The Meltdown 2.53

New music from House of Heroes, Propaganda, Household, Jars of Clay, and Anberlin.

No New Kind Of Story Pre-Orders are Live!

The Tooth and Nail Documentary and Picture Book, No New Kind of Story finally has a release date! The official release date is October 1st but all digital downloads of the films that come with pre-orders will be available September 23rd! There are some great bundles with special 20th Anniversary t-shirts, sweatshirts, and more. Go pick this up! http://toothandnail.merchline.com

Review Wrap Up Part 2

Sometimes you're completely underwhelmed by an album you thought you'd love. That's how I feel bout 68's debut In Humor and Sadness. After great album after album with the Chariot, Josh Scogin's chaotic classics rock outfit's debut just doesn't click for me. There are some killer heavy moments, and some great unexpected melodies, but overall, it's not a record that I instantly found myself draw to, and that feeling didn't change over time. 3 out of 5 Stars.

It's no secret that I was severely underwhelmed with War of Age's last offering, Return to Life. After Eternal, Return to Life felt flat.Supreme Chaos is a great record! I feel there's a shift for War of Ages. While the band has always had metal roots, I feel like Supreme Chaos is the first real metal record the band has released. While it sounds like War of Ages, the record has a completely different vibe. A strong outing. It doesn't have the catchy hooks that the band's previous records have had, but still a great record! 4 out of 5 Stars.

I shouldn't be surprised that a record Facedown Records releases is good, but I continually am. Mouth of the South is a band I expected not to like. But Struggle Well is excellent! MOTS walks that line between death core, metal core, and core, all the while managing to stay on the "core" side of music. Super heavy without feeling like this overly processed package. Just another great Facedown Records release. 4 out of 5 Stars.

Sometimes you just know a record is going to be special. And so it was with Comrade's officially Blood and Ink Records debut, Safekeeper. While the label released a collection of the band's earlier material, I knew that when Comrades finally released new material it would be something worth listening to, and Safekeepers is a post rock gem! I don't think anyone will accuse Comrades of being a Russian Circles rip off any time soon. The band still post rock through and through, but the addition of Laura's singing vocals or the screaming gives the music an extra epic quality. Great guitar riffs! Just a really strong album! 5 out of 5 Stars!

Foreknown is a different kind of artist for Humble Beast, which is good. Diversity is never a bad thing. It's hip-hop with a comedic twist. Not from start to bottom. Songs like Cathartes Aura, The Truth About Flight, Love, and BB Guns, and The Phoenix all hit hard and drop the comedy that Foreknown does well. It's an interesting mix and the beats are simple, complimenting each track just enough... Very early 90's. 4 out of 5 Stars.

I've heard songs from Lakes before, but Fire Ahead is the first record I've listened to start to finish. Fire Ahead is a beautiful indie record. Simple pop songs with beautiful melodies. Not overly complex arrangements but differing instrumentation from track to track keeps things interesting. And the songs are well written were you don't need anything more compelling! Great record! 5 out of 5 Stars!

After surprisingly and thoroughly enjoying TFK's The End Is Where We Begin, I was excited for Oxygen Inhale. Sadly, I've been largely disappointed with the record. More FM Static than TFK, the band takes a step back and refocuses on making pop rock, leaving their rap core roots behind. There are a couple of nice tracks (Untraveled Road, Give It To Me), but largely not a fan of this outing. 2 out of 5 Stars.

The Meltdown 2.52

New music from Sleeping Giant, White Lighter, Lecrae, Jars of Clay and so so much more!

The Meltdown 2.51

New music from Comrades, Lexi Elisha, Foreknown, Lakes, The Old-Timers and more.

The Meltdown 2.50

New music from Beleaf, 68, Anberlin, Moriah Peters, Mouth of the South, and more.

Anberlin - Lowborn

Anberlin's been headed in a direction where they do what they want musically and if you don't like it, that's too bad. With Lowborn being their final record, they found new ways to push themselves into new directions I wasn't sure he'd see the band go.

And that's ok.

Look, do I like everything the band has done on their last two records? No. But I appreciate a band taking their final piece of work together and continuing to explore new avenues of the creativity that's inside them. They could've made Cities 2.0, but it would've been boring and I imagine the music would've been lacking and disappointing. So kudos to Anberlin for taking some big risks on their swan song.

Lowborn is good. Don't get creativity and good mixed up. Lowborn is the next logical step forward from Vital. Depending on how you felt about Vital, that might be good or bad... Or both.

We Are The Destroyer takes its time to build but when the hook finally hits the song explodes out of your stereo. I would rank it as one of Anberlin's heaviest tracks and the best album opener since Godspeed. Armageddon has an electronic, almost dub step breakdown in the middle of the track that caught me off guard. But the song has a really nice groove and the ever building movement is nice. Stranger Ways is very 80's influenced. And again, I like it, but we three very different tracks to start the album. It showcases the band's influence and range.

Atonement is just one of those great Anberlin ballads where Stephen's vocals drive the song. Birds of Prey eventual has some rock elements but it's a real groove driven electronic song. It's something completely different from Anberlin. Also completely different is Dissenter. But it's different in a very drastic way. We hear Stephen Christian scream for the first time and Dessenter feels very much like a song we would've gotten from Thrice. Of course there's an 80's/electro vibe on the hook but that's doesn't take away from the intensity of the song. It's one of my favorite's on the record.

