Mike Indest – 45
Mr. Indest returns with a short but sweet two song ep. Set-up just like its namesake, you have an A-side and a B-side. However, both songs are stand-outs. Indest can still write some of the catchiest thought-provoking songs out there. Songs this good should be all over the charts, but radio’s loss is your gain. Check this “single” out for free online today.
Swinery – Swinery EP
Swinery produces some of the fastest death grind metal I have ever heard. There are ten songs on here, but most of them are in the 11-6 second range. Longest song is 45 seconds. Drums are so fast they must be programmed. But its not all speed and noise – “Hades” does slow things down enough to understand the words. This is specific music for extreme metalheads, but be sure to give it a chance if you like things extreme. This is about as extreme as it gets.
Kneel – Tales from the Secret Garden of Cobwebs and Grapevine
I guess this is the season for surprising side-projects by Thumper Punk Records punk bands. This EP finds Neil Roddy from Ambassadors of Shalom veering decidedly into alt-rock territory for MMLJ Records. Most of the songs here take a serious, somber tone due to Roddy dealing with some heavy blows that life has recently dealt him. I can’t find much online to see if this is band or one-person side project, but the sound is not acoustic folk. This is full band alt-rock that reminds me of Glower at times because of how well it blends 80s and 90s alternative sounds together. Something for those looking for a new and different band to check out.
JohnnyBoy – Innocent
JohnnyBoy is the lead singer of Thumper Punk’s own The Way. This EP is a solo acoustic album that showcases his diversity. I’m not one to think that punk singers would be able to do acoustic albums well (even though many have)… but this is quite the impressive display of range here. Not “range” as in technical prowess necessarily, but as in the ability to stretch outside the comfort zone of your normal band. Six songs that are pretty much JohnnyBoy and his guitar (and occasional other percussion) sounding like a natural coffee house singer-songwriter.
Wickeds End – Wickeds End
Wickeds End is back! After returning to the faith and music several years ago, I have always wondered if Glenn Rowlands would resurrect the band that introduced most of us got to him. If you wondered the same thing, we now have that answer. This is probably the heaviest Wickeds End to date, residing generally in the “experimental crossover thrash” realm as their BandCamp site describes it. While this is a live demo recording, the sound quality is still really good. I’m hearing elements of classic thrash, death, black, and speed metal all nicely mixed together. Even a few nods to older Wickeds End songs (see the intro to “Theories of Lies” and the cover of their own “Truth Hurts”). I should note that this is technically a new band formed around Rowlands, but he seems to have found some talented metalheads to work with. Which is no small feat – that is a dying breed these days. Lyrically, this is straight up Christian extreme metal with conservative lyrics (so the more liberal readers should just be ready for that). Someone like Sky Burns Black should sign these guys right away.
No Lost Cause – Fight E.P.
90’s influenced melodic Punk tinged with 3rd wave Ska. Production is all around good, has that old Fat Wreckords feel. Unashamed of faith, hope filled lyrics. Fans of Face To Face, Value Pac, Ghoti Hook, and O.C. Supertones will find a fast place in their collection for this album. The title track is my favorite on the E.P., gives more of a modern melodic HardCore Punk punk feel to the E.P. Strong outing overall from No Lost Cause. The Rick Astley cover is a good time. Drop by on BandCamp and give it a listen! Support the underground!
The Old-Timers – ‘Turn It Up’ and ‘Turn It Off’ EP’s
Two awesome new EP’s from the Old-Timers, 4 songs each of pit friendly Punk, played the right way. The underground Christian Punk scene is starting to snowball in a good way, great bands poping up all over the place and others are starting to really hit their stride. Old-Timers were an instant favorite when I heard the Soli Deo Gloria LP, these EP’s are a step up! Guitars remind me of old 80’s O.C. Punk like D.I. and Adolescents, really cool, but drums, vocals, and bass are that brand of old school HardCore Punk that can only come from the east coast, really tight rhythm section, where as O.C. HardCore has that surf rock slop to it. One of the best bass players in the scene, dude rips. These guys could have come out in 1982 and fit right in with the best. Ninah Llopis of The Lead sings Guest Vocals on ‘Homeless Friends’. JCHC, PMA lyrics, get both of these EP’s!
