HM Magazine, Issue #120 (July/Aug 2006)

®

Zao The Alarm Brandtson Society’s Finest Steve Taylor Plumb Madball Emery Poster

THE HARD MUSIC MAGAZINE

DEAD POETIC

July, August 2006 • Issue #120

$3.50 USA / 4.95 CDN

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TA B L E O F C O N T EN T S

09

REGULAR Letters Hard news Live report Heaven’s metal

From the editor Doug Van Pelt

10 12 19 20

FEATURETTE

WELCOME TO SUMMER We are excited about catching some great shows over these hot Summer months, and hope to meet many of you at the festivals we’ll be at (Cornerstone, Sonshine, Purple Door). It’s always nice to take in so many quality performances at these festivals, drinking up the joy that great music can bring and rubbing elbows with fellow music lovers and rekindling that excitement for spirit and artful expression fused as one fellowship-inducing gift that got us all excited about this stuff in the first place.

I had a great time interviewing Dan Weyandt of Zao for this issue, in what was probably the longest interview I’d ever done (almost 2 hours).

It’s always fun to get to know someone whose art you connect with, and many times that kind of insight helps you dig the band even more.

Hopefully, reading the interviews and stories in this issue will have that kind of impact. In a first, we have covered Zao in both this magazine, as well as the cover story for Heaven’s Metal Fanzine. So if a fuller, deeper interview experience is what you want, pick up both.

On another subject: Retract that statement! I actually meant to rank the Remnants album, Bang Bang Bang a “three,” instead of a “zero-pointfive.” Ouch! That hurts. I also gave credit to the wrong writer for the excellent Chris Yambar piece. It was written by Andre Salles, not Chris Callaway (even though the two are friends and Chris came up with the story idea). One of the seminal musical influences cited in the Smoking Popes story should have been the Soul Stirrers (not Soulsters), with Sam Cooke. As players are wont to do on the basketball court, all I can say is: “My bad.”

Bernard Alove for enemies Day of fire Red Unwed sailor Until june Hundred year storm Flatfoot 56 Leeland

22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38

FEATURE Dead poetic Emery poster Zao Society’s finest The alarm Brandtson Plumb Mars ill Fair Madball says

42 48 52 56 58 60 62 64 66 69

INTERMISSION Steve taylor Columns

SPINNING AT HM NOW BERNARD UNDEROATH PIVITPLEX JESUS WEPT LIQUID STAVESACRE PHIL WICKHAM

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A View Beyond the Cave Define the Great Line The King in a Rookery Show’s Over Tales From the Badlands How To Live...

S/T

74 86

REVIEW Still sounding fresh, ethereal, alive.

Still moving forward as a band. Nice.

Complex yet simple music? Clean pop.

Praise the Lord for killer metal/hardcore!

Gotee knows hip-hop.

Best thing since Speakeasy. Lovin’ it.

Beautiful whispers of love.

Music DVD, book, & gear Indie pick

77 84 88

5/22/2006 5:54:49 AM

10 L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R ®

WHO’S THAT ON YOUR SHIRT? I got my shirt today in the mail. It looks even better in person, plus it helps that I’m one sexy beast (he says to lighten the mood). I do have a quick question...could you tell me who the guys are who are on the worship at full volume shirts? I have both shirts and would like to know who they are and who they play with, if you guys know. Thanks for your help. Thanks for your great magazine.

I’ll subscribe as long as the magazine is around. Peace to you.

–Todd Barrett, via internet Ed – Good question. It’s guitarist Adam Wright from the late great band, Mortal Treason. The older, out-of-print shirt was vocalist Josh Ashworth, of Society’s Finest.

LIKED THAT SAMPLER Just wanted to send you a short note to say thank you for once again including the HM Sampler for your Canadian subscribers.

Seeing that CD packaged together with my favourite magazine makes picking up the mail a truly enjoyable experience (regardless of the stack of bills!). On a side note, the interview with Andrew Schwab in the May/June 06 issue really hit home for me.

Success is not always measured in dollars and cents and regardless of our accomplishments here on earth, a much greater treasure awaits us in Heaven. God Bless.

–Richard Arulpooranam, Ottawa, Canada

FAMILY FORCE WHAT #?

I just wanted to say that I was so excited to see an article about Family Force in your magazine. I found out about them at Creation Fest this past year with my church and my youth pastor hit it off with them right away.

They ended up coming to play at my church in Fairfax in the Fall, which was exciting, to say the least. I was thinking about emailing to ask when you were going to feature them

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or if you even knew about them until I got this past issue in the mail! I also thought that Andrew Schwab’s insight on the motivations of bands was insightful and needed to be heard. Too many bands these days are just looking for their 15 minutes of fame and it’s discouraging as a listener to see bands just looking for recognition with no new sounds or constructive advice to contribute. Way to keep it fresh. God bless...

P.S. I’m going to TCU next year as a freshman and was wondering if there would be any internships open in the next few years at HM. I’m planning on studying communications/journalism, am very into the music scene, and love your magazine! (I didn’t know who I should contact).

–Rachel Clary, via internet Ed – I used to live in Fairfax! Thanks for the encouragement. You contacted the right person by emailing me about internships. I’ll email you back an internship application.

EDITOR/PUBLISHER OFFICE MANAGER MKTG & ADS INTERNS

Doug Van Pelt Charlotta Van Pelt John J. Thompson Doug Giesbrecht, Brandon Ryan

CONTR EDITORS

Kemper Crabb, Greg Tucker, Chris Wighiman

CONTRIBUTORS

David Allen, Nate Allen, Laura Bartlow, Jamie Buchanan, Joel Calahan, Chris Callaway, Matt Conner, Jeff Cunningham, Chris Estey, Mark Fisher, Dan Frazier, Brenten Gilbert, Amy E. Hall, Tim Hallila, Jeremy Hunt, Melba Jackson, Daniel Jesse, Kern County Kid, Dan MacIntosh, Josh Niemyjski, Austin Powell, Jamie L. Rake, Andre Salles, David Stagg, John J. Thompson, Chris Troutman

COVER PHOTO BACK PAGE

Jerad Knudson Eric Timm

PROOFREADERS

Valerie Maier, Carolyn Van Pelt

SCRIPTURE

“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:2)

ROLLING STONE DOES WHAT? Got your new magazine along with CD. Awesome. I play a lot of Christian music.

Turning my friends on to new sounds from the CD you sent. Keep them both coming.

Can’t wait for next issue. I used to subscribe to Rolling Stone. Tired of their political views, and their music reviews were not that great either. God Bless you.

–Craig Johns, via internet

ISSUE #119 Just finished reviewing HM #119. Definitely the BEST yet! GBU, –Dad, via internet Ed – Wait ‘til you see this one...

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Letters 2 Ed, POB 367, Hutto, TX 78634 letters@hmmag.com

ANY GIVEN MOMENT I just want to thank you for your magazine, first off. I love it. It is the greatest magazine out there. I love how there is almost no gap between the readers and those who make it. We’re all on the same page. There’s one other thing I would like to tell you about...

You probably have never heard of this band before: Any Given Moment. (If you haven’t yet, you probably will soon.) They had a setback back in November of 2005. They were on the way back from a show in Savannah, GA and they were in a wreck in which their guitarist/singer, Mike Jones, was killed. They are getting things going again and will be back on the road again soon and I would just like to ask you if you could get them in the magazine any way at all and help them out a bit. They’re from Atlanta, GA and so am I. –Jason, Atlanta, GA

PO Box 367 Hutto TX 78634

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: HM, PO Box 367, Hutto TX 78634-0367 All contents copyright © 2006. HM contents may not be reproduced in any manner, either whole or in part, without prior written permission. For retail distribution, please call Ingram Distributors (800) 627-6247

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HARDNEWS Quick & concise

News bullets Project 86 has filmed a video for the song, “My Will Be A Dead Man.”

HM LAUNCHING PODCAST

EVANESCENCE

HM / CSTONE PODCAST COMING SOON!

THE OPEN DOOR

John J. Thompson (of Gyroscope Arts) is producing the Official HM Magazine Podcast in partnership with the Cornerstone Festival.

“HM found the edge in 1985 and set up camp there... the HM Podcast is just the next step in our constantaly evolving vision to connect fans with the music that moves them. I’m beyond stoked to be able to bring my years of radio, audio production and editorial experience to bear on this awesome project.”

Following up on their amazingly successful debut album, Fallen, The Open Door hits on October 3.

Several songs on the new album include a choir, as well as strings recorded in an old chapel. “The making of this record has been really intense, but I’ve come out feeling purified,” shares frontwoman Amy Lee. “I’ve grown so much since Fallen, and Terry (Balsamo, guitarist) is the perfect writing partner – I feel like I’ve been lifted up to a whole new level of inspiration and possibilities. After all the things we’ve seen over the past couple of years, beautiful and tragic, in the end I’m really grateful. It has made us create music I could not be more in love with.”

Norma Jean went to Radio Star Studios in Weed, CA to record its new album with Ross Robinson (Slipknot, Glassjaw, At the Drive In, The Cure).

After a short rest, NJ gets ready to roll out big for their appearances on this year’s Ozzfest. “We are thrilled to an insane degree about this year,” states vocalist Cory Brandan. “We really think (Ross Robinson) will be able to bring something out in us and our music. And Ozzfest? I think it’s one of the best things you can do as a heavy band. It will do enormous things for us and our music, plus we get total bragging rights. Once we’ve done this tour, we’ll always be able to say ‘Yeah, we did Ozzfest,’ and you better believe we will, every freaking chance we get.”

Hundred Year Storm are touring with The Panic Division and Strike Fire Fall.

The band is also filming a video for “Yesterday We Had It All” with Jeffrey Travis of Dos Gringos Productions The Golden Sounds have a brand new album, Wings or Horns: The Astronaut Prophecies.

Flicker Records just signed the Orlando, FL band Fireflight, who sound not too unlike Evanescence.

The band describes its goals as: “Fireflight wants to write music that people can feel, make records that are universal enough to stand the test of time, and stay genuine and honest – or die trying.”

Virgin Black simulateously release albums It’s been too long since weto last heard from this doomy, gothic metal band! Their 3 MCM label explains that, “Each is separate yet linked through recurring musical themes and artistic motifs. When fully unfurled in all its grandeur, listeners will experience a 2.5 hour requiem mass with 3 stages of evolution. Requiem – Pianissimo is an entirely classical album, forsaking guitars and drums in favor of the melancholic tragedy and bombastic dynamics of classical composition, with instrumentation performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and featuring choral and solo vocal arrangements; Requiem – Mezzo Forte is where the band joins the orchestra and strikes a balance more reminiscent of previous Virgin Black outings, albeit with greater epic breadth; Requiem – Fortissimo unleashes a sound infinitely heavier than anything in Virgin Black’s history. While still retaining an air of classical sensibility, it concludes the series with an intense dose of death/doom.” And we anxiously await...

Flee The Seen has been out touring with Chasing Victory, as well as It Dies Today, Haste The Day, Chiodos, and The Showdown.

Inked In Blood have been touring the country in their vegatable oil-powered bus on the Hell Freezes Over Tour with Becoming The Archetype and Society’s Finest, and will soon head out with Scars of Tomorrow.

Istra has decided to disband.

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HARD NEWS 13

P.O.D. has a track on the new WWE talent album: “Booyaka 619” (for wrestler, Rey Mysterio®). xDEATHSTARx is currently recording at legendary NJ studio Trax East, where this SoCal 8-piece have teamed up with producer Eric Rachel for their debut Facedown release.

Rachel has worked with such bands as Hatebreed, Atreyu and Facedown alums Sinai Beach. We Are The Threat is due out in September.

Photo: Dave Hill

Far-Less

BY JEREMY HUNT So Far So Good…

“So many times we show up to shows and kids don’t want to move or sweat because it will mess up their hair. Get over it man!”

Don’t mind Mark Karsten. The Far-Less guitarist is merely expressing his desire for people to start enjoying music again, rather than being consumed by, say, which dance move to use during the breakdowns, whether this particular pair of girl’s jeans makes that guy’s butt look big, or wondering if they should have worn the Underoath t-shirt instead of the Fall Out Boy one.

But lest you think Karsten and his fellow bandmates have an indie snob love/hate relationship with their fans, think again. “We get excited when we get to a show and see all the kids having fun. There is nothing like looking out from the stage and seeing kids react to the songs that you wrote. It’s awe-inspiring.”

These five young men hit the ground running after forging the band from the remains of other Virginian groups. Karsten explains, “The band formed after [brothers] Jordan and Joseph [Powers]’s old band broke up. Ray [Felts] quit his band and joined up. Jordan was originally the singer until Brandon [Welch]’s band broke up. I joined about 4 years ago after I met Jordan one summer and he asked me to move up and play.”

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Fast-forward to 2006…only 5 months old and it’s already been a busy year for Far-Less.

They released their debut album on Tooth & Nail Records in February and promptly hit the road as part of the Tooth & Nail Tour in March.

While Karsten is reluctant to reveal any juicy details from road life (“We have crazy stories, but we keep those to ourselves. That’s for us to know.”), he readily admits that they had a blast: “The Tooth & Nail tour was freaking rad.

We made awesome friends, met so many new people on the road, and got to play amazing shows each night.”

He continues by explaining what they’re searching for musically. “Our vision for the band is to show people that rock music is fun. It’s about hanging with your friends, causing trouble, and just enjoying music.” Their inspiration comes from “bands that we love, as friends or as musicians. I think we also gain inspiration from each other in the band. There have been many times where I have been inspired to write the best thing that I could after I heard what everyone else wrote.”

Even though the Tooth & Nail Tour is over, FarLess shows no signs of slowing down. More touring in the following months, an appearance at Cornerstone, and plans for a music video…the list goes on. Not bad for a group that’s simply spreading the joy of music for music’s sake.

Plastiq Musiq is staying busy, with new releases by 20 GOTO 10, Elizabeth, and Haunted by Ghosts; Cut The Red Wire’s new EP; a Travelogue EP; Above And Under by Anna Ranger; and a re-release of A Grim Misadventure by Red Orchestra.

Pedro the Lion’s Dave Bazan is back (minus the PTL moniker) with a tour/ internet only EP called Fewer Moving Parts. He performs all the music by himself, with two different versions (acoustic and full instrumentation) of five new songs. Acclaimed graphic novel artist Zak Sally (Low) is creating the artwork for the EP. Jade Tree is officially releasing PTL’s Tour EP 2004, which features songs from the band’s catalog and three unique covers (Randy Newman, Cat Power, and Radiohead).

Forever Changed is finishing its last chapter as a band, but will complement its farewell tour with its last album, Chapters, which is getting a limited retail release in July.

David Tosti (ex-PAX 217 frontman) spearheaded a new compilation album for xxxchurch, called The Trinity Project, which includes Pillar, Kids in the Way, Edison Glass, Dizmas, The Listening, Subseven, among others.

The Afters were awarded an RIAA Gold Certification Award (which signifies digital sales of over 100K) for the single, “Beautiful Love.”

Alternative Tentacles has released an amazing 16 Horsepower live DVD.

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14 HARD NEWS

HARDNEWS Page fourteen News bullets Winter Park, FL rock band Gasoline Heart (fka The Kick) have signed with Mono vs. Stereo. The band features new members from Squad 5-0 and My Hotel Year (Jon Fortson and Jeff Irzarary). Their debut, You Know Who You Are, was recorded with Steve Albini in Chicago, IL. The album features guest vocals from Mike Herrera of MxPx and Seth Roberts of Watashi Wa and is enhanced with a special acoustic performance.

Zao covers the song “Black Coffee” for the Back On Black (Black Flag tribute) album.

Photo: Chris Lacroix

Burden Of A Day

BY MATT CONNER Hardcore pop. The terms don’t seem to go together, and normally this would be the case. But the members of Burden of a Day describe their musical stylings as just that. And one listen to their debut album, Pilots & Paper Airplanes, will show they were telling the truth.

“We call ourselves hardcore pop because there are elements of both,” explains 25-year-old vocalist Kendall Knepp. “On one hand, we want to create music that you can sing along to and have fun with.

But we also have a lot of metal riffs and breakdowns that bring a lot of energy to the music and that kids can dance to.”

The band’s sound didn’t start out this way. While Burden of a Day has been around as a name for around five years, it has only been in the last two and a half that the new sound has taken shape.

With only one original band member, guitarist Brian Honhart, still around, the quintet from Sarasota, Florida has went through quite a musical metamorphosis.

“The band was originally an acoustic band made up of friends just sitting around with nothing to do,” says Knepp. After coming together for awhile, an emo sound emerged. But that all changed when the original vocalist left.

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“The remaining guys in the band were really wanting to make music with a higher intensity.” Soon thereafter, Knepp got the call from guitarist and friend Josh Summers and the rest is history. The hardcore sound soon followed as they began to share their musical tastes together. “We were really into Underoath, Zao, Beloved, Hopefall and others.”

But the hardcore pop description is not just about the music. It’s also about the band’s livelihood. “We don’t take ourselves nearly as seriously as other bands. We really just wanna have fun and help others see that they can have fun,” states Knepp.

This also helps explain the band’s mission. “We have a really strong passion about this moment.

We’re trying to catch lightning in a bottle, because not many have this chance. This music scene has such a stronghold over it. It’s a subculture all its own and these kids live by their own rules. There’s so much anger here. We want people to view Christianity in a whole new way. We just want to show joy where there isn’t a lot.”

Underoath’s “I’ve Got Ten Friends and a Crowbar That Says You Won’t Do Jack” is on The Best Of Taste Of Chaos, alongside “Stare at the Sun”

by Thrice, “Studying Politics” by Emery, “Fell In Love With The Game”

by Blindside, “Rose of Sharyn” by Killswitch Engage, “Bayonetwork”

by Norma Jean, and many others.

Underoath is also featured on the 2-disc Take Action! compilation, which also features Amber Pacific (“Poetically Pathetic”), “Continued”

by As I Lay Dying, and Emery’s “Studying Politics.”

Underoath, The Beautiful Mistake, and the JulianaTheory are a few of the many bands featured in the Bastards of Young 2-disc DVD documentary on modern melodic rock. Great concert footage and interviews that detail the origins of the emo scene and its genre/labelling limitations.

Underoath flew to Sweden to shoot videos for “Writing on the Walls” and “In Regards to Myself.” They will be hosting Headbanger’s Ball in June, and donating all of their proceeds from a New Orleans House of Blues show to Ninth Ward Katrina victims. They’re also on a mainstage at Warped Tour.

Asthmatic Kitty recently released a 24-song compilation, called Mews Too, which includes Denison Witmer, Half-Handed Cloud, Danielson, Sufjan Stevens, Jai Agnish, and many more.

5/22/2006 8:17:33 AM

HARD NEWS 15

...AND GET A FREE COPY OF Sinai Beach When Breath Escapes courtesy Victory Records

The David Crowder Band has released an acoustic version of the songs from A Collision, called B Collision.

Circleslide is releasing Uncommon Days on Centricity Records July 11th, which includes two songs not on their previous release (“Gravity” and “Love Unfailing”).

Bombworks Records just signed a deal with Century Media Distribution.

Photo: Laura Bartlow

The Divine Romance

Facedown Records signed a direct distribution deal with RED, joining labels like Ferret, Metal Blade, Victory, Trustkill, and the Militia Group.

Liptocoal drummer Daniel Herndon, is launching a new label, Redwall Music.

BY LAURA BARTLOW The Divine Romance is proof that hard work pays off. The Northern California metalcore band has been virtually non stop since the band’s conception in 2003. After a series of line up changes, two self-released EP’s, a self-released DVD and a music video, The Divine Romance is beginning to see the fruits of their labor. Singer, Travis Waugh slowed down just a bit to talk to HM about the bands busy schedule and how they’re not planning on stopping anytime soon.

First off, where did The Divine Romance get its name?

Well, to make a long story short, it came from a book.

I was working on lyrics for a song and had written down The Divine Romance as a possible subject to write a song about. When we were deciding on a name I came across it in my journal and proposed the name to the guys. Everyone liked the name.

You guys just signed with Harvest Earth Records.

Congratulations on being part of the HE roster.

What exactly does that mean for The Divine Romance?

Hopefully a lot. The guys at Harvest Earth are really great. They have been amazing to work with. We decided to sign with Harvest Earth because of what Winter Solstice did on the label. Watching them sign to Metal Blade from HE was amazing. We are hoping this will be an opportunity for other labels to see us.

The label has been very supportive.

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What are your influences as a band – both hardcore/metal and otherwise?

We all like a wide variety of music. Some of our biggest influences are As I Lay Dying, Unearth, ZAO, Winter Solstice, and Killswitch Engage.

Travis, you were recently in the studio recording with Every New Day, correct? What can we expect to hear from your work with that band?

Yes. I was up in Winnipeg Canada for a week with Every New Day. I was asked to do some guest vocals on one of their new songs for their upcoming release on Hand of Hope Records. Their new album is going to be amazing. Scott Wade (ex-Comeback Kid) also laid down some guest vocals on one of their new songs. Be sure to pick this one up.

One last thing, where does the band see itself in a year from now?

Hopefully releasing a new record, signed to a major label and touring Ozzfest. Haha.

Fjord from Virginia Beach, featuring ex-members of Winter Solstice and To the Grave (fka The Takeover), have just signed to Eulogy Recordings.

The Gentleman Homicide just finished recording its debut Blood & Ink album, Understanding The Words We Speak, at Planet Red Studios in Richmond, VA. With Blood Comes Cleansing are entering Planet Red with producer Chris Dowhan.

Widows & Orphans (fka The Kirby) are in the studio with Dave Dreesen at Austin’s Jacketweather Studios.

Sally Forth Records has released We are Under Construction Part 1 by The Spirit That Guides Us, which is a retrospective of their first five years.

Maylene & The Sons of Disaster, who have been touring with P.O.D. and Pillar, will be playing on the SmartPunk Stage at Warped Tour this Summer.

In The Face Of War have been recording a new album, We Make Our Own Luck, which should release this Summer on Doll House.

[ See full-length interview at hmmag.com ]

Since Remembered‘s Coming Alive album drops on June 20th.

5/22/2006 8:17:48 AM

16 HARD NEWS

HARDNEWS Page sixteen News bullets

Pit Moves: #5,“The Slam”

Inhale Exhale, with Brian Pitman (Relient K), John Larussa (Narcissus), Bobby Poole (Buck Enterprises) and newcomer Andy Levy has signed to Solid State. They literally signed on April 1st (no joke) and were in the studio by April 3rd in Knoxville with Travis Wyrick (Spoken, POD, 10 Years). The album will more than likely drop October 3rd.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE SWEETEST PIT MOVES Description: This would be the “slam dancing” part of the wide open pit that still happens, as bodies collide into one another, usually at the top of the back of each “partner” (some of which are unwilling), kind of like how modern day football players celebrate a touchdown. Sometimes one or more “runners” are joined at the arms, running into people on the perimeter of the pit circle. This move and the out of control windmill that backs up into an unprepared jaw are the most likely to start a fight.

(on a scale of 1-10)

Degree of difficulty: 3 Likelihood of injury: 10 Cardiovascular intensity: 9

[Illustration by Ivan Minsloff]

Same Question Different Artists CRAZIEST THING SEEN FROM STAGE? “On occasion I’ve seen people streak through the crowd butt-naked. I’ve seen people in costumes. In Focal Point we used to get in a lot of fights from stage. Fans would heckle us or lick the microphone when you put it out for them to sing along and we would end up jumping in the crowd (Axel Rose style) to try to fight them. Last year at Cornerstone someone had a cow skull in the pit.”

–Ryan Clark (Demon Hunter) “Playing in Arkansas at Vino’s, and seeing T.J. getting his bass caught in the ceiling and almost knocking himself unconscious.”

