Check out the new track from Jonathan “Voyce” Marshall. Well worth your time, I promise… and when have I steered you wrong?

thepaintedman rates this:

A few weeks ago I came home to a small package in the mail, the type of package that is quite frequent for me… one consisting of a small press kit and a CD. I opened it and found a copy of Manafest’s latest CD. I’d never listened to Manafest before being sent his CD to review, but I’d heard his name. I knew he was a rapper, but little else. I began to recall a band from my high school days called Mannafest (note 2 n’s to this rapper’s 1), who hit is pretty big in the Christian market after changing their name to Edison Glass. So, I daydreamed about some old shows I ran for a bit, including a great all day festival where Mannafest (2 n’s) shared the stage with Element 101, Beanbag, Ivan and the Reds, Reconstructing Heather, Reign Storm, and my boys in Giving Way. My daydreams were cut short by a baby who needed to go potty and a meal that needed to be cooked.

The next day, after trying to throw any preconceived notions about Christian rappers and/or the current state of Christian music out, I popped Manafest’s The Chase into my car stereo on the way to work. Right away, the opening track hit my ears with all that I loved about Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory years ago. Soon, I was singing along. POD, PAX217, and John Reuben all came to mind as I continued to listen… but once it was all said and done, I realized that Manafest had carved his own little niche in the Christian music world with a unique rap/rock hybrid that is all his own.

What makes this CD different that other rapcore and hip hop influenced rock that littered the radios a few years back? A lot, to be completely honest. Pop and punk influences on “Fire in the Kitchen” bring to mind some of my favorite moments of John Reuben’s The Boy vs. the Cynic. “Supernatural” reminds me that not all music that can be categorized as “Nu-Metal” has to suck. “Bring the Ruckus” sounds like POD at their best.

But… wait! I said that Manafest was different and all I’m doing is talking about other bands. True, I have been doing this, but you’ll notice that I referenced a wide variety of music in only a few short sentences. That is because Manafest’s influences are obviously diverse. The older and more mature I become, the more I appreciate musical diversity, especially when an artist can be diverse and yet still has a very unique and defing sound to what they are doing. Manafest does this. Whether it be a danceable synthrock rap tune like “The Chase” (think Family Force 5’s Dance or Die album meets Linkin Parks’s “Bleed It Out”), the beautiful ballad “Every Time You Run”, or the PAX217-meets-Gym Class Heroes sound of “Breaking Down the Walls”, each track still has a vibe that can only be described as Manafest.

In short: This CD harkens back to all the best parts of the rap rock heyday, but finds a way to not conform to the pitfalls of the beleaguered genre. In fact, if Beanbag were still around, these guys could definitely share a stage and rock all of our faces off until we had “Whiplash”. Pun intended

Another day, another Jeremy Ritch review of a kickass Blood & Ink band.

Revelation Through Tribulation by Thin Ice – Blood & Ink Records

This six song debut from San Antonio’s Thin Ice is a in your face assault of Spirit-Filled Hardcore. Like my previous review of fellow Blood & Ink band Dependency I feel this band is going back in time to recapture the roots of the SFHC movement. As a member of the hardcore scene for over 20 years and a witness to the original spirit filled movement I am very picky about who I endorse. These guys are showing me something, though only a six song release, I feel they have huge potential. This EP has elements that remind me of Figure Four, Buried Alive, and Hatebreed. Though a short listen. it gives you an idea of how heavy this band is and a better idea of what they stand for. There must also be a theme with bands putting ambient instrumental tracks smack in the middle of records. There is one here as well as on the Dependency record I reviewed. The weird thing is they are both Blood & Ink releases? Conspiracy theory? Perhaps!

I will say I like this record straight through. Each song is heavy, including the instrumental “Sackcloth and Ashes”, and it flows very well. The production is stellar for what is describe as a “glorified demo” by this Texas outfit. The band doesn’t even have a complete line up yet but still puts forth a quality record many seasoned bands would be envious of. The final song entitled “The Ghost” breaks a bit from a straight hardcore onslaught to a more melodic Comeback-ish track. It fits however and is a perfect end to the record. Overall, I would say this is a solid debut for a band that seems to still be getting their sound nailed down. It is a fine representation of what Texas has to offer and hopefully we will be hearing more from these guys soon. If you like hardcore and specifically Christian hardcore I would recommend these guys and start checking Blood & Ink often as they seem to have gotten the message about a need for good SFHC bands. Also for true hardcore fans check out their cover of “Reflections” by Trial on their MySpace page. It sold me on these guys and that ain’t easy.

