That is the cover art for the new issue of HM Magazine. I hope this one is read by as many people as the December issue was. Early stats showed 10,000+ visits on the first night! Since then (December 11th) there has been 24,740 visits. The January issue will go back to “normal,” where viewing/reading it is reserved/restricted to subscribers only. One-year (12-issue) digital subscriptions are only $6 right now, so it’s pretty cheap and there’s not much of a reason not to subscribe. I’m a cheap guy and I would subscribe at this price without hesitating! These one-year digi-subs are going to go up to $12/year in February, which is still a great deal.

Anyway, this issue’s cover art above is not 100% accurate. We had to bump the David Crowder* Band feature to February. The reason? Well, we had to devote some time to research and find out exactly what that darn asterik or asterisk stands for! Just kidding. Turns out the main dude in the band – Mr. Goatee himself, wasn’t available for interview during the pre-holiday time we needed, so we put it off and slid an interview with Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice there instead. The metal band is releasing a new live DVD that’s really good, so that was an easy change.

If you like to pray, please pray with me that I could find someone to sell ads for us at HM Magazine. I’m finding that my new workload with going monthly is just too much for me. That’s really why this deadline is late. The January issue should have gone to press before Christmas. If I could just concentrate on editorial and running the business, I think this could go a lot better. So, I’m seeking God for wisdom and asking Him to lead me to the right person to take this workload (and get paid commissions on sales).

Anyway, here’s what this January issue holds in store for you:

Blessed By A Broken Heart. A nice four-page cover story on this newly signed band to Tooth & Nail Records.
Living Sacrifice. An interview with frontman Bruce Fitzhugh on their In Finite Live DVD.
Five Iron Frenzy. A story on the band that reunited and raised over $30,000 on kickstarter in 55 minutes! They’re not done yet and they’ve already raised $172,000. Wow.
MxPx. Their new documentary is cool and we interviewed the guy who put it together, Brian Buchelt.
The Skies Revolt. I interviewed this wacky, creative band that walks around in those cardboard robots at Cornerstone.
Maylene & the Sons of Disaster. I’m just going to say it: Their new album, IV, completely rules. Best album I’ve heard in a good while. Fantastic. Sounds more like Ozzy than Maylene. Go figure. Seriously. Get this album now!
Cradle of Filth. I dipped back into the vaults in an effort to promote my new book – Rock Stars on God, Volume 2. I’ll be doing a short kickstarter.com campaign to launch that book, which I plan on having available on January 31. This was a great interview.
Immortal Souls. An article on a great metal band.
And, of course, there’s a few surprises I’ll let you discover on your own.

Check out a screen capture of our December online issue visit stats.

Oh, and by the way, I’m this much closer to getting a complete print-able book available for sale at lulu.com. Stay tuned for an announcement as to when it’s live and available. Expect to pay $6 plus postage for a print hold-in-your-hands copy of the January or the December issue.

Check it out. This is where our Hard Music staff weigh in on what was great in 2010.
Top 5 Favorite Albums:
Fav indie band:
Fav live show:

[tell us what your favs were in the comments section below]

Keven Crothers

#1  the Rex Carroll Band – That Was Then This is Now

#2  Sinbreed – When Worlds Collide

#3  Reinxeed – Majestic

#4  Darkwater – Where Stories End

#5  Holy Blood – Shining Sun

Favorite Live Act – Grave Robber

Favorite Indie – Walk the Sky

Chris Beck

#1 Darkwater – Where Stories End

#2 Reinxeed – Majestic

#3 Holy Blood – Shining sun

#4 HB – Paakallonpaikka

#5 Mass – Sea of Black

Favorite Live Show – Stryper

I don’t really have a response for favorite unsigned band, as about everyone is signed to a small label.

Chris Gatto

1. Living Sacrifice- Infinite Order

2. Saint- Hellblade

3. Sinbreed- When Worlds Collide

4. The Sacrificed- 2012

5. Golden Resurrection- Glory to my King

Favorite Live Show: As I Lay Dying and Demon Hunter

Favorite Indie Artist: Krig

Loyd Harp

1. Krig – Narcissistic Mechanism



2. My Silent Wake/The Drowning – Black Lights and Silent Roads



3. Grave Forsaken – Fight to the Death



4. Wintersoul – Frozen Storm Apocalypse



5. Malchus – Didymos

Indie:

Sons of God – Hogtie’n the Devil

Live Show:

No metal bands play where I live unfortunately . . .

