The Chariot Unveil New Music Video
Georgia’s THE CHARIOT and AbsolutePunk have just revealed the brand new music video for the track ‘David De La Hoz’, cut from the band’s upcoming November 22nd GOOD FIGHT MUSIC release, Long Live. View the video here at AbsolutePunk.net! THE CHARIOT also just unveiled a new layout, along with a brand new track, ‘The Audience’ last week on their MySpace page. Due to the holiday, the release of Long Live has been pushed up by a day from November 23rd to November 22nd! Make sure to buy your copy of Long Live even earlier than before on Monday, November 22nd! A brand new group of pre-order packages have been made available for fans to purchase Long Live! he first 500 pre-orders (of any kind) receive a free signed, hand numbered silk screen poster (pictured above). Act now to get your bundle and poster before supplies run out! THE CHARIOT is pleased to announce a fall tour with CANCER BATS, taking them through eastern Canada and U.S.! The tour begins with some solo headlining dates from November 12th through November 17th, and the CANCER BATS join in on November 19th in Windsor! See below for all current dates! The band’s highly-anticipated new release, Long Live, hits stores on November 23rd, 2010. The record will mark the first release for the band on their new label, GOOD FIGHT MUSIC. Behind the boards on Long Live is seasoned producer Matt Goldman (UnderOath, MyChildren MyBride, Four Letter Lie), who is known for his work on several past records by THE CHARIOT, such as Wars and Rumors of Wars (2009), The Fiancée (2007), Unsung EP (2005), and Everything Is Alive, Everything Is Breathing, Nothing Is Dead And Nothing Is Bleeding (2004).
Tour Dates:
11/12 – Harrisonburg, VA
11/13 – West Springfield, VA
11/14 – Providence, RI
11/15 – Hartford, CT
11/16 – Toronto, ON
11/17 – Montreal, QC
11/19 – Windsor, ON
11/20 – Kitchener, ON
11/21 – London, ON
11/22 – Ottawa, ON
11/23 – Kingston, ON
11/24 – Peterborough, ON
11/25 – Barrie, ON
11/26 – Brantford, ON
11/27 – Mississauga, ON
11/30 – Edinboro, PA
12/01 – Pittsburgh, PA
12/02 – Poughkeepsie, NY
12/03 – Garden City, NY
12/04 – Vineland, NJ
12/05 – West Chester, PA
12/06 – Virginia Beach, VA
12/07 – Raleigh, NC
12/08 – Corbin, KY
12/09 – East Ridge, TN
12/10 – Prattville, AL
12/11 – Douglasville, GA

Impending Doom Heading Out With Chimaira
Cleveland, OH natives CHIMAIRA are pleased to announce their new headlining run, the ‘BLUE COLLAR BRAWLER TOUR’! Tapped to support the band on the run is Impending Doom, Daath, and This Or The Apocalypse. The run begins on November 24th in Chicago, IL, so make sure to purchase your tickets now!
For more information on Impending Doom, visit:
myspace.com/impendingdoom

Gideon Signs To Strike First
Tuscaloosa, Alabama brings us Gideon, an aggressive, melodic hardcore band with an already impressive repertoire. Well-placed gang vocals and a powerful front man set Gideon apart from many of their peers, while the band as a whole, whose members have been playing together only since 2008, come off sounding like seasoned pros. Gideon have self-released two EPs since 2008 with the help of Brian Hood at 456 Recordings, and have been committed to playing as many shows as possible, turning to full time touring after all members of the band had graduated from high school. Now they’re preparing to recording their debut for Strike First Records with Brian Hood this winter. Look for the new full length Gideon album to be out in February 2011.
Tour Dates:
10/23 – Ocean Springs, MI
10/29 – Madison, AL
11/2 – Greensboro, NC
11/3 – Murfreesboro, TN
11/4 – Corbin, KY
11/5 – Mansfield, OH
11/6 – York Haven, PA
11/9 – Manchester, NH
11/10 – Boston, MA
11/11 – Brooklyn, NY
11/13 – Crofton, MA
11/14 – Greenville, SC
1/15 – Garden City, ID
1/17 – Seattle, WA
1/22 – Phoenix, AZ
1/23 – Roswell, NM
1/24 – El Paso, TX
1/25 – Midland, TX

Disciple News
Disciple has just re-recorded their song “Dear X (You Don’t Own Me) with Howard Benson for a mainstream radio push. INO/Capitol Records recording artists’ Disciple recently sat down with UTG TV to record an acoustic performance of their latest single, “Dear X, You Don’t Own Me.” Check out the video here.

Alice Cooper To Appear On That Metal Show 10/30
VH1 Classic, the ultimate destination for rock and metal, is giving fans the opportunity to catch their favorite musicians every Saturday night during “ROCKTOBER” beginning Saturday, October 16 at 9 PM* with all new episodes of “Behind The Music: Remasterd” and the new sixth season of “That Metal Show.” VH1’s Emmy Award-nominated and critically acclaimed series “Behind The Music,” returns to continue some of the rock world’s most iconic stories. Starting October 16 at 9 PM*, VH1 Classic will air nine new one-hour episodes of “Behind the Music Remastered” featuring some of classic rocks’ seminal artists and bands. Picking up where the original “Behind the Music” episode left off, VH1 Classic will air brand new interviews, footage, and video clips that update the stories of several classic artists over the last 10 to 15 years. Each episode premieres at 9PM*. Complete lineup below.
10/23 – Leif Garrett
10/30 – Alice Cooper
11/6 – Boy George
11/13 – Hall & Oates
11/20 – Duran Duran
11/27 – Lynyrd Skynyrd
12/4 – Fleetwood Mac

Artist Series Guitar Release Demon Hunter Custom
Six string upstart, Artist Series Guitar has just launched pre-orders for it’s initial custom line only available through ArtistSeriesGuitar.com. Linking the artists of heavy music with their fans, the company will premiere five signature guitars designed by Parkway Drive, Demon Hunter, Bleeding Through, Death By Stereo and Throwdown. The company already launched a pre-order for the signature Death By Stereo “Skulls And Bolts” guitar, which sold out of its initial pressing in a matter of days. All of the models are limited edition, with 500 of the Parkway Drive and Demon Hunter guitars being manufactured and only 250 of all other models. Artist Series Guitar CEO (and former bassist for Bleeding Through) Vijay Kumar, says of the line “We started by approaching bands that get excited about connecting with their fans on different and unique levels. All of these initial bands have their own musical style as well as a visual aesthetic that profoundly influences our generation. With that, we had an extremely easy time deciding that these bands NEED to have their own ASG model. By creating these guitars we are giving fans a musical link to their favorite artists and perpetuating the cycle of fans becoming musicians and in turn influencing other people.” All of the bands involved were completely involved in the design and manufacturing stages of their own guitar. Ryan Clark, vocalist to Demon Hunter and noted graphic designer talks about the design of their “Blood Soaked” model. “For bands like us, I think the idea of having an affordable yet quality guitar to offer fans is a very lofty and somewhat unrealistic idea. So, when we were approached with the idea, it seemed too good to be true. From the design to the way that it plays, I think our fans will be very pleased. The guitar features the classic skull logo that DH fans will recognize. Over the years, this logo has become more than just a logo, Demon Hunter fans worldwide have adopted the logo as their own symbol of strength, perseverance, faith and adversity.”

