A great song off the album is the lead single "Forgiven". The thing I love about this song is the big build up in the intro with guitars, drums and the banjo. This song is also about forgiveness and there is one key line in the chorus that shows the whole purpose of the song. “I don’t have to carry the weight of who I am, ‘cause I’m forgiven!” Forgiven is a great song but unfortunately it isn’t the biggest thing off this album.
Another song that needs recognition is Track 2 "These Things Take Time". This is a bouncy rock tune, but the rock is too a small extent. I find this song extremely catchy and easy to sing along to. The brief guitar instrumental is also very interesting because of it’s almost blues guitar sound.
The absolute stand out on the album and in my opinion the best song in Contemporary Christian music at the moment, is “Lead Me”. This song has been an incredible hit on Christian radio and it’s not hard to see why. This song is deeply personal and surrounds Matt Hammit’s as a husband, father and a man in need of God’s direction to be the best leader for his family. Matt cries out to God to lead him in his role and to be the best father and husband he can be. This song is very emotional and it has brought many listeners to tears.
In conclusion, if you’re a long-time fan of Sanctus Real (which I’m not) then you won’t enjoy this album as much because of its gentler pop and radio-friendly sound. This is a brand new band for me and I have enjoyed Sanctus Real’s positive message and inspirational tunes. In some places the sound is fairly single-channeled, but the album is very encouraging and personal. So if you’re ever going through any hard times in your Christian walk, Sanctus Real’s music has the ability to bring you closer to God.
not bad | Posted August-12-2010
even thought there are only four songs on this album, Bill cody is still not half bad. Bill Cody’s songs are of love, hope, and peace. He is sometimes good to listen to occasionally.
pretty good | Posted August-12-2010
All i can say is good job Esterlyn. This band is great and they remind of legendary bands like Switchfoot and Needtobreathe. I definetley recommend you get this album.
pretty good | Posted August-12-2010
All i can say is good job Esterlyn. This band is great and they remind of legendary bands like Switchfoot and Needtobreathe. I definetley recommend you get this album.
pretty good | Posted August-12-2010
this is a better album i expected it to be. Israel Houghton is a very talented artist and he knows how to produce a fantastic album every time. A good job done.
alright | Posted August-12-2010
this is a better album i expected it to be. Israel Houghton is a very talented artist and he knows how to produce a fantastic album every time. A good job done.
alright | Posted August-12-2010
this is a better album i expected it to be. Israel Houghton is a very talented artist and he knows how to produce a fantastic album every time. A good job done.
alright | Posted August-12-2010
this is a better album i expected it to be. Israel Houghton is a very talented artist and he knows how to produce a fantastic album every time. A good job done.
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