–Steve Robinson (Mortal Treason) “Some dude got the ‘I really need to get naked and spice things up a bit’ idea. So he did, and everyone was ultimately grossed out. In most cases of the ever popular ‘nude guy at the show’ happenings, they usually will come out running, make an appearance and then disappear. Not this fella! He was in it for the long haul. People obviously

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weren’t into getting touched by this dude, so people were doing what it took to get out of the way. He was running back and forth, jumping on the sides of the pit trying to get everyone fired up, and he sprinted and took the biggest leap he could and every single person moved out of the way in perfect synch, like the parting of the Red Sea, only to reveal underneath quite a large rack of folding chairs in which he landed on very violently. ‘Til this day it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I almost puked, I laughed so hard.”

–Nick Murphy (Nodes Of Ranvier) “During our last song, I asked the rest of the bands to join us on stage for some fun. It got chaotic on stage, but the crowd whipped into a frenzy, and the blood began to flow. At one point, a kid climbed about 8’ up this pole in the pit and then launched himself backwards into the fists and kicks. It was pretty sick.

After the show, I went into the bathroom to cool off, and there were four guys in there nursing bloody noses. Pretty intense!

–David Paul Pelsue (Kids in the Way)

Mono vs. Stereo is releasing My Other Band: Vol. 1, featuring new music from 5 different artists’ side projects, including Matthew Thiessen (Relient K) and the Earthquakes; Agnes (Dave Douglas from Relient K); My Red Hot Nightmare (Ethan Luck and Dan Spencer from the Supertones, and Josh Abott from Ace Troubleshooter); Royal Empire Music (Davy Baysinger and Jared Byers from Bleach); and Tyler Burkum (Audio Adrenaline).

Each act will contribute 3 songs.

FM Static are releasing its sophomore album, Critically Ashamed, on July 18th. “I’m a big fan of albums that are fun to listen to front to back, so that’s what we tried to do,” says frontman (and TFK vocalist) Trevor McNevan.

“The songs are honest and more of a funny, sometimes sarcastic view of things going on around us. It’s musically a true pop record, without trying to carry any cliche ‘pop punk’ agenda.”

Superchick just signed a deal with Columbia Records, which will rerelease their most recent album as Beauty From Pain 1.1.

Visible School alumni band Hey Heidi-Rae won the Emergenza Festival in Memphis and goes on to national competition. The finals are in Germany.

The New Band Tournament at Club 3 Degrees winners were (in this order): Caitlyn Smith; After the Order; and The Wannabe Hasbens.

The Original Blind Boys of Alabama, will release Rare Classics on Gregota Music Group.

5/22/2006 8:18:04 AM

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5/22/2006 8:19:15 AM

18 HARD NEWS

HARDNEWS Page eighteen Causes Some causes have specific origins and starting points. This particular one (at least in the U.S.), though central to love of humanity, can point back to January 22, 1973, when the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, making abortion legal in all 50 states. Ever since concerned citizens have stood up to protest this practice of ending a human life in the mother’s womb.

This would be a hard cause to get behind if your views on the issue leaned towards “Pro Choice,” but some causes happen to wrap themselves around polarizing issues.

This is one of those, for sure.

If the tiny baby inside a mother is a true, living human being, protecting him or her is a valid and noble cause.

PRO LIFE

THE FOLD

BY MARK FISHER “Let’s start at the beginning of the story…” belts The Fold’s frontman Daniel Castady as their debut album, This Too Shall Pass, invades your unsuspecting ears. In the beginning the band members (while in other bands) got the “major label treatment.” In fact, that is what makes signing with Tooth and Nail Records so amazing for them. “For me personally this has been really cool. When I was in Showoff we were envious of bands on smaller labels because you could see how the labels believed in them and we never felt that we had that,” says Castady excitedly.

“We knew that we appreciated the integrity of the label and, as Christian guys, we knew that they would be people that we could talk to.

Though we weren’t going to sign a bad deal, it was kind of a no brainer,” he concludes.

The band recorded their debut with two separate producers resulting in an impressive debut filled with songs that can stand alone, a quality close to their hearts. “Songs like ‘Gravity’ should be able to stand without all the distortion and crazy drum fills,” states Castady, “I think that that was true in The Beatles’ day, but now it doesn’t seem as important to bands. It’s important to me. We should be able to trust our songs.” This Too

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Shall Pass has been received well by critics and fans alike since its February release, serving as further evidence that The Fold’s music has the staying power they hope it does.

While many bands are content to explore their own darkness lyrically, The Fold strive to creatively express their faith in theirs. “Even back when I was in my old band I always wanted to stand up for the things that I knew to be truth,” says Castady. “I have only been a Christian for about two years and I want to be honest with what I’m singing about and I want it to be contagious.”

When asked how the band fits into today’s ocean of talented bands, though, Castady thoughtfully pauses, finally commenting: “I feel like we don’t fit in in some ways. We are never going to be a band that particularly wants to fit in with what is going on today. We are just going to keep doing what we are doing and hopefully get better and better at it, and eventually create something new all on our own.”

nrlc.org In June of 1973, a group of pro-life leaders met in Detroit for the first meeting of a new organization, to be non-sectarian, non-partisan, and to have its board consist of an elected representative from each of the 50 states. These first board members included experts in the fields of science, medicine, medical ethics, constitutional law, and religion.

MISSION STATEMENT:

The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life. The primary interest of the NRLC and its members has been the abortion controversy; however, it is also concerned with related matters of medical ethics which relate to the right to life issues of euthanasia and infanticide. The Committee does not have a position on issues such as contraception, sex education, capital punishment, and national defense.

ACTION POINTS:

Pray, start a Rock For Life (rockforlife.org) or Stand True (standtrue.com) chapter in your community. Educate yourself on the issue. Donate time at a local crisis pregnancy center.

CONFLICTS:

Psalm 139:13-16 Hebrews 13:17

5/22/2006 8:18:25 AM

LIVE 19

LIVE REPORT Gospel Music Week

BY DOUG VAN PELT NASHVILLE, TN – There is a “scene” within Christian music, and it’s good. While it can be weird not knowing anyone in a room, most of the events and concerts during “GMA Week” in Nashville each year are fun and easy going. Like about any musical event these days, organizers feel that “more is better,” so there are impossible choices to make when it comes to late night shows. One can’t see and hear everything, but if there’s a willingness, a lot can be taken in...

Olivia played a multi-bill showcase in a small dive with a tiny dark room in the back. Their musical attack was very “on” and tight, with well-coordinated BGVs. The bassist/vocalist is a good, engaging frontman, and he displayed his mad skills in the difficult setting of a tiny room with a small crowd. The betweensong banter was fun and laid-back, like only Hawaiians can pull off: “Check out Last Tuesday... (pauses, looks at LT band member in audience) When are you guys playing?”

The only thing missing from their set was the elusive “special song” to unify the room.

Seven System played a very melodic new song, which showed this group as being more comfortable as a unit, having re-settled from SoCal to Nashville. Memphis Belle is a West Coast band that sounds more at home here in the dirty South, with a tight and thick “The Cult meets punk” kind of Southern Rock sound. Homeless J sounded great, as usual, though the performance seemed a tad fast (and the sound system was peaking out very loud). Dalton were impressive, appearing to be super young, yet extremely tight as a unit. Kingsdown was hot. At one point, I was almost fearing that the lead singer would jump off the stage and kick my butt into next week. He’s an engaging and good performer, to be sure. Their last song was very intense and dramatic, with swells between shouts of desperation and drum beat breaks.

Pivitplex convey a very energetic show, with their three guitars and cool, layered but sensible pop sound. Eleventyseven were very fun and maxing out on energy. The song “Myspace” was a highlight, recalling early MxPx. Hawk Nelson played on a giant stage in the Renaissance Ballroom and twin jumbotrons, but they commanded the large area well. The new songs translated well to an audience that hadn’t heard ‘em yet.

Leeland was a standout performer, with a young band and even younger singer with a great voice singing for attention. “Tears of the Saints” was a cool song, with lots of desperation in his voice. The acoustic guitar, accompanied by full band and keys/organ sounds are very “mature” sounding. The band easily waltzed into an almost Irish rock vibe, kinda like Oasis. Keep an eye on this band.

The Choir opened up a long night of short sets with a grand, almost perfect set of old gems, highlighted by “Sad Face.” They were awesome! The Listening packed a lot of curious visitors to this showcase later on, as a buzz is growing about these guys (fka R&R Worship Circus). Their sound is amazing, atmospheric and rockin’ – very much akin to BRMC. The Violet Burning played later and brought the house down with a flowing, passionate set, brimming with the kind of energy you wish could go on for hours.

Photos from top: Leeland; Michael Pritzl; DVP & Day of Fire; Hawk Nelson; and The Listening (All photos by DVP, except DVP & DOF by Ginny McCabe)

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5/22/2006 8:24:04 AM

20 H E AV EN ’ S M E TA L

Metal tracks

• In an unprecedented (and insane) move, Heaven’s Metal Fanzine has put Zao on the cover of its new issue, which features a massive interview (culled from the two hour conversation I recently had with singer Dan Weyandt). With little to no duplication, this makes for a crazy Zao companion piece to this issue of HM. What are we thinking?

• I-Dragon-I, featuring four former members of Wedding Party, will be playing at Cornerstone. Will is writing the music with Jamie. Libby is singing back ups, and Sean Savacool is playing bass. Sheri is flying in from Sweden with her guitar player. Her band, Lucifers Key, will be playing the Asylum Stage. There are plans for a Wedding Party Reunion after the I-Dragon-I set on the Sanctuary stage. (whoo-hoo) • Keyboardist Joseph Anastacio Glean returns with Valediction, which’ll be a surprise for Stryper fans. His latest composition, “Variation on a theme by Sir Oz Fox, T.H.W.T.D. No. 6,” is available on the Christian Metal Realm’s Compilation CD Volume II. The piece has been given Glean’s neoclassical touch, even right down to the song’s name, which is aptly subtitled, “Little Overture for Electric Guitar and Rock Ensemble.” [valediction.com]

• Michael Bloodgood recently visited the HM offices and let us know that it’s official: Bloodgood is re-forming.

• Scott Stapp is touring with INXS, playing Creed songs in his set.

• Kekal has a new song, “Isolated I,” available for streaming at their myspace page [myspace.com/kekal] • Bombworks Records just signed 3 new bands: power metallers Adiastasia (from Brazil); Azmaveth (from Puerto Rico) blends death, black, thrash, and their Hispanic roots to create a unique brutal soundscape; and death metallers Tortured Conscience (California) is death metal, whose debut, Every Knee Shall Bow, includes a cover of Bloodgood’s “Crucify.”

• Dale Erickson and Jesse Sturdevant plan on re-releasing their Stryper book, Loud ‘n Clear this Summer.

• Michael Sweet is releasing a new solo album of hymns, called Him. • Aletheian is playing Cornerstone’s Sanctuary Tent, along with Crimson Thorn, Ultimatum, Neon Cross, and Jacobs Dream, among others.

• Christopher “Scott” Neiswonger & his wife just had a baby.

Album reviews SLAVE TO THE SYSTEM – S/T There’s not much better than the gritty hard rock music of Brother Cane... and Slave to the System is the closest one can come these days (since Virgin dropped the band half a decade ago). The band is made up of Scott Rockenfield (Queensryche) on drums; Roman Blick (Brother Cane) on bass; Damon Johnson (Brother Cane) on lead vocals and guitar; and Kelly Gray (Queensryche) on guitar and vocals. You might have heard the single “Stigmata” on classic rock radio. With the lyrics to “Live This Life” being the only thing to throw off the Christian

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rocker, this is darn near a perfect album. “Ruby Wednesday” and “Abyss” are standout cuts, evoking the Brother Cane vibe with prayerful lyrics about a relationship going South: “Please come down Jesus and buy me a little more time...” [Spitf ire] JEFF URSO – Straight Ahead Like amplified elevator music or shredding noodles, this guitarist has got the licks and chops down, with 10 fine and tastefully written instrumentals. Very clean production. [jeffurso.com]

5/22/2006 8:29:02 AM

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5/22/2006 8:30:21 AM

22 F E AT U R E T T E

BERNARD When first we discussed our options with the venerable Floodgate records, it was suggested that we release an EP in limited quantities before we record a full length. The possibility of an iTunes exclusive download arose, and we jumped on the opportunity, as it gives everyone in the world the chance to get our album without going through mail, or waiting until we play in their area. This is the new age of digital media, and we want to work with the technology that’s available.

If you could write yourself into an episode of Desperate Housewives, what would your character do? Why? Conduct a neighborhood mandatory retreat to the Georgia mountains for all those women that would be entitled “get past your own selfish little life and start looking at the big picture.” Or maybe I would just trim their hedges.

What other shows might you want to write yourself onto? How would you? Why? Quantum Leap, was, forever shall be, the greatest television show made by humans. However, as this show has long since run its course, I would have to go with Crocodile Hunter.

Ryan Aiden Napier Adams barely has the longest name in the St. Augustine, Florida band collectively known as Bernard; and he’s also its tallest member. He agreed to an interview with HM Magazine. Here ‘tis.

What are the motivating factors that influence your sound and your songwriting choices?

What goes into your songs?

When we began the band, we started with the humble motivation to create music that we wanted to hear and wanted to play. This may sound obvious, as most bands would start out with the same intention, but for us it was a strong desire to work within a unit where we all felt the direction of the music. A good friend once told us that it’s impossible to bring something completely new into the world; the best one can hope for is to take one’s place in the constant evolution of music, building upon what came before, like a scaffold. Lyrically, we write about what’s important to us. Again, an obvious answer, but a genuine one. There has been an ongoing sentiment through all three albums we have written and recorded so far; we have realized that everyone is in the exact same situation in this life, searching, learning, trying to make sense of a very large, very daunting world.

As a band, we use our music to talk about the hope that we have found in life, that maybe just maybe we have something that is pointing us in the right direction through the proverbial brambles of life.

Describe the process of writing the songs and recording them for A View Beyond The Cave?

Oftentimes, songs would come to Jared and I as fledglings; sparrows not yet out of the nest, still covered in a fluffy down. Jonathan (our singer/guitarist/pianist) would build these little birds at home, record them, and send them to us via the internet for review. Jared and I would then deconstruct his compositions, make suggestions, add pieces, until we feel this bird can fly. Other songs have been written in a purely “jam” method; we get together and just start playing, see what melodies we can snatch out of the air. Demos are made, sent out, brought back, reworked, performed live, reworked, shown to friends, reworked, brought to the studio, reworked, added to, subtracted from, injected with life. We try to make it a community process.

This album is an internet-only release. What exactly does that mean? What was the thinking behind the unique release of this album?

What is the purpose for art (if any)?

For the past several hundred years, art has been about the object; about recording an object and icon-izing it in some way, whether religious or secular. It became very much about the work itself, whether a piece of classical music by Mozart, or an Edward Hopper that depicts life during the Depression. The 1950/60’s changed all that. Artists like Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko, musicians like John Cage and (later) Brian Eno... Art became for those artists all about the interaction between the work/artist and the viewer/listener. The purpose of art is to create an EXPERIENCE for whoever is in its presence. Art must change the way a person looks at life, usually by trying to make someone reconcile his/her place in that environment, and the world at large. This view of art moves beyond the self-glorifying roles of artist/collector/curator/musician to a greater purpose, which is to AFFECT people, change their view of existence.

What would you like HM readers to know about Bernard?

I am definitely the tallest member of this band.

No doubt.

Anything else you’d like to add?

We’re very excited and humbled by what the future holds for us, and we are so grateful for the opportunities we have been blessed with to take our little tunes out into the big world.

bernardmusic.com

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5/22/2006 8:58:57 AM

pick up a copy of HM mag read it subscribe hmmag.com

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5/19/2006 4:53:24 PM

24 F E AT U R E T T E

ALOVE FOR ENEMIES

A RAW Q&A WITH A RAW ‘N’ HEAVY BAND: Tell us about your new album.What do you like about it? What songs are highlights? Why? Erich Barto: Our new record, Resistance, is our most honest work to date. We finally were able to write music that we enjoy and lyrics that are 100% honest. I have a few favorite tracks on the album, “Tread on my Dreams” and “Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” stand out. They are what I always wanted ALFE to be, the feel is perfect.

What was it like recording this album? What was different from previous efforts, etc?

The recording process for this record was great.

We had more time than we’ve ever had and we feel very comfortable at Atomic Studios working with Dean. This time around we had time to get things right, and Dean was really interested in the project and went above and beyond to help us make it the best we could. He also worked closer with me than anyone ever has with vocals.

When you look around at the “scene” and the popularity of hardcore, what comes to mind?

How happy are you with it? What are some things you’d love to change about it? Why?

Thats a good question. The hardcore “scene” has been so flooded over the last few years.

Corporate America has stumbled upon it and is, in my opinion, milking it for all it’s worth. The hardcore scene, at least where I come from, is supposed to be a community of people who can come together and either rally behind a certain cause or share their own beliefs with their peers without fear of reprisal. In a lot of ways now, it has become a competition between both bands and the patrons of the scene. I guess I’d like everyone to stop and ask themselves questions like, “What is more important: that a band has Sound-Scanned a million cds?” or “Hey, what did I take out of the experience? Did the band have anything to say?

Have I grown as a person?”

What was Facedown Fest ‘06 like? What did we miss by not being there? Besides ALFE, what were the best performances?

The fest was great, you guys missed a lot of good sets. Jesus Wept was awesome, as well as Kingston Falls. The only negative was the barrier between the stage and the kids, but that was quickly overcome with some acrobatics from all the front-men.

What is one of the most beautiful things you’ve seen a Christian do in your recent memory? How did it make you feel about this faith seen in action by others?

I heard this story, a true one: during a first communion at church, the Priest said, “If any of you are sinners, then you must come up for communion with your arms crossed on your chest.” When a concerned visitor who was attending this church for the first time heard this, he quickly jumped up and said to the Priest, “How will you give us the bread and wine with your arms crossed then?”

This quick and honest action by a concerned Christian quickly helped give a reality check to both that Church and its attendees. It also helped to prevent any misconceptions from possibly forming in the youth who were there. I think we all need to be reminded on a daily basis, that we are all sinners and that is why Jesus did what He did.

And that it is okay to have struggles, as long as we strive to be Christ-like, which is what our faith really means.

Anything else you’d like to add?

To anyone who is reading this, I would like to encourage you to follow your dreams, make mistakes, and grow! God Bless. aloveforenemies.com

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5/22/2006 8:55:07 AM

If your radio can’t pick up the official new HM Magazine Podcast…

TRASH IT! It’s of no use to you anymore…

At long last you can actually HEAR HM MAGAZINE! Interviews, reviews, news and commentary, as well as actual bona-fide MUSIC! We’re not talking about lame clips of music, or music you’ve never heard of, and hope you never hear again… we’re talking the GOOD STUFF. Brand new unreleased stuff, classic tracks from the archives, big names and the best new indies.

Oh yeah, one more thing…

IT’S FREE! So, get your radio-challenged booty off the couch and hit hmmag.com to sign up.

Then, when and as we feel like it we will send SMOKIN HOT new “episodes” straight to your computer.

You can listen while you do homework or send IMs to your friends.

Or you can download it to your iPod or other MP3 player and listen on the go.

It’s the BRAND NEW HM MAGAZINE PODCAST ... and it will ruin you for all other radio experiences!

GET IT NOW! COMING JULY 1, 2006 Join the email list at hmmag.com for the latest updates!

HOSTED BY JOHN J.THOMPSON Produced by Gyroscope Arts

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Brought to you by these fine sponsors: Cornerstone Festival Slanted Records / DecembeRadio Flicker Records INO / SRE Records SAM ASH MUSIC

EMI West Bow Press Floodgate Records and Toyota / Scion

5/22/2006 11:10:02 AM

26 F E AT U R E T T E

DAY OF FIRE

Day of Fire’s Cut & Move is a very pleasant surprise.

While vocalist Josh Brown has a rough ‘n’ tumble rock and roll background, his debut album was more a big stepping stone to share his testimony with excited believers that were excited that another devil child was saved from heavy metal’s clutches, with sweet and worshipful songs like “Cornerstone.” Plan B wasn’t hard to figure out: more of the same musically, record sales, Christian radio airplay, bigger shows, more money.

One listen to Cut & Move and all those presuppositions go flying out the window, like litter on the fastmoving modern rock highway. Way to go, Josh!

How do you feel about the new album?

Stylistically it’s more aggressive than our first album. I believe this album is the purest one I have done to date.

Why did you write heavier, more rocking songs this time around?

This record was written in a different way. The first was 2 guys on acoustic guitars in mom’s shed. Cut & Move is a record written by 5 guys touring the world and most of it was written plugged in during soundchecks and in practice halls.

You know that you could easily fit within the CHR side of things on a Christian label, write a dozen more “Cornerstones” and sell a lot of records. But you didn’t do that. Why? I think that most people remember the mellow songs off the first Day of Fire record because those were the songs picked by the label for radio singles. Everyone who has come to a Day of Fire show or bought the first record knows that we are a hard rock band. Cut & Move represents where and who we are as songwriters today. We have chosen to push the limits of our own creativity and continue to journey back to the roots of the rock that we’ve grown up listening to.

What were the challenges around the recording of Cut & Move?

It is a much bigger challenge writing with five people than with two. Anytime you put 5 guys in a room with strong opinions and strong creativity there’s going to be tensions, but that creative tension is what sets apart Cut & Move from the first Day of Fire album.

What sort of interaction have you had (that you’re willing to talk about) with some of your old musical peers – specifically concerning

Jesus and your faith in Him? I actually just recently spoke with my friend Josh Silver from the band Type O Negative, who my former band Full Devil Jacket toured with. When he asked me what I’d been doing for the last few years I told him how I’d over-dosed on drugs and later came to know Jesus Christ. We’ve continued to talk and will possibly write together for the next Day of Fire record.

When you’re writing a song, which do you prefer – a great riff or a great chorus? Why? It’s got to be both because I believe catchy songs have to have heavy riffs and great choruses, so people will remember them. One without the other leaves something missing.

What are some Christian rock albums you think every HM reader should own?

I think John Davis is an excellent artist. He leans more towards good, pure emotional rock and roll than hard rock, but his album is great. We also got to tour with a band called The Wedding and I thought they were amazing live. I also dig Maylene and The Sons of Disaster. That’s a cool band. Their single kind of reminds me of Clutch. [ See the rest of this interview at hmmag.com ]

dayoffire.com

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28 F E AT U R E T T E

RED composers like Ravel and Paganini.

If I were an outsider, how would you, as a band member, convince me to give your band a shot?

Anthony: Pitching our band would be if you liked hard rock, an energetic live show, great lyrics, great songs, good melodies, just an overall epic production of music, you’ll like the record.

Describe the process in which RED writes a song.

Anthony: The basic process is we come up with some cool ideas, kind of get some pre-production happening and record some stuff down. The songs on our record changed about 12 times. We re-wrote them, played them, re-wrote them, over and over again until we were satisfied and thought that they were the best that they could be. After the music was done on this record, that’s when we really started the lyrical process. We had other people in the production for the string and piano arrangements come in after that and do their magic, and then just pull everything together one song at a time and make it what it is now.

In your opinion, is it possible to have both spiritual relevance and artistic credibility?

Randy: I think that if that’s what you’re going for, if that’s what your music is geared towards, I think it’s absolutely possible.

INTERVIEW BY JEFF CUNNINGHAM So, the editor of this magazine was hanging out with Spoken guitarist Jeff Cunningham back in Nashville during GMA week. Besides talking about all things medical, technical, and Creedless recordings (where someone with too much time on their hands mixed the Creed song “What If ” with the Kutless song “Tonight“), the nebulous crystal ball question of, “Who’s the next band to break” came up. These are really hard questions to answer, because who would’ve predicted Nirvana? Who knew people would connect with Dashboard? Who would have known that Evanescence was going to break? Who saw the Strokes coming? But here was Jeff, showing no hesitation in blurting out, “I really think it’s Red.” Unbeknownst to him, he just became the leading candidate to interview said band for this issue.