Kaela Van Pelt

Top 5 albums in no particular order:

Bradley Hathaway – A Thousand Angry Panthers

Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More

My Epic – Yet

Underoath – ø (Disambiguation)

For Today – Breaker

Favorite live show:

The Chariot at Cornerstone 2010

Favorite unsigned artist:

Fit For A King

Jeff McCormack

1. Darkwater – Where Stories End

2. Showdown – Blood in the Gears

3. Place of Skulls – As a Dog Returns

4. Innerwish – No Turning Back

5. Saint – Hellblade

Indie band: Place of Skulls

Concert: As I Lay Dying – Demon Hunter – War of Ages tour

Jonathan “Doc” Swank

1. Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way of ORwarrior

2. Coriolis – The Endless Funeral

3. Sinbreed – When Worlds Collide

4. Living Sacrifice – The Infinite Order

5. Darkwater – Where Stories End

Favorite Live Show: Megadeth “Rust In Peace 20^th anniversary tour”

Favorite indie/unsigned band: Souljourners (souljournersband.com)

Corey Erb

1) Greeley Estates - No Rain, No Rainbow

2) The Chariot – Long Live

3) Sleeping With Sirens – With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear

4) As They Sleep – Dynasty

5) Mae – (e)vening

Favorite live show:
Mae at Eureka College 8.23.10

Favorite unsigned artist:
Lovedrug (they left their label and went independent, that count?)
lovedrugmusic.com

Nick Cotrufo

5. The Chariot – Long Live

4. Comeback Kid – Symptoms and Cures

3. Close Your Eyes – We Will Overcome

2. Mychildren Mybride – Lost Boy

1. For Today – Breaker

FAV LIVE SHOW
The AK-47 tour with War of Ages, The Color Morale, The Great Commission, The Contortionist, and Legend. I saw them in Lynchburg, VA and THE COLOR MORALE played the best show.

FAVE INDIE BAND
http://www.myspace.com/thegunshowofficial

Matt Leonard

TOP 5 ALBUMS

5. Norma Jean – Meridional

4. As They Sleep – Dynasty

3. For Today – Breaker

2. War of Ages – Eternal

1. As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Rise

FAV. SHOW
The Chariot – Cornerstone

INDIE BAND
Written in Red
http://www.myspace.com/writteninredrawk

Matt Conner

1. Sufjan Stevens – Age of Adz

2. The Choir – Burning Like the Midnight Sun

3. Anberlin – Dark is the way…

4. Robbie Seay Band – Miracle

5. Gungor – Beautiful Things

Fav live show
Switchfoot

Fav indie/unsigned artist

Josh Garrels
www.joshgarrels.com

Doug Van Pelt

For Today – Breaker

As I Lay Dying -The Powerless Rise

Demon Hunter – The World Is A Thorn

Seabird – Rocks Into Rivers

Anberlin – Dark is the Way, Light is a Place

Fav indie band: Bradley Hathaway
Fav live show: Flatfoot 56 at Cornerstone

Tim Harris

1. The Devil Wears Prada – Zombie EP

2.  Impending Doom – There Will Be Violence

3. Comeback Kid – Symptoms And Cures

4.  Anberlin – Dark Is the Way, Light Is A Place

5.  Underoath – Ø (Disambiguation)

Favorite live show
The Chariot

Favorite indie band
Lorna Shore

http://www.myspace.com/lornashore

Rob Shameless

1. My Epic- Yet

2. Living Sacrifice- Infinite Order

3. Messengers- Anthems

4. John Mark Mcmillian- The Medicine

5. PND- Dirty Words

Fav live show: Take it Back Cstone Monday Night Solace Stage
Fav unsigned band: Carrying The Fire
http://stereokiller.com/carryingthefire

Jason Irvin

Top 5 Albums:

