Out of all of these, the only bands I’ve ever listened to out of this list are Tourniquet (absolutely awesome but extremely nerdy metal band), As I Lay Dying (Of course, goes without saying) and Zao. The rest? Not a single song (although I’ve heard of some of them).
A badass Jesus Metal logo.
I actually left a comment on this list complaining about how this is an old-guy’s list, and most kids who only started listening to metal post-Korn/Slipknot or post-2000 will not have heard of most of these bands.
All of the great modern Christian metal bands that have changed the WORLD OF METAL (not just the Christian industry), from UnderOath to Demon Hunter to War of Ages to August Burns Red to Becoming the Archetype to Norma Jean to The Showdown to The Chariot to Impending Doom to As I Lay Dying are no where to be found on this list (er, with the exception of the latter).
Which is a crying shame. But instead of finding this list to be absolute crap, I instead decided that it was a pretty good list of OldSchool Christian Metal bands that a lot of modern listeners of my generation (I’m 27) have probably not heard of or checked out.
So what are you waiting for? EDUCATE THEE SELF!
Tourniquet – If Pigs Could Fly
“If this song was put out by Metallica, we would’ve heard it on the radio daily.” Couldn’t agree more, this song is absolutely awesome.
Tourniquet – Trivializing the Momentous, Complicating the Obvious
One of my favorite songs of all time will always be this one. This song is nerd-metal to the core, but infinitely compelling and ultimately awesome beyond description. Before I even truly new what metal was, I knew this song was insane.
The Cross repels evil. In the end, good always triumphs over the hellspawns of the underworld.
Can Christians embrace horror? Videogames like Dead Space, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil feature scares, thrills, spills, guts and glory (quite literally) as they charge gamers with overcoming demonic abominations of the highest order, and surviving a world that’s gone to hell.
Personally, one of my favorite genres is Survival Horror, however like metal music, full of demonic imagery, skulls and bones, gore-fiends and moshpit-loving violence-craving thrill seekers, the genre is often interpreteted to be inherently Satanic.
And yet one who is in the genre or a heavy partaker of it, understands that glorifying the underworld and its manifestations of violence, blood, guts, blasphemy and filth; is not always the case for all bands who go the metal route. Beyond that, those listerns who love the headbanging world; are not always doing so as a full embrace of the antichrist-position that often spills from the mouths of secular metal bands.
Horror is much the same way, with the exception that most created horror IS not glorifying the light in any way… a notion that Christian metal bands convey to those willing to listen; while keeping the grotesque and violent motifs that are staples of the genre… only they twist it so it points to the Cross and away from the Pit.
It is hard to make that argument when discussing horror in either film or in gaming however.
But it is my belief that embracing horror videogames is not a full-out endorsement of what most of the games preach throughout the majority of the duration of said adventure through hellish imagery.
In fact, to write horror off as nothing but a pure act of grotesque blasphemy and filth with no redeeming factors, is to vastly oversimplify it. It is true that some horror does just that with no redeeming qualities, but NOT all of it. And that mindset does a disservice and writes off an entire complex genre made up of hundreds of thousands of different tales, characters, stories and worlds.
Like in the metal realm, there are plenty of smart, intelligent, horror-themed videogames that have many redeeming qualities. I believe horror and the desire to be scared can actually run parallel to the beliefs we as Christians hold. “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
Ultimately horror, in almost ALL cases, is about overcoming evil, savagery and blasphemous beings bent on delivering grotesque hell upon others. Beyond the striking and violent imagery, much like the Cross itself, is redemption and horrific stories of those who conquered the arms of death and lived to tell the tale.
… Pyramid Head is an unforgettable Silent Hill character representing pure evil. Interpret it as Satan himself. Always there, constantly seeking whom he can devour.
In addition, a smartly told horror story, will intersperse many other elements that elevate it above a simple gore-fest. Silent Hill for example is a dive into psychological horror, where demonic sights and sounds unsettle the player, and try to suffocate you in fear. The story however is extremely deep, vastly open to interpretation, and is ultimately a tale of love, sacrifice, overcoming fear and triumphing over the evils of Hell… literally.
The opening of Silent Hill 2, for example, tells the tale of a man named James, who receives a letter from his wife. His deceased wife. In it she talks of their “special place”, a town called Silent Hill. He knows she is alive, dead people cannot write letters? Right? Read the rest of this entry »
Christians are gamers too and vice-versa. Including metal bands and rappers of all stripes!
Its no secret. Videogames and Christian bands and artists from metal to rap are often gamers, just like I am. The result is that many Christian Metal and Hip-Hop artists grew up with videogames and thus are inspired by them or pay tribute to them in their awesome songs.
So what Christian songs of Metal and Rap feature videogame references? PLENTY.