The title of the record is End of Silence. Where did that title come from?

Anthony: The title of the record was coined by our guitar player Jasen, End of Silence, meaning, it’s been 3 years in the making with the record, and it was the end of silence for RED. Also meaning it’s

not wrong as a Christian to speak about the things that you struggle with in your life and just kind of being vocal about them, so it’s the end of silence for you as well.

How important is it to have a “meaning” to the things you do outside of your lyrics?

Anthony: It is very important to be a role model regardless if we’re on or off stage. We don’t really over-spiritualize what we do onstage, but being off stage is our chance to be the vessel and minister to the kids. I think that if you keep things simple and to the point, the kids really start to understand and start focusing in on what your message really is.

Do you have a favorite tour story?

Anthony: My favorite tour story would have to involve Michael and me. It’s kind of scary, but it’s a cool memory. We were performing and during our second song, Michael was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I flipped my guitar over my head and the guitar hit him on the top of the head splitting it wide open and breaking the guitar. He was bleeding profusely, and had to go to the emergency room. He got seven staples in his head, went back to the venue and wanted to finish the set, but it didn’t happen. It was a pretty crazy experience.

Who would you say are your influences and what/who would you say you sound like?

Randy: We get a variety of comparisons. The bands we’ve heard the most are Linkin Park and Chevelle, I think mainly because of the programming and the arrangements that are on the record.

We would say that those guys are an influence, we have some of the elements that they have, but we don’t have any the rap-core or scratching that they use. We are also influenced classically by

[ See the rest of this interview at hmmag.com ]

redmusiconline.com

Band photo shmand photo!

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5/22/2006 11:18:38 AM

New from Grrr Records Bound for Glory Embark on a unique musical journey with Glenn Kaiser as he puts his musical stamp on a collection of traditional hymns and spirituals

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5/22/2006 11:19:31 AM

30 F E AT U R E T T E

UNWED SAILOR

BY DOUG GIESBRECHT Widely known in indie music circles as one of the premier instrumental post rock groups, Unwed Sailor has been without a new record since The Marionette and the Music Box released in 2003. One wonders what the band has been up to during that time, and by band, we mean Johnathon Ford. Unwed Sailor is essentially the brainchild of Ford, who, in 1998, together with some like-minded musicians formed the group as an outlet for songs that Ford had written which he felt didn’t fit into the Roadside Monument repertoire. It appears that Unwed Sailor has been busy doing what most groups exist to do – touring. And in between nights on the stage, Ford has quietly been putting together the framework for not one, but three new releases. The White Ox, recorded and produced by Early Day Miners’ Dan Burton at his Bloomington, Ind., studio will hit store shelves this summer, preceded by the Circles EP. A third release entitled Little Wars will arrive later in the year. We caught up with Johnathon just returning from some tour dates with Rosie Thomas.

It’s been nearly 3 years since your last recording, and you have 3 projects slated for 2006.

Can you tell us about each of those? I understand the music is much more ambient than in the past?

Circles is an ambient record. It was originally going to be included on The White Ox record, but I felt that it was so mammoth and unique that it could stand on its own. The White Ox is a very mellow record...hypnotic and somewhat dark. It has some ambient aspects to it as well. Little Wars is more of a rock record...more upbeat, at times playful.

When we spoke previously, you mentioned having vocals on some of the new songs… what prompted this direction?

Yes, the new record (The White Ox) will have vocals on it...Dan Burton really pushed me in that direction on the new record...it is something I have wanted to experiment with. Dan also sings with me on the record...I think our voices work well together. The lyrics are very mystical and other-worldly.

What is the songwriting process for Unwed Sailor?

Unwed Sailor is definitely a collaboration...I would say that I am the funnel or siphon that all ideas go through...if other people throw out ideas I put the

final Unwed Sailor touch to it. I like to form different groups of musicians and let the music happen... let it go where it’s going to go. Most of Unwed’s music is written in the studio...on the spot. I really trust the people I work with musically...people like Dan of Early Day Miners, Matt Depper and Matt Putman from the band Snailhuntr...these guys blow me away with their ideas, and I am open to anything that they want to bring to the table.

After being in your own band for this long, are you still musically influenced by other artists?

I am definitely influenced by other artists. Brian Eno, The Blue Nile, Daniel Lanois, New Order, etc...These are artists that really move me and inspire me to create music.

After nearly 10 years in the band, what are the long term plans for Unwed Sailor?

I can’t imagine not creating music anymore... I plan on making music for as long as I can, whether it be in unwed sailor, or some other band that evolves in the future. I really enjoy making instrumental music...it feels really natural for me. I would be honored if we were respected as one of the pioneers of this genre.

unwedsailor.net

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HM MAGAZINE STAGE 2006 Festival Lineup

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Cornerstone Festival

Sonshine Festival

Purple Door

July 5-8 Bushnell, IL

July 13-15 Willmar, MN

August 18-19 Lewisberry, PA

Inked In Blood Alove For Enemies Bloodlined Calligraphy Disciple Man Alive Brandtson Bernard Mute Math Spitfire Chasing Victory Billy Lamont The Showdown Becoming the Archetype The Satire Bradley Hathaway August Burns Red Showbread

Fear Not Rivera Bomma Burden of a Day Skylines Every New Day Enlow War of Ages Crimson Thorn Escape From Earth Society’s Finest Chasing Victory Ten 33 Becoming The Archetype Naos Project Alove For Enemies Seventh Star Ginger Sling Bloodlined Calligraphy Holy Soldier Once Dead The Showdown

Transition August Burns Red House of Heroes Paramore Showbread He is Legend Dead Poetic.

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32 F E AT U R E T T E

UNTIL JUNE

BY DAN MACINTOSH Waiting until June is nothing. Brian Wilson-inspired, Matthew Sweet-sounding bands don’t enter the Christian marketplace every day. For every power pop treat that graces the Christian airwaves, we must first suffer through a hundred or so Linkin Park knock-offs. Alas, the group Until June has arrived, like afternoon sun breaking through cloudy morning gloom. If your heart melts over pure vocals and if memorable melodies send your brainwaves all a flutter, June may well become your favorite month of the year. Until June, comprised of Dan Ballard on guitar and backing vocals, and his brother Josh Ballard handling lead vocals and piano, call Temple City, CA home, but hopefully they’ll be known far and wide before long.

“We were actually going to toss in the towel and go back to school,” confesses Josh, explaining the band’s name. “We set a deadline, and that deadline was June. When we got picked up by Flicker (records) it was prior to June.” Until June is a name that precisely fits this band, because even during its saddest musical moments, a little sunshine somehow pokes through the haze.

“When you hear a name like Until June, (there’s) the idea of season and the idea of summer,” Josh explains. “We didn’t want to be the Screaming Monkey Boys, because you probably have a pretty good idea of where they’re coming from if you name your band that.”

Both Ballard boys grew up in a Christian home, so Christian pop artists like Michael W. Smith were some of their initial influences. But they’ve both expanded their inspirations considerably since then. Current favorites include “The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and Radiohead,” says Dan. The band spent a good five years playing the clubs in LA, and appeared to be headed toward a mainstream record deal and direction. But one show in particular changed their course. “We did a show with Delirious? about a year and a half ago,” Josh recalls. “That was a band – as a Christian artist that was listening to a lot of secular music – which I really respected. So the opportunity to play with them was amazing for us. When we played with them, I think God really opened our eyes as to where He wanted us. And (that place was) certainly not exclusively just in the Christian market – (but) both markets. It certainly opened our eyes up to see that, ‘You know what, Flicker believes in

us. We have an opportunity to do something with them.’ That’s why we signed with them.”

Until June doesn’t sing Christian buzzword-filled songs; nevertheless faith always finds its way into the group’s tunes. “Dan and I have always written songs that were centered on God,” says Josh. “Lyrically, they’re not overtly about God. They’re certainly not worship tunes. But whether they’re about having a bad day, or whether they’re about lost love, the center of all of it comes back to Christ. That’s been the number one theme throughout all of our songs.” Dan adds: “Lyrically and musically, our music has always represented kind of what we’re going through. Our album is a combination of songs that we’ve put together over the past few years that kind of represent everything we’ve been through. It will be five years on August 15 since we moved out here (from Arizona) to pursue music.”

You get the distinct impression that these Brian Wilson-inspired musicians were destined to be near the beach. Although they’re geographically closer to the Pacific Ocean now, their sun-soaked sound has always been right there. It will likely remain that way until June, and beyond. untiljune.com

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34 F E AT U R E T T E

HUNDRED YEAR STORM

In an age of “preaching is not cool” and a “post modern world” or “post modern church age” (whatever that means) you guys are holding on to faith in Christ. Why? Why aren’t you all indulging in youthful lusts and chemicals? Why are you believers? Why are you grounded (from what I can tell) in a church? What keeps you connected to the body of Christ?

Bill: Wow, how is that only one question? Personally speaking, I have been down the road of chemical indulgences and saw what that world had to offer.

I chose to follow Christ because what He had to offer me was way better. I continue to choose Him because His promises withstand the test of time.

What I have found is often the promises you are given, whether from the media, pop culture, religion, peers and sometimes even your own family, can be empty. They don’t measure up to what they say they offer. When Jesus said that He promised life, you can test that. I did. I had to change the way I lived, because there was a lot in my life that was destructive, but I put His promises to the test ten years ago and I haven’t turned back. Church attendance has been hard being that we were out of town probably 75% of the Sundays last year. However, we are in a small group when we are in town and I think that’s where the life really

happens in a church. People really get to know you and can ask you poignant questions about life and how you are doing. You can show up and let them know that you had a really hard week and they’ll pray for you. That stuff doesn’t happen when you sit in a pew on Sunday mornings. Also, when HYS is on the road we become our own small group and try to maintain regular times of prayer together. When you spend like twenty nights in a row playing shows on the road, you need to pray for each other.

What led you to sign with Floodgate Records, when I understand you had offers from some mainstream labels?

Choosing a label was a lot more dramatic than I thought it would be. One day we were going this direction, one day another. It was exciting to have options and know that people out there believe in your music, but I am glad the whole process is over with. At least for a while. We went back and forth deciding if we should sign with a mainstream or a Christian label, but in the end it came down to relationship. We had met with Josh and Tim with Floodgate several times out in California and developed a great relationship with them over about a year. They gave us a great deal and we went for

it. We went with Floodgate, because they played football with us on the beach in San Diego and came out to our show in LA on Halloween.

What are some of the practical challenges you faced in hitting the road and touring across the country as an indie band? On a practical level, how did you procure gigs? How did you get paid? How much did you get paid? How did you survive touring on that level?

So many indie bands get out there and tour now, which is amazing and encouraging. I say to any indie band out there: Just work hard and plan on spending around 5 hours of phone and email time to get every road show. It was definitely hard to book our first tour up to Cornerstone last year, but we just kept doing it and never looked back. I basically do all of our booking and I believe hard work, dedication, and God’s blessing is why we have been and will continue to be successful on the road. In 2005 and early 2006, we did 3 Midwest/ East Coast tours and one West Coast tour and we’ve always made money. We survive on the road by eating PB &Js, sleeping on floors, and because music lovers come out even on Tuesdays and show their support. [ Read the entire interview at hmmag.com ]

hundredyearstorm.com

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1/27/2006 8:09:06 PM

36 F E AT U R E T T E

FLATFOOT 56

BY BRANDON RYAN In the world of music bands strive to break musical boundaries, bands are breaking the mold of the 4piece setup: lead vocalist, bassist, guitarist and a drummer. Most bands are adding dark ambient sounds by using drum programming, piano, voice activators, synthesizers and much more. Punk music has always had something tagged onto its name, Pop Punk, Punk Rock, Punk Metal and the list goes on for days...

Although Celtic Punk has never really had that much of a buzz up until now, from Chicago, Illinois comes FlatFoot56. These guys played Celtic Punk since 2000, having released 2 records on their own and sharing the stage with big-time acts such as: Flogging Molly, The Misfits, Haste The Day, Dogwood, The Hanover Saints, Five Iron Frenzy and thousands more.

The band lineup consists of 4 members, 3 of which are brothers: Tobin (lead vocals/rhythm guitar); Justin (drums and back up vocals); and Kyle Bawinkel (bass); along with add-on friend Josh on the bagpipes. When I interviewed lead singer Tobin Bawinkel about what fans can expect from the band’s live show, he said, “Tons of energy, lots

of hard driving tunes, tons of sweat, lots of crowd participation, and an overpowering urge to run out and learn the bagpipes.”

I was curious as to how the recording process of their latest album, Knuckles Up, went and what inspired them; because every band always has a different story to tell about their recording process, but Tobin responded with a very optimistic response: “This record was a fun record to put together, because it gave us a chance to write about our lives. The lyrics of the album really capture the victory that can be found when God takes a life and changes it. We try to give the listener the chance to see this through the use of stories and allegorical tales. We also talk a lot about the war that goes on in our lives as we strive as believers to follow the plan that God has for us.

FlatFoot 56 was recently signed to Flicker Records (Pillar, KidsInTheWay, and Until June). “Awesome!

We are very excited to be working with some truly awesome people, and we were really blessed to be invited to join the family,” says Tobin when I asked how Flicker Records was treating the band.

The band also has distribution support from EMI, which will only help the band get their music out

to the masses.

You don’t really hear the word “Ministry” now-adays, because most bands just want to be known as “Just a band” or “Christians In A Band,” so when I asked Tobin if he considered his band to be a “ministry,” his answer took me by surprise: “ We are all firm believers in the idea that our lives are meant and should be lived to glorify the One Who created us. We are a bunch of guys who love playing music and who love being real about what we believe. Both our lives and our lyrics are straight forward about who we are and what we believe.

If our music and us trying to show Christ to those around us constitutes a ministry, then yeah.”

A lot of music fans wonder how their favorite bands or bands in general come up with their names. You’re not alone, I had to know as well, and while most band names have some deep spiritual meaning, Flatfoot’s band name is far from deep and spiritual: “Three of us are brothers, and it was an old joke about the youngest of us three.

The number was his baseball number in high school.”

flatfoot56.com

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38 F E AT U R E T T E

LEELAND

Photo: John Wilson

BY TIM HALLILA For seventeen year-old Leeland Moreland, frontman and namesake of the band Leeland, the calling to music came at an early age. He and his older brother/ bandmate Jack traveled the country as part of an evangelistic outreach, helping their music minister parents lead worship on a daily basis at ages 11 and 14 respectively. “It was just so amazing to constantly be in God’s presence, to watch and learn from my parents, and to just be worshipping God all the time,” explains Leeland. “I think it was from traveling the country leading worship with them that God laid it on my heart to write worship songs.” Leeland began seriously playing guitar at age 14, and he and his brother Jack began to write songs that would eventually become the foundation for the band Leeland.

With one listen to Leeland’s sparklingly fresh debut album, Sound of Melodies, it becomes clear that this is not your typical worship band. From start to finish, this disc contains sweeping dynamics, richly textured layers of guitar and floating atmospheres that would stand up reasonably well on a shelf with Mae, Coldplay and U2. The title track “Sound of Melodies,” lives up to its name and then some,

while the band does a darn good Beatles impression on the bouncing “Hey.” Each song builds and lifts the listener in its own way. Each is instrumentally and vocally engaging, with textured waves of sound that could snuggly fill a stadium, or simply a car stereo. The lyrics are equally affecting, showing a depth of gratitude and unrelenting focus on the Creator in a way that does not once come off as contrived or stale.

“I think a really good chord progression can inspire just as much emotion as a really good lyric,” says Leeland. “Obviously, the lyrics are really important to us, and we want to write a song that will truly bring people into the presence of God, but if someone hears a song with the greatest lyrics but the music and the chords are just bland, no one will want to listen to it. I know I’m that way.

I’m always looking for good melodies, cause that’s what really grabs me in music is a good melody.”

If there is one thing this band is not short on, it is good melodies. Jack Moreland can confirm his brother’s love of melody, “He’ll call me now and then and leave me voicemails of song ideas,” he says. “I’ll check my messages and it’ll just be Leeland on there singing or just humming some-

thing random, and I always know he thought of a good melody and just wanted to save it. We write most of the lyrics together, but a lot of our songs start with Leeland nailing down a melody line to build off of.”

With such precocious, beyond-their-years songwriting in both lyrics and music, it’s no wonder the band caught the attention of Michael W. Smith while playing a showcase in Nashville, an event that led to Leeland doing some writing with Smith for the Christian music mainstay’s new material.

Such bright moments could easily distract such a young band from its established purpose, but Leeland makes it clear the calling laid on his heart several years back is still just as fresh today. “In making music we as a band are really called to just lead people into the presence of God. At the end of the day, if we’re not making a difference and lives aren’t being changed, then all we’ve been doing is just making music, and it’s not doing a thing.”

myspace.com/leelandmusic

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42 FEATURE

BY DAVID STAGG

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“I could have Poetic has brok br

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DEAD POETIC 43

have ve honestly said to you that Dead broken up. Straight up. Done.”

I’m told that sometimes, there’s a moment that just comes and the best thing to do is end things. That sometimes, your back is against the wall, and instead of point fingers, the best thing to do is just call it quits. That sometimes, the best thing to do is to just let it die. It’d be easy to make that decision for yourself. It’s you – only you – and you’re only going to affect yourself. Unless you are, say, the pilot of an airplane.

You could tell yourself whatever you’d like – except there could be 100 or 200 people sitting peacefully behind you, unaware your left engine is about to blow, making it impossible to stay in the air any longer. Then you know the best thing to do is not end things. Then, in a weird way, now that you’re responsible, there’s a second wind.

Your adrenaline kicks in. Then you know you should try something – anything – to make sure you don’t leave anyone behind. Brandon Rike was the pilot of a quickly careen-

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ing band known to the public as Dead Poetic. For the most part, their troubles were kept out of the public eye, in the cockpit. Their fans rode along with them, supporting them, buying records and merchandise, propelling them to tens of thousands of units in record sales, all while their engines quickly burned.

“Right around the time of New Medicines, things just started to get a little weird.” This is vocalist Brandon Rike explaining the situation. “We kind of realized, ‘You’re just with people because you’ve always been with people.’ Your personalities might not necessarily gel very well. You realize you’ve developed into extremely different people and wouldn’t be together if it wasn’t for the fact you started a band together.”

All this right when they were recording the record that would make the band known – right after takeoff. That record was New Medicines.

Before that, it was just a high school band. A thing they did on weekends. Next thing they know, Tooth and Nail is at their door. Next thing they know, they’re signed and have a label pushing their record. Next thing they know, they’re not the same people anymore.

RIKE: That’s when we realized things were getting a little tough. …

New Medicines was a really good record, but (we) had so much internal stuff, we had to take care of that before we started pushing that record. Things just started to fall apart around the Fall of 2004. That was kind of the point in time when I could have honestly said to you that Dead Poetic has broken up. Straight up. Done. ME: With no plans of continuing?

5/22/2006 1:20:17 PM

44 FEATURE RIKE: With no plans of continuing. For better or for worse, Rike knew that at that point it was no longer just him. If it was just a high school thing – if it was just him and his now former band mates – he could have made a clean break. But now, he wasn’t the only one on board. “New Medicines” had become a hit. Now, there were some odd 50,000100,000 people who had bought their records and come to their shows. Breaking up would mean leaving them stranded. “Our fans dedication to our band is the single reason that we decided to keep it going.” Rike, like most people, understood that it would be easier to save some face – to save some friendship – if they could just call it quits and stop things. He understood that some very drastic changes would have been needed to even begin to continue on with the band.

He understood that making those changes would be hard. But he also knew that with all the fans in tow, he couldn’t abandon the things he’d done, the band he’d created, the things he’d written that inspired and touched people. And that, to him, was worth more than walking away.

RIKE: And then you feel a pressure and a – maybe a responsibility to those kids who

“I was like, ‘Dang iit. T bought your record. Our fans dedication to our band is the single reason that we decided to keep it going. That says a lot for our fans. Dude, we haven’t put out a record since April of 2004, and we’ve still got these fans that are just stoked on our band. I see Myspace comments that say, ‘Dude we just got your new album! It’s awesome!’ And I’m like, ‘You mean the new album that was released two years ago?’

ME: It’s been two years, and people are still buying your record, thinking it’s brand new.

That, and your core fans are still listening to it.

RIKE: It’s so heart-warming and humbling— these kids are just into it. They don’t care about any drama or anything like that that we have, they just want to see us play. So Rike could either go through the struggle of fixing what was wrong, or give it up and leave it all behind—so he tore it down, and began the process of rebuilding. The band was broken down to its core, himself and guitarist Zach Miles; Rike still prefers not to expand on the inner-workings what exactly happened. But with a little help from some friends, Dead Poetic – version 2.0 – was conceived. “I think Jesse Sprinkle called me up and said, ‘Hey man, I heard about your situation and I’m here for you,’” Rike explains. “And then shortly after that, Dusty Redmond – after Beloved broke up

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DEAD POETIC 45 – called and said, ‘Dude, do you guys still need another guitarist?’ … We soon had our first little jam thing together up in New York – and it just gels, man.”

Redmond had been singing the praises of former Beloved bass player John Brehm, and they brought him in to play. “We rang him the next time we got together – it was probably about a month later – and he just fit in,” Rike says.

“It was perfect. It was just fun. Everything just came together. Everything just worked. I thought, ‘This is the five guys I want to pursue this band with. This is the perfect line-up for what I want to do, and for what we want to do.’” It was finally invigorating. It was finally refreshing. It was finally the Dead Poetic Rike had envisioned. “This is the type of music we love, the type we want to play... and the kind of music we love differs greatly from the record that ‘New Medicines’ was.” So what do you do when you’ve built an empire on a genre you don’t feel apart of? How do you get away? Dead Poetic had gracefully slid – by word of mouth, by a stroke of unfortunate luck, by a massive trend – into the depths of a genre who’s name Rike sounds like he doesn’t even want to say out loud. And now, he has a completely different band. He realized he’s finally writing music he absolutely loves, the music he grew up on, the music that inspired him – music entirely different from what the band’s public currently knows them as: ‘screamo.’ “We were writing our first record, ‘Four Wall Blackmail,’” Rike says, “we were sitting there mixing that record watching MTV2 and a band called Thursday pops on the screen. And I’d never heard of this band before. I was like, ‘Dang it. This is what’s about to happen in music right now.’” And Rike was very right. So right, in fact, they created a word for it; screamo was born. Bands with no screamo intentions got lumped into the genre. It snowballed into a force of emo proportions. It became a bad word.

“I don’t want to talk cred or anything,” Rike says resolutely, “but I will say that we’ve been singing and screaming long before all these screamo bands started coming out. ‘New Medicines’ was a very screamo record, and it was an insult to us to be called screamo. (Our new style) is the type of music we love, the

a dude wearing a Tool t-shirt, or a Slipknot t-shirt, or a Metallica t-shirt because I know they’re all about those bands. As opposed to a dude wearing a Fall Out Boy t-shirt because his friends at school are, because that’s the cool band to like at the moment.”

But don’t mistake his mission. It’s not to get Dead Poetic on the chests of thousands of high-schoolers around the country. He legitimately wants them to snap out of their funk, to realize that there’s something else out there. That sometimes, what’s on the other side of the fence actually is greener. RIKE: I don’t want to feed my audience crap. I don’t want to give them something they’ve heard a million times. I know I could sell 200 to 300-thousand records if I fed them the crap that they want. I’m not going to do that because I have more pride in this band than that. I have more of a purpose with my band than to just do what I know is going to work. I’m hoping to step outside the box in doing what I believe in and hopefully it works out. But if it doesn’t work out, at least I know I gave it a shot.

ME: At least you’re not only pushing yourself, but also your audience to somewhere new. I feel like that’s where—with the way you’re talking—this band needs to go. If you’re going to re-invent Dead Poetic, you have to push it.

