The Meltdown 2.56

New music from Project 86, Swoope, Living Fire, SPZRKT, Lecrae, and more.

The Meltdown 2.55

New music from Lecrae, Flyleaf, SPZRKT, and Sleeping Giant.

Lecrae - Anomaly

How do you follow-up a masterpiece? That's what Lecrae is attempting to do on Anomaly. While Gravity might have been a stepping stone to bigger and better things for Lecrae (and not gotten nearly the attention it should've!), in my opinion the record was a true piece of art with no flaws.

Honestly, Anomaly didn't grab me the same way that Gravity did. Gravity came out the box swinging with a vengeance. Don't get me wrong, I love the first couple of tracks on Anomaly, but they didn't come out as "powerful" as the first track on Gravity, and I wondered if Lecrae was going to deliver a record that would be strong and as compelling top to bottom as Gravity.

Where I felt like Gravity was addressing cultural and was in album that was about affecting change in the world and being honest with ourselves and who we are, Anomaly feels more like a personal record. Songs of struggles and past failures work as a platform that gives Lecrae more credibility to speak on the cultural issues he brought up on Gravity.

The bulk of the album is just Lecrae, deciding to take on most of the vocal duties instead of filling the record up with guest features. Anomaly is Lecrae's space to shine and make his voice heard. The lone verse feature is Andy Mineo, who lends his talents to Say I Won't. Crystal Nicole, For King and Country add their vocals to hooks on Give In and Messengers, but it's Kari Jobe's angelic voice that sings the hook on Broken that is the shining feature on Anomaly. It's one of the best moments of the record.

On Outsider, Lecrae seems to realize his place on the outside looking in as a Christian. America is one of the cultural songs on Anomaly, taking on the idea of America the great. The lyrics are biting and powerful. Dirty Water calls for christians to do a better job taking care of those around them, where they live. Good, Bad, Ugly is an emotional song where Lecrae talks about pressuring a former girlfriend to get an abortion and his feelings post decision. It's that real talk where Lecrae's credibility is built.

Whatever praise and recognition Anomaly gets, Lecrae deserves it. The lyrically honesty, and desire to see a difference made in the world is evident in each and every song. Lecrae is the real deal! 5 out of 5 Stars!

Thumper Punk Records Review Wrap Up

The Old-timers' new ep, Be Reconciled, is fantastic! 6 songs (only 4 actual music tracks) of fast paced, hard hitting punk rock! The ambient instrumental/spoken word pieces drive home the heart behind Be Reconciled, and they're produced in such a way that it doesn't distract and take you out of the music. I wish Be Reconciled was a full-length, because I just want more music from The Old-timers! 4 out of 5 Stars.

On the opposite end of the punk spectrum we get Christ's Sake's sophomore record, We All Fall Down. Upbeat, rock and roll influenced pop punk.You can tell the band is from California based on their sound alone. It has that laid back California cool vibe. Where The Old-timer's are hard hitting and fast paced, Christ's Sake has created a soundtrack of enjoyable, sunny day, good times, pop music. Songs like So Sorry, Mr Heroin, Let's Skate, and Praise the Lord give you a little more punk "attitude", but mostly We All Fall Down is music that makes you feel good! Who doesn't like that? 4 out of 5 Stars.

Start Again is the new acoustic solo ep from False Idle front-man, Sef Idle. From Unisef to False Idle, Sef's always delivered hard hitting punk rock, so it's nice to see him take a step back do something a little different. Start Again is simple and uncomplicated. It's not a solo record trying to branch into a new direction and getting distracted. It's Sef and an acoustic guitar. The further I got into the ep, the more I enjoyed the songs. And the ep's closing track, Get Back Up, has that punk intensity we've come to expect from Sef, and I love the song! 4 out of 5 Stars.

Thumper Punk's new release, Living Fire's Dead to Sin, is what an album sounds like when all the stars align and things work together perfectly. The riff that opens Almighty Lord, and the album, will you chills. The bass riff into the fury that is These Words is what Blink 182 wishes they could've pulled off in their prime. The band's cover of Officer Negative's JCHC brilliant! The songs are fast and powerful, and well thought out. It's a punk record through and through. It's also one of the best produced records from the label! There is nothing to hate on Dead To Sin! If you're a fan of punk rock and you don't buy this record, you should be ashamed! 5 out of 5 Stars!

The Meltdown 2.54

New music from Moral Monsters, Kevin Max, V Rose, and Servants.