New Third Day Album Out Now
MOVE, the 11th studio album from multi-Platinum rock band Third Day, hits retail outlets nationwide, today. Produced by Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, Martha Wainwright), MOVE follows Revelation, which debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in 2008, and 2009’s CD/DVD Live Revelations, which won the band its fourth GRAMMY® earlier this year. MOVE releases amid a flurry of positive media including a review of the album in today’s print and online editions of USA Today and a lead music feature in Billboard magazine (Oct. 23, 2010). The incendiary “Lift Up Your Face,” which features The Blind Boys of Alabama, has become Third Day’s fastest-rising single, with 91 stations adding it out of the box. It’s currently at 36 million in audience. “The country is going through hard times, and there are doubts and insecurity,” explains lead vocalist Mac Powell. “‘Lift Up Your Face’ is our message of encouragement – not just to listeners though -to us as well. It’s a message we all need to hear and I think that really sums up a lot of what we were going for with this record.” The raw, rootsy 12-track collection finds members Mac Powell, Mark Lee, Tai Anderson and David Carr at their melodic and lyrical best. Recently inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the band’s Southern roots clearly inform Move, from the sinuous slide guitar to the layers of smoky vocals. Highlights include the visceral “Make Your Move,” which has already been tapped by “ESPN College Football,” the guitar-picking, hand-clapping, in-your-face classic “Surrender” and the soulful “Sound of Your Voice.” Third Day, ranked as one of the top touring bands by Pollstar, recently launched the AEG Live-sponsored “Make A Difference Tour.” Nearly 40,000 fans turned out for the first two weekends of shows and over 100,000 tickets have already been sold for the 20-city arena outing, which wraps up at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC on October 30th. See below for remaining dates. Over the past decade, Third Day has racked up 27 No. 1 radio singles and sold more than seven million albums, receiving two RIAA Platinum and eight Gold certifications. The band has won four GRAMMY awards, an American Music Award, 24 GMA Dove Awards and multiple ASCAP honors. The band has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “60 Minutes” and “Nightline” and been featured in The New York Times, USA Today and on the cover of Billboard, which called Third Day “one of the best rock bands.”

Project 86 To Release Live Album
Industry vets Project 86 have hit a major career milestone commemorating their 15th year as a band. This is no small feat in an ever-changing industry where most bands fail to find longevity. After releasing 7 full-length albums, 2 EP’s, selling nearly half a million records, and playing over 1500 shows in 10 different countries this accomplished group has much to celebrate. The band is kicking off their anniversary year by releasing their first ever live record titled 15.Live on December 7th. Critically lauded for their pummeling live performance, P86 spent the summer of 2010 recording an album packed with songs from the bulk of their catalog. Additionally, they have announced that 2011 will be full of more unique offerings and surprises for their fans. Lead singer Andrew Schwab says, “15 years is a testimony to the loyalty of our fan base and we wanted to do something special to give back to them.” He continues, “We have had such an amazing career and recording this live album was a reflection of the most fundamental part of why we started this band to begin with: to create an intense live experience that is more than just a performance but also a place where people could come to just let go. This album is the next best thing to being at a show”. P86 is currently wrapping up a busy year of touring in support of their most recent Tooth and Nail release Picket Fence Cartel featuring the radio hits “Dark Angel Dragnet” and “Destroyer.” With major appearances at Sonshine Festival, Purple Door, Soul Fest, Joshua Fest, Freedom Fest and Forty Fest the band shows no signs of slowing. Project 86 will once again be hitting the road on the “XV Tour” January and February with special guests TBA.
For more information on dates, visit:
project86.com

New David Crowder Band Stop Motion Video
David Crowder*Band debuted the new video for their next single “SMS (Shine)” on VEVO. The video’s centerpiece is a bit of nostalgia that everyone will remember from childhood: LITE-BRITE®. Directed, shot and edited entirely by the band, the visually stunning new clip was created using over 700,000 LITE-BRITE® pegs composing 1,200 LITE-BRITE® images. No computer generated graphics or effects whatsoever were used. However, there were 2,150 man-hours from 83 friends who were powered by 148 pizzas! Utilizing the ‘stop-motion’ style of filmmaking, “SMS (Shine)” tells the story of a couple falling in love. Each frame was painstakingly conceived with exquisite detail and ‘moving’ images. The creators even take us outside the canvas of the vintage toy to tell the couple’s story. It was a labor of love and the end result is mesmerizing. This is truly great visual art with a vintage toy from the 80s.

Prodigal God Debut Album
Prodigal God, a double CD of 23 new songs by Brian Doerksen and Christopher Greco, tells the tale of two brothers and one wastefully extravagant father. You can plug in immediately through digital download and in a few days receive the elegantly designed double CD package with an accompanying libretto booklet. See our SHOP for pricing options (including a free one) which have been crafted to open, for as many people to get in on the prodigal world immediately. There are also premium packaging options for folks who want to support Prodigal God’s journey to the screen and stage. We’re looking for strategic traveling companions in locales around the globe to help us bring the show to theatre near you. Listening to Prodigal God is a choice for adventure. A choice for the unexpected. A choice to find yourself in someone else’s story. We’re guessing you love to listen to music as much as we do. That’s why we’ve corralled this ancient parable into catchy tunes, thoughtful word play, instrumental hooks, and bold performances. Upon first listen, you’ll notice Prodigal God – The Album offers a different listening experience than you might be used to… First, there’s story which drives the songs. Familiar and not. You’ll sense that each song means a bit more than the one before it, and by the end, the sum of the parts offers an extra kick. Second, most pop projects don’t offer such cohesive diversity. Within the first 5 songs you’ll hear 7 different singers, each with their own unique sound. This eclecticism comes out of character and relationship and, if we’ve done our job well, offers you multiple layers and points of view from which to experience the story. Especially upon multiple listens. The score offers an extravagance of musical styles. Ron Kenoly shares his trademark crackly R&B depths, with a playful horn section thrown in. MARIKA and Colin Janz make pop sparks fly, each with their own very personal sound. Thanks to world musician Boris Sichon, you’ll feel touches of the exotic and ancient. The last distinctive of this album lies in the story gaps between the songs. There are pivotal moments of this story which are entirely missing on the recording: dialogue scenes, monologues, fights, and dance breaks. Listening to the album might feel like working a big jigsaw puzzle. In short, it’s a musical. Like most cast recordings, ours is designed to maintain its freshness and relevance five, ten or even twenty years from now. For those who are used to listening to original cast recordings, you’ll know what to do and when to do it. For others, this might be a first adventure. And hopefully not a last.
For more information on Prodigal God, visit:
prodigal-god.com

A Plea For Purging Headlining Tour
Facedown’s A Plea For Purging have just announced a headlining tour with Your Memorial (Facedown), Within The Ruins (Victory), and The Plot In You (Rise). The Mosh PotatTour kicks off on December 1 and runs through the middle of the month. A Plea For Purging will be touring in support of their 2009 release The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.
Tour Dates:
12/1 – Lemoyne, PA
12/2 – Clinton, NJ
12/3 – Linthicum, MD
12/4 – Lynchburg, VA
12/5 – Richmond, VA
12/6 – Greenville, SC
12/7 – East Ridge, TN
12/10 – Nashville, TN
12/11 – Montgomery, AL
12/13 – Springfield, MO
12/14 – Tulsa, OK
12/15 – Oklahoma City, OK

©2010 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved

More news from last week:

still fresh (as far as you know)

Six string upstart, Artist Series Guitar has just launched pre-orders for it’s initial custom line only available through www.ArtistSeriesGuitar.com. Linking the artists of heavy music with their fans, the company will premiere five signature guitars designed by Parkway Drive, Demon Hunter, Bleeding Through, Death By Stereo and Throwdown. The company already launched a pre-order for the signature Death By Stereo “Skulls And Bolts” guitar, which sold out of its initial pressing in a matter of days. All of the models are limited edition, with 500 of the Parkway Drive and Demon Hunter guitars being manufactured and only 250 of all other models.