1) A Plea For Purging – The Marriage of Heaven & Hell

2) Anberlin – Dark Is the Way, Light Is The Place

3) As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Rise

4) Manafest – The Chase

5) Tenth Avenue North – The Light Meets The Dark

Fav Live Show: A Plea For Purging – over 100 stage dives

Fav unsigned artist: Embers In Ashes
http://www.facebook.com/EmbersInAshes

Fav unsigned band- Carrying The Fire

Fav Show- Take It Back Cstone monday night solace stage

Underoath Hosted Headbanger’s Ball
UNDEROATH’s striking video for their first single “In Division” is out now. The dream-like clip finds the band performing in a house that becomes engulfed with water, complimenting the powerful track. View the video here. As UNDEROATH prepared for the release of their much-anticipated fifth album Ø (DISAMBIGUATION)–on November 9 on Solid State/Tooth & Nail–the group hosted MTV2’s “Headbanger’s Ball” on Monday, November 8. One of heavy music’s biggest successes, UNDEROATH have evolved and thrived during a decade-long progression. For Ø (DISAMBIGUATION–the FL-based sextet’s new creative high watermark–the group returned to Glow In The Dark studios and re teamed with producers Matt Goldman and Jeremy SH Griffith. Ø (DISAMBIGUATION is the highly anticipated follow-up to Define The Great Line (2006) and Lost In The Sound of Separation (2008) which both debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. Define The Great Line#2–the highest debut for a Christian album since 1997–while Lost In The Sound of Separation came in at #8 on the Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart marking the top rock debuts for their release week. Both UNDEROATH’s Define The Great Line and their breakout album They’re Only Changing Safety–all released on Seattle indie Solid State/Tooth & Nail–has now sold over 480,000 copies.

Ace Augustine Joins Strike First family
Rising from the same fertile Pennsylvania grounds as August Burns Red and Once Nothing, Ace Augustine take their musical cues from the style they naturally grew into. Ace Augustine play solid, technical metal mixed with hardcore elements influenced by not only their Lancaster, PA spearheads, but also by various indie acts. Ace Augustine are known for being some of the youngest artists to perform with such national acts as Sky Eats Airplane, Anberlin, and MyChildren MyBride. This band is full of tenacious young talent, five promising musicians in their salad days turning their dreams into reality. The band released their first EP The Glory of Trumpets in 2009, and are set to release their debut full length on Strike First Records in early 2011.

Black Label Society Record “The First Noel”
Black Label Society has partnered with VEVO for the world premiere of BLS’ hysterical new video “Overlord.” The video can be viewed here. The video, directed by Master Cylinder, finds guitar legend Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society in a satire of 70’s Kung Fu movies. Wylde is featured as the Bruce Lee-type action hero (yellow jumpsuit and all) in hot pursuit of the Overlord…in this case an old lady who holds the key to a very special prize. “Overlord” will be the next single from Black Label Society’s latest album ORDER OF THE BLACK; it follows the breakthrough Top 20 rock radio track, “Parade Of The Dead.” In other Black Label Society news, the first-ever BLS Christmas tune, “The First Noel” is available now on iTunes. The track is a beautiful instrumental which highlights Wylde’s prowess on the acoustic guitar. Black Label Society’s proceeds from sales of the single will be donated to The Zakk and Barbaranne Wylde Foundation at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, a charity The Wyldes have long supported. Black Label Society’s first new album in four years, ORDER OF THE BLACK, was released via Entertainment One in North America in August, 2010 and debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. Black Label Society is currently headlining The Black Label Berzerkus, Zakk Wylde’s own North American package tour featuring Black Label Society, Children Of Bodom, Clutch and 2Cents.

Future of Forestry’s New EP Out Now
ADVENT CHRISTMAS, VOLUME 2 by Future of Forestry, is out now, available through iTunes and on the futureofforestry.com website. Over the coming weeks the EP will appear on additional online music sites and at live events during the band’s holiday tour. The EP features the holiday classics Joy To The World, Do You Hear What I Hear?, Angels We Have Heard On High, and Pie Jesu, as well the original song The Earth Stood Still, and an instrumental interlude. Advent Christmas 2 is designed to be a cohesive piece that merges effortlessly with the original Advent Christmas EP. After touring on the first EP, the band realized that these Advent CDs had become a large part of the makeup of the band, and the desire for a second was evident. With it’s epic sound, creative instrumentation and traditional values, the Advent EPs hope to honor and enhance this most holy of seasons.