RIKE: I feel like I’m pulling this big bandwagon with a rope. “Guys come be with me over here! It sucks where you’re at; let’s go over here.” This is better music, this is better stuff. This is a record you’re going to be able to listen to when you’re 50 years old and looking for a good record. … I know that’s a cliché thing to say: ‘We don’t care about any genre or blah blah blah, we don’t want to be labeled in a genre’ – our genre is rock and roll. That’s the genre we want to be in. “This is the most honest record we’ve ever done, both musically and lyrically.” And soon enough, Vices, the band’s third full-length release,

angg it. This is what’s about to happen in music right now.’” type we want to play… and the kind of music we love differs greatly from the record that ‘New Medicines’ was.” It would have been easy to slip right into that genre and put out another record in the same style. But Rike and the new Dead Poetic wanted nothing to do with that.

RIKE: We basically watched the style of music that we thought was so original turn into the trendiest thing in music, and personally, the crappiest thing in music. … What we’re seeing on MTV and what kids are flipping out over is just the crappiest music I’ve ever heard. I mean, if I hear screaming over poppy guitars one more time I’m going to shoot myself in the head. I’m over it. I’m like, ‘This isn’t rock and roll. This is feeding kids crap because it’s what they know.’

ME: But now there’s the new and improved version (of Dead Poetic).

RIKE: Totally. Freaking new and improved, back and better than ever, all of that.

And Dead Poetic starts meaning a whole new thing. Dead Poetic to me, before, it was like, “Dead Poetic, Underoath, blah blah blah” you know what I mean? It was that whole thing. Now it’s like, OK, Dead Poetic is starting to sound more like a rock band. We’re doing what we wanna do. We’re starting to get gratification because we’re starting to write songs that fit with the reason we started to write music. Yes, now I’m finally paying homage to Pearl Jam and Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots and Helmet and all those bands that made me love rock and roll. It became Rike’s mission to grab a hold of all of his fans and pull them away from where their heads were at—a place the original Dead Poetic helped to place them. He believes kids today are missing out on the golden eras of music, of rock and roll. “The ’90s bands were the last legitimate rock and roll bands,” he says. “That was the last time rock and roll was legit.” And since then, it’s degraded to, well, crap. It’s watered down and diluted. It’s now, “I’m wearing the t-shirt because I saw someone else wearing the t-shirt.” And Rike and the new Dead Poetic hope to break through to those kids. In fact, a lot can be said in a t-shirt, according to Rike: “Think about Tool. Those dudes wearing Tool t-shirts will wear them until they’re dead. … It’s like they connected. There’s something there that people can grab on to. I’m stoked to see

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will hit. People will buy it, for sure: Their screamo crowd Rike hopes to drag along, whoever hears it on the radio, random people who see it on the shelf and like the art work. The questions is, How many will latch on? Will people recommend it? Will it get radio airplay, something Rike desperately hopes will happen?

ME: Do you think that when (people) hear this record, they will appreciate it?

Respect it? Embrace it?

RIKE: I think they’ll dig it because there are elements of “New Medicines” and elements of what we were—not necessarily screamo, but something that’s familiar to them. … There are things for you to grasp on to, there are things for you to relate to, and there’s substance there. It’s not just music. There’s, “I’m trying to say something. I’m trying to get a point across” in every song. I’m trying to get those kids to understand where I’m coming from. If I can do that, then those kids will latch on to that album. It’s commonly called going out on a limb. And the cradle that would have been so easy to stay in out on the tree-top – well, it’s in jeopardy. Rike says things like this: “We just said, ‘Screw fitting into whatever’s happening out there, we have to do the record that we love.’

This is the most honest record we’ve ever done, both musically and lyrically.

It’s an extremely revealing record.” He knows it’s a step out there. But that’s how he wants it. “We wrote an adult record,” he says. “I feel like our record is an adult record, and I want it to be pushed to an adult crowd. And if it’s not pushed to an adult crowd, we’re pushing it to that ADD generation. And we’ll sell whatever amount of records, but we’re still going to be somewhat in the same situation as we were in after ‘New Medicines.’ Not in the band situation – it’ll be just a good record that sold some copies. And soon enough, you’re a slave to the way it always is. I personally don’t have the patience for that anymore.”

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52 FEATURE

BY DOUG VAN PELT

CARRY ON WAYWARD SON With his dark lyrics and the band’s dramatic history, vocalist Dan Weyandt might have the reputation in some circles as a morose, doom and gloom artist. In actuality, though, he’s a very positive, cheerful kind of guy that might see the glass as half-full more often than empty.

like, put pins in it, but the one bone was mashed up pretty bad and there was really nothing to put a pin into. It hasn’t hurt for awhile now. I’ve gotta wear this thing and it’s a bit annoying. But I’m happy it’s not messed up, ya know?”

quick. It was what we wanted. Everything from that to the songs – we were really happy with all of ‘em – to the experience itself. Even to the layout and stuff, which we got to kind of check out the ideas. They sent us some of the artwork and stuff.

Case-in-point: Zao had to cancel several dates of its recent Under The Gun Tour with Madball and Remembering Never due to an off-stage mishap that broke four bones and a deep cut that left one bone exposed for over 12 hours, becoming infected. They say that, had he gone to the hospital any later than he did and he could have lost his hand entirely. Of course, he wanted to continue the tour, but was advised by three different doctors to return home immediately and visit a specialist.

How do you feel about the new album?

Really good. It’s definitely my favorite, I think, of anything we’ve ever done. We kind of had a lot of time to work on it. We had the ability to focus in and change things. I definitely think it was the most prepared we ever went into a studio.

And then once we were in the studio everything came out the way we wanted it to. Working with Steve (Albini) was really cool. For the first time, too, we got a little more control over the sound of the record. It wasn’t really produced by anybody (Albini is strictly listed as “Recorded by” on album credits), so for the first time we got a little more say. When we went in and he was asking how we wanted things to sound, we gave him the idea and then he did his best to kind of tune in what we were thinking.

I think everything about the record is just, like, perfect. It’s the most control we’ve ever had over our own record. I got to spend a lot of time writing all the vocals – about a year. This and that, picking through and adding stuff and really getting to think about the idea behind it and the expressions behind it. We just got the mastered copy not too long ago – three weeks ago in the mail – and it just blew me away. It made me really happy. It just sounds like what we’ve wanted to sound like for maybe the past couple of records. Also, with Jeff playing on drums now, we had a little more freedom to do a little more technical ... a little more, like, chaotic type stuff that we really didn’t have the ability to do before. So, I guess that was the long answer. (chuckles)

Rather than sit and stew about his condition, which threatened his livelihood as a tattoo artist, he’d go into the tattoo parlor where he worked and hang out with clientel and make appointments, etc. This speaks volumes about the gentle and mellow frontman for one of rock’s most savage bands. Doctors expect a full recovery, as the band hits the road soon with Demon Hunter to promote Zao’s latest offering, The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here.

“It shouldn’t affect it too much,” Weyandt describes of the injury. “The bones that I messed up were in the hand, but it was like the pinky and the index finger. So, if anything, the main things I use are my thumb, my pointer, and middle finger, so I’m hoping it won’t effect it too much.

I suppose I won’t know until that time comes. It shouldn’t be too bad, I guess. They were gonna,

When we started doing the vocals, he let me use a hand-held mic instead of (one) on the stand with the wind-screen and everything. Prior to that, I’d asked a couple times before and I was always told it wasn’t an option – for clarity reasons and moving away from the mic and the levels and stuff. I think it came out very smooth. But it just felt a lot more comfortable and it was a little more natural.

It felt more like a show. I kind of described what I wanted my vocals to sound like and he literally tuned it in, like, in five minutes. I think it was kind of like that for everybody. Sounds came real

Nice! Well, describe specifically some of the sounds you created.

Steve Albini is … his drum sounds are really kind of one of the things that stick out to people.

There’s a few different drum sounds. There’s a big open room for the drums. They’re a lot more big and kind of echo more and have some tighter sounding stuff. I think a lot of it, you know, it’s kind of more similar to the sound we have live.

I wouldn’t say the record sounds like it’s a live record necessarily, but the tones and sounds are a lot more like things people who have seen us in the past and stuff… It sounds like the record [Photo: Nicholas D. Mack]

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ZAO 53

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and live show are becoming closer. There’s not as much of a difference in between, you know? I was just really happy with it.

What songs really stand out to you, and why?

There’s a song called, “Everything You Love Will Soon Fly Away.” Musically, I think it’s one of my favorites. It’s a lot more aggressive, even for Zao. Just like some new elements and different styles and stuff. It doesn’t go too far off the path, but it’s kind of a song about not ever really being in control of certain events in our lives and it’s like a humbling fact that there’s a lot of things a lot greater than us that we have no power to stop or control. You know, everything from people we love passing away to, you know, even if you look down to New Orleans and the flooding and all the people losing everything that they own and stuff to the fact that, in essence, in history and down the road in the end when everything’s gone, in essence we’ll never truly be remem-

about look on things like that. It’s just really hard, I think, because a lot of the people that really need the help are the people that, you know, might be down and out a little bit. Those are the people that seem to be kind of like treated the worst. It kind of seems like one of those things where everyone is there for you when nothing’s going wrong, but once that changes it’s really hard. Some people, especially when people are looking (to) someone that’s a Christian for help, when someone like that – especially – is harsh (or) is very unwilling at the time to lend a hand or just be understanding, I think those are the times that can sometimes can make or break people’s view on things, you know what I mean? It’s kind of like another song in that vein, from the Blood and Fire album, “Lies of Serpents.” It’s just kind of a newer version with a different twist on it here and there.

There’s a song called, “Pudgy Young Blondes With Lobotomy Eyes.” It’s kind of a look at MTV

I think this record, as far as the difference between The Funeral of God is the songs were a little longer, a little more melodic. This record, the songs are shorter than a lot of The Funeral of God songs. Kind of shorter, faster, more to the point. I would even definitely say heavier. It’s more kind of like in the Liberate style. It’s kind of like more of a dark feeling to it. We try to leave very little space between each song, so it’s kind of like a quick burst of 11 songs. It’s more like thrash style. The whole album’s like that. There’s some chaotic, math-y stuff on it. That’s definitely something we never did. It’s like, there’s some blast beats and things like that on it. But I won’t say it’s like a death metal record or anything. It’s very kind of strange...

The low style vocals are there. There’s definitely a lot of high style stuff, but I kind of always try to mix it up. I’ve always liked the high style vocals.

Back when Zao first started, I enjoyed doing

“...we consciously try our hardest to ... whatever’s popular at the time, we try to do the opposite.” bered. Regardless of the size of events that we achieve, there comes at one point that the people that remember us are not going to be around anymore and at one point that we are written in, the things that contain some sort of document of our existence are probably one day not going to be around either. It’s kind of looking at the very short-lived kind of events of us being on earth, you know what I mean?

(Now he’s sounding more like a glass half-empty kinda guy...)

One of my other favorite songs is called, “It’s Hard Not To Shake With A Gun In Your Mouth.”

It’s kind of a strange song, but it’s more based off a verse that says, “You can have the faith to move mountains and do all these great things, but if there’s no love in you, there’s nothing.”

The point’s been missed. It’s just kind of a comment on that. At least for me, it’s lately I see a lot of that. People can do great things and be, you know, productive in Christianity, but sometimes it’s like… I don’t really sense any love in their actions towards other people. And thinking, too, it does say there will be people to move mountains and voices like sounding trumpets and (who) won’t have love in them. I think, in my whole life, I’ve struggled with things, like panic attacks and depression and things like that. A lot of times, at the lowest point, while looking for some sort of … someone to lean on, it seems that’s when people are the most harsh. It’s just kind of a weird round-

culture, how MTV impacts a lot of the way kids especially think about themselves and look and feel and dress – more than almost anything else out there. It gets into plastic surgery and bulimia and everything kind of like that. This record is finally back towards the older style, where it kind of jumps from topic to topic. I like to keep some of the songs and tie them to current events, so that by the time it comes out whatever it’s about is still kind of going on, so it can be listened to and looked at at the same time.

There’s another song called, “Physician, Heal Thyself.” It’s just the irony of the fact that a doctor or surgeon can save people’s lives and go in and do operations and heart transplants, but in the end if he was alone and had to do that on himself, he couldn’t. It’s about how it’s strange that we can do all those things for other people, but we can’t actually save ourselves, in essence. And that a doctor and a physician dies sick and alone just like everyone else does. It’s strange that a lot of times we have the power to do things for other people, but not ourselves. I kind of leave things with a slight tinge of vagueness, cause I like people to kind of… There’s a lot of people that’ll say, “I heard this song, and this is what I got out of it.”

And it might not necessarily be what I planned for people to get out of it, but it’s still interesting and such a positive thing. I kind of like to have a little bit of area for people’s imaginations to let the song become their own in a sense.

a little more, because not as many people did them. The lows aren’t like death metal lows. I can’t explain it. They’re a little different. I even try to change the style of the high pitched ones a little bit. We try hard not to sound like anybody else. It’s impossible not to in a sense, but we consciously try our hardest to…whatever’s going on, whatever’s popular at the time, we try to do the opposite.

So, what was it like when Steve Albini sought you guys out? And how did you guys feel about that?

I was like… It was definitely an honor. I was actually a little star struck at first. When he called we were playing in Chicago and he asked us to come by and check out the studio. His girlfriend had been doing some filming on a documentary about the Christian music scene and he had heard us on there a few times and was interested. In essence, that was like the coolest part about it. Even to get ahold of him on our own and do a record with him to me still would have been phenomenal, but the fact that he kinda got ahold of us was even cooler, you know? That was just one of those things, like when you look back at all the stuff you went through as a band, it’s one of those things that make you glad you stuck it out. Kind of like one of the rewards of being in a band a long time – it kind of makes the negatives worth it a little bit more.

[cont’d on page 73] Photos: David Brundage

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ALL OF SOCIETY’S FINEST ARE SITTING IN A ROOM TOGETHER. THEY ARE IN CHARLOTTE, NC, AND THIS IS ACTU ALLY THEIR DAY OFF. THE FACT THAT THEY EVEN HAVE A DAY OFF IS A DRASTIC CHANGE FROM THEIR NORMAL PACE, AND THEY HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IT: IT’S 2:00 P.M. WHERE THEY’RE AT AND THEY’RE JUST NOW WAK ING UP, LOOKING FOR FOOD, CHECKING THEIR EMAIL. LAST NIGHT THEY PLAYED A SHOW IN  OH, WHERE WAS IT? THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM… OH YEAH, CHAPEL HILL, ABOUT TWOANDAHALF HOURS NORTHEAST OF CHARLOTTE  THE ROAD MAKES THESE THINGS HARDER TO REMEMBER..

The Society’s Finest in this particular room is not the same entity it used to be. They’re only 1/4 of the band that wrote their first two releases. You have to imagine them like larvae spinning a cocoon and eventually turning into a butterfly, if that butterfly had tattoos and played heavy metal music.

There’s new guitarist Guy Turner and new bassist Daniel Barton. There’s drummer Eli Bowser, the newest of the bunch. He just turned 18, and Society’s Finest waited for his birthday to take him on. He’s the one who has currently provided refuge for the band; it’s his grandmother they’re visiting right now. He’s originally from Ohio.

And then there’s Josh Ashworth. He’s actually the only remaining member of the original Society’s Finest, but he’s the brains behind their latest album, a journal of a record they call And I, the Drunkards.

Actually, the album name and title track on the came directly from his daily musings. “I was journaling and prayed and was writing and writing and writing,” Ashworth says, “and wrote, ‘Forgive me and’  and then, you know, dot dot dot ‘and I, the drunkards.’ It’s me and it’s all of us screwing up.

We all get called ‘the drunkards,’ you know, the sinners, and I was like, ‘Yup, that’s us.’”

Ashworth lives in L.A., a town with no shortage of drunkards. He loves it. “I would never leave that place,” he says. “The home of Snoop Dogg.” Well, actually he lives in Long Beach; I find out after I ask what part of L.A. It’s close enough to Los Angeles to where it’s just easier to say L.A. than to explain where Long Beach is. It’s kind of a non-issue; we’re only talking about a city, and if you really wanted to know where Long Beach was, you could look it up.

But as far as Ashworth is concerned, he’s no longer content to take the easy way out. He’s no longer a fan of saying things because they’re easier to just say than to explain, so he’ll take the time to make sure you understand correctly. In fact, he’s staked pretty much the future of his band on his belief in this transparent honesty, even if it’s brutal, even if it’s as simple as a geographical location. Not too long before And I, the Drunkards, there was a tentrack 2004 release Love, Murder, and a Three-Letter Word. The record was half new stuff and half a rerelease of one of their old EPs. Some critics missed

that and ended up saying it sounded like it should have been written two years ago. It was. Ashworth says it was comments like those that made him kind of frustrated, but he used the words “kind of.” Kind of like it’s not that big of deal. But also kind of like you can tell in his voice it bothered him, but then he got over it. But he didn’t necessarily get over everything. “Honestly, this is all frustration,” Ashworth says. I’ve asked him about his motivation in starting Society’s Finest again, and subsequently their first full-length together as a new band. “Everything was just built up and we had been talking about really wanting to be honest on this record, as far as lyrically.” His speech is completely littered with ‘likes’ and ‘you knows’ and other interjections, and sometimes you feel like you’re wading through his thoughts with him, therapeutic-style. “It’s mostly frustration with things in life that I’ve gone through personally. When you’re on the road, you get met with people who accuse you of this, or say ‘I can’t believe you’re doing that, you’re supposed to be a Christian,’ and I’m like, ‘Why are you judging me?

You probably have a problem with pornography; I don’t struggle with that.’ You know, a sin’s a sin’s a

Society’s

BY DAVID STAGG

56 FEATURE

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sin. Everybody has them in their life.”

He doesn’t stop there. “Nobody’s perfect.

Everything was just pissing me off. The way people expect you to be absolutely perfect. Holier than thou. When you’re in a band, you have to be perfect, you know? You’re just kind of like, ‘We’re human, we all screw up.’ There’s stuff, like, on the record, and a bunch of things that I’ve been through on the past 3 years. Dealing with things like depression and suicide.” We talk a little more about the record, and when we’re done, I try to summarize a little of what I’ve heard: Me: “So in the first two songs, you take on the Christians and then take on pre-marital sex. That’s pretty much everyone in America.”

Him: “Oh, we take on everything.”

To Ashworth and Society’s Finest, taking this stand  telling everyone exactly how they feel, what they believe in  is worth the potential loss in fans once they draw their line in the sand. Not everyone’s

going to come over, you know. “You can’t think about what they’re going to think,” he says. “I hope people accept the record and really like it. I try not to worry about losing fans.”

The over-arching theme of the record spills into specifics on the lyrics to the record. “Dear Rebecca Nurse” is the song that tears into supposed Christians, the ones who call you fake or nonChristian. “There’s a line in ‘Dear Rebecca Nurse’ that goes ‘I just want to live fake and die desperate,’” Ashworth explains. “People are always saying, ‘You’re fake,’ so it comes to the point where you’re like, ‘I’ll just give them what they want, fine, whatever.’” You can hear the frustration in his voice. You almost feel exactly what he’s talking about. “It’s about myself, personally, living the way that I do and struggling as a Christian. People will still call you fake. I’ve been told I bring black magic to places. Or that I don’t’ live the ‘true way the Bible says.’ That’s probably one of my favorite songs on the record.” He goes on to quote line after line from the song. “It’s talking about the church and how they don’t preach anything,” he says. “They go to

church to feel better about themselves.” He quotes more lines from the song. “They go to church to use God as a good luck charm.” It’s not only memorized because it’s a song he wrote; it was written because he had memorized them inside himself way before that. He went through years and years of journals to write this record. He’s willing to put that out there. He’s willing for this to be the first thing that the new Society’s Finest brings to the public.

“I hope it’s gonna blow people away,” Ashworth says. “I think it’s going to piss a lot of people off.

We talked about it last year right before we went in to record. We wanted to be just brutally honest with ourselves and share our sins. Let people know that we screw up, that I screw up. And this is how I’m dealing with it.”

’s s Finest SOCIETY’S FINEST 57

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58 FEATURE

The Alarm

BY CHRIS CALLAWAY

MIKE PETERS FIGHTING WITH EYES WIDE OPEN WHEN ALARM VOCALIST MIKE PETERS PASSIONATELY SANG “I WALKED AWAY IN THE WIND AND THE RAIN INTO THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE,” WITH A VOICE DRIPPING WITH WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN HOURS OF STUDIOINDUCED PERSPIRATION, NOT TO MENTION EMOTIVE CATHARSIS, HE COULD NOT HAVE REALIZED THE STORM THAT WOULD BEFALL HIM 20 YEARS LATER. Cancer is anything but a spot of calm in a tumultuous storm-infested sea, especially when it arrives for a second time. Several months ago, everything was on the up, according to the amiable performer. He was feeling stellar, and had just finished, Under Attack, the second studio album with the newest lineup of the Alarm. He was expecting anything other than what he received. “Well, I went to the doctor, just routine.” the Welsh rocker recalls. “Every year I kind of go for a road test, because I was diagnosed with lymphoma 10 years ago and I’ve always been mindful, that if…whenever you’ve had cancer, there’s always a feeling that it never really goes away. I think there’s always that fear in the back of your mind. I’ve always stayed in touch with my doctor and had check-ups and this time I went to see him and he spotted some lumps in my neck and he thought it wise that I go for some blood tests and that’s when it revealed that my blood count had gone up to half a million white blood [cell] count. So I was in danger of having a thrombosis at the time. They started treatment the next day because it was so high.”

The care bestowed upon Peters by the medical team at the hospital, along with the steps he has taken to combat the disease, not to mention the divine intervention behind it all, have brought about jaw-dropping results. He is audibly thankful, not only to his doctors, but also to the fans who offered health suggestions and prayers. “I’ve come down,” he reports, “from the half million white blood [cell] count to absolutely normal levels; well, I did that two months ago and that was quite an amazing jump according to all the doctors.”

Peters painfully admits the disease will never completely disappear and for the rest of his life, he will be making frequent visits to the hospital.

However, the same performer who never forgets a name hasn’t lost sight of how to live. He has forged ahead with all the strength possible, and is overflowing with enthusiasm for Under Attack.

Decisions were made regarding the recording of the disc, which resulted in a long-lasting sense of artistic satisfaction when all was said and done. “When we got into the studio and we

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started playing, we knew we wanted to make a different kind of record,” he reveals. “We wanted it to be a collective band record. In the past, in the history of the Alarm, my hand’s been in all the songwriting, individually or as partner or whatever, but most songs have sprung from the Mike Peters’ well, if you like (laughs) and they still do. But I would usually finish a song off before the band played it. I’d take it into rehearsal as a finished piece and I’d have very formed ideas of what I wanted everyone to play. This time I didn’t want to do that. This time I wanted to go in and have a looser form to the songs. It was a bit more of a scary record for me to make ‘cause I had no mind picture of what I thought the record would be, so it was kind of like riding a bucking horse and having to control it. But it was really exciting because of that. There was a lot of excitement in the room when we were making it. It was pretty much recorded live. We didn’t want to try and do too much overdubbing or add too much production. We tried to concentrate on our performances and getting as much out of the instrumentation that we [had] at our fingertips without overlaying too many ideas. So when we started recording the song for real, we actually had a really good arrangement that we’d worked out together. That was the basis of the whole album.”