Anberlin took some risks, and I think largely they pay off and are worth it. It's good to see a band explore and take musical freedom and be truly creative. It's a high note to end a career and Anberlin should be proud. Is it my favorite record from band? No. But I get the feeling that's not what Anberlin was trying to accomplish.

Sef Idle releases acoustic "Start Again" EP

When it comes to punk rock, Sef Idle is quietly becoming a household name.  For almost 20 years his musical efforts have been honed and shaped with such bands as Two Spare Months, Strong Point, uniSEF, and finally the Boise-based False Idle.   But Sef's first foray into a more traditional singer-songwriter role does not disappoint.  His first official release, Start Again, from Thumper Punk Records is proof that there's more to his story than one might think.

After writing and recording a solo song entitled "Get Back Up" in 2008 under the name Just Plain Sef, the journey began.  Although that song was never released until 2012 when it was included with the uniSEF Discography, it was the start of something bigger.  Honest writing is key to Sef's style.  Songs like "5 am" and "Back Then" show a continued depth of content while "In The Sand" is an old fashioned thank you to one Mrs. Idle.  With an overall message of new beginnings in spite of past mistakes, Sef Idle's solo release is a reassuring call to all of us that personal failings are not the end, only opportunities to start again.  Well-crafted vocals and introspective lyrics make this latest release just another win in an already prolific musical career.

Released and distributed by Thumper Punk Records

www.thumperpunkrecords.com

Mxpx - Acoustic Collection/Demos Collection Vol 1

New Mxpx is always good in my book. Even just new renditions of old songs. Luckily Mxpx has given us two new records to hold us over until there's real new material.

The Acoustic Collection is great! It's a great mix of some classics and a couple of newer songs.The album starts with Doing Time, a version that feels similar to Mike's version on Live From the Basement, but I still like  it. It's the older songs, where a slower, new spin and emotion has been placed and focused. Songs Like My Mom Still Cleans My Room, For Always, and the almost folksy Punk Rawk Show, each one taking on a new dimension you never noticed before. Already "sad" newer songs like You're On Fire, Never Better Than Now, and Drowning all take on a desperate, heartbreaking quality. There's a depth to the songs that you don't always notice in their original punk form. And the Acoustic Collection shows the depth of Mike's songwriting.

The Demos Collection is a great look at the rawness that is Mxpx. It's punk rock at it's core. All the tracks come from all albums after The Ever Passing Moment (starting with Before Everything and After). There's a bunch of Before Everything, Secret Weapon, and Plans demos. The songs don't deviate a ton from the originals. A couple of lyrics changes here and there, but the demos provide a raw, unproduced, unmixed look at Mxpx. And it's fun. The band called this collection Vol 1, so I hope that means more is on the way. And I hope that somewhere, someone can find earlier demos.

Mxpx fans will love both of these records!

Review Wrap Up

It's been a while since I've really sat down and written a quality review. My wife and I expecting our first child soon and getting our house and lives as ready as possible for our new addition has taken a lot times. But I've been spinning all the new releases with the intent on reviewing them. So here's a quick snapshot of a lot of records!

If you didn't pick up Beartooth's debut ep, Sick, you should do yourself a favor and go get Disgusting. DO NOT SLEEP ON BEARTOOTH!!!

Disgusting picks up where Sick left off and then blows it out of the water. Where Sick was focused of turning away from those things that keeps us down and turning to God, Disgusting is a message of hope in the midst of pain and tragedy. 5 out of 5 Stars!

Adam Young always creates great pop soundtracks, and Ultraviolet is no different. 4 songs of bubblegum, electro pop goodness. I wish it was more than 4 songs, but I know there's another ep coming later this year! 5out of 5 Stars.

Forevermore is a great new addition tot he Solid State family! Not mind blowing, but very solid and interesting Telos is a metal core record worth listening to. Some great riffs, light on clean vocals, and technical enough to keep things from getting stale. 4 out of 5 Stars. 

I love Audrey Assad! Death Be Not Proud continues in the vein of Fortunate Fall. Stripped down, piano led songs. While musically very similar, lyrically, there's a victorious and joyous tone to the record. Her cover of John Mark's Death in His Grave is fantastic! 4 out of 5 Stars. 

Death Sentence is brutal! More hardcore and heavier than Unholy Anger (if you can believe it). Those Who Fear might not win many new fans with Death Sentence, but there fans will appreciate this record! 4 out of 5 Stars. 

There's no lie that I was a little disappointed with Alert 312's Of Vice and Virtue. But the duo's follow-up EP, Singular Vision is a thing of beauty! Musically, it's the most interesting and intricate work in the band's catalog so far. A complex and musical journey and soundtrack for life. 4 songs with very different vibes and great guests on each track. A true work of art! 5 out of 5 Stars. 

Brave is a record I picked up on a whim. One of the better (and only?) true pop records I've heard from a christian artist in a while. Neither bubblegum or CCM, but true, well-crafted pop songs. It's a mature style of pop music that won't find Peter's amid the Top 40, but it's a record worth checking out! 4 out of 5 Stars. 

Some times you find a record where the lyrics have an impact instantly. Red Pills + Black Sugar is one of those records. The hook on Red Pills, the album's opener, hits you with "Take two a day, the pain will go away, but you're still going to die without those pills." It's heartbreaking and deep, but it's catchy enough to get into your head and spirit. Dark themes mixed with upbeat sarcasm and hope in the midst of the pain. An unexpected hip-hop gem. 4 out of 5 Stars.