Ghost Thief
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Living Sacrifice Ghost Thief offers more of what makes Living Sacrifice so great to listen too. From its expert breakdowns to the inspirational lyrics, the band does what it does best and delivers another solid album....
Fight the Silence
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For Today Fight the Silence has a unique backstory in that the idea for it came about when frontman Matt Montgomery saw a video about human trafficking that had a strong emotional imapct on him. He decided to make...
From Water to War
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Nine Lashes From Water to War does a great job in bucking the sophomore slump and delivering a sound that is similar yet different. While the band's debut sounded like any other hard rock album, this one...
4.5/5 | Posted April-10-2012
Demon Hunter's latest album True Defiance is an excellent metal album that captures everything that the band has learned from the past 10 years. The band has always wanted to one-up themselves on every album they make and this is no exception. It feels more aggressive than their previous album and they experiment a bit more with their sound by adding little touches here and there that break from the norm. This is part of why every song on this album is unique in its own way. Another reason is that Ryan Clark's vocals continue to be whatever the song calls for. They could be aggresive on one song, low and haunting on another song, or sweet and soothing elsewhere. The vocal diversity remains astounding and is one highlight of the album. The lyrics are also really good with songs that deal with growing up, death, life, and resisting temptations (which is a major theme of this album). You also have to be careful as many of the lyrics contain double meanings which could put some people off if they are not listening that closely.
Overall, True Defiance is another excellent addition to the discography of Demon Hunter. It contains many things that you would find on any other metal album, aggresive guitars, searing guitar solos, thumping double kick pedal, and an intense sound. It also contains many unique elements that break away from the monotony like vocal depth, experimental sounds, and great themes and lyrics. With all this in mind, this might be the band's best album to date and I look forward to what they cook up next.
4.5/5 | Posted April-06-2012
Thousand Foot Krutch proves that they still have that punch ow that they are basically free do make whatever music they want to make. The End Is Where We Begin is an album that tells us that we should stand up for something and proceeds to give us 12 reasons as to why. All throughout this album we get that sense of independence as the band manages to do things with their sound that they probably wouldn't have been able to do if they were still on a label. There aggressive hard rock style is still intact with the addition of Trevor McNeaven's more intense vocals and it still sounds as amazing as always. The real fun is in songs where Trevor busts out his raps. This nostalgic trip back to the band's past further pushes their new independent status plus its just fun to hear him rapping again with the riffs going on in the background.
Overall, The End Is Where We Begin is an excellent album that tells us to stand up for something and also showcases the band's new independence. It's a heavy rocker with some powerful slower songs mixed with traces of the past. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
4.5/5 | Posted April-06-2012
Manafest's last album, The Chase, was probably his best work yet. It had a straight rock feel and stuck with it the whole way through. Now about 2 years later Manafest has Fighter which maintains that rock sound from The Chase and, just like with that album, maintains it the whole way through. The rock sound compliments the anthmatic lyrics about conquering your battles and standing up for what you believe in. The theme is effective and relevant. Manafest's vocals continue to impress me. I feel like he could turn into the Canadian TobyMac as not only can he rap well, his singing voice is really good too. Manafest sings more on this album as well which is fine but I would have preferred more rapping.
Fighter is another great album by Manafest that manages to rock your socks off and deliever an important message amongst the rock. I still think The Chase is the better album but this one comes close.
4/5 | Posted April-06-2012
When it comes to remix albums, TobyMac always seems to be a cut above the rest. That's no exception here as he brings us his latest remix collection of songs from Portable Sounds and Tonight. The album starts out great with many songs that sound like pure rave material. It's towards the other half of the album that things start to slide a bit. Some of the remixed songs sounded a bit boring or similair to the originals but they were still good nonetheless.
Dubbed and Freq'd is a fine collection of remixes that would be acceptable in any sort of party atmosphere. The first half is stronger then the second half but it still does not take away from the experience. Give it a listen.