Artist Series Guitar CEO (and former bassist for Bleeding Through) Vijay Kumar, says of the line “We started by approaching bands that get excited about connecting with their fans on different and unique levels. All of these initial bands have their own musical style as well as a visual aesthetic that profoundly influences our generation. With that, we had an extremely easy time deciding that these bands NEED to have their own ASG model. By creating these guitars we are giving fans a musical link to their favorite artists and perpetuating the cycle of fans becoming musicians and in turn influencing other people.”

All of the bands involved were completely involved in the design and manufacturing stages of their own guitar. Ryan Clark, vocalist to Demon Hunter and noted graphic designer talks about the design of their “Blood Soaked” model. “For bands like us, I think the idea of having an affordable yet quality guitar to offer fans is a very lofty and somewhat unrealistic idea. So, when we were approached with the idea, it seemed too good to be true. From the design to the way that it plays, I think our fans will be very pleased. The guitar features the classic skull logo that DH fans will recognize. Over the years, this logo has become more than just a logo, Demon Hunter fans worldwide have adopted the logo as their own symbol of strength, perseverance, faith and adversity.”

Efrem Schulz, vocalist of Death By Stereo says that he hopes the guitar “Inspires people to go beyond what they have been told they can be. I want people to have the chance that I have been given. A chance to have a positive outlet for artistic expression. Freedom. Fun. Shred. Punk. And maybe even see the world!”

Dave Nassie, guitarist of Bleeding Through says of their model, “With this guitar our fans get a chance to own something unique and completely Bleeding Through. A limited, one of a kind piece of art and instrument. I am proud to have one myself.”

The American metalcore band Demon Hunter  is headlining the third edition of Brainstorm Festival. Co-headlining are  death-metallers In Vain from Norway and power-metal sensation Innerwish from  Greece.

Brainstorm Festival takes place on 5 and 6 November 2010 in club  Gigant in the city Apeldoorn in The Netherlands. Besides concerts the two-day  event offers exposition, a cd-market and an alternative program in the theater  of the club. Other bands that play this years Brainstorm Festival are The  Spirit That Guides Us, Officium Triste, Slechtvalk, My Silent Wake, Dark Sky,  Ryffhunter (with members of Seventh Avenue and Sinbreed), In Grief and  Erebus.

For further information check www.brainstormfestival.com <http://www.brainstormfestival.com>

The reality is that everyone will hate this list (or at least be angry about some inclusion or omission), but the good news behind this arduous task of whittling down the preliminary list of 500+ that we developed down to a final 100 is that there is a lot of great Christian rock out there. The bad news, of course, is that a lot of these titles are out-of-print and probably a tad difficult to find. Maybe the attention this list brings will help resurrect a title or two. This would be an honor and a great reward for this tough exercise in rock criticism.

While the companion/parallel list we printed in our “sister” publication (Heaven’s Metal Fanzine’s “Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of All Time”) had a simpler and more narrow focus, defining exactly what “Rock” is was a tad more difficult. The ‘90s revitalized and catapulted an ambiguous genre called “indie rock,” which certainly threw a wrench into the far simpler “does it rock or not” litmus test. Lighter, ambient and sometimes atonal experiments in music found their way into the hearts of rockers everywhere and we’ve tried to reflect that in our list assembly, too.

Ultimately, there are five major factors that go into judging an album in this light. One is greatness. Did the album touch the skies, so to speak? Did it achieve greatness? This is both subjective and objective. This is where it’s good to meet and discuss with industry people with either a keen sense of history or a great awareness of current trends (both is even better). We had the help of friends and compatriots like Brian Quincy Newcomb, Chris Hauser, Dr. Tony Shore, as well as some smart and enthusiastic readers who chimed in on Facebook.

Beyond greatness is that personal, entirely subjective factor of “Do I love it? Do I sing along to it?” (or play air instruments). Basically, “Is it one of my favorites?” It would only make sense that your vote for “best” would be equal to or close to “favorite” as well. This criteria is usually what will put an album on the list, and the other four criteria are the kind of factors that will keep an album on this list.

One of the biggest factors is the “classic” factor, which I like to break down to the simple question of, “Will I be listening to this album five years from now? “In the case of some early Jesus Rock albums, like Only Visiting This Planet or So Long Ago The Garden, the lifespan has nearly surpassed 40 years. This is why I rarely give a “5” rating for albums in our Album Reviews section. To me, a “classic” is one of those albums that stands the test of time. It still sounds great long after its shelf-life (which is a pretty sore subject with me and the Christian music industry, who seems to have no appreciation for the classics**). It’s really hard to know in the present how something is going to fare when it falls into the deep past of just four or five years.

Another huge factor is the “historical impact” of an album. Did it put Christian heavy metal on the map? It could be argued, for example, that Stryper’s To Hell With The Devil did that with its multi-Platinum sales and mad success on MTV’s Dial MTV. Did it freak out the establishment big-time? This could be said for early pioneers, like Larry Norman, either of the two Randy’s (Matthews or Stonehill) or Petra. Did it evolve a scene or take it to another level? The Human Sacrifice album by Vengeance Rising was certainly a historical event.

And finally, which (like the others) could stand on its own as possibly the most important factor (though I’d argue it’s not) is popularity. Did it sell over a million copies? How many times? Did crowds flock to see the artist on this particular album’s tour or shortly thereafter? Ideally, the Top Christian Rock Albums of All Time would score at the top in each of these five categories. Conversely, if they failed miserably in any one of these categories, it’d be hard to consider it the best.

So, without further ado, we press on with the list to end all lists. Or – more accurately – the list that started World War III in our scene.

In working on this list, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. The task is enormous. A couple of exercises I’ve taken with my own list, which was hybrid-ized and conjoined with the lists of other industry folks, is to listen to some classic radio. If these albums are going to be called “the best,” then they better stand the test of time. So, to get some perspective, I thought it wise to listen to an Eagles song here, a Tom Petty song there. It’s probably too high of a standard to live up to, but even listening to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones give a good benchmark on what is great and what is not.

** A note about out-of-print albums and how they get there: The notion that the Christian music industry is to blame for this lack of appreciation for history is incomplete. You can’t blame the guys in the suits at the record companies when you and I as an audience are equally at fault. We don’t buy old albums in numbers. Part of that short attention span is the radio and television programming that’s out there. If no one introduces us or educates us on the classics, how are we to know? Not everyone has that friend who takes the time to inform you of Christian rock’s rich history. Magazines and other mediums are guilty, too.

At HM we try to keep a balance of history and current. We know that current is what people want, but we also realize that history is the foundation of what’s current. Our old managing editor, Jason Dodd, stole the quote from somewhere (I think): “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” As rock critics we can satisfy our hunger for greatness at the same time we dish out current trends if we have a little of both.

The formula for when an album becomes “out of print” goes something like this: when the amount or cost of warehousing the music (think boxes and boxes of CDs on a shelf somewhere) exceeds the income from sales, it’s marked out-of-print and flushed out of the system. Retailers may get a chance at one final order with big discounts and then it’s off to the “junk dealers,” that buy these items in bulk at pennies on the dollar. “I used to get really bummed out when one of our albums went out of print,” admits T&N’s Brandon Ebel, “but there is an upside to digital” (and that’s keeping these albums alive).