The following review is the first of several guest reviews. It happens to be written by Jeremy Ritch; pastor of Hold Fast Ministries, country singer/songwriter extraordinaire, videographer, hardcore aficionado, and all around good guy.

If nothing else, what you need to know is that Jeremy knows hardcore, especially Spirit-Filled Hardcore.

Hope you dig it, because there’s a second dose of Jeremy tomorrow! For now, enjoy Jeremy’s review of Blood & Ink artists Dependency (and, check out other reviews of Blood & Ink Records, too).

Convicted by Dependency, Blood & Ink Records

I am a skeptic when it comes to Christian Hardcore as I have seen it rise and fall over the years. There was a time when you could find a bunch of solid bands on Christian labels then it was mostly a bunch of rip offs or just bad music. Blood & Ink has gotten things right a few times by putting out solid Hardcore from bands like Philadelphia’s Debtor and their best two bands ever Ten 33 and xLooking Forwardx. This brings me to Dependency from Nashville, TN and their debut EP Convicted.

The EP begins with a furious melodic hardcore track “Goliath” which sets the pace for what this record and band are going to sound like. As a product of 90’s hardcore I appreciate their style and sound. They are very reminiscent of Strongarm and that Florida sound of their era. They also seem to recapture the fire that drove the early spirit-filled bands and do so with quality writing. If you close your eyes you can imagine baggy pants and over sized t-shirts. I also caught a few songs that in a weird way reminded my of Ninety Pound Wuss at times. The sound quality on the record is great and produced enough but not too much. It was co-produced by Joe Musten of Advent, which could also be why this EP is so spot on. Advent is probably the best Spirit-Filled Hardcore band out there right now. Having someone like him onboard no doubt helped the musical but also the spiritual direction of this project.

Each of the 7 songs on Convicted are powerful and hit you pretty hard. The blend of melodic hardcore riffs, gang vocals and frontman Kyle Fesmire’s vocals make for a legit debut from a relatively unknown band. There is one song entitled “Forgiven” which is an ambient instrumental track and it is my only criticism of the record. It is not that I don’t like the song it is the placement on the recording. It comes third and seems like a good end track or outro. That is my one bad thing to say about an otherwise solid release from Blood & Ink who in my humble opinion are overtaking Facedown as the premier Hardcore label in the Christian market. If you are fans of melodic 90’s hardcore you will probably like these guys.

thepaintedman rates this:

Ok, so the title sounds like I’m about to bash some piece of hard music into oblivion. On the contrary, I have nothing but praise for Blood & Ink Records‘ Divide the Sea. Their new release, Man is a fantastic album of diverse influences from the hardcore, metal, punk, and Southern rock realms. While Skot Debtor (label-mate of Divide the Sea, friend of mine, Straight Edge extraordinaire, and all around good guy) would disagree, I’m not really a poser, but I am no hardcore/metal connoisseur. I’ve always enjoyed some music in these genres, but my list is not extensive and I’m not any type of expert of the scene. What I do know, however, is that the sound that Divide the Sea puts forth on Man is mature, diverse, and extremely tight.

During the recent rash of great hard music that has been sent my way, Divide the Sea sounds the most diverse. Twin Killing is straight up hardcore, danceable and direct. Debtor has some different things going one, but has a true rip your face off with the metal type of approach. Here, we are treated to a hardcore/metal act that is equal parts serenity and chaos. Whereas the Death Metal growl grabs you and makes you tremble, the banjo on the album closer leaves you feeling a calmness kind of hard to describe. On one hand there are screamcore vocals that rival any good metalcore act I’ve heard in years and on the other there is true beauty in the melodic vocals that balance out the mayhem. There is a strong Southern rock influence, an appreciation for old school hardcore, and a lot of metallic guitar riffs. Like I said, diverse.

Like label-mates, Debtor, these guys are the new movement of Spirit-Filled Hardcore. Powerful, Christ-centered lyrics, are as important to the overall feel of this album as the musical is. The album is a prayer to God about being a better man, a true child of God that can lead through example and be a vehicle for Christ’s love and power. The focus here is on God and our relationship to Him as His children. And more than I have in any album in years, I can feel the worshipful attitude and the desire to become a stronger Believer. It’s quite obvious here that every word and every note are from the heart. “We fight for out King” (“Dancin’ with the Devil”).