Living Sacrifice To Release Deluxe Edition
Veteran Christian metal act, Living Sacrifice, has announced a November 30th release date for a special iTunes exclusive deluxe edition of the band’s latest full-length record, The Infinite Order (Solid State Records). The forthcoming deluxe edition will contain a 30-minute, eight-song, DVD quality video and three bonus tracks, including the unreleased song, “Glasshouses.” See the track listing below and begin to drool:
Track Listing:
1. Overkill Exposure
2. Rules of Engagement
3. Nietzsches Madness
4. Unfit To Live
5. The Training
6. Organized Lie
7. The Reckoning
8. Love Forgives
9. They Were One
10. God Is My Home
11. Apostasy
12. Glasshouses (bonus)
13. Flatline (live)
14. Symbiotic (live)
Live DVD video:
1. Bloodwork
2. Imminent War
3. Local Vengeance Killing
4. Flatline
5. Rules of Engagement
6. In Christ
7. Reborn Empowered
8. Reject
Living Sacrifice will unleash the downloadable album as they begin a headlining run on the “Solid State Records: A Very Metal Christmas Tour”, alongside label-mates, The Showdown, Becoming the Archetype, To Speak of Wolves, and As They Sleep.
Tour Dates:
11/30 – El Paso, TX
12/2 – Yucca Valley, CA
12/3 – Ventura, CA
12/4 – Petaluma, CA
12/5 – Anaheim, CA
12/6 – Canoga Park, CA
12/7 – Mesa, AZ
12/8 – Albuquerque, NM
12/10 – Fort Worth, TX
12/11 – Oklahoma City, OK
12/12 – Little Rock, AR

Messengers’ Debut Album Out Now
Strike First is proud to announce the release of Messengers’ debut recording today. Anthems is a 7 song EP that has already been praised for its “old school hardcore/thrash crossover approach.” Messengers’ hometown, Dallas is known for producing heavy music from the likes Pantera, so it’s not unusual that a hardcore band from “The City of Hate” could cross over so seamlessly. Childhood friends Noah, TK, Andy, and brothers Chad and Chance have set in motion an unstoppable sound. High energy, fast-paced, driving tracks dominate Anthems, the band’s first EP, and spot-on gang vocals punctuate the songs with uncompromising strength. Messengers are stalwart supporters of the thrash sounds of yesteryear, but to call Messengers’ sound a throwback is to not realize the full potential of the second coming of 80s and 90s hardcore and thrash.
For more information on their debut album, go here:
facedown.merchnow.com/products/120764