#1 U2 – The Joshua Tree|Island|1987

“This CD was the turning point for me with U2. This album was so inspiring to the world. It was a universal cry of spirituality and common sense of human feelings. On Joshua Tree Bono continued to inspire me to write honest lyrics, like he did when they first came out in 1980. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” helped bring me out of my religious insanity. It was a perfect album in my opinion. The biggest thing I noticed about this CD was after 4 awesome records  there was a new maturity in songwriting. God bless Bono and U2.” —Doug Pinnick (King’s X)

“The Joshua Tree is not only one of the greatest rock albums of all time, but look at how its sound has directly influenced modern worship. The impact of U2’s style on the church of today is unquantifiable!” —Paul Q-Pek (One Bad Pig)

“Joshua Tree is one of my favorite albums of all time.” —Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D.)

It’s only fitting that the top album on this list is also a great candidate (and a good argument) for the top rock album of all time, period – sacred or secular. Given that rock’s roots go straight into the church in the first place, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that an artist of faith would make some of the best music around, but it’s still a cool thing.

This album took the band from huge to mind-blowing in terms of prominence and historical impact. It starts off with an unforgettable song that both creates tension and brings emotional fulfillment. Like any great blues song, it laments our current conditions as it longs for heaven, where people will not get beat down for living in a certain neighborhood. “Where the Streets Have No Name” has probably the greatest crescendo in rock in what could be the greatest song in rock and roll. It builds with a spiraling tension that just explodes with color – like the transition from black and white to vibrant stage lighting that the band employed for that performance scene in their movie, Rattle and Hum. I think the band learned about the power of a hypnotic, building vibe with the previous album’s showstopper – “Bad.” —Doug Van Pelt

#2 Payable on Death - Satellite|Atlantic|2001

“The prayer was that God would use (this album) to get it in front of gazillions of kids. He honored the prayers of the saints.” —Noah Bernardo, Sr. (Founder, Rescue Records; father of drummer, Wuv)

“Satellite changed my life.” —Sonny Sandoval

With an album that came out on 9/11, along with a song that soon became a healing balm for a generation (“Alive”), this album had perfect timing … and monster jams. “Boom,” “Set It Off” and “Anything Right” roared with power, while “Youth of the Nation” was chilling and “Thinking About Forever” was just chill.—DV

#3 Stryper - To Hell With The Devil|Enigma|1986

“One of the most eye-opening albums of my childhood! Changed the entire music rulebook as we knew it!” —Brad Noah

“One terrific album – great sound, great riffs, solos, hooks – everything a memorable metal album that stands the test of time should be.” —Ted Kirkpatrick

When this album broke, it went multi-platinum, forever raising the ceiling of what heavy Christian music could do. While the ballad “Honestly” might’ve broadened the band’s appeal, the band perfected its pop metal sound with sharp-edged songs like “Calling on You,” “Free” and “Rockin’ The World.” They were giants in those days and their message on “More Than A Man,” the title track and “The Way” were as clear as any Sunday morning preacher. For some odd reason, however, the decision was made that the painting of four angels casting an evil dude into the fire was “objectionable” and a “safer” version was sold into Christian bookstores.—DV

#4 The Choir - Chase the Kangaroo|Myrth|1988

“Making that record was a turning point for us. I had just opened the studio and we were becoming more confident about our music. The record company thought we were doing demo’s for them, but we decided we were going to make the record without their input. We felt we were on to something special. That record is still one of my favorites.”—Derri Daugherty

This band helped define how great “alternative” Christian rock could be. This album flows from one track to another with refrains from one (“Clouds”) re-appearing in another and referencing a previous album (“The Rifleman”), making the album seem like a warm, yet melancholy journey. “Sad Face” was probably the first great mountain peak the band scaled, which they’d repeat with killer songs like “To Cover You” and “Sentimental Song” on subsequent albums.—DV

#5 Altar Boys - Gut Level Music|Frontline|1986

“You Found Me” could be the greatest punk rock love song to God ever written. In true biblical/evangelical fashion, the song turns to the audience and declares, “Let Jesus find you like He found me!”—DV

“A timeless alternative rock classic. Outdoing not just all Christian rock releases, but equal to or better than their secular counterparts The Clash, Bruce Spingsteen & John Cougar Mellencamp. Still on rotation in my music listening regulars.  A strong Christian message played & presented with unprecedented passion and arranged with ageless appeal.—Steve Rowe (Mortification)

#6 The Seventy Sevens - Seventy Sevens|Exit/Island|1987

This one remains strongly ensconced on my personal top-ten list. Every song is a gem, every moment just about perfect. So what that the rest of the world missed the boat on this one, the band hit a home run. Intelligent, gutsy, brutally honest and undeniably hopeful, I still listen to it regularly and sing along with every word.—John J. Thompson

“I can’t think of many other records in my collection that are this solid from top to bottom. It also carries a twinge of sadness for me. The songs are melancholy, and there’s also the memory of this project getting far less attention and success than it deserved.”—Chris Hauser (freelance radio promotions)

Mike Roe has told us that the staff at Island was going to push this album hard into the mainstream, but another one of their albums broke big beforehand and this push never happened. That other album? The Joshua Tree (sigh).—DV

#7 King's X - Faith Hope Love|Megaforce|1990

You’ve heard the term “art rock?” Well, this was art metal, and it was perfect.—DV

“There was some good stuff on that CD, it was our biggest selling album. But it’s like looking at a yearbook for me, I’m just too close to make an evaluation. But I still think ‘I’ll Never Get Tired Of You’ is a great song.”—Doug Pinnick Although they’ve never allowed themselves to be described as a “Christian rock band,” fans on the hard  music side of ccm have universally embraced the progressive power trio that is King’s X, especially the two previous efforts and this early 1990 commercial breakthrough. The disc exhibits the band’s musical dexterity and muscular mastery, mixing funk, soul, hard rock riffs and rich harmonic vocals in a wildly entertaining prog-rock stew, that also managed to garner a “pop” single/MTV hit in “It’s Love.”  Later records would never sound as polished as this Sam Taylor produced effort, but it’s winning songs like “We Are Finding Who We Are,” “Moan Jam” and the title track that kick started King’s X into the mainstream.  – BQN

#8 Stavesacre - Speakeasy|Tooth&Nail|1999

“Mark Salomon is probably one of three if not the top lyricist in Tooth & Nail history. An amazing voice and artist. He’s done everything from hip-hop to metal, hardcore and rock. One of the most talented guys I’ve worked with. That’s an amazing record, as well. Some people even think the pinnacle for Stavesacre.—Brandon Ebel (CEO, Tooth & Nail)

#9 mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister|Tooth & Nail|2006

“There’s another top three lyricist on the label as well, with Aaron. mewithoutYou was a surprise. We sign some bands that have remained extremely small on the label and that was a band, where you didn’t necessarily know where they would go. They basically became a band that has a complete cult following. They got pretty big and are definitely one of the highlights for us as a label in my career putting out their records. Definitely a band with a lot of integrity and vision.—Brandon Ebel

#10 Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice|Intense|1989

You should have seen the Star Song sales reps pre-selling this album at the CBA Int’l convention before this one hit in ‘89. They were giddy yet clueless at the revolutionary prospect. Nothing has really come out before or since this album hit the scene. Awesome riffs played at breakneck speed, but just gnarly, groove-heavy riffs on their own. Tunes like “White Throne” and the title track are without question high water marks of the Christian metal scene. Has only one blemish (probably the worst audio engineering glitch of all time) – a bad vocal edit, which comes in at 2:02 during the song “Burn.”—DV