5/5 | Posted April-02-2012
MyChildren MyBride's 3rd self-titled album is a bit of a reboot of their sound. The whole album feels a lot darker and menacing then their previous albums which had a simple metal sound. The guitars sound more gritty, the drums sound more heavy hitting, and Matthew Hastings screams and growls sound more eerie and rough. It's a welcome change and a great addition to a genre that runs the risk of getting stale. Even the lyrics have a darker tone and quality to them. This is a very intense album that will leave you breathless after its conclusion.
MyChildren MyBride has reinvented themselves and bring us a darker, yet maturing, sound that manages to sound almost nothing like previous albums. It hits you hard with its dark themes and sound that you'll be wondering if this is even the right band you're listening to. It's a thrillride from start to finish with no breaks in between.
Happy 20th Anniversary! | Posted April-02-2012
Yes MxPx is 20 years old this year and what better way to celebrate than by releasing an album that feels like a retrospective over those years. This is, in essence, what Plans Within Plans is all about. It does have a central theme, looking back fondly on life and hope for the future, that deals with how the band itself feels after all the news about them in the years leading up to this album's release.
The retrospective feel is felt throughout the sound as it feels like they have dug into everything they ever did from their discography. From their humble skate punk beginnings, to the low punk pop period of the Before, Everything, & After album, it all can be found on Plans Within Plans. The lyrics remain positive and encouraging even through the tough times the band has experienced and that's a huge positive.
Plans Within Plans is a very good punk record that manages to capture everything that MxPx was and is in one album. While I feel like it could have used a few more tracks to extend the rather short running length, this is still an album that serves as a look back on MxPx's incredible 20 year career, it's highs and lows, and gives us a positive message as well. You won't get that from any other punk band out there today.
4.5/5 | Posted March-30-2012
KJ-52's latest album, Dangerous, delivers quite a unique experience in that this is the most mainstream sounding he's been yet. These are songs that could appear on Top 40 radio stations and DJ playlists. But there is also some great diversity between these 12 tracks that make this one of the best rap almbums of the year so far. KJ's blend of serious, impactful, and humourous lyrics is still masterful as always. There is no single reason to not like this album and not have a great time listening to it.
4.5/5 | Posted March-28-2012
David Crowder Band's final album, Give Us Rest, is a fitting end to what can only be described as a groundbreaking career. Everything you'd expect to hear from any of Crowder's albums can be found here as it really does express the ecclectic personality of the band as a whole. You'll find straight worship songs, electronic songs, acoustic songs, bluegrass songs, the list goes on. The way the album is presented is well done. The first disc is about death and has a very somber tone to it. This disc, to me, signifies the end of an era for the band. The second disc is about life and looking towards the future. It has a more fun and lighthearted tone while and is sort of like a final hurrah in that everyone involved will move on and do what they do in other capacities. (David Crowder will still be making music in the future while the rest of the guys in the band are part of their church's worship band.)
Much like the series finale of a television program that has had a long run on the air, Give Us Rest perfectly signifies the David Crowder Band's styles and delivers a powerful and emotional farewell that will be felt by fans for years to come.
4/5 | Posted March-12-2012
The latest album from Mr J. Medeiros, Saudade, offers great beats, excellent lyrical flow, and personal heavy hitting lyrics. There are many personal songs that he just puts his heart and soul out on that it makes the messages of the album all the more real and impactful. Saudade is an album that sets itself apart thanks to its honest and truthful lyrics and that alone makes it worth a listen.
3/5 | Posted March-09-2012
The 5th album from Sanctus Real continues the softer sound that was introduced on their last album We Need Each Other. I wasn't as blown away by that album as most other people were and I find the same feeling happening here. I don't hate the album though. The lyrics are fine, the rock songs are well written, and Matt Hammitt's vocals are as strong and honest as ever. It's just that this whole softer sound they are doing now just turns me off of the band a bit.
Pieces of A Real Heart does contain some good things but if you are a fan of the band's first 3 albums, you might be a bit disappointed by this new sound they've taken up.
username2's Music and Book Reviews 
![Give Us Rest or (A Requiem Mass in C [The Happiest of All Keys]) - Disc 1 by David Crowder*Band](thum_creater/phpThumb.php?src=../images/album_cover_images/cover_11033.jpg&w=90&h=90&hash=1c87ff6b4f44bd53636211bdb34064c1)