The finish product is polished, yet raw enough to evoke the best things about independent music. Nice packaging, great artwork, and a fantastic overall feel. I love forward to listening to this album over and over. A true treat to the ears, the mind, and the soul…

These guys aren’t posers, but I even the posers can be down with Divide the Sea’s Man.

Before I begin, two quick housekeeping issues for my readers… first, I am postponing the 10 in 10 until next week. I have a good deal of things to throw in there, but haven’t had the chance to put them together. Second, there are only a few more beer posts likely on this site, as my beer commentary will be moving to my new site due to launch in March sometime. One more thing, unrelated to the site, but important to beer folks… Weyerbacher was forced to pull Zotten from the shelves due to copyright issues: read about it here. Thanks, now read on…

Saturday, February 13, 2010 marked the first full meeting of the Beer Snob Bible Club. The first scheduled meeting a few months back became just a small hang out of 3 of us with the beer and not much Bible. Last week, however, was different… a successful meeting of Christian men who want to drink a couple of pints and discuss their faith.

A day before Valentine’s Day, the intention was to drink Yards Love Stout and discuss Galatians 5:1-15. During the two weeks prior to the meeting, I searched and called and found that Love Stout is only being made available via kegs this year. A huge disappointment, the only other “love” themed beers I could find (with the help of Greg from Frank Smith’s) were Voodoo Love Child and Two-Hearted Ale. VLC didn’t really fit the theme and is quite an expensive beer. Two Hearted is a great beer, but since I am not an IPA guy, I decided that the remainder of a case would sit in my house altogether too long. Instead, I deviated from the theme when purchasing the replacement beer and used the opportunity to buy a case of a beer I’d wanted an excuse to buy a case of, Weyerbacher Fireside Ale.

The choice was a good one… and it seemed to go over quite well to all of the snobs and burgeoning snobs in attendance. Beer Advocate and ratebeer both consider the style of this ale a “smoked beer”. So we looked together at the BCJP style guidelines for 22B “Other Smoked Beer”, discussed how the beer was similar to the German Rauchbier style, despite being an ale. Then we tasted the beer. All of us enjoyed it, some noting hints of bready flavor and texture, others highlighting the smokiness, and still others discussing the alcohol warmth. After some discussion, we began to look at the context of Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

Through a nice, deep discussion, what we ended up keying on the second part of Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Everything centers around love, whether it be how we worship, how we work, or how we treat people everyday. What Paul was aiming at was how the church in Galatia was overly concerned with everything else, forgetting the most important piece… LOVE.

And after we prayed, we finished our beers. After warming some, there weren’t many new flavors we found in the beer, but the smokiness seemed much stronger, as did the alcohol warmth. My father, a novice in the world of beer snobbery, even commented on how he could really taste these flavors after the beer warmed a bit.

Overall, it was a great first event. Good beer, great discussion, and even greater fellowship. If you live within a shot of Reading, PA, email me. You are all welcome to join us!

Next month, we’ll be drinking something from Stegmaier, saluting how March comes in like a lion (brewed at the Lion Brewery), and sharing about the Lamb (it is Easter time after all).

Thanks for keeping up with us! Before you leave, check out how Weyerbacher makes one of my favorite beers, Heresy:

thepaintedman rates this:

I usually shy away from reviewing stuff that I find to suck, but I decided to write about El Destructo despite the fact that their album Something is Definately Wrong sounds like some of the shitty pre-teen bands I listened to at basement punk shows in North Jersey. To be clear, I am speaking of the bands that lasted for a few months and inevitably tried to be like Henry Rollins but wound up just producing barely listenable drool and filling in empty slots between the good punk bands in the scene, of which there were many.

I’d like to begin by noting that if the band reads this, they are assuming a few things… they are likely first assuming that because I am a Christian I must take exception to their lyrics as insulting to my faith… next, they are probably discounting me as some pop-punk wannabe who doesn’t know what “real punk” is… and finally, it is safe to say that they’d dismiss my review because Bam Margera likes them and he is cooler than me.