When “Superchannel,” the first track on Under Attack, comes tumbling out of the speakers, it’s quickly earmarked as a steaming example of wellproduced guitar-based modern rock, with plenty of power-chords swimming in distortion, thundering drums, throbbing bass, and a hard-hitting vocal performance by Peters, as he emits lines such as, “I don’t know what your faith tells you, mine says do not kill.” There’s the sense throughout the 13 songs that Peters, along with band mates James Stevenson, Craig Adams, and Steve Grantley, has indeed successfully taken a ride on the bucking horse and managed to soothe it somewhat. The collection of often bombastic tunes is like a needle pricking the musical vein with a much-needed, fist-packed remedy to mediocrity. The delaydrenched guitars and dreamy soundscapes of the Alarm radio staple, “Rain in the Summertime,” are long gone, and the music has shifted with

time, but Peters, always a diplomat of sorts, has not forgotten his long-term fans and has gifted them with the memorable, “Raindown,” a composition containing a plethora of classic Alarm elements and peppered with what sounds like a church choir of vocal harmonies every time the chorus arrives. Near the song’s end, the instruments cut out and repetition of the chorus continues, fueled only by the room-filling group vocals. Gathering something like this onto tape had to take quite some time. “Probably as long as it took Queen to nail ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’” Peters confesses with a laugh.

Back in April of 2005, Peters’ mind was far from Freddie Mercury’s multi-octave range and Brian May’s warm, melodic guitar leads. He was about to embark on an acoustic tour across the UK and realized that he was no longer listening to up-andcoming, modern artists and wanted to change that reality. “I’d bought iPod’s and all that kind of stuff and I’d loaded it up with all my CDs and put it on random,” he recounts, “and it was great listening to the Who and Zeppelin, and the Beatles and the Stones and the Clash and the Pistols and INXS; whoever pops up on your player, but I felt like, for a year or two, I was wandering around, just with the iPod in the car and I was listening to old music all the time. It was like listening to my own version of classic radio. And I just felt like I stopped buying brand new albums, so when I went out on this tour, I made a pact with myself to go buy a brand new album every single day by somebody I’d never heard of. So [on] this tour I really learned a lot from listening to these bands and the one thing that came into my head is everything is quite fast and up-tempo and I really like that and I thought, ‘Yeah, then maybe that has gone out in my own music, so let’s make this album up and fast and raw and exciting. Make it like a young band. Make it with only what we’ve got.’ We’ve rediscovered our enthusiasm on this record, and I think because of it, all the fans are rediscovering their own enthusiasm for the Alarm as well.”

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60 FEATURE

BRANDTSON READY TO BREAK OUT After a decade, the band finally seizes Control on its new release

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BRANDTSON 61

Brandtson was “Leaving Ohio” years before Hawthorne Heights decided that the state was made for lovers. Yet as the market for the emo genre blossomed and bloomed, the Cleveland quartet found themselves overshadowed by bands that followed their blueprints for success.

Now, after spending nearly a decade struggling to break into the mainstream, Brandtson looks to a new member and a new sound to gain the exposure and the attention it has long-deserved. Say Hello, to the band’s regained sense of Control.

“A Thousand Years” Brandtson’s first show was at an indoor skate park just outside of Cleveland some nine years ago. “It was awful,” guitarist Matt Traxler recalled after a moment of brief laughter. “I remember getting done and just being like, ‘Oh my gosh, that was bad!’ It was that feeling of ‘why are we even doing this?’”

Despite Brandtson’s rough beginning, the band found its way onto several notable compilation records, including Steadfast Records’ Radiowaves and Gibberish in 1997 and Records for the Working Class and A Million Miles Away: Emo Diaries, Vol. 2, both for Deep Elm Records. The label signed the band and released its debut record, Letterbox, in 1998. At the time, Brandtson’s blend of posthardcore anthems which fused soaring vocal harmonies over blaring guitars, represented the missing link between the first wave of emo bands like Cursive, Mineral and Far and their offspring in Criteria, Pop Unknown and Gratitude respectively.

The constant struggle of life on the road, separated from loved ones and any routine sense of normality, ultimately led to the departure of Brandtson’s original bassist, John Sayre. “He [John] left the band on good terms,” Traxler clarified. “He’s married and he was just getting burnt out on the lifestyle of being away from home all the time, being poor all the time. He wanted to go back to school and spend more time with his wife. He just sort of decided towards the end of the touring cycle for the last record that was going to be it.”

As Brandtson faced its darkest days the band called upon a fallen star from around the block to shake things up both in the band and on the dance floor.

“Parallels” Traxler originally met electronics expert Adam Boose while working together at a CD and tape cassette duplication store called AZ Audio in Cleveland, Ohio, about eight or nine years ago.

While creating copies of mainly church sermons and hip-hop mix-tapes, the two found a shared love of music.

Boose happened to be one-half of the now defunct electronic band Furnace St., which created dark, almost industrial-like ambiences in the vein of Depeche Mode, New Order and Nine Inch Nails. “We were all fans of his old band,” Traxler said of Brandtson’s shared love for Furnace St. “We would trade shows and play together and he’s just been a good friend ever since.”

Though Brandtson subsequently released seven albums, each of which revealed the band becoming tighter in its composition and more accessible in its sonic clarity, the group failed to make its mark with the Myspace generation and struggled to escape the growing scene saturation that surrounded it.

Boose’s first work with Brandtson actually dates back to 2000 when he remixed the leading track from the band’s The Fallen Star Collection, “As You Wish.” The song was later released as a hidden track on the EP Trying to Figure Each Other Out and gave the first glimpse of the limitless possibilities that existed for the band with the aid of Boose’s style and synthetics.

“In the past we were just kind of locked into the emo rock scene, whatever that was,” Traxler said. “It wasn’t so much as a taboo, we were just afraid to do a lot of that stuff. We had this fear of losing the audience we had worked really hard to build; the fear of alienating our fans stopped us from doing a lot.”

“It was really why we had asked him to join in the first place,” Traxler added. “We had really wanted to go in that direction and explore that stuff a whole lot more. In the past we’ve done bits and pieces of it in the studio, but for whatever reason … we never had the chance to fully explore those things.”

The growing financial strain has taken its toll on the young band over the years. “We were barely scraping by on tour,” Traxler said solemnly. “The money we are getting now barely covers what we’re spending on gas each night. We have to rely heavily on our merchandise sales … It would just be nice to not have to worry about how we’re going to eat or how we’re going to pay the bills when we get back home.”

With Boose on board, Brandtson was ready to kick down any door that had previously prevented its progress.

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later, “We just threw all of our inhibitions out. I feel like it best represents us as a band.

The album opens with a Ben Gibbard-like poetic monologue that drifts seamlessly through a layer of synths, creating a dream-like atmosphere that completely absorbs the listener. “Earthquakes and Sharks” takes out Franz Ferdinand and adds the brightness of The Shins to tell a whimsical story of life between California and Mexico.

“Here We Go” utilizes samples of wristwatch alarms, a series of hand claps and more than a few “na-na-nas” to get the party started.

In all, the record reveals two new trends for the band. The first is an emphasis on the vocal arrangements; the choruses are likely to get stuck in one’s head faster than a McDonald’s jingle.

The other, which is best exemplified in the lead single, “Nobody Dances Anymore,” is a transformation into laptop rock that creates a Panic!

At the Disco. Let’s face it, synthesizers are the new black and everyone from Koufax to Austin’s Ghostland Observatory has shifted their focus to making the indie kids get up and move.

For Brandtson at least, the newfound sound is one that’s been long in the making and symbolizes the group’s effort to finally “break free” and “to break out”

“Here We Go” After nearly a decade, with the release of Hello, Control Brandtson feels as though it has finally turned the page and began another chapter of its career.

“I do feel like it’s kind of a new beginning, like we’re just starting from scratch,” Traxler said.

“I’m very pleased to hear the final product, to feel like we accomplished our goals.” Others have been quick to take notice as well. Brandtson was recently featured on the hit TV series The OC, as well as on absolutepunk.net. Just don’t expect the recent wave of attention to change the motives of band.

“I’m trying not to get my hopes up too high,” Traxler said modestly. “All that stuff comes and goes pretty quickly. I just want some stability and to get by without as much stress and worry.”

Hello, Control.

“Nobody Dances Anymore” “This is the record that we’ve wanted to make for a long time,” Traxler proudly declared of Hello, Contol, the band’s eighth studio album. He added

5/22/2006 4:04:07 PM

62 FEATURE

Plumb

LIGHT A MATCH TO THE PLASTIC

BY CHRIS ESTEY

“MY VERY FIRST ALBUM WAS INSPIRED BY WHITE ZOMBIE,” PLUMB SAYS PASSIONATELY, WITHOUT ANY TRACE OF SHAME. “’CONCRETE’ ON MY FIRST RECORD WAS INSPIRED BY THAT. AND I REALLY LOVE THE PRODUCTION STYLES OF NINE INCH NAILS AND MARILYN MANSON. THEY ARE JUST SONICALLY AMAZING. I THINK TRENT REZNOR IS A GENIUS, AN INCREDIBLE PRODUCER.”.

Does this freak you out about Plumb? Did you assume that because she makes very melodic dance rock, somehow she is unaffected by the torrid margins of mainstream hard rock culture? Then you obviously haven’t been listening through her previous three albums – the very electronic self-titled 1997 debut, the grittier and more organic “candycoatedwaterdrops” a couple of years later, and the softer, more mellow “Beautiful Lumps of Coal” (2003). Each one has featured startling stories about self-destruction, tortured relationships, and the end of the world.

And the once named Tiffany Arbuckle sang her guts out on them, as if she was making the final music of her life.

“To be honest with you,” she says, though I think she’s rarely not to anyone, “as a Christian, I am not offended by artists like NIN. For one thing, you can’t expect a Christian to live as a nonChristian. For anyone who wonders why I would own Reznor’s albums, well, artists need to check out well produced music to learn how to do it.

And I think I would get along very well with someone like Brad (Marilyn Manson). The character he is in the music world is just a character. I’m sure he’s a normal person. The point is, there is a lot of music I will listen to, to hear the production, to appreciate the mixes, to educate myself to things you just can’t find in certain markets.

“I can respect an album even if I don’t agree with it,” Plumb says. “Besides, I want to be challenged.”

Plumb was born in Indianapolis and raised in Atlanta, and founded the band Plumb with neighbor, songwriter, and producer Matt Bronleewe about a decade ago. Like Alice Cooper, she herself has taken on the Plumb name, and like that vivid rock persona too, her work deals with

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the daily vexation of the flesh. Manic depression, addiction, vanity, and exploitation are common themes in her work, which she expresses as ferociously as the serpentine Vincent Furnier. Her intense yet lovely new album “Chaotic Resolve” would merely be a funky chamber of psychiatric horrors if the characters she sings about weren’t crafted out of love and given a sense of resolve in the midst of “burning away like a cigarette.” (“Jekyll & Hyde”) As a young girl she was always singing, and eventually her parents took her to voice lessons. She idolized her brother, who was an athlete, and put the same sort of training and persistence into her own (musical) talents. She learned how to sing up from the diaphragm, how much water she should drink to keep her voice hydrated. For her fourth album, she was at a unique position in her life, being pregnant with her son, Solomon Fury Lee, and the agony and ecstasy associated with childbirth floods “Chaotic Resolve,” even whilst she maintained her musician’s discipline.

“I had to sit to sing many of the songs, as my stomach was so huge!” she says. “I was too out of breath or too tired. Matt got used to me being late throughout the recording process,” but apparently there was a dynamic tension that led to the urgency of songs like “I Can’t Do This” (“I woke up late / I guess I’m never really early”), and the ferocious rage of her voice in such songs as the questioning “Good Behavior.” It’s this ontological approach to her work, wanting to challenge, to disturb with her words and the incessant push of her music, that makes Plumb transcendent amongst the flock of “divinely blessed” dance floor divas.

“I would say that my pregnancy brought me to a whole other level of accountability,” she says.

“I have a child who will say that ‘You made this while I was inside of you.’ I was responsible for birthing another member of the body of Christ.

“In the last couple of years, I felt sixteen in so many ways. I was learning so many new things,” Plumb continues. “I learned that I was created for community. I’m getting into shape, eating better, taking care of myself, but you don’t accomplish things on your own. You’re being molded and shaped into who you’re meant to be. I know in my own heart I was created to be a Christian. I gave my son back to the church. I need you, all of you, to help me.”

She offers up each song on the pulsing, textural “Chaotic Resolve” as a “puzzle piece. It’s God who puts all of this together. The song ‘Manic’ is about a girl who has that condition, but I can be so impatient with her. As if my opinion matters!

Grace has changed me and I just need to love and respect her. But then again, if I don’t help force her to change, not against who she is but love her even when I want to be openly judgmental.

This is a world of opposites -- the resolve is not that she gets fixed, but that I love her still no matter what.”

Plumb is having a dialectical dialogue with her listeners, her friends, the body of Christ. “The best conversation involves conflict,” she insists.

“Deep inside we need to be challenged to grow.

People who just have ‘yes friends’ never grow up. I don’t have answers, but I don’t mind saying things that make people feel uncomfortable.”

To disturb and induce dancing? Sounds like rock and roll to me.

5/22/2006 4:05:45 PM

PLUMB 63

BY CHRISTROUTMAN

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5/22/2006 4:05:57 PM

52 H I P - H O P F E AT U R E

MARS ILL

BY BRENTEN GILBERT

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5/22/2006 4:07:23 PM

BEATS [hip-hop news ‘n’ reviews by SphereofHipHop. com]

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE ARTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SHAKY ONE..

There have been times in history when churches have been a clear example of artistic expression, whether through the architecture itself or paintings and sculptures adorning the building. However, there have also been times when art was completely abolished from the church. The goal of many artists, including hip-hop duo Mars Ill, is to find a balance where the church can work in and through the prevailing arts to reach the world around them.

“Any time there is a medium, it can be used for good or for bad,” explains Gregory Owens a.k.a.

Manchild, emcee for Mars Ill. “There is no reason it can’t be used within the church. It can be used to attract people to Christ, just like anything else,” he continues, “if the right people have the vision to help the mission.”

Because of this history, the church as a whole is typically considered a late adopter for newer forms of media, hesitant to progress until the method has been thoroughly tested and tried.

Hip-hop is a perfect example of this latency, perhaps due to the consistently negative press the genre receives as a whole. As Mars Ill DJ, Nathan Corrona (Dust) points out, “[Hip-hop provides] an amazing platform that ninety percent of the time is misused and abused.”

But for the two members of Mars Ill, hip-hop was instrumental in their personal development. “For me it was my gateway to art,” says Dust “Hip-hop made me really want to be a more creative person, more involved in all forms of media.” Manchild has similar sentiments. “I came out of my shell here and there, but it was really thanks to hip-hop that I was able to express myself and get my feelings across. I gained a lot of confidence in that way, so I really owe a lot of my development as a person to the music and the subculture itself.”

Both members also agree that hip-hop can have a positive effect on others as well. “Hip-hop can be a great asset for bringing young people closer to Christ,” says Manchild, noting that hip-hop should have a Christian influence. Dust finishes the thought. “It’s important for Mars Ill to have a voice within that culture because without Christian emcees, how is God going to be represented? He’s not.”

Still, the church as a whole is a little sluggish to agree. “You look at the Roaring Lambs philosophy,” states Manchild. “Suppose two people went before a church board asking for support to attend college and one wanted to go to Bible School and the other wanted to go to art school. If this church can only fund one of them, chances are they’ll fund the guy to go to Bible School.” He continues, “we need to have people working in the arts and

breaking ground in every different expression of art. Hip-hop is no different than that.”

Some entire churches, however, have already begun to embrace hip-hop as a viable form of ministry. “We are good friends with a ministry in Florida called Crossover Community Church. It’s run by an emcee [Tommy Kyllonen a.k.a. Urban D] and he’s the pastor. They aren’t rapping their worship,” explains Dust. “But they use beats and turntables and it’s pretty interesting to see. I think it’s going to be more common in the next ten years.

You look at most church services now and they all seem to use a guitar, a drum set, a keyboard and all of that. Twenty years ago that was pretty radical. It’s basically a case of the church catching up with culture. It’s bound to happen with hip-hop, because hip-hop has been in existence for about thirty years now.”

Manchild agrees. “We are starting to see now that people in our generation - those in their late twenties and early thirties - are starting to become youth pastors and beginning to use it in their churches. As they get a little older and gain more areas of authority in the churches, I think we’ll see [hip-hop] become more a part of [church].”

Both members of the duo receive support from various churches and individuals to help fund the group’s mission. Dust began working through Campus Crusade for Christ ten years ago before using that model to move on and continue to work in music full-time. Manchild has been following that method for the past seven years. “The bottom line is that our supporters know us and we’ve been able to express to them what we are doing,” explains Manchild, “You wouldn’t necessarily see them [at one of] our concerts, but they can still get behind it because they see that it’s effective.”

“We’ve also had some really great fans support us,” adds Dust. “So not only do [they] believe in our ministry, they also get the music side of it which is really great.”

The group’s latest release, Pro*Pain, gives listeners and supporters plenty to believe in. Meshing artistic merits with a faith-based message, the album exemplifies the notion of hip-hop music from a Christian perspective. It is the message of the church communicated through the medium of hip-hop art - a solid step forward in the union of the two entities.

“Will it ever be a perfect marriage?” asks Manchild of the church and the arts. “I just don’t know.”

News shorts…

Word on the street is that Grits is working on some new material and also recording releases for their own record label.

Look for more news on this one soon.

Their current album ‘7’ is out in stores now. (Grits7.com) JustMe is a new emcee that was formerly part of the Solseekers crew and also Tunnel Rats for a while. Now he heads up an entire force of emcees called the Scribbling Idiots. His solo debut album, One Mans Trash, is due out July 18th and features guest spots from Pigeon John, Future Shock and of course, Scribbling Idiots. (ILLECT.com) RedCloud is reportedly finished with his third solo album. Look for that to drop soon on Syntax Records.

Future Shock has just completed the third installment of a series of EP releases with the latest, SoSueMe, dropping recently.

These guys have been around for over a decade and still deliver the goods every time. Lyricism for days and on point production. (Myspace.com/FutureShock) Pigeon John is set to make his major label debut later this year on mainstream hip-hop label Quannum. Leading off is a vinyl single, which is where PJ always seems to shine. Look for this to be a big ’06 album release. (PigeonJohn.com) The Procussions also have a major label release out now with their 5 Sparrows For 2 Cents album out now on Rawkus.

Rawkus is making a comeback of sorts after fizzling out several years ago. They had large successes with artists like Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

(TheProcussions.com) Sphere of Hip Hop recently launched a new MP3 site. SphereofhiphopMP3.com features hundreds of free and legal MP3 downloads in addition to several other features. Check out some new music and preview artists before you buy.

Gotta check these releases out…

The Procussions 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents, Change Penny For Your Thoughts, JustMe One Mans Trash, Cookbook & Uno Mas While They Slept, Cookbook & Uno Mas Robertson Bullies EP, Pettidee Thug Love, Rob Hodge Born King, Sev Statik Afterburn, Sev Statik Sliver LP, Phat Kats Raw Classics, Sivion Live at the Gypsy Tea Room, Wut Metaphysical Last of the Metaphysical Poets, R-Swift Revolutionary Theme Muzik, Much Luvv Fam The Next… Now. Get more hip-hop news and MP3 downloads at sphereofhiphop.com

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5/22/2006 4:08:02 PM

66 FEATURE

Fair

A TIME TO COLLABORATE

BY DOUG VAN PELT

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5/22/2006 4:36:10 PM

FAIR 67

If it were possible to craft the perfect pop record, Aaron Sprinkle might have accomplished it with his newest band – F air.

After years of touring with Poor Old Lu, various solo albums, and dozens of albums under his production oversight, he might have some inkling about how good songs are constructed. One can just hope that this new band will live a prosperous and productive life (we already know it’ll be a creative one)... The band, whom Sprinkle refers to as the best musicians he knows, are a real entity, which just got off the road with Eisley, members of which play on The Best Worst-Case Scenerio.

Touring with Eisley?! Wow. Cool. How was that?

What are the details? Please elaborate.

Aaron Sprinkle: We had a great time touring with Eisley.

They are good friends and it was awesome to spend time with them playing shows and becoming closer friends. It was amazing having Sherri and Stacy on stage with us each night to sing “Unglued.” Brighten, one of the other bands on the tour, became fast friends as well.

Those guys are insanely talented and such great people.

In terms of the shows themselves, it was our first tour as Fair and we had no idea what to expect, and the reaction we got from the audience was so encouraging. We made a lot of new friends and are thankful we were able to do the tour.

How did Fair come together?

We’ve all been friends for a long time. Nick and I have, of course, played in bands together for some time. Joey, Erick, Nick, and I started playing together to support my solo records and after a time decided it was time to start a new, collaborative project. Fair came about because the four of us felt like we had something new to say as a collective.

How much of a challenge is it to write and create your own music when you’re around other people’s music, songs, arrangements all day long? What’s that like for you?

I was in a totally different mindset while making the Fair record. It was a time where 4 friends were making a record together, and there was very little pressure in the studio. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work after focusing so intently on producing, and there was some fear going in that it might be difficult, but I couldn’t be happier with how everything came together.

It’s always hard to describe your own music. But we are all very much addicted to melody. We want to write songs that convey a mood and have a good tune. And hopefully they will be the kinds of songs that people can relate to. This record was written in a short period of time, and so all of the songs reflect that specific time period in our lives. There was a lot of excitement, emotion, and energy, and while it’s difficult to pick a favorite song, songs like “Monday” and “Unglued” were highlights for us during that time.

You’ve kind of sat in the driver’s seat when it comes to the evolution of the Christian alternative/rock/ hard music scene. What is your perspective? What are your thoughts on “where we’ve come?” How do you feel about where faith-influenced art is at today?

It’s been exciting to see Christians start to care more about the art they create, and have people embrace Christian art in new ways over the years. It’s nice that in music the line between the general market and Christian market is more blurry than in the past, and that there are a lot of people of faith putting out great music. To answer “where we’ve come” is hard, because I don’t see Christians making art as a group of people that have to band together and prove something over time. As a Christian, your charge is to be faithful to Christ, and if God has gifted you with art, to respond to God’s love through your art. People’s interest in that will come and go, it just happens that at this point in history people are interested in spiritual things.

Please describe Fair’s music. What’s the sound like?

What songs are your favorites at this time from your new album? Why? Photo by: Greg Lutze

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5/22/2006 4:36:19 PM

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5/22/2006 4:37:11 PM

FEATURE 69

What Madball Says MADBALL HAS ESTABLISHED A CREDIBILITY IN HARDCORE CIRCLES THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO PRY AWAY FROM THEM... AND DON’T EXPECT THEM TO MESS IT UP, EITHER. THEY COME HARD, HEARTFELT, PASSIONATE, AND AS FAST AND INTENTIONAL AS A FISTFUL OF FIGHT. ONE GREAT EXAMPLE OF THEM DOING MUSIC ON THEIR OWN TERMS IS THE DOUBLE VIDEO THEY PULL OFF WITH TWO SONGS – “HEAVEN HELL” AND “BEHIND THESE WALLS” – SEGUED SEEMLESSLY INTO ONE, WITH FRONTMAN FREDDY CRICIEN LEADING THE WAY. THIS TECHNIQUE HAS BEEN USED A TON IN HIP HIP VIDEOS TO PROMOTE TWO SONGS, BUT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN MANY A HARDCORE BAND EVER USING THE SAME TECHNIQUE. SCORE ANOTHER POINT FOR MADBALL.

Photo: Gordie Ball

Looking back to when you fi rst started, did you think the hardcore scene would evolve into what it is now?

You know, not really. When I got into this, I was very young. I was a kid. I got into this type of music and this particular scene through my oldest brother and I didn’t really know what to think of it, really – to be honest with you. But, knowing how it used to be back in the day, it’s still an underground genre, but it’s definitely growing. It’s worldwide nowadays. So, that’s a cool thing.

What do you like or not like about what you see now?