#11 Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown|Sparrow|2003

An excerpt from HM#99 said this album was “perfectly titled … and I’m not talking about the words ‘the’ or ‘beautiful.’…” I guess HM was wrong on that one, huh?—DV

#12 Precious Death - Southpaw|Metro One|1995

As inventive as Faith No More was to mainstream metal was this progressive release to the Christian metal scene. Mix Living Colour with Metallica and Cher on lead vocals. “Say what?” Exactly!—DV

#13 Larry Norman - Only Visiting This Planet|Solid Rock|1972

Let your history search start here with the grandaddy of Christian rock. The first of a killer trilogy, this album features excellent, witty, sharp and poignant lyrics. He’s bold, blunt and street level (see “Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus”).—DV

#14 MUTEMATH - MUTEMATH|Warner Bros.|2006

Cutting edge and even somewhat controversial, this is a landmark release and it simply blew people away with a fresh sound and world class songwriting. This album is so good it sounds like a major UK release.—Dr. Tony Shore

#15 Adam Again - Ten Songs|Broken|1988

For their sophomore effort, Gene Eugene took his band to the next level, mixing soul & funk with his edgy alternative rock leanings to come up with a record that is sophisticated and moving.—Brian Quincy Newcomb For their sophomore effort, Gene Eugene took his band to the next level, mixing soul & funk with his edgy alternative rock leanings to come up with a record that is sophisticated and moving.  Greg Lawless’s guitars deliver the raw rock energy that would dominate later records, but it’s the songwriting that excels. “Treehouse” boldly asks that none be excluded, “Who Can Hold Us” reminds us that God never turns away, while the back to back punch of “Eyes Wide Open” and “Every Word I Say” call for a life and faith lived authentically in the real world.  My favorite version ever of “Ain’t No Sunshine.” – BQN

#16 Scatered Few - Sin Disease|Alarna|1990

One of the best records to ever come out of the ‘punk’ scene. —Caleb Olsen (Boot To Head Records)

#17 Sixpence None The Richer - Sixpence None The Richer|Squint|1997

Everything about it – the friendships forged thru trials, the song cycle borne of artistic despair, the covert recording sessions, the extraordinary musicianship, the subsequent birth of Squint, and the album’s eventual worldwide success – still seems like a miracle.—Steve Taylor

#18 Tourniquet - Psycho Surgery|Intense|1992

It’s hard to pick between Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance or this one for this list, so we just flipped a medical thesaurus and it opened to Psycho…—DV

#19 Daniel Amos - Doppelganger|Alarma!|1983

I’d spent a couple years stretching my church friends (and radio listeners in Syracuse) with earlier DA, Mark Heard and Rez Band. When Doppleganger hit my desk, I was the one who got stretched.—Chris Hauser

#20 The Prayer Chain - Shawl|Road Dog|1993

I think we were all into Jane’s Addiction when we wrote that album. I thought we were really ahead of our time when we finished it, but listening back to it, you can defiantly hear the Seattle influence. —Tim Taber

#21 MxPx - Life in General|Tooth & Nail| 1996

Infectious, original, awesome and very musical. “Middlename,” “Chick Magnet,” “Cristalena” and “Move To Bremerton” are all still staples in a great live show.—DV

#22 Zao - Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest|Solid State|1998

Zao has had an amazing, prolific and brutal career thus far (both musically and personnel-wise), but this one really kicked into that heavy gear that helped define “metal-core.”—DV

#23 Bloodgod - Detonation|Frontline|1987

Quite an original metal sound. Unforgettable tracks include the back-to-back “Crucify” and “Messiah,” but evangelistic fervor meets metal in “Self-Destruction” and the ballad “Alone in Suicide.”—DV

#24 Outer Circle - Outer Circle|Tooth & Nail|1998

Crucified frontman Mark Salomon tries his hand at old school punk here and knocks one out of the park. Every track rules. “Manifesto” is a rally ‘round the microphone punk anthem.—DV

#25 Creed - Human Clay|Wind-up|1999

Lotsa people hate on Creed, but they perfected that classic rock formula of quieter verses exploding into huge power choruses better than most bands. I still like these songs. —David Bach (Guardian)

#26 Galactic Cowboy - Galactic Cowboy|DGC|1991

I loved this album. I remember them rehearsing these songs for a demo before they got signed to Geffen. They were such naturals at harmonizing. And with brutal metal underneath. —Doug Pinnick

#27 Lifesavers Underground - Shaded Pain|Frontline|1987

This monumental 1988 release from Michael Knott and LSU puts the lie to the idea that Christian music has to be positive. Angry, confused, hurting and worn to a thin hot line, this punk record was about telling the cold hard truth about existence, while we “cling to the faith” (“Tether to Tassel”) that “there is More to Life” than what we see.  – BQN

As great as Chris Carrabba was with FSF, his leaving to go solo was an awesome decision. Hearing these bleeding-heart songs sung back to him from 1,000 voices in the audience in concert on this tour was a flat-out phenomenon. —DV

#29 Whitecross - Whitecross|Pure Metal|1987

Listen to this album. It’ll blow your mind. It’s simplistic ‘80s metal to a fault (think Ratt with Jesus-first lyrics), but the shredding lead guitar by Rex Carroll in every fill, nook and cranny is primo.—DV

#30 Fleming & John - Delusions of Grandeur|R.E.X.|1995

Why this album didn’t change the world is a crime. Fleming McWilliams’ operatic vocal range and hubby John’s adroit songwriting was an eclectic groove alt-rock match made in heaven.—DV

#31 Deliverance - Deliverance|Intense|1989

“If You Will” into “The Call” is almost as good as metal gets.”—DV This record would forever change and impact me and the Christian metal music scene as we knew it! —Bill Bafford (Roxx Prod.)

#32 Kerry Livgren AD - Time Line|CBS|1984

One of my fav albums. Two vocalists dancing over sideways, rhythmic and very electronic beats was a fresh and highwater mark in 1984 for a few ex-members of Kansas that wanted to pen intelligent Christian lyrics to thinking man’s prog rock.—DV

#33 Mortal - Fathom|Intense|1993

Sonic brilliance, great hooks and killer riffs made “Alive and Awake,” “Rift,” Godspeed” and “Nepulsultra” stick in your head long after the tracks ended. Could be the most accessible industrial style music ever made by believers. —DV

#34 Demon Hunter - Summer of Darkness|Solid State|2004

A dynamic mix of the right amount of chaotic riffage, doomy low-end vocals, and singable choruses got this world-class album noticed in the mainstream. —DV

#35 Owl City - Ocean Eyes|Universal Republic|2009

Possibly the musical success story of 2009. Adam Young somehow crafted a dozen electronic songs in his parents’ Minnesota basement that just ooze infectious joy. —DV

#36 Flyleaf - Flyleaf|Octone|2005

Here’s a terrific, inventive and dynamic metal album that was miraculously given time to build an audience and take off over the course of 3-4 years. One listen and you’ll never doubt again if girls can do metal. —DV

#37 Thrice - Vheissu|Island|2005

Perhaps this is what U2 might’ve sounded like if they had formed in a post-hardcore Orange County. A creative masterpiece and high mark that the band keeps threatening to top. Scary. —DV

#38 Aunt Bettys - Aunt Bettys|Elektra|1996

Maybe we should just blame the marketing and radio promotions departments at Elektra for failing to make the song “Jesus” as memorable as a Nirvana hit. How could they have failed with material this good? —DV