Close Your Eyes Unveil Music Video
CLOSE YOUR EYES have released their music video for “The Body,” from their Victory Records debut, We Will Overcome. Using their faith as a driving force, CLOSE YOUR EYES has clawed their way out of Abiliene, Texas and is aiming for the hearts and souls of everyone in their path. It was a brief encounter at Hardin-Simmons University that turned Shane Reynolds (Vocals) and Brett Callaway (Guitar) from strangers, into two-fifths of Victory Records’ latest talent. “We met in the cafeteria. Brett was wearing a Dillinger Escape Plan shirt and I was wearing an As I Lay Dying shirt. We commented on each other’s and started talking about music; we realized that we had many of the same interests.” One of the common interests that Callway and Reynolds discovered was their understanding and dedication to the Christian faith. Quickly forming a unique friendship, the duo began a short-lived, two-man collaboration; after playing only a few shows, the desire for a thicker and fuller sound took over. Months of relentless searching through a talented sea of musicians seemed disheartening until Andrew Rodriguez (guitar), Sonny Vega (Bass) and David Fidler (Drums) appeared as though they had been there all along. This completed five-some creates the powerful and up-lifting sound that is CLOSE YOUR EYES, today. “With the line-up that we have now, we are all in-sync when it comes to music. We have such a heart for it; the best stuff always comes out” explains Reynolds. With their hardcore, heavy, rock sound and inspirational lyrics it was no surprise the band received such an intense initial response. “It took me a long time to find my ‘voice’ and the things I really wanted to write about,” says Reynolds, “Right around when we wrote ‘Song for the Broken’ I discovered that I could use lyrics to really express what’s in my heart.” One of the band’s biggest lyrical focuses comes from highlighting the ‘broken’ and needy people in the world. “It doesn’t take a specific religion to see that a lot of people in America are hurting. I really started having a heart for these people and saying, especially from a Christian standpoint, that we are being selfish.” Make no mistake, although heavily influenced by their Christianity, the group don’t plan on selling out their faith in exchange for their fame. “We don’t hide who we are but a big reason we don’t emphasize the fact that we’re a Christian band is because we don’t want our faith to be our primary marketing point. I would prefer if someone approached me after hearing our lyrics and questioned if we’re a Christian band, because then I can say ‘I am a Christian… and this is why’.” In 2008, they released a self-titled, 6-song EP that was ranked the #6 Most Added Album on both the FMQB and CMJ Loud charts. Due to its success, the band was honored with playing Main Stage at Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, Illinois, after winning first place in the “New Band Showcase”. The following year, HM Magazine selected CLOSE YOUR EYES as one of their “Pick of the Litter” artists, which deemed them worthy of playing the magazine’s showcase at Cornerstone 2009. “When we got signed, everything changed,” explains Reynolds. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Ministry, Reynolds had decided to continue his education and was enrolled in graduate school. “I was sitting with my mom and we were talking about what this would entail: dropping out of school, quitting my job… a lot of things in my life would change. I expected my mom to be the one to tell me to keep my feet on the ground, be realistic, and have clearly defined goals, but she looked at me and basically said ‘You would be stupid not to do this. I would never want you to sit and wonder what it would have been like if you would have tried.’ I ended up dropping out that day and haven’t looked back since.” Excited and sure to waste no time, CLOSE YOUR EYES started compiling songs for their Victory Records debut, We Will Overcome. The writing process was pure, and humbling, making it more of an experience than a task for the band; especially for Shane. “I realized that I’m sitting here writing about how we need to take action and step forward and I’m not doing any of it. It is one thing for me to talk about all of these things lyrically and tell people that there’s hope, but if I’m not doing it myself then all these words are meaningless. The overriding theme of the album is that there is hope. No matter what it is that we find ourselves struggling with in life, we can and we will overcome these obstacles.” With their February 16th release of We Will Overcome, it’s no wonder that CLOSE YOUR EYES have been named one of Alternative Press’s “Top 100 Bands You Need to Know in 2010”. Currently the band is on tour with label mates A DAY TO REMEMBER, in support of this release and the intensity of their live shows will reassure you that music can provide hope, comfort and salvation.

Kemper Crabb Releases New Album
Longtime HM Magazine columnist always puts out excellent music of his own. A free song is available for download. More info from the man himself: For those of you who haven’t already heard, I just released a new musical project called RELIQUARIUM. In the first place, this is far and away my favorite project I’ve ever recorded. I got to utilize most of the instruments I currently play, most of the friends I make music with played on it, and there was no real agenda, stylistically speaking, so I was able to combine and juxtapose most of the types of music I enjoy, all on some of the greatest songs ever written (all composed long before my birth…). For the immediate future, you can download a free song from RELIQUARIUM, hear extended samples, and purchase downloads and physical copies of the project at reliquarium.net or on my site at kempercrabb.net. More importantly, though, RELIQUARIUM is a benefit album designed to raise funds for, and awareness of, my father’s missionary organization, Servants of the King (www.servantsoftheking.org ), which builds orphanages, schools, leprosoriums, hospitals, seminaries, and churches in India, Africa, and South America, work for which my father has been thrice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. All profits generated from album sales will directly benefit the Servants of the King. I’d like to ask you all to tell everyone on your friends’ lists and email lists (and everybody you know any way you can…) about the new record. Since it’s a benefit album, we’re dealing with a practically non-existent promotional budget, and are being forced to rely on mostly word-of-mouth (or text-of-email, as the case may be…) to let people know RELIQUARIUM exists. Please let others know they can get a free download and hear the album at the web-addresses above. Many thanks for your help.