This list comes from my own personal observances where I’ve noticed videogame references in the Christian metal and rap songs I love.
Please leave a comment to let me know of other Christian songs where you’ve noticed videogame references and I’ll add them to the list! Eventually I hope this will become a masterlist to find videogame references in modern Christian music!
CHRISTIAN RAP/HIP-HOP VIDEOGAME REFERENCES
CHURCH CLOTHES By LeCrae (From the Church Clothes Mixtape) What is the Videogame Reference? “Al and Jesse don’t speak for me. I’m probably gonna catch some flack, mayne/ But I’m gonna swallow this pill like Pac-Man” at about 58 seconds into the music video.
Song of the Day for August 9th 2012 is For Today’s Fearless Music Video (Not to be confused with the epic For Today Fearless Lyrics Video) from their fourth full-length album, “Immortal”, their first album on new label Razor & Tie (instead of Facedown Records).
This song is a BEAST (Dat footstomp!) and the music video is absolutely awesome. This band rocks as hard as anyone and gets the singing down pat. This album has truly elevated them into one of my favorite bands!
The cover artwork for the album “Conclusions” by the Facedown Records band “Altars”.
Conclusions by Facedown Records band “Altars” will appeal to those who like hardcore music and extremely heavy breakdown music, with vocals that are more yelled than screamed. You won’t get any deep growls here!
The band also tries their hand at more melodic pieces, and has some pretty good lyrical and thematic content from what I can gather. I had to listen to the album without the luxury of having lyrics available; something I typically REFUSE to do with metal albums. But even so I was able to enjoy the album pretty well. I know I’ll enjoy it even more once I get the lyrics for my review copy of the album from Facedown Records.
I enjoyed this record, even though the songs are not entirely distinctive from each other in my humble opinion, and the album really blends into itself; making it hard for me to remember any standout tracks. There are also several instrumental filler tracks that transition into the songs, although they are slower and thus are a welcome addition, but it lowers the full amount of real songs included on the album. Despite the forgettable nature of the album, I still had a good time listening to Altars, and this is band I’ll definitely continue to follow in the future. Give it a shot.
Song #1. Red Brick Army
This first track is a very heavy, mostly instrumental piece that sets the tone for the album extremely well. “We are the Red Brick Army, and we are hear to take a stand!” This is a fine little intro, although its nothing impressive.
Song #2. Scum
This is an awesome song and I really enjoyed it. It’s extremely heavy, and the anthem of “I am the scum of the earth! I deserve nothing” is done well and singable.
Here is the Scum lyrics video.
Song #3. The Coward
This song features a really cool portion at the bridge of the song where the band starts talking, with great lyrics about how God is reality and he believes. After that part the osong picks up again with the quick pace. Of which I’m less a fan of, but this is good song regardless.
Song #4. Portlen
This song starts out with a really slow, emotional sounding instrumental. Leading into the next track.
Song #5. Lower
The quick screams and yelling start off right off-the-bat in this next track. This song gets a lot better at about 1:30, which is the pace that I prefer from this band. I’m not a fan of the quick-screamed lyrics. Didn’t care too much for this song, although the themes are good. And the track ends on a high note.
Song #6. Unknowning
Now this is more like it! This track brings the heavy right from the gate just like we like it. The beginning of this track is when this band is at their back IMHO. However it then transitions into a more sing-y vocal style that I don’t care for. Before heading back to heavy and alternating the two. “This is my turning point”. Cool line, and directly after the two screams of that line, the song gets AWESOME. Overall I enjoyed this track.
Song #7. Ryland
This is another slow and quite beautiful little instrumental track.With a sad feel to it.
8. Montreal
EXTREMELY HEAVY intro. This is when this band is at their best and the intro here really impresses. “Look at me, I cannot seem, to hold my own.” At 1:10 this song gets totally insanely awesome. However its not carried throughout. Even so this song is one of the coolest on the album IMHO.
9. Shephards
A more emotional song with yelled lyrics from the start. This song goes in a bit of a different direction, with some really odd noises mixed in. Thematically I really like the lyrics I can understand from this song. At around 2:00 this song has a really awesome moment. Overall this song tries to take a somewhat more slower approach without totally slowing things down, which is interesting. Not a bad track.
10. Revelation
This song has a really quick pace, but with yelled lyrics that are spoken very deliberately. This is a really cool style. After the quick spoken first half, an awesome worship chorus kicks in with the band singing and speaking the name of Jesus. The whole worship vibe is AWESOME and I absolutely adore this track because of it. This is definitely THE standout. And the chorus is fantastic and singable. “Jesus, reveal your presense to me!”
11. Realization
This is another instrumental track leading into the next one… it’s a quick one.