I like the fact that it’s become a worldwide thing and we have a scene in Japan and a scene in Europe and scenes all over the United States. I mean, everywhere, you know? The only thing that I would say that I don’t like at this point in time, because I think right now people like to talk about the glory days of hardcore or something, but I think we’re living in the best times for hardcore right now, you know? We still have significant bands from the older generation that are still around, representing and doing their thing, and there’s a lot of new blood and fresh stuff going on as well. And hardcore is getting more recognition now than it ever has before, so I think we’re living in the best times. What I don’t like – to answer that question – is the segregation within the scene itself. People are straight-edge or this or that. There’s, like, scenes within a scene. It gets to be too much. Knock down the walls. Knock down the barriers. Let’s be a little more open minded and remember that. The main thing is that you’re here to let loose and listen to the music and enjoy yourselves. That’s the only problem: sometimes it gets clique-y and stuff like that. This scene is small enough as it is. We have no room to be putting up these kind of barriers.

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It’s amazing. You started fronting Madball at the age of 12. What was it like actually growing up in a hardcore band?

Well, it kind of started as a process thing. My brother Roger, from Agnostic Front, he got me started in this whole thing. Basically Madball was just a sideproject of his band way back when. I was just a kid. We thought it’d be an interesting thing to have a hardcore band with a kid singing. You didn’t really see that too much. I don’t know of anybody that had done that at that point. So, we did it more for fun and novelty. Little did we know that as the years went on it would actually grow into a full-time touring band and that it would actually become my career. It just evolved and became more serious and more, you know, a part of my life. It’s what we have now.

That’s really cool. In your video, “Heaven-Hell” and “Behind These Walls,” you make reference to remembering those behind bars. I think that is just a beautiful statement that people don’t hear often enough.

What inspires this message?

Well, I personally have had some experience where I had troubles with the law, I guess you could say. Unfortunately, I had to spend some time behind the walls of Riker’s Island. And I learned a lot from that experience. I also know people that, unfortunately, got caught up in situations in their life and had to, you know, pay a price and some people weren’t as fortunate as myself. I made some mistakes, but luckily enough I was able to bounce back from it. But I didn’t get put away for years and years and stuff like that. I got put away for six months and probation and all this other stuff. But, it was an experience that I learned from and don’t look to put myself in that position again. Some people were not that fortunate.

Some people crossed the line to a point where you can’t really mend it or fix it.

There’s people that are in jail or whatever, behind bars for a lifetime or a significant amount of time. Basically, that song is just talking about my experience,

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70 FEATURE but also talking about the people who got lost in the mix and that are even in a worse situation than I was in. You know what I mean? And you feel for those people, because some of them were just … not all. I can’t speak for every one, but I know people personally in my life that just were caught up in a situation where they were in the wrong place at the wrong time or not using their better judgment and here they are going away for ten years or 25 years. Some of these people had a lot of good in them… I don’t think their souls were completely, you know, bad. But you get caught up and trapped. So, that’s basically what that song touches on – my experience and also trying to relate to people that have been in that situation or are still in that situation.

been a pretty cool experience, to tell you the truth. We loved making that record and are very proud of that record.

We did a lot of touring in support of it. Unfortunately, due to politics and label issues, it didn’t live up to its expectations, but I don’t think that was on our part or on our end of it. I just think that other parties involved didn’t exactly follow through on everything that they should have. But, that being said, I’m still very proud of the record and also we plan on doing another one in 2006. And Hazen St. is another outlet for myself personally and everyone else in the band. It’s a band where we can be a little more free and experimental musically and lyrically and so we love having that option.

That’s cool. I appreciate you writing that, man. What do you think about Jesus Christ?

What do I think about him (a smile in his voice)? Well, I was baptized Catholic, so, you know, I definitely, um, you know, I was brought up with Jesus Christ. What can I say?

I have my own… Sometimes I have issues about Catholicism or Christianity, but at the same time, I have a great respect for it. And, like I said, I was brought up, you know, as a Catholic, so of course I have a great respect for Jesus.

Of course I know that He died for our sins and all that.

You know what I mean? Like I said, there’s certain things that I question about my own religion, but at the same time I’ve relied on my faith to get me through troubles and bad times and I feel like there’s definitely Someone or some thing watching out for me and my family. So, I definitely keep that faith intact, you know what I mean?

That’s cool. I saw you guys live about a year and a half ago with P.O.D. and Blindside and Lacuna Coil and I thought you guys sounded great.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

Yeah.

What else could I say? How else could I elaborate? I don’t know. What do you… How do you feel? I’m just curious.

Well, uh, my next question was going to be, “What do you think about His claims to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me?” And my response to that question, too, would be I think He was telling the truth and He’s the Son of God and I love Him. I don’t know what else to say, either.

Right, right. Well, yeah. Definitely. I definitely believe that, you know, He was put here by God and, you know, I agree with all those things as well, you know? What more could I say?

Cool. How has your experience with…

Like I said, I’m not… you know... I was brought up in a Catholic household, which also incorporates, you know, the belief in certain other ... faith in other people in the history that have ... (that) are also a part of this holy family.

You know what I mean?

I think so.

But, you know, it’s a slightly different view. I don’t know that maybe that the way you were brought up or other people were brought up, but I think there’s definitely a mutual respect for Jesus, for sure.

Well, how has your experience with Hazen Street been?

It’s been pretty… there’s been some ups and downs. It’s

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How was it working with Zeuss in the studio? What recording techniques or songwriting tips did you learn? What does he bring to the table?

Well, what he brought to the table was, you know, wasn’t so much his writing techniques… Not to say he didn’t throw his two cents around here and there, but we pretty much came prepared. I think what he brought to the table was his sounds. That was really, you know? We came to the studio knowing what we wanted this record to sound like. We’ve been doing this awhile and we know what Madball… We know our own sound and we know what’s expected of us, so it was more so we wanted to work with him to get different sounds going, to get a bigger sounding record and, at the same time, not stray too far from our sound. And he was the perfect person for that, because he’s been working with a lot of heavy bands and hardcore bands and metal bands, but at the same time he knows our history and he knows our sound and our style. So, I think, you know, anything that we brought to him, he would know how to complement it. And I think that’s exactly what happened, so I’m very happy about that. He would definitely give…

His opinion definitely counted, as far as, like, structures and everything goes. But, for the most part, the stuff was there. It was just a matter of teaming up and executing and doing it right, you know? He definitely helped that process a lot. I think he gave us one of our best sounding records to date. I’m happy with it.

Right on. What are some of the highlights for the Legacy album for you?

The highlights? As far as songs? It’s hard to really say, because they all tell a different story and have a different meaning for me and it’s more what everyone else gets out of it. To me, it’s hard to pick and choose this song or that song. Obviously, songs like “Heaven/Hell” have a lot of meaning to me, because I’m dealing with very personal issues relating to my father and my beliefs and stuff like that. So, that song is a song that always hits home, but there are a few songs on there that stand out, like songs like “Damned” and songs like “Darkest Days,” which is a song about my wife. They all have a different…a place, you know? They all tell different stories. They all mean something to me and hopefully, people listening to it get something out of it as well.

Cool. Legacy is a great word. What do you hope your legacy to be?

I hope it to be… Almost the best way to describe it: I want it to be sincere in every way. That’s what we’ve been. As a band representing the hardcore scene, we’ve always stayed true to that, stayed true to our roots. Everything we’ve done has always been that dose of sincerity and honesty.

I definitely want that to be incorporated into our legacy.

Aside from us being a band that established ourselves – not only in New York, but around the world – and we get a lot of respect from the older generation and the new generation, which is a beautiful thing. We take pride in our live show and all those things fall under our legacy. The main message is that the stories we’re telling and everything this band has put out from day one has been very sincere – the bad and the good. Hopefully, people can recognize that, acknowledge that and respect us for that. Through all the times, we’ve stayed true to ourselves and true to our roots.

And we’ve tried to represent what we do as best we can. I hope all that stuff is recognized, you know? It’s definitely…

We’re definitely getting feedback now and we’re still very much active and still very much have a lot to offer. And we’re getting that recognition now from bands and fans alike. So, that’s a cool thing, ya know? There’s still some goals, so we’ll see.

I’ve got a crazy question for ya: If you could go back into history and keep any song in the history of music from being written, which song would it be, and why?

Whoa! To stop any song from being written? Hmmm…

That is a crazy question. I really have to rack my brain. It would probably, for me, it would be a song that I didn’t like, obviously. I don’t know if I have the right to condemn anyone like that, you know what I mean, because I think people should have the freedom to write whatever they want. It’s tough. That’s a tough question, because if I say…if I pick a certain song or a certain band, you know, it’s like, who am I to condemn them? They could just as easily turn around and say, “Well, I wish this song of yours or this album of yours would have never come out,” and it’s just like you’re taking away my rights as a human being.

So, I can’t think of one off the top of my head. Probably something very annoying. I can’t think off the top of my head, I really can’t.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I just want to thank anybody and everybody who’s bought our new album, Legacy, and whether you’ve supported us for years and years or you’re just getting into us now. I appreciate that. We greatly appreciate that and, like I said, we still have some ways to go, but I first and foremost thank our supporters – old and new – and be on the lookout for us, we’re going to be on tour supporting this album. We’ve been on tour for awhile now, and we’re going to continue to be on tour. Thanks to everybody.

Cool, man. I hope to see you on tour. I’m in Austin, Texas and I’ll hand you a copy of this interview.

We’ll be through there. I think we’re coming there on this tour. Are you coming on this tour?

I think so. I hope so.

Alright, cool. When you come, maybe we can chat a little more.

5/22/2006 4:47:44 PM

WHAT MADBALL SAYS 71

“...right now people like to talk about the glory days of hardcore or something, but I think we’re living in the best times for hardcore right now, you know?”

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5/22/2006 4:47:57 PM

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5/22/2006 6:28:11 PM

Zao | cont’d

The coolest thing overall was when we left the studio we had a CD and were listening to it. We had to drive from Chicago, where Steve’s studio was, to Arizona to start the In Flames tour. It was a two-and-a-half day drive, and for the whole twoand-a-half days we just listened to the record over and over. And we’d just sit back and realize what a good time we had and how happy we were with everything. That doesn’t happen. That was the first time that had happened in a long time. It was one of those things that gives you a little faith in the music industry again. I think that’s one of those things that can get to you pretty quick sometimes.

I’m not really trying to do flattery at all, very much, but one thing that I think is beautiful about you as a person is how vulnerable you are and it’s kinda cool that you kinda capture the vulnerability in this harsh, incredibly heavy music. Has that ever struck you as weird or has that ever been something that surprised you?

One of the things that initially turned me on to heavy music is I guess in a weird way it always kinda sounded desperate to me. Some of the old bands I listened to and stuff kind of like, the only thing left was it just kind of got to the point where all you could do is kind of like vent it out, you know?

I guess that’s how I feel. A lot of the new record is very desperate. I just enjoy sort of the heaviness of the music. To me, in a weird, I can’t explain it – subconscious thing in the back of my mind, a lot of heavy music – not just the lyrics, but the tone in the singer’s voice or the way the music was constructed, a lot of it always kind of sounded desperate to me.

When the guys in the band present me with their music, some songs to me sound more desperate.

I try in advance to get a bunch of lyrics together, that way I’ll have my desperate songs and I’ll have more of the angry, this or that. Or maybe the socialpolitical stuff or something. And each one sounds a little bit different to me, so I’ll try to match it with that. I guess, too, I’ve always felt very small on this earth, I guess. Not in a depressed sense, but in just the overall scheme of things. Just a little, little gear in a big machine, ya know? I think a lot of people, especially me, end up getting turned on to heavy music feel that way, too. I think sometimes, for me it got – literally got me through times in my life, you know?

Uh-huh.

Like, you hear that one song that something clicked, and it gave you enough strength. I think of this, too, when I was a little younger, like the teen years and stuff, when you’re going through everything and nothing makes sense. It would kind of give me the stability to go on. I don’t know. I just think that certain music has its place.

I love it. The new album sounds really good.

Thanks. I’m excited. I’m always excited for people to read the lyrics and stuff.

[ For more insight and information on Zao’s new album, be sure to check out the exclusive, extended, and unique Zao cover story in the new issue of Heaven’s Metal Fanzine ]

120_zao.indd 4

5/22/2006 4:23:42 PM

74 I N T E R M I S S I O N

Trading a baby...

AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVE TAYLOR

BY CHRIS CALLAWAY

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5/22/2006 4:54:28 PM

S T E V E TAY L O R 75 Enter the young and restless chasing dragons to slay, then enter Steve Taylor who has the neverdubious distinction of cultural relevance in an age of disposable trends that sometimes digest as well as the fruitcake that gifted Aunt Edna with indigestion in National Lampoon’s classic, Vacation.

My first true experience with Taylor was during his 1988 tour, when, donned in a Good Humortype uniform, he cascaded upon the stage, tossing water balloons for his opening number, “I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good,” a satirical, tonguein-cheek explosive nugget of a song, detailing the misdirected exploits of an ice cream truck driver who blows up an abortion clinic because “if we run out of youngsters, I’ll be out of a job.”

Taylor hung up the dairy uniform years ago, but his creation of thought-provoking art has never waned. In February, he entered the motion picture world as his directorial debut, The Second Chance made it to the big screen.

The film, based on the synopsis on its website, shows Taylor treading in more of a satire-free direction than his musical pursuits and far from the humorous nature of an early Taylor film short that was in his own words “based on a true story

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of a man and a wife who tried to trade their baby in on a Corvette.” The Second Chance, while not a comedy, was a smart choice for a Hollywood debut, Taylor contends, and also allowed him the opportunity to present the church accurately.

“I’ve said this before,” the one-time youth pastor reveals, “but when I’d see movies that were set in churches, having grown up in the church and having a dad that’s a pastor, invariably these kind of Hollywood movies or TV shows all felt like they were done by people who don’t go to church, and there’s some notable exceptions, but overall that’s stayed pretty true and so, I wanted to do something that felt realistic to people that go to church and something they could actually relate to.”

Taylor’s quest for realism also carries through when it comes to the technical aspects of filmmaking, including his use of film over vastly cheaper video formats. “Even when I was shooting music videos, I’d virtually always shoot on 35 millimeter [film] just ‘cause I didn’t think anything else could touch the look of it,“ states Taylor. “So I kind of became a snob, and of course, when you’re on a tight budget, shooting on 35 millimeter takes up a pretty big chunk of that tight budget. I’d done a little experimenting

with high def (high definition video) just to see what might happen and the more I checked it out, the more I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like the results.”

When the end arrived, there were undoubtedly piles of film to sweep and a smiling filmmaker, breathing the sweet air of a hard-earned breath.

“It felt good to finally get it done,” recalls Taylor.

“When you’re editing you honestly don’t know if you have anything or not. We did what’s called an assembly cut. We showed it to a group of people who didn’t know much about the movie and are pretty harsh critics. It was kind of a sigh of relief when I left that screening, realizing that there’s work to be done but we’ve got something here. It’s not going to be a catastrophe and the more you work on it the closer it gets until finally you’ve got it color corrected and you’ve got the sound and you show it in a multiplex that’s got good sound and a good projector and it’s like “Oh, wow, this actually feels like a movie. This is all right.”.

[Photo by David Dobson ]

5/22/2006 4:54:30 PM

S T E V E TAY L O R 75 Enter the young and restless chasing dragons to slay, then enter Steve Taylor who has the neverdubious distinction of cultural relevance in an age of disposable trends that sometimes digest as well as the fruitcake that gifted Aunt Edna with indigestion in National Lampoon’s classic, Vacation.

My first true experience with Taylor was during his 1988 tour, when, donned in a Good Humortype uniform, he cascaded upon the stage, tossing water balloons for his opening number, “I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good,” a satirical, tonguein-cheek explosive nugget of a song, detailing the misdirected exploits of an ice cream truck driver who blows up an abortion clinic because “if we run out of youngsters, I’ll be out of a job.”

Taylor hung up the dairy uniform years ago, but his creation of thought-provoking art has never waned. In February, he entered the motion picture world as his directorial debut, The Second Chance made it to the big screen.

The film, based on the synopsis on its website, shows Taylor treading in more of a satire-free direction than his musical pursuits and far from the humorous nature of an early Taylor film short that was in his own words “based on a true story

120_intermission.indd 2

of a man and a wife who tried to trade their baby in on a Corvette.” The Second Chance, while not a comedy, was a smart choice for a Hollywood debut, Taylor contends, and also allowed him the opportunity to present the church accurately.

“I’ve said this before,” the one-time youth pastor reveals, “but when I’d see movies that were set in churches, having grown up in the church and having a dad that’s a pastor, invariably these kind of Hollywood movies or TV shows all felt like they were done by people who don’t go to church, and there’s some notable exceptions, but overall that’s stayed pretty true and so, I wanted to do something that felt realistic to people that go to church and something they could actually relate to.”

Taylor’s quest for realism also carries through when it comes to the technical aspects of filmmaking, including his use of film over vastly cheaper video formats. “Even when I was shooting music videos, I’d virtually always shoot on 35 millimeter [film] just ‘cause I didn’t think anything else could touch the look of it,“ states Taylor. “So I kind of became a snob, and of course, when you’re on a tight budget, shooting on 35 millimeter takes up a pretty big chunk of that tight budget. I’d done a little experimenting

with high def (high definition video) just to see what might happen and the more I checked it out, the more I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like the results.”

When the end arrived, there were undoubtedly piles of film to sweep and a smiling filmmaker, breathing the sweet air of a hard-earned breath.

“It felt good to finally get it done,” recalls Taylor.

“When you’re editing you honestly don’t know if you have anything or not. We did what’s called an assembly cut. We showed it to a group of people who didn’t know much about the movie and are pretty harsh critics. It was kind of a sigh of relief when I left that screening, realizing that there’s work to be done but we’ve got something here. It’s not going to be a catastrophe and the more you work on it the closer it gets until finally you’ve got it color corrected and you’ve got the sound and you show it in a multiplex that’s got good sound and a good projector and it’s like “Oh, wow, this actually feels like a movie. This is all right.”.

[Photo by David Dobson ]

5/22/2006 4:54:42 PM

Now Booking Tour Dates for August 6 thru 30

Booking dates for the western United States call Brian at 480.812.1100 to have this tour come to your church

Presented by

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September 1-24 If your church hasn’t booked a date for this amazing tour, call Brian Cole at 480.812.1100

Extreme Faith Productions www.extremefaithproductions.com

5/22/2006 4:55:28 PM

ALBUM REVIEWS

77

Album reviews

77 ALBUMS 84 ENTERTAINMENT 85 BOOKS & GEAR

ZAO THE FEAR IS WHAT KEEPS US HERE These days, to differentiate between styles of metal influence takes an experienced ear.

And while some attach lyrical content to genre definition, this review just takes it as a whole.

Quickly enough, the general picture pulls Zao away from Carcass comparisons into its own, well-deserving arena. This, at times, is Zao with faster pacing and altered time signatures.

Songs are shorter! Percussion feels swifter.

Yes, metal swift. With obvious low-register, fast guitar riffs (we even picked out some classic angry bees tones). Breakdowns shine with even more sludge – does that make sense? Well, it will. And it continues in the band’s tradition. But this isn’t really a hardcore band anymore.

Twenty years ago the phrase “crossover thrash” was thrown around to describe any type of metal with remote hardcore distinctions. Oddly enough, the term came to mind quickly after track five, “The Kingdom of Thieves.” Should it have taken five tracks to find such solid feet?

That’ll be your call, but our stance found the crawl worth the wait.

The Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Neurosis) mix fits Zao incredibly well. The bass is slightly more subtle, which lends to an overall untreated sound. It’s as if importance has been placed on demonstrating the visceral quality of Zao live.

After the midway point, each track displays itself unique enough – distinct enough – to build into a wonderfully droning conclusion.

Rating system 05 04 03 02 01 *

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CLASSIC FABULOUS SOLID SUSPECT AMISS 1/2

Worthy of at least a paragraph: everything is finalized with an increasingly distorted fade. As if a wall of noise builds itself, piece by piece, into an audible obstruction. Second only to Zao’s unforgettable “burn it down and walk away,” the end drones away slowly with the alarming title message: “The fear. The fear is what keeps us here.” ¨

5/22/2006 5:57:29 PM

78 A L B U M R E V I E W S

But it’s not the fear. Or any other sort of apprehensive reaction. What will keep you enthralled is completely opposite: it’s the obvious swell of confidence demonstrated by this surely formed Zao. [FERRET] DAVID ALLEN

UNDEROATH DEFINE THE GREAT LINE If someone had allowed me to write the Hollywood script on Underoath, I would have beat them down into a contrived mass of calculated hooks and sweet looks that would cater to the legions of fawning females, television appearances. Yes, I would’ve stuck my writing pencil in the back of my throat to regurgitate this morning’s breakfast creation, but I would have done so on the way through a drive-in window and a chatty but grateful bank teller. Neither Hollywood nor T&N Records have begged for my help, so I’ll just spoil the ending here and tell you that this Florida sixpiece has opted for the artistic integrity approach, which dutifully earns the Solid State imprint on the back. Forget the fact that girls have been flocking to their shows and singing along, Define The Great Line is like one harsh line in the sand that dares its audience to embrace the band on its own terms. I count not one contrived note. This album is chock full of authentic, gritty metal/rock. “In Regards To Myself” kicks off the 11-song shout-fest with the type of abrasive aggression usually reserved for a mid-album’s moment of self-indulgence. While still melodic and able to fetch a singable chorus with ease (check out the infectious “To Whom It May Concern” or “Writing On The Walls”), these guys show enough bravado and toughness to land an appearance in The Sopranos. The sounds are great and there’s plenty of highlights to enjoy. “Casting Such A Thin Shadow” wanders and jams along for almost four minutes before the now-seasoned vocalist, Spencer Chamberlain, decides he needs to participate. While the short departure, “Salmarnir,” reveals that Chris Dudley might be aware of Sigur Ros, he’s not about to change his stripes as a headbanging keyboardist. “Returning Empty Handed” screams in the gutter loud enough to presume that these guys would just as soon beat the living tar out of a boy band before it would entertain becoming one. My hat is off to this nearly perfect album.

[SOLID STATE] KERN COUNTY KID, THE

DEAD POETIC VICES They tore up stages from coast to coast, earning themselves a reputation as one of the standout bands of the screamo scene in the early 00s with two acclaimed albums before Dead Poetic nearly self-destructed a year and a half ago. From the near ashes a new band emerged, with only front man and vocalist Brandon Rike and guitarist Zach Miles remaining. Former Poor Old Lu and Demon Hunter vet Jesse Sprinkle, (drums) along with Beloved alums Dusty Redmon (guitar) and John Brehm (bass) rounded out the

120_album reviews.indd 2

new incarnation of the band. Their first release with this configuration, Vices, captures the best of Dead Poetic’s past and points an irrefutably optimistic finger towards their future.

With wunderkind producer Aaron Sprinkle back at the helm, and a stylistic three-pointer that leaves all but a hint of the screaming behind in lieu of soaring melodies and guttural crunch, Dead Poetic sound completely big-time on this massive rock LP. Elements of their obvious 90s rock heroes leak through like antifreeze from a burst radiator.

Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Urge Overkill and Tool drip all over the place, but Rike’s incredible voice and the band’s new millennium DNA keep them from ever sounding like a tribute band.

Though just as terse and dark as ever, the lyrical approach seems to have undergone a similar overhaul. Thematically linked to elements of selfinflicted sin, Vices dives into some pretty murky waters. Addiction, sexual sin, self mutilation, pride and other equally ignominious issues are explored, with the up-tick being the closing title track. The brutally honest and confessional lyric lays out the lament of a man unwilling to maintain the facade of goodness. The unconditional love of Messiah is always there, waiting in the maelstrom of personal pain.

Powerful, provocative and immediately engaging, Dead Poetic turn a major corner on Vices. Not for the faint of heart, but as supremely satisfying a rock catharsis as one is likely to experience this year.

cadence with equative high spirits. Their debut, This Is Who We Are, delivers infectious appeal via plentiful melodic hooks and catchy choruses. Some might write it off as message board hype, but for those who openly embrace this guilty pleasure are guaranteed a good time. [TOOTH & NAIL] DAN FRAZIER

JESUS WEPT SHOW’S OVER If this great hardcore/metal band has flown under your radar screen thus far, you need to get a new one. From the ashes of xDisciplex A.D. comes a band that’s impossible to be confused with a “Christians in a band” kind of thing. Short songs, killer breakdowns, unrelenting riffs and chant-able choruses are in abundance here.