Stars Go Dim Update
Stars Go Dim have posted some new happenings for them in their latest newsletter: Hello everybody! We hope that you’ve been doing well. Things have been crazy busy around here and some awesome things are happening soon. Special thanks to all those who voted for us in the Goo Goo Dolls contest. We made the final round and now the judges and Goo Goo Dolls will decide the winner Nov 15th. Between playing tons of shows we’ve recently had a photo shoot, video shoot, and are working hard on new music to be released soon! Read more details of our latest happenings with pics and video in our journal on starsgodim.com. We will be releasing a new single called “Like I Mean It” along with a music video before the end of the year. Date to be announced soon. We are really excited for you all to hear it. Hope you all have a great week. We are off to Miami this weekend to board a music cruise going to the Bahamas. Yes, somebody has to do it. lol. -Michael, Chris, and Joey

Behind The Songs With Philmont
Frontman Scott Taube shares the inspiration behind “You Will Remain,” the debut single from the band’s Oct. 19 release, The Transition EP. “This song is a testament to God’s infinite and divine nature, a realization that the only thing in life that matters is that which is permanent and unfailing. Despite what we so often tell ourselves, our troubles, our possessions, and our achievements on Earth are but fleeting glances in the eternal scope. The kingdom of heaven is close at hand, and this song is an imploration to spend your time down here focused on the things above! ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away.’ – Matthew 24:35 (NIV)” –Scott Taube
For more information on Philmont, visit:
myspace.com/philmontrock

Eisley signs To Equal Vision
Tyler, Texas quintet Eisley has signed with the Albany, New York-based Equal Vision Records. The new relationship with the independent label follows Eisley’s departure from Warner Bros. Records earlier this year, after two full-length albums and several EPs. Their third album is tentatively planned for an early 2011 release through Equal Vision. Details on the upcoming album’s release date, title and tracklist will be announced in the coming weeks. Eisley singer/guitarist Sherri DuPree Bemis states, “It’s really refreshing for us to be working with a label that’s driven by passion and has made a name for itself by working really hard with bands they actually love.” She continues, “It’s especially cool for Eisley to be on a label that started out as a ‘punk’ label because despite not being a punk band in any way musically, we have always done our own thing, gone against the grain and fought for what we believe in and that is the true essence of punk. We’re happy to extend our (already extensive) family.” Equal Vision Records A&R representative Francesca Caldara elaborates, “We’ve all been familiar with Eisley for years now; some of us have been fans since high school or college. We’re especially inspired by the personal connection they have with their fans and are honored to be working with them.” Steve Reddy, owner of Equal Vision, adds, “We have always done our best to maintain a family vibe with our artists, so working with them — a literal family — has been very natural from the beginning. We are very much looking forward to working and growing with them, and we cannot wait for everyone to hear the new album.” Equal Vision Records is currently home to artists including Chiodos, Pierce The Veil, and Dear and the Headlights, and the former home to artists such as Saves The Day, Circa Survive, and Portugal. The Man.

©2010 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved

More news from last week:

still fresh (as far as you know)

The full track list is…
1. Overkill Exposure
2. Rules of Engagement
3. Nietzsches Madness
4. Unfit To Live
5. The Training
6. Organized Lie
7. The Reckoning
8. Love Forgives
9. They Were One
10. God Is My Home
11. Apostasy
12. Glasshouses (bonus)
13. Flatline (live)
14. Symbiotic (live)