First, I am a Believer. I prefer this term to Christian, but, yes, you can call me a Christian. That said, I don’t dismiss art just because it’s not what I believe. I think Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails have put out some amazing industrial songs that I enjoy despite messages that are very against some of what I believe. I am a huge Bad Religion fan despite their attacks on religion in their earlier work, same can be said about my opinions on bands like NoFX, Propaghandi, and to a certain extent The Vandals (their Christmas album is about as blasphemous as anything I’ve ever heard). It’s fair to say that I don’t shy away from anti-Christian art, in fact I am at times drawn to it, as my faith in the religion and religious people is far less than even many of the people putting forth this music. My faith is Jesus is in tact, but I can still respect good art that doesn’t agree with my perspective.

Second, I do like a variety of music, but by no means am I a poseur of some sort. From the age or 12 I have been listening to various music that would be classified as punk. Social Distortion ranks among my favorite bands of all-time and members of the New York Dolls have been on record calling them the greatest punk band of all-time. Not convinced? I’ve gone to see The Damned, own the first Clash album on vinyl, and can recite nearly any lyric by Minor Threat. Not punk enough for you? Too poppy? Well, besides Minor Threat, I’ve listened to and enjoyed on quite numerous occasions Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, The Misfits, and many bands in the scene in the 90’s that never really hit the national scene. So, if you still want to say I am not punk enough for you, that’s fine, but it’s obviously a weak argument.

Third, while Bam seems like a fun and interesting dude, some of his musical tastes just plain suck. For every awesome band he pimps on his MTV shows, like Tubronegro or Gwar, there’s an equally mediocre or crappy band that he’s nuts about, like HIM and…well, El Destructo.

Now, before I continue ripping this album, I’ll pause to note that I want to be on their side for a few reasons. To being with, I always want to show love to Philly area bands when I can. To build on that, their influences are easy to spot and they do a good job of channeling those influences to a certain extent (can’t deny hearing HR’s style in the vocals at times, the infusion of industrial influences, a Mojo Nixon type feel here and there, and a love for old school punk and Oi!). Overall, the music, while not entirely impressive, isn’t horrible. Not to mention, their publicity company has turned me on to quite a few solid acts. These factors can’t outweigh the factors that make this a tough album to enjoy, however.

It’s hard to believe that a band that was founded in 1993 can sound this immature and unfocused. The music isn’t bad, as noted above, but lacks anything resembling decent production or the tightness of a band that includes well-traversed musicians. The lyrics are juvenile. Rather than finding a creative way to rail against what they disagree with in society, the lyrics seem to be written by a 15 year who just discovered punk and just wants to flip the bird at anything resembling government or organized religion. Lyrically flipping off social structures is what punk rock is all about, I just tend to prefer when a band can come up with lyrics better than, “It motherfucking doesn’t mean shit to me”. Even the 15 year old version of myself would have been unimpressed.

Overall, I find little to be redeeming about this release. The artwork is decent, tattoo flash style artwork as seen above, and, aside from the shout outs to neo-Nazis in the linear notes and the small swastika on the cover, the overall feel of the artwork is pretty cool. This and their publicity firm are probably the only reasons to give this CD a chance. But, if I were you, I wouldn’t bother.

thepaintedman rates this:

A few months back, I was feeling enthusiastic and eager to start a journal of weekly goals. Based upon a treatment groups that I was running with offenders, I set specific areas that these goals were to be in. One of the areas was “cultural”, which I basically interpreted as learning more about cultures that I am and am not part of, so basically becoming more of a “world citizen”. With this goal in mind, I stepped into a local bookstore, the only “Christian” bookstore that I frequented (as it was the only such place that I could set foot in without wanting to start flipping tables and accusing vendors of selling God). At this store, I asked Rob, the owner/clerk/awesome-dude-extraordinaire, if he had the suggestion of a good book about cultural diversity, racial reconciliation, or… well… anything that may broaden my cultural scope. He picked up and handed me a copy of Ron Hall and Denver Moore’s Same Kind of Different as Me, telling me that he hadn’t had the chance to read it yet, but had heard only great things about the book.

A little bit of time passed and I kept opting to read Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels rather than dive into this gem. Though, a few weeks ago, I hit a wall… I finished the most recent book in that series and realized I needed to venture in a different direction with my reading. This book stared me in the face when I opened my messenger bag and saw it lying at the bottom. It was time to read something that I may actually learn something from (though, I’d argue that I learned a good deal about blood diseases, wildlife, and anatomy by reading the series of books on vamps, weres, and, often, the sexual side of their relationships).