#39 The Crucified - The Pillars of Humanity|Ocean|1992

I would’ve never started playing drums, which led to me being in NIV & then to starting a label, if it wasn’t for Pillars…—Jason Dunn The Crucified is one of the reasons why I joined and started P.O.D.. Pillars of Humanity was the first “Christian” album I’d ever heard.”—Sonny Sandoval

#40 The Alarm - Strength|IRS|1985

The Alarm were one of my favorite bands back in the early ‘80s. I was so blown away by them using Marshall amps with acoustic guitars! They were so spiritual, but not preachy at all. They were an inspiration to me. —Doug Pinnick

#41 Embodyment - The Narrow Scope of Things|Solid State|2000

What a change from Embrace the Eternal to this album … and what a killer song in “One Less Addiction.” It was like a new band – an awesome, passionate and emotional new band.—DV

#42 Believer - Sanity Obscure|R.E.X.|1991

When Christians make art that blows people away with its creativity, skill and excellence … well, isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be when people are in relation to the Creator? Sanity Obscure – case in point. —DV

#43 Dogwood - Building a Better Me|Tooth & Nail|2000

I (originally) signed ‘em, because I loved their heart. The way they connected with the kids was phenomenal. They made kids feel welcome all the time and they were pranksters. I loved that about them. —Noah Bernardo, Sr.

#44 Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety|Solid State|2004

I knew this was going to be a special record on hearing the demos. It brings back many fond memories of a great time in my life and marks the peak of my career at T&N. Without a doubt, this was a defining moment for Underoath. —Chad Johnson (Come&Live)

#45 Bride - Snakes in the Playground|Star Song|1992

This record best captured the apex of their live energy and great songwriting. —David Bach A turning point for the legitimacy of true hard rock in the Christian market (as opposed to overly premeditated/watered-down youth group filler). Snakes… was to Bride what Appetite… was to G ‘n R.—Dez Dickerson

#46 Maylene and the Sons of Disaster - I|Mono vs Stereo|2005

On paper the idea sounds crazy: a hardcore frontman singing lyrics about Ma Barker over a Southern Rock/metal hybrid … but it’s a marvelous thing. The ballad “Just Wanted to Make Mother Proud” could be today’s “Free Bird.”—DV

#47 Lovewar – Soak Your Brain|Pakaderm|1993

Hands down … the most underrated Christian rock band of all time. This record is sick! Tim Bushong is one of the great unsung music geniuses of Christian rock. —David Bach

Rooted in the voice and bass lines of Michael Been, The Call’s “Reconciled” confirmed that inspite of life’s challenges, “I Still Believe (Great Design).” And I find God’s Spirit “Everywhere I Go.” A masterful musical collection of artists, in songs of thoughtful, often biblical imagery, The Call revealed you could write about profoundly spiritual themes in mainstream settings and rock with intentionality, because “we need all the hope that we can get.” – BQN

#49 dc Talk - Jesus Freak|Forefront|1995

Even though you could find this album’s title track if you mashed “Self Esteem” with “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” it is still a great rally cry for Christian rockers. The album had more than one good song, too. And it (thankfully) found them moving towards rock. —DV

#50 John Mehler - Bow & Arrow|A&S|1982

Got this record when it came out. Still have it on vinyl! It was ahead of its time musically for Christian music. It sounded secular, which was a no-no in Christendom back then. Times have truly changed, and this record stands the test of time. —Doug Pinnick

#51 Seabird - 'Til We See the Shore|Credential|2008

Sounds classic even though it’s only two years old. Organic piano rock with grit, soul and a voice (in Aaron Morgan) that’ll fill a room.—DV

#52 Holy Soldier - Holy Soldier|Myrh|1990

I was the Myrrh Records promotion guy when they got signed. We all had very high hopes for them. They had Stryper’s old manager and ably played all the LA clubs where Poison and Van Halen got their starts. We had a couple #1’s – and the band was the first ever color cover of HM Mag! —Chris Hauser

#53 Pedro the Lion - Control|Jade Tree|2002

With each album David Bazan was able to break through my defenses, disarm my guards and inject a good dose of truth into my life. Control was one of those records. —Caleb Olsen

#54 Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay|Essential|1995

The song “Flood” was one of those surprises that catapulted this band of college friends all over mainstream radio, giving this skilled group of songwriters a healthy career that’s thankfully still going.—DV

#55 Brainchild - Mindwarp|R.E.X.|1994

Scott Albert’s an industrial music genius – fusing the power of metal, dance grooves and noise sampling. His second opus was originally released as a side-project called Brainchild, but later re-released as a Circle of Dust album.—DV

#56 Paramore - Riot|Fueled by Raman|2007

This thing is chock full of hits, which weren’t even exhausted on radio, but helped make them Warped Tour darlings. Critics should note that these songs would sound great with a guy singing ‘em and the girl that does belt ‘em out ain’t no slouch, either.—DV

#57 Showbread - Age of Reptiles|Tooth & Nail|2006

Shock rock, raw rock and dance rock all came together (with a sense of humor, too) for one great album here.—DV

#58 Anberlin - Cities|Tooth & Nail|2007

After refining its sound with the fantastic Never Take Friendship Personal, Anberlin was able to top themselves with a great collection of songs (like “Adelaide,” “Godspeed” and “The Unwinding Cable Car”), including the über-epic “Fin.”—DV

#59 Starflyer 59 - Leave Here a Stranger|Tooth & Nail|2001

Two of the most talented artists ever to be involved with Christian music come together on this classic release from one of the most underrated bands… Jason Martin’s Starflyer. Leave Here A Stranger was produced by Terry Taylor. They are all good but this record is a shining star in a discography of artistic brilliance. —Dr. Tony Shore

#60 Living Sacrifice - The Hammering Process|Solid State|2000

Reborn could just as easily be sitting here, but the band expanded its personnel and its sound once again for this album, achieving another brilliant musical breakthrough. —DV

#61 Guardian - Fire and Love|Pakaderm|1991

This was our sophomore and transition album with new members, label and producers. Still sounds decent after all these years. This album is still the anchor of our live set to this day. —David Bach

#62 441 - Mourning into Dancing|Blue Collar|1986

On this, their second album, 441 crystalized that dreamy male vocalist new wave sound (a la Duran Duran, Simple Minds, Paul Young) to perfection, adding heartfelt joy and an innocent worshipfulness that was magic.—DV

#63 Horde - Hellig Usvart|Rowe Productions|1994

Mortification alum Jayson Sherlock adopts the alias of Anonymous and records the album to kick off a Christocentric infiltration of black metal culture. Purported death threats and the mistaken idea that Sherlock meant to lampoon the music’s unrelenting evil follow, but the one-man act’s lone studio album holds up as a righteously furious assault.—Jamie Lee Rake

#64 Family Force 5 - Dance or Die|Tooth & Nail|2008

The word “crunk” might as well have a photo of FF5 next to it in the dictionary. This album could very well be that genre’s best. These 11 songs sure stand up well.—DV

#65 Jerusalem - Warrior|Lion & Lamb|1982

This Swedish hard rock band hit on all cylinders with “Man of the World” and “Constantly Changing,” but were revolutionary with its epic 12-minute “Sodom.”—DV

#66 Lone Justice - Shelter|Geffen|1986

Maria McKee remains one of my faves to this day and I keep this album near me at all times. As a teen it was “I Found Love” and “Reflected” that rocked me. As an adult, “Dixie Storms” slows me in my tracks every time I hear it.—John J. Thompson

#67 Petra - Back to the Streets|Star Song|1986

After several albums of being “pretty good” musically, this first album with veteran vocalist John Schlitt was flat-out arena rock great. Check out “Shakin’ The House.”—DV