I love it all, but especially cool are the title track and “Break Me,” which sounds like it would’ve fit well right in the middle of that Outer Circle album. Listen to Show’s Over if you want one small reminder why this magazine exists. [STRIKE FIRST] DOUG VAN PELT

Ratings DV

Writer

Zao

The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here

04

04

Underoath

Define The Great Line

04

04*

Consider Leeland the house band for the modern contemporary church experience, complete with projection systems and Krispy Kreme donuts. Make no mistake about it, these are praise and worship songs, beautifully captured and honest in its ambitions. What begins often times as simple, stripped-down testimonies of faith, like the closing acoustic number “Carried to the Table,” climaxes as a congregation rousing, string accented, uplifting experience. The songs of band leader Leeland Mooring, who apparently is something of a child prodigy, are majestic in their composition, where the beauty is found in their purpose rather than the music itself. This is not to say that Mooring’s magnificent vocals do not shine on the Sound of Melodies, but rather to emphasize the songs’ power to bring people closer together in their faith. Perhaps most impressive is the song “Tears of the Saints,” which prays for the return of all the world’s prodigal sons, to find grace, comfort and new life in the love of Jesus Christ.

Dead Poetic Vices

04

04*

Leeland

Sound Of Melodies

03

03

Run Kid Run This Is Who We Are

03

04

Jesus Wept Show’s Over

04

T Bone Burnett The True False Identity

04

03*

Mat Kearney Nothing Left To Lose

04*

04

Day Of Fire Cut And Move

03*

03*

Bernard

A View Beyond The Cave

04

House Of Heroes Say No More

03*

03

Fair

The Best Worst Case Scenerio

03

04

Mortification

[ESSENTIAL] AUSTIN POWELL

Erasing The Goblin

03*

02

[TOOTH & NAIL] JOHN J. THOMPSON

LEELAND SOUND OF MELODIES

RUN KID RUN THIS IS WHO WE ARE As another pop-punk four piece from the Midwest, Run Kid Run carries swift

5/22/2006 5:57:41 PM

ALBUM REVIEWS

T BONE BURNETT

DAY OF FIRE

THE TRUE FALSE IDENTITY

CUT AND MOVE

For a while, it seemed as if there would never be another T Bone Burnett solo album. The 14 years since Criminal Under My Own Hat have found him exerting quiet influence as a producer and go-to soundtrack supervisor. Now, after an unreleased project for Nonesuch Records, the tall Texan decidedly returns with The True False Identity, a real puzzler. On the positive, Burnett’s implementation of three drummers in his band makes for a sound recalling a collaboration between Tom Waits and Burnett’s ex-wife, Sam Phillips. A Phillipsian affinity for chamber pop and Waits-ishly twisted rhythmic and melodic experimentalism make for one of the more sonically imaginative major label albums of the year. And not without a surfeit of hooks. Burnett’s songwriting, however, mystifies more. Never agenda-laden in his Christian ruminations as Petra, something’s still been turning his art more oblique than usual. His suspicion over a Republican Party and evangelical church that look increasingly beholden to each other? That split from Phillips? That x factor, thankfully, hasn’t prevented him from (or has inspired him to) penning some playfully sardonic love songs amid the more handwringing sentiments. Listeners desirous of aural and moral challenge will appreciate Burnett’s Identity, even if the question of where his head’s at remains unresolved. (COLUMBIA/DMZ) JAMIE LEE RAKE

MAT KEARNEY NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE Years before Bullet, his first record on Inpop, was released, Mat Kearney described his sound to me as “Bob Dylan meets Tupac.” These days, he refers to his “spoken word thing,” rather than hip-hop, and seems to trade Tupac for Coldplay. That’s not to say that there’s no rhyming present on his second Inpop album, Nothing Left to Lose (which serves as his first major label release on Aware/Columbia). Nothing features six tracks from Bullet (“Undeniable,” “Girl America,” “In the Middle, “Bullet,” “Renaissance,” “Won’t Back Down”), four of which feature hip-hop verses, plus seven new tunes, although only two of the seven feature spoken word. If the singer-songwriter chooses to evolve sans hip-hop, he won’t lose this fan, but the fresh edge it brings to his pop-folk sound will certainly be missed. If it’s any consolation, “Undeniable,” a track that does feature spoken verses, was chosen as the first cut on the new record. In other circles, Kearney has already gotten some flack for sounding too much like Coldplay’s Chris Martin on the new album. Lead guitarist Paul Moak’s (Derek Webb, Plumb, Griffin House) contributions also add to Nothing’s Coldplay-reminiscent cuts. Kearney is no doubt a poetic lyricist. But, while good lines always leave a listener wanting more, Kearney’s lyrics may leave some scratching their heads, as many of the lines are just ambiguous enough to cap a ceiling on the connection he has with his audience. Still, in the face of high expectations, one of the best albums of the year. [INPOP] AMY E. HALL

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Building upon the tremendous success of their self-titled debut, Dove Award-winning and Grammy-nominated hard rock act Day of Fire come through again on the impressive Cut And Move. The title track best exemplifies the progression on the new songs as the vocals are clearer, the guitars are grittier, and the passion is more defined. A higher level of consistency is also present here on Cut and Move. While hits like “Cornerstone” from the last effort certainly showed the band’s promise, the overall album lacked the same infectious intensity from beginning to end. Songs like “Love” and “Run” from their latest expose a lyrical edge that cuts as precise as the riffs when frontman Josh Brown, who can eerily sound like former Fuel singer Brett Scallions, echoes sentiments of hopelessness and fear. Ultimately, Day of Fire avoids a sophomore slump by successfully blending style with substance. [ESSENTIAL] MATT CONNER

BERNARD A VIEW BEYOND THE CAVE This lil’ disc is full of that kind of stopwhat-you’re-doing beautiful music that doesn’t come around too often. This media savvy group from St. Augustine, Florida band has been wowing us and others for a while now, and signing to Floodgate should help this good art expand beyond their region. When Jonathan Grant Berlin sings, it brings clarity and alertness to the sleep their drug-like numbing music is lulling me into.

Fans of Mute Math, Coldplay, Muse, and White Album-era Beatles fans should lock into this bright and brilliant disc. [FLOODGATE] DOUG VAN PELT

79

Been throwing rocks all night,” and hope of an everlasting nature “Though I taste my tears, there is victory / Love has conquered fear / Truth will carry me.”

Aided by Oran Thornton’s production hand, Say No More pulls together with sonics appropriate for loud volume enjoyment, yet detailed enough to make a great meal for hungry headphones. Say no more, indeed. [MONO VS. STEREO] CHRIS CALLAWAY

FAIR THE BEST WORST-CASE SCENARIO Fair is a new band that is by no means comprised of unfamiliar names. Both Aaron Sprinkle (guitar, vocals) and Nick Barber (bass) were each members of the groundbreaking Poor Old Lu. Fair’s music may be surprising to some listeners, however, especially if your only exposure to Sprinkle can be traced back to old Poor Old Lu records, or if you’re a fan of his hard rock production work with contemporary acts like Kutless. That’s because orchestral pop is the fairest stylistic assessment of The Best Worst-Case Scenario. Sprinkle was the electric guitar architect for Poor Old Lu. His string work with Fair is more selective and strategic, however, unlike the expansive sonics he created for Poor Old Lu’s grunge-y power surges. One track, titled “Pause,” is distinctive for its insistent piano rhythms, rather than any of its axe work. “Get You Out Alive” throws both glockenspiel and pedal steel into the mix, which decisively separates it from anything Poor Old Lu ever laid down, while “Cut Down Sideways” rocks rhythmically, and nicely predictably, much like retro ’80s New Wave. As suggested by this CD’s title, the overall lyrical impression left by these songs is a feeling of cautious optimism. “No matter where you go,” Sprinkle sings at one point, “I’ll get you out alive.” In other words, even though it’s going to be a rough ride, we’ll get there in one piece.

[TOOTH & NAIL] DAN MACINTOSH

HOUSE OF HEROES SAY NO MORE My eyebrows raised a bit, kind of like an over-analytical Sherlock Holmes. I had discovered the name, “Rush,” printed in black ink in House of Heroes’ publicity materials for their new offering, Say No More. I wasn’t saying much as I promptly popped in the disc. I pressed the play button and to my delight did not hear anything directly mimicking the veteran Canadian power trio.

Instead I discovered a Columbus, Ohio-based trio playing a warm blast of guitar heavy rock, modern in its scope, with plenty of palatable crunch and enough clout to land an Ozzfest spot. Throughout the collection of 12 tunes, these midwestern guys unveil a musical novel full of changing time signatures, interesting interludes, and harmonized guitar and bass runs. Vocalist and guitarist Tim Skipper polishes the creative energy to a reflective sheen with earnest vocals meeting on the middle ground between scream king and pop icon, without surrendering to either kingdom. He successfully delves through familiar longing and heartbreak in lines such as “Brick by brick I built these walls / Sorry that I never called / So please come to your window /

MORTIFICATION ERASING THE GOBLIN A recipe for making the new Mortification album: Take the solos from 80’s metal, add them to riffs that are made of a mixture of punk, death metal, and thrash.

Whisk these together. In a separate bowl, fill with hardcore vocals. Take a dash of generic death metal growls and sprinkle on top. Take this and add it to the first bowl. Then let stand. Top the whole thing with punk-ish drumming with a dash of blastbeats.

Then, add cheese, in the lyrics, to taste. I wish that I could say that this album was generic death metal.

What it is though, is a Mortification rendering of all the various generic elements of multiple genres. It keeps a happy, pop-punk type of groove, without any real heaviness or brutality. This disc has its moments, but they are few and too far between to make this a good album. It is not the worst album I have listened to, but I feel that people should expect more from “pioneers” of the Christian Death Metal scene. [ROWE PRODUCTIONS] DANIEL JESSE

5/22/2006 5:57:52 PM

80 A L B U M R E V I E W S

STARFIELD

DALTON

BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN

TASTE THE SKY

Whether you are listening to their stellar modern rock riffs or being inspired by their heartfelt worship style, Starfield is clearly a band without a ceiling. Their sophomore release, Beauty in the Broken, is a major step forward from their self-titled debut and shows the glimpses of greatness that only certain bands achieve. The new sound is more mature, gritty, and versatile than before. The band can go from the in-your-face anthem of “My Generation” to the radio-friendly “Hand That Holds The World” without skipping a beat. The next thing you know, they have moved on to “Obsession,” which sounds like a highlight off of any major Brit-rock release of the last year. While this consistency is not found throughout, it is more than enough to make you realize that Starfield is here to stay. [SPARROW] MATT CONNER

Put four Texas boys in a band and you’re bound to end up with something big.

Despite their youth—none of the four members of the group is over 22—Dalton offer up a spit-polished debut album with Taste the Sky, a collection of power hooks that hitch pop vocals to a huge, swaggering sound. The defining characteristic of a group like Dalton is not their radio-friendly chorus hooks, their glossy, effects-laden production, or their introspective lyrics. In fact, all of these things are fairly predictable. What does make them work is the impression they leave their audience, which is both energetic and vibrantly positive. These golden boys don’t offer any real nuggets. Only the final cut, “Hold Me Now,” is a coup, turning them into a praise band for the album’s last minutes. It’s not truly original, but neither is it sterile or difficult – it’s big and spacious, just how pop music should be.

[SELECTRIC] JOEL CALAHAN

BOMBSHELL TO HELL WITH MOTIVES Motives can be pure. The motives of this band, Bombshell, is to create good music. They did just that. These guys bring a solid mix of Screamo, Metalcore, Pop Punk, and Post Hardcore. Chris Stephens’ vocals soar while being very much on key. The harmonies are tight and come in at just the right times. There are times when you’ll hear the double bass drum, synthesizer, breakdowns, and even a good acoustic ballad (“Falling in Love in the Queen City”). The majority of the songs cover strained relationships. This would be a good album to listen to just after breaking up with your girlfriend. Jesse Neal even thanks “all the girls that have broken his heart and given him reason to write these songs.” My friends hate it when I do this, but if Spoken, old Underoath, and Anberlin mixed together to form a band, it would sound like Bombshell. Sorry, friends. Buy this album. You’ll like it and you can thank me later.

[INDIANOLA] JAMIE BUCHANAN

EDISON GLASS A BURN OR A SHIVER When your name is forged from inventor Thomas Edison and composer Philip Glass, it’s easy to assume your band might be creative. In the case of Edison Glass and their debut album A Burn or a Shiver, the statement is absolutely true. Creating rock music from influences that range far and wide, the quintet from Long Island create an emo/rock sound but dip into influences such as The Police (“Forever”) or Sunny Day Real Estate (“Angelic Heart”). This makes sense since Brad Wood (SDRE, Smashing Pumpkins) produced the album. The use of two vocalists, Joshua Silverberg and Mountain Morin, also allows for unique harmonies that only accentuate the rhythmic changes, 80’s guitar, and Dashboard levels of emotion. All in all, Edison Glass easily lives up to their name. [CREDENTIAL] MATT CONNER

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PHIL KEAGGY JAMMED! A wise man discovered a precious pearl of great price in a field. He covered it up and quickly went about purchasing the land it was on. It cost him everything he had, but now he had the pearl of immense value. How we treat the very special pearls of great price among us (people and special gifts like Phil Keaggy) will probably not be a focus in our Great Judgment, but in a world of music, we’ll kick ourselves later when we find out what we could’ve been appreciating all this time.

Phil Keaggy is that good. This mostly instrumental album shows off his sweet talent, tone, and feeling quite well. [TAG] DOUG VAN PELT

THE KNIGHTS OF THE NEW CRUSADE A CHALLENGE TO THE COWARDS OF CHRISTENDOM Readers of this magazine’s messageboards may want to set aside any apprehension about The Knights Of The New Crusade. However outlandish the medieval battle rainment they sport and the political questionability of their name, these hombres rock hard and unashamedly for their Lord. And lest you count a handful of U.S. and U.K. bands to antecede the late ‘60s flowering of Jesus hippies, godly rock’n’roll has not seen the Knights’ manner of primitivist garage rock...ever?

They match the raw greasiness (some would say amateurishness) of the leanest ’n’ meanest of the acts collected on the Pebbles box sets and use that bravado for an upfront message that’s sure to chafe some of their kin in Christ. Wait, it already has! And if their stances on some issues force a theological quibble or three, you can’t say the Knights aren’t expressing their opinion with no room for gray. And if an avowedly ministry band who can cram 13 tracks in under 27 minutes with

production values that make The Mummies sound like Boston are able to pique Jello Biafra’s interest enough to sign them and repair the broken cross in his label’s logo mascot’s grasp, might the Knights be doing something right after all? Believe it.

[ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES] JAMIE LEE RAKE

SPEAKERS FOR THE DEAD PRAY FOR MURDER Allegedly consisting of “high-profile players” in the northern California metal scene, Fresno’s Speakers For The Dead collaborates straining roars, redundant melodies, and trite guitar riffs that either should have retired by now or never left the practice space in the first place. Most of the songs on their latest album, Prey For Murder, maintain an outdated sludging tempo which never quite captures or entices the listener‘s attention. Bi-polar vocalist Curtis Shamlin alternates between screams and croons, while never truly emoting any passion with either. Guitarist Jason Garcia attempts to add some dynamics to the rudimentary metal equation with inappropriate and elongate solos. And the rhythm section of bassist Rob Slocum and drummer Gary

Ratings DV

Writer

Starfield

Beauty In The Broken

03

04

Bombshell

To Hell With Motives

03

03

Edison Glass A Burn Or A Shiver

03

03*

Dalton

Taste The Sky

03

02*

Phil Keaggy

03

Jammed!

Knights of the new Crusade 01 A Challenge to the Cowards of Christendom

04

Speakers For The Dead Pray For Murder

03

01

Norma Jean

O’ God, The Aftermath

04

Sinai Beach

When Breath Escapes

03*

03*

The Unfolding Heroes

03

03

The Hope Of Change Hourglass

03*

04

Roads To Rome Love Rain Down

03

Zombie Gutz

Who’s Come’n With Me?

03

Hyper Static Union Lifegiver

02*

01*

Burden Of A Day Pilots And Paper Planes

03

03

The Divine Romance

03

03

You’re Already Dead

5/22/2006 5:58:02 PM

ALBUM REVIEWS

NORMA JEAN

Shipman continue to alternate between choruses and verses like they can’t tell the difference or simply don’t care. Perhaps they even tried to reflect some dual connotative or oxymoron meaning with their album title, but you really shouldn’t waste any time thinking about it. [MAGNA CARTA] DAN FRAZIER

81

Cola at the beginning of this album, otherwise I might’ve missed this skull pounding album. Very heavy metal hardcore here, with silly song titles (“Moonpies and Brownie Chocolate”), but serious God-centered lyrics. Breakdowns galore, and cool guitar tones. [WOUNDED] DOUG VAN PELT

O’ GOD, THE AFTERMATH Force me to choose between picking up a rereleased album from a favorite band or not is like making a parent choose a favorite child. The extra bonus footage must outweigh the “I’ve got this album already” pragmatic side. The bonus DVD is worth it all, as it not only includes the videos from this album, but “making of” featurettes and all kinds of silly tour goofing off highlights (and a number of “Easter eggs”) that endear one even more towards the band. Not to mention that the bonus song, “Shaunluu,” is brutal, slightly Southern Rock, and amazing.

[SOLID STATE] DOUG VAN PELT

SINAI BEACH WHEN BREATH ESCAPES I have a friend who gets mad anytime she hears a metalcore band breakdown and start singing. She thinks they sound weak. Normally, we disagree over the vocals, but on When Breath Escapes, I couldn’t agree more. WBE is a Victory Records re-issue of Sinai Beach’s Facedown Records debut. 90% of the time it’s brutal, hard hitting and worthy of the hype. Sinai Beach combines a healthy mixture of classic, metal and hardcore influences with plenty of double bass and breakdowns. I’m sure this record will warrant multiple plays for plenty of kids; but for me, I couldn’t get over the clean vocals. I’m gonna give this CD to my friend and listen to her scream.

(VICTORY) NATE ALLEN

AFTER THE FIRE LIVE AT GREENBELT (DVD) This DVD captures After The Fire at Greenbelt Arts Festival twenty-five years after the band’s last show there in 1979. It features original members Peter Banks (keyboards) and John Russell (guitar), who are joined by Matthew Russell, John’s son (drums), Ian Niblo (bass/keyboards) and Kevin Smith (vocals). It was originally a fan’s private video, so it’s far from a professional production. The screen gets split as many as six ways at one point, and the camera zooms in and out now and again, but it by no means creates a ‘you are there’ impression. Nevertheless, the group’s fine songs still stand up well. In addition to the breakthrough hit, “Der Kommissar,” you’ll also see and hear the contemplative, “Dancing In The Shadows,” and the music business study, “Billy Billy.” Many years after it first burned, After The Fire can still heat it up.

[ANGEL AIR] DAN MACINTOSH

THE UNFOLDING HEROES There was a time where aspiring painters would study one on one with an established master, copying their teacher’s works to develop an eye for the elements that make a good work of art. Heroes feels like such an effort at times. The members of The Unfolding have certainly done the homework, and taken some good notes (pardon the pun). All crucial elements for good hardcore/metal are here. The thumping, sledgehammer breakdowns, machine gun double bass, hard and heavy onslaughts that momentarily give way to semi-melody. Abrasive screams go a bit gutterall at times, and there’s some overlap of singing with screams. All the ingredients are there, all executed with a level of talent to boot. What’s missing is a distinctive voice, a stamp on this stuff that says “The Unfolding.” That should come with time, though. For now, anyone who longs to relive Dallas Taylor-era Underoath should give this band a chance. An ordinary start, but a Mona Lisa of an album isn’t totally out of reach in the future.

[FUTURE DESTINATION] TIM HALLILA

THE HOPE OF CHANGE HOURGLASS On their full-length debut, Hourglass, The Hope Of Change blasts out enough breakneck metalcore to register as a minor league As I Lay Dying. And by interrupting vocalist Mike Steinberger’s rough growls with sporadic stated words or sung choruses, this Arizona five-piece adds a complimenting layer that some of their kindred too often neglect. The perpetually shredding guitars may undermine the album’s dynamics, but it’s so good no one should even care.

[HARVEST EARTH] DAN FRAZIER

ROADS TO ROME LOVE RAIN DOWN Super clean power pop modern rock that’s recorded flawlessly, with crisp sounds and fairly solid songs. Nice vocals from Michael Musick, who produced the album. Light on the aggression scale, but very adept at song crafting. And anyone that can wrap their sultry vocals around words like Musick does on the title track gets my attention. [UNION STREET] DOUG VAN PELT

ZOMBIE GUTZ WHO’S COME’N WITH ME? I sure am glad someone met the producer/engineer’s demand for a Coca-

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HYPER STATIC UNION LIFEGIVER New pop/rock band Hyper Static Union have a good industry buzz going for them, especially since they were discovered by the ever-popular Third Day. Unfortunately, that’s just about all the band has going for them. The lyrics on Lifegiver are both trite and cliché, as the band never seems to have to reach for much, since their audience will listen simply because they are singing about Jesus. For example, the title track features vocalist Shawn Lewis singing a chorus of “You are the life / You are the lifegiver.” And this comes after equally complex verses. The lack of depth continues on other tracks, such as lead single “Praying for Sunny Days,” which sounds just like the title would lead you to believe. Musically, there is much of the same. While the adage may say there is nothing new under the sun, it would be nice if HSU could at least make an attempt. [RKT MUSIC] MATT CONNER

BURDEN OF A DAY PILOTS AND PAPER PLANES Luckily, five Beloved and Thursday fans from the snowbird ridden town of Sarasota, Florida decided to form a melodic metalcore band named Burden Of A Day. We can only guess how their elongating breakdowns and shredding guitar lines settle with the locals’ hearing aids.

However those who currently do not receive Social Security checks should receive chills when vocalist Kendall Knepp appropriately alternates falsettos and screams along with his bandmates’ constantly changing tempo. [BLOOD & INK] DAN FRAZIER

THE DIVINE ROMANCE YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD You’re Already Dead, The Divine Romance’s first full-length release following their EP, The Wayward Journey, is a mild exercise in endurance. The record kicks off well, the metal reminiscent of Haste the Day, and pulls you in. However, when each track ended, there was a lingering hope that the next song would be better, that it would take the record to the next level of classic instead of wading in the realms of something heard before. Unfortunately, it never gets there. The metal is there – the Sacramentobased quartet pulls some good stuff on “When Sorrow Reigns” – but by the end of the record, it feels like you’ve heard a couple of the same songs throughout your tour of the record. It’s worthy of a listen, but the retainer value needs some work.

[HARVEST EARTH] DAVID STAGG

5/22/2006 5:58:12 PM

82 A L B U M R E V I E W S

RED END OF SILENCE Red is a little bit like Evanescence, albeit with Amy Lee’s Tori Amos vocal yearning replaced by Mike Barnes’ emotive singing and screaming. End Of Silence is packed with crunchy riff rock guitar, colored by strings (or synth strings) that saturate many tracks with a Middle Eastern vibe. Red’s Reddest Redness is exemplified by “Breathe Into Me,” which is a little bit like riding through Iraq in a Hummer with Korn blasting from the speakers. Red may not be doing anything strikingly new, but this release’s musical elements form a relatively untried and rarely heard combination.

Some of these auditory mixtures make for unlikely bedfellows, such as the classical sounding piano of “Intro,” which serves as this CD’s opener. Piano is also the introductory instrumentation for “Already Over.”