The Inhumans – ‘Walking Dead’ Single
Horror Punk in the vein of early Blitzkid with a bit of Street Punk mixed in, good energy, free download, the kids love the zombies. Look forward to hearing more from these guys!
2015 SkyBurnsBlack Records | Download: | skyburnsblack.bandcamp.com]
Blast From Oblivion – To Hell And Back
In the darkest corners of Punk Rock sub genres you will find Horror Punk, a scene that has been around since Punk Rocks early beginnings with bands like the Damned, the Undead, and the Misfits. It’s one of my favorite sub genres because it has yet to be tainted by corporate hands. Most bands in the genre lack in the originality department and come off as Danzig and Michale Graves clones, while others like the short lived Pitch Black took it in a different direction with a Skate Punk vibe. The debut from Blast From Oblivion is an original, mixing elements of Street Punk and Thrash as well as some melodic Goth moments. Great album start to finish: driving beats, gruff vocals, lyrics are are strong, good melodic guitar, all handled by one man named Splatter Guts, whom I think handled the production as well. Solid release from the Sky Burns Black label, look forward to hearing more from B.F.O. If you enjoy high octane Punk Rock, get this!
Jesus Triumphant by Brian Godawa
I just finished reading Jesus Triumphant, the latest book in the “Chronicles of the Nephilim” series by Brian Godawa. I’m not one who searches the modern Christian section on Amazon to find something to read much less browse the “Christian Fiction” section. The “Chronicles of the Nephilim” series sits head and shoulders (pun intended) above what most of Christendom is dishing out these days. Brian doesn’t shy away from sex and romance in these books but they are a far cry from the romance of other books in the genre like Pioneer Brides and Romance In The Amish Country. Brian also doesn’t shy away from describing the depraved sexual acts of the fallen watchers.
If any atheists are reading this, I’ll give you a minute to compose yourself after I’m sure you’re still laughing your ass off thinking, “shouldn’t all Christian writing be in the fiction section?”
Ok chuckles, let’s continue on. I first found out about Brian’s book series by listening to a podcast that is heavily focused on a futuristic end times scenario, think Left Behind. I don’t hold this particular view but my interest in transhumanism and the Nephilim force me to these questionable theological places to get information.
The interview was very informative but I probably wouldn’t have bit if Brian wouldn’t have politely dodged a question trying to relate what happened in the days of Noah with what is projected to happen during the end times. I was pleasantly shocked since almost all research on the Nephilim has some sort of end times relevance.
So what is this series all about? Well, a lot of things. First off they are of course about the Nephilim (Genesis 6). A lot of teachers either shy away from the earliest and I think clearest interpretation of the text or go way out of Biblical bounds in regards to their importance. Brian does a fine job of staying within the Biblical framework. This series is also very well written, all of these books were hard to put down and I finished all of them within a few days. They also personalize Old Testament stories in a way that is refreshing. Brian has done some extensive historical research and fills in the details that humanizes and clarifies some of these Old Testament stories that when read with modern mindsets can seem strange, if not incomprehensible. He admittedly takes some liberty to flesh out the stories but holds to what could have happened.
All of these books come with an extensive appendix where Brian lays out his reason for telling the story the way he does and some fascinating research on things like the cosmology of the Near East, a more Jewish version of the afterlife and how the Nephilim story really is front and center in all of the Old Testament and with this new novel, some of the New Testament as well.
I was happy to read at the end of Jesus Triumphant that there is going to be another book about the fulfillment of the prophecies in AD 70. These books do contain some language and as I mentioned early some sex scenes, Brian describes them as PG-13. He has come out with an edited series for teens. These are also available as audio books.
I’ve interviewed Brian several times in Down The Line and on the Basement Tapes. You can reference those for more info about the books and the storyline. Brian has also released the appendix of the books as one unit which has been an invaluable source for me as I study the Bible.
[2015 Brian Godawa | Purchase: godawa.com/chronicles_of_the_nephilim/index.html]