#68 Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust|Columbia|1988

Peter Garrett’s intense political concerns about the environment, justice for aboriginals in Australia, and a world gone war-mad gives this breakthrough for Midnight Oil the furious energy of Hebrew prophets like Hosea and Amos. Aggressive, engaged, intense, Garrett leads the band through the hit, “Beds Are Burning,” warns that “your Dream World is just about to end,” and cries out with activist zeal in “Whoah” that “God is by my side.” – BQN

#69 The Violet Burning - Strength|Bluestone|1992

Strength just plain blew us all away. From the Tubbs brothers’ version of the band (precision with passion) to Pritzl’s chemical presence behind the front mic, this was worship music like I had never heard. Graceful, intense, evocative, sensual and soulful, in all the right places. Brilliance.—JJT

#70 Undercover - Balance of Power|Brainstorm Artist International|1990

I grew up on the fun punk anthems of Undercover, but Balance of Power marks a high point for the band with a very mature and artistic sound and it’s still my personal favorite from a very amazing band.—Dr. Tony Shore

#71 Matthew Ward - Armed and Dangerous|Live Oak|1986

The one male voice in the pretty, petite trio 2nd Chapter of Acts, you might never guess he could wail like Steve Walsh, but this album did that – with Dann Huff’s guitar shredding all over it, too.—DV

#72 One Bad Pig - Smash|Pure Metal|1989

Birthed out of Austin’s early ‘80s punk scene, this album captured that spirit with tunes like “Isaiah 6,” “Frat Rats,” “Looney Tune” and “Let’s Be Frank.”—DV

#73 Jeff Johnson - Shadowplay|Ark|1983

It’s amazing that music this experimental was ever distributed into the CBA. Take the trippiness of Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons and meld it with deep lyrics inspired by C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, etc, and you’re in prog rock heaven. Total sonic excellence from the pre-digital era.—DV

#74 Kansas - Vinyl Confessions|Kirshner|1982

When the songwriter behind “Dust in the Wind” found Jesus, it was a big deal to us Christian rockers. This was Kerry’s second post-conversion Kansas album and the first with vocalist John Elefante.—DV

#75 Novella - A Liquid Earth|Star Song|1992

Songs like “Missionary,” “Bad Place” and “Don’t You Run” resonate with a hopeful melodic sweetness and an arena rock thunder a la Journey in their heyday.—DV

#76 Magdallan - Big Bang|Intense|1992

We were trying to set new standards in Christian rock in hopes to inspire others to do the same. Something bulletproof the world would have a hard time demoting to irrelevancy like they do with most all Christian Music. I pray we did that and am still proud of that album.—Ken Tamplin

#77 Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Live at the Wetlands|Dare|2002

Robert Randolph and his Family Band introducing us all to the “sacred steel” genre is easily one of the best things to happen with rock guitar in the past decade (or two).—DV

#78 Red Sea - Blood|Rugged|1994

Led Zeppelin. Whitesnake. Red Sea.—DV

#79 Sacred Warrior - Obsessions|Intense|1991

On its fourth album this power metal band tweaked its Maiden/Queensryche sound more towards the Operation Mindcrime spectrum. In 1991 this was the perfect decision. —DV

#80 Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise|Asthmatic Kitty|2005

In his second of a 50-state project, this prolific songwriter became an overnight critic’s darling. The esoteric excellence of these songs are reason why.—DV

#81 Andy Hunter - Exodus|Nettwerk|2002

Hunter’s debut intersects the notion of DJ-led praise & worship with authentically club-banging techno/trance textures for the rare sanctified dance music project to rock listeners for whom the disco is their church. US Christian label patronage would move on, but not before leaving this scintillating classic.—Jamie Lee Rake

#82 Wovenhand - Mosaic|Sounds Familyre|2006

Any fan of great songwriting and alternative music will love this release. It is simply one of the most original and beautiful albums I’ve ever heard. The instrumentation and melodies will leave you wanting more. The fact that this is an independent release makes it that much more amazing.—Dr. Tony Shore

#83 Vigilantes of Love - Audible Sigh|Compass|2000

A decade into it, Bill Mallonee’s VoL appeared to find it’s mojo working with producer Buddy Miller, a way to connect his strong poetic lyrics to potent musical settings, aided in no small part by Miller and Kenny Hutson on mandolins and guitars.  Emmylou Harris sings harmony on “Resplendent,” one of the best songs of Mallonee’s canon. “Nothing Like a Train,” “Goes Without Saying” and “Could Be a Whole Lot Worse” make this a prime exhibit of the portent in Mallonee’s literate songwriting.  – BQN

#84 Evanescence - Fallen|Wind-Up|2003

15 Million copies of this album have sold worldwide. Not bad for a band that had sent its independently released Origin demo CD to this magazine two years prior.—DV

#85 Comeback Kid - Turn it Around|Facedown|2003

Sometimes the best bands and albums are created as a fun outlet – an experiment based upon musical hunches, passion and a hunger. Such was the wonderful surprise of this first chant-along album by some of these former members of Figure Four.—DV

#86 Project 86 - Drawing Black Lines|BEC|2000

With its second album Project 86 punched nu metal in the gut with real metal. The band’s been as consistent as ever with each release, but this one remains a fan favorite and live set staple.—DV

#87 Arkangel - Warrior|Star Song|1980

This might be the best album in the entire universe. Art/prog rock from 1980. Imagine Jethro Tull, Rush, Kansas and ELP rolled into one. “Warrior” is perhaps the best hippie worship song ever.—DV

#88 Skillet - Comatose|Ardent|2006

After years of being “pretty good for Christian rock” they can now stand toe-to-toe with any mainstream rock band and kill it. “Falling Inside the Black” and “Rebirthing” both soar.—DV

#89 Tonio K - Romeo Unchained|What?|1986

At a point when most of Christian music sounded the same and had to meet certain lyrical requirements, along came artistic genius Tonio K with quirky avant-garde sounds and lyrics that were way too honest and intelligent for the masses.—Dr. Tony Shore

#90 Steve Taylor - I Predict 1990|Myrrh|1987

There was so much controversy surrounding this album – the cover, the content, the store boycotts, the cancelled Australian tour – that in retrospect, I’m amazed it was ever released.—Steve Taylor

#91 OC Supertones - Supertones Strike Back|BEC|1997

Kings of ska’s third wave? Possibly so. Along with FIF at least able to make a claim towards the crown. Fiesty, fun and fast. Four of these songs made it on their just-released best-of, ReUnite.—DV

#92 Allies - Long Way from Paradise|Dayspring|1989

Dayspring Records probably never knew what hit ‘em. These veteran rockers let it all bang out on this blues hard rock opus with greats like “Devil is a Liar,” the title track, “Old Man Down” and “Christian Man.”—DV

#93 - Mad at the World - Mad at the World|Frontline|1987

This album stretched the mostly empty boundaries of what was really cool and “edgy” in Christian music at a time when the only other genre doing that was metal.—DV

#94 Iona - Beyond These Shores|Forefront|1993

Don’t say “Enya clone” until you’ve heard this band’s songs. It’s like Dream Theater minus the metal. Progressive yet beautiful and moving. Joanne Hogg’s vocals soar on “Treasure” and “Burning Like Fire.”—DV

#95 Sam Phillips - Martinis & Bikinis|Virgin|1994

The artist fka Leslie Phillips perfected her songcraft on this album, with powerful tunes like “Black Sky” “Baby, I Can’t Please You” “I Need Love” the trippy ballad “Strawberry Road” and the Lennon cover of “Gimme Some Truth.”—DV