Live DVD video:
1. Bloodwork
2. Imminent War
3. Local Vengeance Killing
4. Flatline
5. Rules of Engagement
6. In Christ
7. Reborn Empowered
8. Reject
Living Sacrifice will unleash the downloadable album as they begin a headlining run on the “Solid State Records: A Very Metal Christmas Tour”, alongside label-mates, The Showdown, Becoming the Archetype, To Speak of Wolves, and As They Sleep.
The updated list of tour dates is…
Nov. 29 – Waco TX @ Waco Outreach Center (Living Sacrifice and Becoming the Archetype)
Nov 30 – El Paso, TX @ Open Gate
Dec 2 – Yucca Valley, CA @ Joshua Springs Chapel
Dec 3 – Ventura, CA @ Epic Ventura
Dec 4 – Petaluma, CA @ Phoenix Theater
Dec 5 – Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
Dec 6 – Canoga Park, CA @ Cobalt Cafe
Dec 7 – Mesa, AZ @ The Underground
Dec 8 – Albuquerque, NM @ Tramway Community
Dec 10 – Fort Worth, TX @ The Bandwagon
Dec 11 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
Dec 12 – Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music

Stay tuned for more information on Living Sacrifice and the “Solid State Records: A Very Metal Christmas Tour”.

www.livingsacrifice.com
www.solidstaterecords.com
www.myspace.com/solidstaterecords
www.facebook.com/solidstate

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 show was taken place at a small venue called the White Rabbit. It’s a place in San Antonio, TX, with sweet looking graffiti art covering the outside and it had its own pizza parlor next door. Although the pizza is nothing to brag about, it had a pretty good setting with autographed photos of bands that had played in the past at the venue.

Thin Ice, a band that is from Texas and has been recently signed to Blood & Ink Records, was the opening act. Since they played early, not many people were around to witness them. The band members are still young and gave a good amount of energy on stage even though the crowd was dead. I have a feeling that once this band gets noticed, they will be admired by the hardcore scene. Their songs are heavy and contain two stepping parts that are hard not to move to.

Up next was The Great Commission. This was my first time witnessing them and from knowing what they sound like, I was excited for what was about to come. While the band crew was setting up, they brought out banners that showed the album cover of  And Every Knee Shall Bow. As I was expecting, their stage presence was amazing with choreographed head banging and squatting during their explosive breakdowns. However, the crowd was still very small and only a couple of people were moshing. In the middle of their set, frontman Justin Singh took a time out to explain what the band was all about and he didn’t hold back on his words. One of the main points Justin made clear was that their set was a church service. He mentioned how everyone had a testimony and how important that is.

“Some of you might have been hurt from the Church, with how you look. Whether it is with your piercings and tattoos, I want you to know that that shows the hypocrisy of Christians. The Lord calls us unto him and not to judge others.”

It was at that point I saw how serious of a ministry The Great Commission is. With Justin’s words having such strong authority and exposing the truth, I can say it truly touched me. When they finished their set, Justin announced about the band Lionheart coming up next. He asked the crowd would stick around for them and show respect. Apparently on the last few dates of the tour, people have walked out on Lionheart because of them not being a Christian band. Justin then emphasized on the fact that just because someone isn’t Christian doesn’t mean they don’t have something important to say.

To my surprise Lionheart had the biggest crowd throughout the show. They played an exciting set with their sound of “tough guy” hardcore. I think a crew of theirs showed up and got the crowd into their music. Like many hardcore bands, they were jumping around stage and the vocalist kept telling the crowd to stop standing still.

Next up was Shai Hulud and if I ever had felt bad for a band, it would be this one. For those of you who don’t know Shai Hulud, they are legends in the hardcore scene. They have been around since 1995. About 10 people stood up front and few were singing along to their songs. Nevertheless, Shai Hulud gave it their all as if they were playing in front of a massive crowd.

My heart was pounding knowing that up next was Living Sacrifice. For reasons I don’t know, they were not the headline of this show. The crowd grew a little bigger for Living Sacrifice. One of the odd things about the crowd was that it didn’t look like a typical metal crowd. There was this fat man wearing an ugly Hawaiian shirt smoking a cigar and kids wearing baggy pants, t-shirts sold at JC Penny and gym shoes. While the band was setting up, people were cheering and yelling comments such as “I love you Bruce!”