12. Conclusions
I’m loving the intro of this track and the way it is done. Once again it goes into the quickly spoken vocals, which I’m less a fan of. But the vibe of this song is strong and I’m a fan of it. At around 1:12 we get some really cool music. It’s heavy without taking away from the melodic nature of the song. This song has an end-of-album emotional vibe to it that elevates it above a lot of the tracks on the album. Especially given the lyrics, which talk about how God is the answer to everything. A definite HIGHLIGHT.
Here’s a Conclusions album preview lyrics video from Altars!
Yes the music video is as fun and awesome as this pic suggests!
Mad by E.B.R.U. – Sometimes you just need something a little bit different…
Enter this absolutely electrifying performance by the band E.B.R.U called “MAD”. It’s a really, really interesting song, with rapper “Durrty Goodz” coming in to spit a couple lines for the bridge. But it’s the female lead singer’s incredible performance that really steals the show. Not to mention the awesome instruments!
A friend of mine recommended I share this on the site so here it is! But I really, REALLY enjoyed this song! Color me surprised and impressed! – Thanks Angel Moe! :D
This song is from the debut album for E.B.R.U. (who is the girl, not the band) and this is her debut single! It will be released digitally on July 9 where you can pick it up on iTunes, Amazon, etc.
From the head windmill to the hole in the….. door ;) This video rocks!
One of my favorite metal videos of all time is, without a doubt, Through Struggle by As I Lay Dying.
There is just such a raw power in the music, and yet the pacing of the video is perfect and perfectly fits to the tune of the vocals and the sound of the music. Not only that, but this music video tells a story… and while it is lost on you at first, by the end you’ll understand what was going on.
The story of the video also fits in perfectly with the lyrics from Through Struggle…. as you can read below. Through Struggle was the 8th track on As I Lay Dying’s third major-label full-length album, called “Shadows Are Security” (I love that album!) on Metal Blade Records.
Enjoy. :)
Keep in mind, if you’ve never heard Tim Lambesis’ vocals before from As I Lay Dying, you may have a really hard time keeping up with the lyrics and understanding what he is saying. Watch the video first, then go back to the lyrics. Tim does not clearly speak some of the words, and he says them in a quick fashion at points. So the word “assembled” is barely spoken and sounds like “smbo thoughts”, that’s because he is saying it very fast and not speaking the whole word, which is common in songs and bands, and a lot of times songs and bands will leave out introductory words like “It” or “The” in a line or barely utter the word; making it virtually impossible to hear. I think the lyrics in this song are fantastic though. In my typical style, I have tried to accentuate certain words and to write it out to match the vocals of the actual song as you are listening to it.
Through Struggle As I Lay Dying Lyrics:
Only through struggle
Have I found rest
With a piece of me … TAKEN
AWAY!
I BEGIN
To UNDERSTAND!
HOLLOW… OUT
This machine like CHEST
With its gears….
That turn to make me feel
And assembled thoughts
That fade away
Only through struggle
Have I found rest
Only through struggle
Have I found rest
Remove from me!
This DE-ception
That I call love
That I call love
With its gears….
That turn to make me feel
And assembled thoughts
That fade away
Remove from me!
This DE-ception
That I call love
That I call love
Only through struggle
Have I found rest
With a piece of me … TAKEN
AWAY!
I BEGIN
To UNDERSTAND!
You know the sh*t’s about to get real when Angelic Kittens arrive on the scene!
School of Hard Knocks by P.O.D. is an interesting beast of a song with a really awesome, insanely unique music video. This is one of my favorite music videos by Payable On Death, a decision that is extremely though to make considering how many absolutely fantastic music videos these long-running Christian rockers have made.
P.O.D. School of Hard Knocks Music Video:
P.O.D. is one of those bands, like Flyleaf, who are continuously pumping out Singles, songs that are not on any of their main albums, and come from movie soundtracks, compilations, holidays albums and all other sorts of non-typical album releases; meaning that there are tons of people who have never heard some of P.O.D.’s best material…
Songs like “School of Hard Knocks” from the Little Nicky Soundtrack, “Going In Blind” from the P.O.D. Greatest Hits – The Atlantic Years compilation, “Sleeping Awake” from The Matrix Reloaded soundtrack, or “If It Wasn’t for You” from The Warriors EP II… And there are many, many more that you’ve likely never heard, like P.O.D.’s The Chargers Anthem which was recorded live on-stage during a San Diego Chargers football game!
This music video for “School of Hard Knocks” is amazing, you get the band rocking out in the pouring rain, an epic Heavenly battle between Angelic Kittens and Demonic Dogs (no that is not a typo), and all kids of balls-to-the-wall crazy scenes interspersed with moments of Adam Sandler from the develish Little Nicky comedy. It all makes for one HELL of a unique music video, enjoy!
“Find Your Worth, Come Home” is the all-new Sophomore album from “To Speak of Wolves”, following their debut Solid State Records album called “Myself Is Less Than Letting Go” from 2010. Be sure to buy To Speak of Wolves Find Your Worth Come Home On Amazon.