#96 Extol - Undeceived|Solid State|2000

Burial introduced us to these Nordic Viking metallers, but Undecieved kicked it up even another notch.—DV

#97 Degarmo & Key - Straight On|Lion & Lamb|1979

“Livin’ on the Edge of Dyin’” could’ve been an outtake from Springsteen’s Born to Run album. And “Enchirdion,” “Long Distance Runner” and “Jericho” ain’t no slouches, either.—DV

#98 Jimmy Hotz - Beyond the Crystal Sea|Vision|1980

The guy who produced Arkangel’s album self-released his own solo album around the same time. It’s classic prog rock in the vein of acid rockers like Yes. Lots of atmospheric and space rock keyboards.—DV

#99 Asight Unseen - Circus of Shame|New Breed|1991

From out of nowhere this young band rocked with a veteran confidence and swagger. Influenced from a myriad of sources, like rockabilly, grunge, The Cult, STP, Jane’s Addiction. And how can you go wrong when you write a song called “Jimi Jones Boogie?”—DV

#100 PAX217 - TwoSeventeen|Forefront|2000

I would love to say I discovered and signed this band, but one of my A&R guys (Mark Nicholas) scouted them and chased down Howard Benson to produce. “Prism” is still one of the best Christian rock songs ever.—David Bach

© Copyright 2010 HM Magazine. All rights reserved.

The number of people attending was so massive that the first main floor was sold out, in resulting people having to go up in the balcony. Never have I seen the House Of Blues this over packed, even when Hatebreed played there it wasn’t this packed.

War Of Ages opened for the show, which was odd since they are bigger than Bless The Fall. On my way up the stairs to the main floor, War Of Ages ended their set with “All Consuming Fire.” The pit was wide open and people were jumping along with the beginning breakdown to the song. Heads were banging and lights were flashing with the circle pit drumming and fast riff guitar playing. After their set was done frontman Leroy Hamp went down to the front row to slap hands and give high fives for the fans.

Up next was Bless The Fall, who are based out of Phoenix, AZ. I’ve heard that this band was Christian but it was unclear when their guitar player ran out to the stage with his middle finger held high. With their massive banner behind them showing a skull with the band name in front, they rocked the stage with singing vocals and breakdowns. In promotion of their newest album Witness, vocalist Beau Bokan told the crowd to scream the name of the album on the count of 3. Right before their last song, they gave shout outs to the bands on tour and how it’s been a wonderful time.

Finally it was time for Demon Hunter. The crowd screamed when their banner was being raised with the album cover from Summer Of Darkness. When the stage lights went off, screams came from every direction of the venue with excitement. Appearing first on stage was drummer Yogi Watts waving to the crowd, then everyone else in the band stormed to the stage.

Vocalist Ryan Clark was up in front with his foot on a stage monitor. It was nice to see Clark representing the old Demon Hunter look by wearing a black bandana across his forehand. They opened their set with “The World Is A Thorn.” During the chorus, strobe lights were flashing at a fast rate which made the band look like they were moving in slow motion. It looked cool with rhythm guitarist Ryan Helm’s dreadlocks flapping around. Right after that song, the band jumped into “LifeWar.” It sounded like bombs were dropping with the way that song sounded live, having the drums and guitars play on the same beat.

Demon Hunter kept the show exciting and fast with not playing any ballads. Even though Clark isn’t much of a talker on stage, he always asked the crowd between songs if they were having a good time. The circle pit didn’t seem to stop with “Undying,” “Tie This Around Your Neck,” and “Not I,” and “Storm The Gates Of Hell.” Clark after that gave a shout out to the “old school” fans.

“How many old school fans are here? This next one goes out to all you old schoolers. This one is off our Summer Of Darkness album. It’s called NOT READY TO DIE!!!”

One cool thing Clark did during “Not I” was right before the breakdown when the female vocals sing “Sing now seraph, find the calm within your soul,” a yellow light shined on Clark and he looked up with his hands raised as if he was about to ascend to the heavens.

They concluded with “Just Breathe” which to my surprise held up well. Lead guitarist Patrick Judge did an amazing job doing backup deep growling vocalist which are done by Christian Alvestam (ex-vocalist of Scar Symmetry) on the album.

While fans were waiting for As I Lay Dying, fans were screaming and clapping their hands while their equipment was being set up. Once again the fans screamed when their stage banner was relived which showed their album cover from The Powerless Rise.

Jordan Mancino’s drum set stood up on stage with a ramp in front of it for members to use. Right behind the drum set was a gong, which I don’t recall Mancino used during their set. The band opened with “94 hours” followed by “An Ocean Between Us.” None of the band members stood still with switching stage sides or jumping off the ramp that was in front of the drum set. Vocalist Tim Lambesis introduced the next song. “Hopefully you guys can keep up with this one. How many have the new album? This song is called ‘Beyond Our Suffering’.”

As I Lay Dying’s stage presence was so intense, that Lambeisis’s vocals couldn’t be heard over the crowd overpowering by singing along. During their set of “Through Struggle,” the floor felt like it was going to collapse through from all the people jumping up and down. I can say honestly the breakdown at the end of that song, was the most powerful live breakdown out of all the shows I have seen in my lifetime.

In the middle of the set, Mancino did an amazing drum solo. What made it eye shocking was the strobe lights flashing from all different directions. During his beats, Mancino did his signature move of “windmill” head banging while his feet were flying up and down on the double bass petals. Near the end, he stood up to make the crowd scream then sat back down to play.

Lambesis gave thanks to the crowd for being amazing and fun to play in front of.

“How many of you guys lost your voice tonight from screaming? Every night I scream my head off for about an hour but the thing that keeps me going is you guys. You guys have been amazing tonight!”

Of course the crowd yelled for an encore when the band left the stage. Screams came back once again when the band played “Forever” and it looked just like the music video

Allentown PA – I arrived at the venue several hours before the show opening. I like to check in with the Tour Manager, stake out my angles for photos, and just hang out and see what happens. This show was somewhat unique in that there were no local bands opening the event.

The order of service was War Of Ages, Bless The Fall, Demon Hunter, and As I Lay Dying. During the sound checks I sensed a positive vibe from the sound and lighting engineers as well as the bands. This is not always the case, especially when every day is spent traveling to another town and another venue.

The doors opened 30 minutes before the show, the club quickly filling to capacity. I noted that a number of girls had pushed to the front to grab a glimpse of Bless The Fall. But War Of Ages opened hard with a salvo of Pennsylvania hardcore. It was fists in the air as Leroy Hamp and band worked the hungry crowd into a sweat.

Back stage I noticed Bless The Fall’s Beau Bokan hobbling around on crutches. He took the stage and explained that he had fallen 25 feet at a previous show and was not supposed to be walking. The performance went on, however, with BTF dishing out both melodies and screams to the delight of the pit crowd.

Back in the “green room” Demon Hunter drummer Yogi Watts was engaged in a myriad of yoga-like contortions as he prepared for the stage. AILD’s drummer Jordan Mancino was also warming up for his time in the spotlight. Demon Hunter brought a new “more metal” sound with the addition of Patrick Judge and Ryan Helm on guitars. I particularly enjoyed the Swedish-flavored guitar work of Patrick Judge.

Finally Lambesis and crew took the stage amidst a cloak of fog.  Drums and bass brought boots to the chest while guitars sent ice picks to the eyes in full metal style. No one left the show feeling empty. All the bands were clearly having fun and gave all to the fans. If you can catch this tour, you won’t be disappointed.

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