This book turned out to be a life changing type of book. Written in two different perspectives, we are treated to the voice of Denver, a poor Southern sharecropping black boy who later becomes a homeless ex-con, and the voice of Ron, a country boy turned well educated wealthy white man, telling us their story of becoming family with the help of Ron’s wife, Deborah, or Miss Debbie to Denver. The story is compelling, intense, witty, and, most notably, hopeful.

I felt a wide range of emotions when reading this book, but I was left with a feeling of intense hope. As the saying goes, hope springs eternal, and this is clearly evident through the story of Denver, Ron, and Deborah. That hope shines through a story that also shines a light on several different cultures, which brings me back to my original mission of reading this book.

Did I expand my cultural understanding through reading this book? Most certainly. To begin with, I have been aware of the plight of the inner city homeless man for some years now, having worked and volunteered in Philadelphia throughout college and my early work life. I have met, spoke with, and tried to wrap my mind around what it means to be poor, without a home, and able to put your entire life into a backpack. What I didn’t know anything about, was how this life was actually a much better life than some of the poverty people faced in rural areas.

Denver grew up the son of a sharecropper. This sharecropping, however, wasn’t like the sharecropping I learned about in middle school social studies classes. This sharecropping was modern-day slavery. The man ran the show and the workers never truly made a dime. Denver saw his “man” as a pretty good man, but from the outsider’s point of view, at best he could have been described as a “benevolent dictator”. Denver says late in the book after showing Ron (aka Mr. Ron) where he grew up, “Now you know it was the truth when I told you that bein homeless in Fort Worth was a step up in life for me.”

Thought reading this book, I feel like my eyes have been opened to a whole different type and level of poverty, while also continuing to build on my understanding of the plight of the inner city homeless. My personal hope is that this book inspires me to take this story of supernatural love and grace as motivation to both praise God for what I have and live in a way that glorifies Him. From here, time will only tell if reading this book has made me just a little bit wiser and more willing to give of myself… but I hope that I suspect right when I think that it has.

thepaintedman rates this:

I am reminded of days where the subgenre of hardcore dubbed “Spirit-Filled Hardcore” had its hey day in the late 90’s, with larger acts like NIV and Living Sacrifice and tons of smaller acts all over the country (perhaps, world). Every couple of years an album is sent to me for review that reminds me of how powerful this medium is… true hardcore music with positive, powerful lyrics that center on the struggles of sin, spiritual warfare, and the power of love. In the way that bands like Comeback Kid and Enlow had previously restored my faith in Spirit-Filled Hardcore and reminded me of the power of the music, Venia’s Frozen Hand is currently reawakening me in the same way.

Some will say there are tons of great “Christian hardcore” bands today, but I would assert that most of them are part of other “-core” subgenres (like metalcore, emo-core, etc.) and that most of them are nothing too special. Venia (not to be confused with the Finnish metal band, Venia) is not like these other bands, but rather an old school hardcore throwback that simply rocks.

I can’t say that I have favorite tracks, but I love elements of the entire album. The gang vocals in the chorus of songs like “It Starts Here” and “World All Your Own” put me right back in the pit of a posi-core fest in Jersey. The frenetic drums of “Seeker” make me start banging my head involuntarily. The break downs in “Hand of Security” just make me want to get up from my seat and dance. The hardcore kid in me loves this album as much or more than any album he’s heard in years… and I agree with him. Solid hardcore album front to back.

Like most true hardcore albums, the 12 tracks clock in at well under a half hour, which is okay because the guitars, bass, and drums whoop my ass enough in this amount of time. Where it takes your average rock band 45-50 minutes to wear me out, Venia does it better and in much less time.

So, if you are a all out music fan like me, give Venia a chance. If you are a hard rocker, then pick up this album. If your local mall is misguiding you to the pop side of punk, let Venia bring you back to the light. If you swear by bands like Underoath, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, and The Chariot, take a break from that stuff and hit up some true hardcore music, equally as soul nourishing and twice as awesome. Forgo the metalcore mayhem, the radio rock, the Panic! at the Hot Topic, and the screamo sentimentality and hit yourself upside the head with some real hardcore. Venia is that band, you won’t be sorry.

If “Strength of Heart” doesn’t move you, check your pulse… you might be dead.

(NOTE TO SELF: File this in that small file of hardcore/metal acts that can’t be forgotten and/or deleted. Place between Stretch Armstrong and Strongarm to ensure many future listens.)