These formal touches contrast nicely with the otherwise raw power of this disc’s hard rock. Red songs can be interpreted as personal reflections on the Christian life. But they’re not so specific that non-believers will be put off by them. “Breathe Into Me” is worshipful, it’s true, but it can also be taken as wholly secular -rather than holy and sacred -- CPR as well. Even so, the group is not vague about its artistic intentions. After all, its name refers to the blood of Christ. In the lexicon of the Christian faith, red is a powerful color, and the band Red lives up to this significant tonal legacy with equally powerful music. [ESSENTIAL] DAN MACINTOSH

THE LASSIE FOUNDATION THROUGH AND THROUGH In 1996, Wayne Everett and Eric Campuzano stepped out of the shadow of the great Prayer Chain and launched their new project, the Lassie Foundation.

What followed was 10 years of sunny, singable pop, all Brian Wilson melodies and glorious guitars. This new 2-CD set celebrates the early days with a much-needed re-release of the California EP and the Pacifico album, and augments them with a disc of rarities, live cuts and three new songs. It’s all worth it. The modern incarnation of the band, captured on the new songs and the live tracks, is just as delightful as the first, and this disc affirms that Lassie is an unjustly ignored pop band, and a great one. [NORTHERN] ANDRE SALLES

SACRED SORROW DELIVER US FROM EVIL Evil? You wanna know about evil? Well, if you want to be delivered from it, you should know what it is first. Evil is how Douglas Gene Van Pelt and this shameless magazine will peddle so-called “Pit Moves” in the pages of this once holy magazine. Taking those self-expressive moves from the hardcore dancing that I personally like to partake of (until I threw my hip out at Facedown Fest) and associating it with the pit of Hell is just downright evil. If this editor won’t repent of this wicked labelling, I will knock his teeth out with a granny-fied roundhouse upside the head. Now, about this Sacred Sorrow outfit, I must applaud their efforts at standard hardcore breakdowns and the upbeat energy of a great musical style, but I must also be honest about

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the sucking-on-persimmons looks I get on my face when listening to some of the straining vocals. Nice try, but bring it on with some real passion next time, boys! [WOUNDED] MELBA JACKSON

QUIET COMPANY SHINE HONESTY Northern Records’ latest discovery is Taylor Muse, who calls himself Quiet Company. His debut album is a self-made affair – he wrote it, produced it, and played almost all the instruments himself. Given that, the record is surprisingly hi-fi.

This is dramatic pop music of the highest order, mostly piano-led with some stunning synth orchestrations supporting some killer tunes, particularly “Fashionabel” and the beautiful “Love is a Shotgun.” Think Grandaddy, or a budget Sufjan Stevens. Quiet Company is another gem from Northern, the little label that could, and almost always does. [NORTHERN] ANDRE SALLES

AMMI IMITATION Though more than a decade too late, on Imitation Ammi rekindles the sardonic scene of the mid 90s when Beck was still a “Loser” and Nada Surf was more “Popular” than ever.

With off-the-cuff lyricism and rambling that’s similar to mewithoutYou, Philip Vickers tells “The Story of Jason Jackson” in 45 seconds and rants about “The Circus” of modern day living through the eyes of a pushover by the name of Jimmy. The band’s distorted guitars, loud drum sing-along set takes an odd twist towards the end when the sarcasm suddenly shifts to sincerity on “For What It’s Worth” and “The Ascent of the Prodigal,” the latter even utilizes a rich sonic landscape created by producer and engineer Gordon Persha. Other memorable moments, largely found on “Mechanique” and “The Somnambulist,” can be credited to Matt Holman’s trumpet work, though it would interesting to hear the band live without it. While not quite indie enough to contend with college rock or mainstream enough to land on a Clear Channel play list, Imitation offers a unique listen for adventurous fans that prefer things somewhere in the middle. [COMMON CLOUD] AUSTIN POWELL

HOMELESS J THREE SECONDS TO GAZE Homeless J is a quintet from the Midwest that has somehow chosen one of the worst band names in recent history, right behind Hoobastank. Thankfully, their sound is considerably better than you might think from their name – this is textured, mid-tempo drama-rock, with elements of Jane’s Addiction and later-period Undercover bubbling towards the surface. Their debut album sounds great, and every track is produced as if it were an anthem, but the songs are not quite strong enough yet to justify it. They’re reaching for the greatness of bands like U2 here, but songs like “B-Fly” come off more like Our Lady Peace – I hear Raine Maida (and a little Sim Wilson) in lead singer Chad Van Meter’s voice. Over time, the overpowering dynamics of the whole thing gets wearying, especially without an abundance of hooks to hang them on, and the album starts to sound like one long song, one that loses its punch around the 20-minute mark. Homeless J. has something here, but they need to hone it and vary it if they want to sustain interest for a whole album.

[SELECTRIC] ANDRE SALLES

Ratings DV

Writer

Red

End Of Silence

03*

03

The Lassie Foundation Through And Through

03

04

Sacred Sorrow Deliver Us From Evil

01*

02

Quiet Company Shine Honesty

04

04

Ammi Imitation

03

03

Sufjan Stevens The Avalanche

03

Homeless J

04

Three Seconds To Gaze

02

SUJFAN STEVENS THE AVALANCHE How can a collection of outtakes and extras sound like anything but a jumbled mess of throw-away music? If you’re brilliant songwriter and soothing singer Sufjan Stevens, you can wander all over the map and still sound cohesive and command interest throughout 21 tracks and over 75 minutes. No small feat, but Sufjan does just that; not surprassing the Illinois album this pillaged from, but coming close and staying familiar all at the same time. The knowledgable fan gets the real treatment, like the three-way reworking of “Chicago,” the most fun of which is the dirge-like “Multiple Personality Disorder” version.

[ASTHMATIC KITTY] DOUG VAN PELT

5/22/2006 5:58:24 PM

120_pgad83.indd 1

5/22/2006 5:59:15 PM

Entertainment reviews DVDS, BOOKS & GEAR 02 FIGHT ON: 2005 USC TROJANS

SHOUT!

This season-spanning retrospective, narrated by Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is so awe-inspiring that I began to get worried again about their Rose Bowl match-up with Texas. Fast and smartly edited, it really showcases their great on-field accomplishments well. Extras are plenty, but wanting.

03 DUMA 01 THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE DISNEY DVD Grabbing the DVD of this movie is like a satisfying act of closure for the many who have enjoyed these wonderful fantasy stories from C.S. Lewis. The “Filmmaker’s Commentary” offers more of the typical cast & crew insight into the film; as well as some fascinating tidbits about the original series of books, passed over politely enough as not to bore those familiar with these details, but opening up Lewis’ world for those unfamiliar. The commentary tracks with the characters is pretty delightful, with a rare glimpse of movie making from the viewpoint of child actors. “Discover Narnia Fun Facts,” introduced by co-producer (and stepson of C.S. Lewis) Douglas Gresham, is a fun pop-up video style bits of trivia. Quite a fun way to watch the film after a time away from it (as opposed to both commentaries and this in one 12-hour sitting!).

The “Creatures, Lands & Legends” section (and specifically the “Explore Narnia” chapter) is very elementary with lots of animation and, while not captivating, is very helpful in broadening the overall scope of the magical land. The “Creating Narnia” section features much of the typical Entertainment Tonight style glimpses into the film with heartwarming interviews with cast and crew. Overall, it’s a very full and entertaining package, made for the child in us, that’s on par with the Lord of the Rings DVDs. It’s hard to imagine them topping this one... DV

SPIRITUAL RELEVANCY % OBSCENITIES

WARNER BROS.

Animal stories have an easy access to the heart strings, especially when the animal is a Cheetah cub raised by a little boy. The gorgeous African scenery and animal play make up for any lack of suspense in the plot, leaving one with 90-minutes of dandy and fun family viewing.

04 LEGALIZE MURDER

DC FILMS

With a hilarious nonchalance and subtlety, this long-overdue mockumentary takes a stab at the sometimes laugh-able and out-eviling-the-next-band antics of the world of black metal. The narration and timid acting of the director character almost make this an indie Spinal Tap. [designconfederacy.co.uk]

05 FLIGHT 93

FOX VIDEO

This movie crystalized an emotional set of events with a realistic intensity that was achieved by not entirely demonizing the hijacking culprits, nor overplaying the heroic efforts of the passengers. Re-telling this story is important, and this movie did it gingerly and directly, but with restraint.

06 WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE

PARAMOUNT

Re-packaging and re-releasing this flick, which has gone down in history as a Johnny Depp cult classic - was a good idea. Seeing it a decade later, however, offers the perspective of how amazing a young Leonardo DICaprio was in the role of Gilbert’s autistic little brother. Extras are slim, save for a commentary.

07 NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

FOX VIDEO

They loaded this up with an extra disc of extras to make it, Like, The Best Special Edition, Ever! Audition clips and documentaries highlight the Jon Heder phenomenon. Seeing him out of character, though, kind of spoils the totally apathetic image...so, watch disc 2 once and then destroy it.

08 THE RINGER

FOX VIDEO

How can a jackass like Johnny Knoxville star in a movie about acting mentally handicapped to rig the Special Olympics, and not be offensive? By giving his character a conscience and by letting the Special Olympians be real. Amazing, cheesy, but truly heartwarming. The featurettes say it all ... quite powerfully.

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03

04

05

06

07

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100

10 6

20

50 42

60 5

50 5

20

80 3

SCENES OF GORE NUDITY / SEXUALITY

120_play.indd 1

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5/22/2006 6:06:23 PM

EN T E R TA I N M EN T

The Soul Hunter: Day of Evil Series Book 2

One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to those Seeking God

Melanie Wells – Mutlnomah Press

Christian Scharen – Brazos/Baker

A practicing psychologist with theological training, Melanie Wells plies her background to solid narrative ability in the second of a trilogy of supernatural suspense nailbiters. The Soul Hunter continues the eerie adventures of resourceful psychologist/professor Dr. Dylan Foster. As she’s improbably implicated in a young stripper’s axe murder, she encounters a myriad of colorful characters in multi-culti Dallas, discovering the reserves of her own faith. Along the way she encounters demonic forces, sexual deviance and the after-effects of an authoritarian Jesus commune. Written in first person, Wells’ keen eye for detail (especially in culinary and sartorial matters) and her fleshing out of characters’ inner lives makes this an engrossing, nuanced read. With Hunter’s combination of spiritual warfare, sleuthing and Texas-centricity, Wells delivers a page-turner like a cross between Frank Peretti, Agatha Christie and Kinky Friedman.

Adeptly stringing her readers along, she leaves just enough of the plotline untied to make way for the third volume. Jamie Lee Rake

69

That a Yale professor and pastor in a liberal Lutheran denomination has written a book about the spiritual significance of Ireland’s biggest rock music export should already signal something about its theological direction. And yes, Christian Scharen’s One Step Closer betrays some of those influences. Thankfully, they’re not so distracting nor prominent to repel any open-minded reader wanting to read a thoughtful, scripturally informed analysis of the work of Bono, The Edge, et al vis-a-vis the Christianity they espouse to the world at large. Scharen contrasts different categories of biblical literature with the ways in which examples of U2’s songcraft fits into the ways God speaks through each type of writing. Scharen’s use of Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible paraphrase (a favorite of the band, too) can occasionally obfuscate the author’s more salient points, but overall, he makes a valuable addition to the paucity of study that places theology in context of popular culture. Scharen is, of course, examining a band who exemplifies the intersection of those two worlds as good as anyone. Jamie Lee Rake

CD Frame & Ticket Archive That’s My Ticket

The Piano Wizard Allegro Rainbow While it doesn’t make learning piano easy, it does make learning notes and getting a feel for the keyboard fun. From reading color coded icons (with the option of matching them to enclosed colored key stickers) to actual notes, it advances the player at his/her pace.

There’s tons of popular and classical songs to learn, as well. Easy to set up and run, with a fairly intuitive environment, though the manual is necessary. $149.95 [allegrorainbow.com] DV

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The music fan in all of us will appreciate the quality display that’s ready made to fit your favorite CD (disc and jacket/ cover) behind glass and on your wall. Like a miniature Gold Record plaque found in a record label lobby, this is a high class way to add importance to those cherished albums. With two screws holding each of the four brushed aluminum frame corners together, and a foam spindle to snap the disc onto, it’s easy to switch out and mount the frame.

Very sweet. $29.95 A unique cousin product is the Ticket Archive, with scrapbooklike plastic sleeves to fit 96 ticket stubs into. While the cover of the well-bound book is kinda cheesy, it’s also sleeved, so you can slip in your own photo. $12.95 [thatsmyticket.com] DV

5/22/2006 6:06:34 PM

86 C O LU M N S

WITH KEMPER CRABB Spoiling Egypt: Taking and Remaking Culture – Part the Third In the last two issues, we’ve considered some of the implications for Christian artists of the Spoiling (or “Plundering”) of Egypt by the Israelites (Ex. 11:1 – 12:36), seeing that, just as the treasures God caused the Egyptians to give the Hebrews were intended to beautify God’s People and to be utilized for His Purposes in Israel’s hands, so are the cultural artifacts of our own culture (i.e., musical styles, fashion, architecture, movies, etc.) to be appropriated by the Church to be remolded into vehicles for the revelation of the Grace and Knowledge of God in the fullest way possible (the true purpose for which those artifacts were created).

We saw also that, when Moses went up Sinai to meet with God and receive the Law (Ex.24:9 - 31:18), the Israelites used the artifacts spoiled from Egypt to make an idol of a Golden calf, for which sin 3,000 Israelites died, and, from this, we realized that we are not to use a pagan culture’s artifacts to embody wickedness, but to advance Christ’s Kingdom. We are to spoil the world-system, not to be spoiled by it.

The history of the Spoils of Egypt (the jewelry, clothes, and gold and silver artifacts given by the Egyptians to Israel just before the Exodus) does not end, however, with the Golden Calf. When Moses had gone up the mountain to meet with God, the Lord gave him massively detailed and intricate instructions concerning the construction of the Tabernacle and its accoutrements (Ex. 25: 8 – 34: 28), which included the gold, silver, and bronze vessels for the service of worship in the Tabernacle, the acacia-wood, gold-overlaid Ark of the Covenant and Incense Altar, the jewelincrusted Breastplate of Aaron, the bronze-overlaid Altar of Burnt Offering, and the Priestly garments of the priests and Tabernacle curtains, all of which were to be made from the costly offerings given open-heartedly by the Israelites (Ex. 25:1-9).

Exodus 35:4 – 36:7 tells us that not only did the Israelites bring all of these costly items as offerings to be the raw materials for the building of the Tabernacle, but they brought so many of these items that Moses had to issue a commandment that the people stop bringing them (Ex. 4-7). Where did these former slaves (Ex. 1:7-14) obtain all these expensive items? They were, of course, the jewelry, gold and silver artifacts, clothing, etc., which were the Spoils of Egypt, given at God’s Urging by the Egyptian idolaters to God’s People.

These artifacts of a pagan culture were broken

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down and remade into a Dwelling for God (25:8). This was the true destiny of the Spoils of Egypt. Though the pagans had perverted the gold, silver, jewels, and costly clothing into idolatrous use, these things were actually created to house the Glory of God, the purpose for which all created things, including cultural forms and artifacts, were made. From this we see again that we are to liberate the art-forms and cultural expressions of our day into their true purpose: to reveal and bear the Glory of God. It should be noted, though, that God, the Ultimate Artisan, commanded that the Sanctuary be made strictly “according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it: (Ex. 25:9), which exacting pattern He commences to describe in the following seven chapters of Exodus. This should teach us that the remaking of our culture should conform to the standards and revealed expectations of Scripture, which, after all, is given so “that the man of God” (even the artist) “may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work,” including the making of art (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It is from God’s Word that we draw the Pattern by which we are to sub-create. “Glory and Beauty” (Ex. 28:40) are what God’s Patterns bring forth.

It only remains to be seen that, though God’s Patterns are to dominate the work of artistic and cultural renewal, He has given gifts of wisdom and knowledge in artistry to those called to this vocation, just as He did with Bezalel and Aholiab and their fellow craftsmen (Ex. 31:1-6; 35:30 – 36:2). He sovereignly gifts artists to add their God-derived talents to the task of cultural renewal, just as the actual representation of the Cherubim on the Mercy-Seat were not precisely described (save for their posture, Ex. 25:17-22) to allow the expression of the artisans involved. Were the golden Cherubim stylized? Realistic? Life-sized? Miniature?

Roughly-hewn? Meticulously detailed? We don’t know, because those details were left up to the artisans involved, who exercised their individual wisdom and giftedness to realize God’s Expressed Pattern.

This teaches us that God’s Plan for taking and remaking culture involves our individual exercise of artistry, which is simultaneously a great joy and a great burden for the Christian artist. He that has ears, let him hear.

[Kemper will be speaking at Cornerstone Festival in the Phantom Tollbooth tent on July 7-8... kempercrabb.net]

5/22/2006 6:08:17 PM

C O LU M N S 87

The way I see it Chris Wighaman

Devotions with Greg Tucker

“Why don’t you ever write?”

Have you ever had a deep dark secret?

One that absolutely not one person knew?

One you were going to take to your grave?

It seems that for some reason people feel the need to confess it somewhere and in someway. Have you seen postsecret.com [as well as it’s accompanying book]? There is no shortage of people looking to get something off their chest with things like: “I like to fart in elevators and then make the ‘Who done it?’ face,” or “I was in my genetics class and a booger fell out of my nose onto my desk. I didn’t know what to do so I flicked it at the girl in front of me and it stuck in her hair....” or even “I tell my boyfriend I don’t like French kissing. But I really do, his breath just smells gross.”

I do wonder if the whole Post Secret idea really works, though. There seems to be something in us that desires for someone to know the truth and who we really are. Does real healing come from someone anonymously, facelessly, impersonally confessing something to everyone and no one at the same time? Richard Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline said, ``In acts of mutual confession we release power that heals ... humanity is no longer denied, but transformed. The followers of Jesus Christ are given the authority to receive the confession of sin and to forgive it in His name.’’ It is in our confession to another believer that healing can take place. James 5:16 says: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.

The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” Healing comes not only in confessing your sins to someone, but also when they pray for you. Do you HAVE to confess to another person to be forgiven for your sins? No, God is the one you need to confess to. But in confessing to a trusted friend or pastor real healing can take place. There are three important elements to any true confession: an examination of self [asking God to show you the sin in your life, and taking a cold hard look at it], sorrow [as well as the Joy that comes from being forgiven], and repentance [a true desire to avoid sin in the future]. These are important to keep in mind because confession can easily turn into a bragging session of, “Oh yeah, well you’re not going to believe what I did!”

The discipline of confession is a necessary one that Christians need to practice, in doing so correctly the body of Christ can become healthier, happier, and stronger.

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Advice columnists like Ann Landers and Dear Abby say the letter that crosses their desk most often comes from a weary grandparent, frustrated after sending Little Tommy twenty bucks for his birthday. Seems the boy forgot to say thanks.

When my issue of HM arrives, one of the first sections I read is Letters to the Editor. They usually go the “thanks for a great magazine” route, but even when someone disagrees with an editorial stance or bags on the cover photo, publishers loves the feedback. Good, bad, or indifferent, at least people cared enough to write.

For most of us, neglecting to say thanks isn’t an appreciation problem – it’s a memory problem. You’re as grateful as the next guy when granny sends a check, it’s just that you allow the feeling to pass before picking up the phone. Sadly, the one who deserves the thanks has no idea you were even stirred.

There’s one perk of expressing gratitude that Little Tommy probably isn’t aware of: People tend to give a second time to someone who said thanks in a meaningful way for the first time. It makes the giver feel good for doing good, and evidently most folks want that feeling again and again. And again. For a musician struggling to buy the latest stage gear, learning this lesson can payoff in a big way.

In the Bible we hear about men and women who told God thanks.

You remember God, don’t you, the one who owns everything?

Some of them showed their gratefulness through prayer; others wrote letters. King David put his words to music. (Lots of times – they’re called Psalms.)

In the next 30 minutes you’ll probably finish your copy of HM, and I challenge you to write a letter to the editor while your thoughts are still fresh. On a larger scale, why don’t you stop right now and tell God thanks for all he’s done. I’m sure the Big Guy would love to hear from you, and you may be surprised at what happens next.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 106:1

5/22/2006 6:08:29 PM

88 I N D I E R E V I E W S

PICK OF THE LITTER The Golden Sounds Lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, melodica, noisemaker, and chief songwriter, Todd Evans (from MCA Records band Atticus Fault) has a keen sense of awareness and where his song seems to be at any given moment. “Intentional” would be a good way to describe each and every note, and every rest, as The Golden Sounds are very creative, fun, and just plain cool. Coming from the atmospheric-ness of Atticus Fault, one would maybe expect this new band to carry much of that vibe with him. Not so, even from The Golden Sounds’ earliest demos. This band sounds nothing like Atticus Fault. Think of all the cool yet obscure indie bands on the East Coast and in Great Britain and simmer it all together in one big wok. “Thinking man’s fuzz” might be a way to describe these infectious pop tunes. Wings or Horns: The Astronaut Prophecies will sound experimental to anyone not familiar with The Tripwire, but it’s quite accessible. Check out their movies at their website for a real treat. (Doug Van Pelt) thegoldensounds.com

Sotahuuto

Bayta Darell

With drums going to war and guitars bringing the ammo, this album kills with the metal. This is some gloriously heavy metal with hardcore attitude. With lyrics sung in Finnish (?), it brings up those jokes about “not being able to tell what they’re screaming about anyway.” Ha ha. This is absolutely killer, brutal metal performed with perfect intensity and technical proficiency. I’m a fan after one listen.

This self-titled album on Metal Union Records is truly amazing. (DV) sotahuuto.com

Probably Austin’s best unsigned Christian band at the moment.

Beautiful, dreamy, poetic. (DV) baytadarell.com

Eowyn It’s always rewarding in a parental sort of way when you see an indie artist grow and stretch. While trapped in an “Evanescence clone” vibe of sorts, it sounds like Eowyn has learned to trust her voice more, going where it takes her. The band doesn’t always follow or lead her down the best paths, but more often than not, they make it happen. When they do, it works. (DV) eowynmusic.com

Death Is Not Welcome Here A breath of fresh screaming air! While the guitars chop and chime along to the sing/scream vocal delivery, the songs are incredibly catchy, maintaining a perfect balance with beauty and harshness.

They’ve got it going on. (DV) deathisnotwelcomehere.com

A Midday Atlantic Strong melodies and a voice you want to follow. Their 3-song EP is super polished, yet the energy is not pushed out of the mix. The instrumentation here is rich, with keyboards and violin adding much to the guitar, bass, and drums. (DV) amiddayatlantic.com

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Seth Kauffman This one man band is both laid-back and bold. Leaning hard on sassy, funky rhythms and simple blues scales, he rambles and stomps around on his songs with great confidence and flair. (DV) sethkauffman.com

Chett This band sounds out of control, like they could be dangerous in a old school melodic way. Ya gotta love this combination of melody, sonic clarity, and raw energy. (DV) chettmusic.com

Sleepy River Oh my gosh! What a great, beautiful voice! Wonderful, quiet songs on the acoustic guitar. Oh, so tender vocals bring the warm stories home that captivate the listener. Outstanding songs. (DV) sleepyriveronline.com

Soular Good vocals with songs that capitalize on that strength, along with tasty instrumentation. Smart, polished rock.. (DV) soular.us

Michael John Stanley This nephew of The Altar Boys’ Mike Stand steps out on his own with a unique sound and solid rock on The Crimson Element. (DV) michaeljohnstanley.com

5/22/2006 6:12:57 PM

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5/22/2006 6:13:55 PM

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5/22/2006 6:17:31 PM

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5/22/2006 2:42:46 PM

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5/22/2006 2:45:34 PM

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5/22/2006 2:47:38 PM

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5/22/2006 12:32:28 PM

Your are never really alone...

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” eric timm | www.nooneunderground.com

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5/22/2006 7:16:56 AM