The second Bruce Fitzhugh’s guitar pick flowed through the upper strings of his ESP guitar, the place erupted with screaming. Their choice of songs ranged from their album Reborn to their newest The Infinite Order. Behind the band were a set flashing white lights that sometimes followed the double bass rhythms being done by drummer Lance Garvin. Although I was bummed out that guitarist Rocky Gray wasn’t there, their set still blew me away. Living Sacrifice ended with their classic track “Liar.” The crowd cheered for an encore but the show had to go on because of time.

Last but not least was War of Ages to close out the night. Although this band sounds heavy and tough, they are all really cool guys and enjoy being around their fans. Still with the crowd not being a big number, War of Ages seemed to enjoy playing and witnessing to them. Most of the crowd now was young people mostly wearing War of Ages shirts they just bought from their merchandise table. Guitarist Branon Bernatowicz showed great stage presence with his long beard and hair swinging during his spinning head banging. Frontman Leory Hamp had a joyful smile the entire time while letting fans scream lyrics into the microphone.

All in all the show was a success. Although there were few in the crowd, I saw no one with a disappointed look upon their face. Perhaps it was the fact that they were exposed to load of heavy music, or the simple fact that most of the bands showed the love of Christ through their presence.

Here’s a Christian metal band that has near legendary status (at least amongst the not-so-small group of Christian metalheads and hard music fans) that reunited to the joy of many thousands that remember their heavy and crushing contributions to music from the early ’90s until the early ’00s. They inspired bands like Underoath back in the day; but it turns out they hung up their cleats and bowed out before Underoath exploded. Had they hung in there, the popular assumption/speculation has it, they would have blown up to mainstream acceptance in a big way, too. Things happen for a reason and we don’t always understand why on this side of the “equation” or timeline.

It was great to catch up with Bruce Fitzhugh, drummer Lance Garvin and bassist Arthur Green in the little Pizza joint that is part of the White Rabbit nightclub in downtown San Antonio. This little dive has housed many a great show. One time a couple years ago, by the way (here I get random), I saw a Demon Hunter show there and I gave the club one of our “Pit Moves” posters. They sent an order in the next week for 10 or 20 posters, which they sold at the venue. That was cool. Anyway, we spent a lot of time catching up before the show. They even shared some of their large pizzas, while we told stories and laughed.

When they played, it was a true joy to be at the edge of the stage. Being less than 24 inches away from a shredding guitarist/frontman is a wonderful thing. At least I think it is. I was clicking away on the camera, trying to freeze the action without using flash (and blinding the performer). This band still has it, as The Infinite Order so deftly proves. It took a few listens to grow on me, but I’m getting it now. Live it breathes even larger.

War of Ages put on an awesome show, too, by the way. I’ll post a few photos of them further on down here.

After the show I saw Bruce talking to someone with his cellphone out. He was inputting the number of a friend who volunteered their house for the band to crash at that night. Here was the great Living Sacrifice on a co-headlining tour with War of Ages … sleeping on the floor, couches, etc, of someone’s house! And they didn’t make a big deal out of it. There was no, “Check this out! Look how humble we are…” There wasn’t any hiding it, either. When your band has paid its “dues” and cranked out so many albums and traveled so many miles on the road, you’d think they deserve a nice bed in hotel, hot shower, etc. Not Living Sacrifice on this night in San Antonio.

Judging by the look on Bruce’s face, it was no big deal. Like water off a duck’s back, this didn’t seem to be an inconvenience worth complaining about. And trust me, when a band is put in the comfort-less context of being on the road for weeks at a time, there is much to complain about. But that is something they’ve risen above. Something about that really impresses me.

I’m reminded of Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters. Apparently that band went out in a van on its first tour. Here was the drummer for Nirvana, for crying out loud! If anyone “deserved” a stretch limo and catered service, it was this guy. But he, apparently, wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s heroic in my book. So, Living Sacrifice went out on the road for the month of February and quietly and confidently brought the intense metal each night. I think they probably did it for the “right reasons,” too. I think they did it for the love of rock and metal, sure. But I think perhaps their love for Jesus makes that other affection seem pale by comparison. I love Living Sacrifice, and this is just one reason why.

Rocky Grey's guitar-playing stand-in, "Shorter"

War of Ages' guitarists ... shredding away

don't be misled, kids. Heavy metal lives on!