Find Your Worth, Come Home was released on May 22, 2012, and will appeal to fans of metal music in the vein of UnderOath or Norma Jean. The music is extremely busy, and the first couple of songs blew by me and made me grit my teeth to the point where I was dreading having to take a full 11 tracks of this noise…
Making matters worse, I had the official lyrics in my hands (along with my review copy of the album provided by Solid State Records) and had extreme difficulty following them due to the vocal style of the band. Which reminds me of Oh, Sleeper, UnderOath or Norma Jean. Thankfully, however, the album begins to redeem itself once you hit the 4th song… all the way up until the finale, which is a song so powerful that it moved me to tears… and from a thumbs down to a thumbs up position. I recommend everyone go out and pick this album up. Even if it is NOT your cup of tea, give it a real shot. Listen to the songs below that say “HIGHLIGHT” and go through each one until you reach the final song. I can virtually guarantee you that, at that point, you will NOT be disappointed. While the music, the vocals and the themes of the album grow tired and do not manage to stand out from the crowd, the songwriting is spoken with passion… passion and conviction that boils over once you reach the end and will leave a HUGE impression on you afterward.
Any album that can move you to tears gets an immediate recommendation from me. As that is a feat rarely accomplished. Give this album a shot!
* Click on a songname to purchase that song digitally on Amazon.
— Now let’s go through “Find Your Worth Come Home” track-by-track, these opinions mark my INITIAL LISTEN, as I wrote this review as I listened to the album for the first time. —
1. Hive Mind
A blur… I don’t even have anything to say. Except that I don’t want to relive what just happened.
2. Stand Alone Complex (feat. Micah Kinard)
This song goes in some interesting places thematically. Especially towards the end, the song makes it blatant that this is talking about the hurt of a broken family. With lines like, “i swear dad has changed/he’s still a good man/ if i’m wrong i’ll hold my head high/ i’ll let God / spit in my face”. This song also has some interesting words about God, such as this line: “you cast your fault/project your loss/but reflections must mirror the victor/ your heart longs to honor/the fact remains/that His flawlessness waits/to accept only/utter surrender / and he’s extending his arms”. However even with lyrics in hand, I had a very hard time following what was being said… it all blurs into each other, and there were a few annoying parts in this song, with voices speaking over each other and such. Which always bugs me.
3. Vertigo
This is the first song that really stands out from this album, which will catch your attention immediately with the really cool sounding intro. The track is much better than the previous two, with interesting lyrics that are easier to follow than the previous songs. This song also features some brief clean vocals on a briefly sung chorus, which isn’t too bad. Overall this is the best song yet and a certain HIGHLIGHT, and the first song that immediately feels like Id’ go back to it on a later listen.
4. Broken Birds
Now THIS, is great songwriting. This song is absolutely amazing… if you just read the lyrics on their own without hitting the play button. Unfortunately, the lyrics in this sung are screamed so fast and are so “muddled” sounding that it is very difficult to understand what the lead singer is saying. Particularly in the first two lines, great ones that read, “broken birds cant fly/and broken bells cant sing”. This song really challenges those who believe they have life all figured out and yet don’t know Jesus Christ, and the song is really pointed. The lines in this song are amazing. “now you lose your soul every day/as it wastes away/you cant face the day /you waste away/you cant face the day/you lose your soul every day /the hands around your throat are your own.” I think sadly, that these lyrics do not match the style of the vocals or the music. This made me sad because the opening moments of this song are awesome, you think something amazing is in store, and there is… until the music plays. Although I love the “i wanna give my memory to the flame/ i wanna burn it all away” part. Regardless, this is definitely a HIGHLIGHT. And overall this is a powerful song.
5. A SIMPLE THOUGHT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
This is a great song. For once, To Speak of Wolves decides to slow it down and not scream their crazy lyrics in their crazy way throughout the whole sung. Nope, instead most of the verses and portions of this song are SUNG. Not a positive thing when you’re a hardcore metal band of this sort, as the singing is the typical juvenile style that you’d expect from a band like UnderOath… that is, it grates on the nerves. However there is a lot of passion behind the words being spoke, and the song itself is quite beautiful. The song is from the point of view of a struggling Christian who can’t seem to reach his “Healer”, because his life is so hard and the pain blinds Him to God. This is reinforced through lines like, “this cross on my back/ has grown to be too much/ the crown on my head wont fit/my sword is dull from the drag/ i am the wounded carried / i’m not carrying the wounded / healer did you get my call?” However in the end, he realizes that all he has to do is believe, and he feels God near. A great song with effort that must be commended. The execution will be hard for some to swallow, and you’ll just have to deal with the voice given in the singing portions, but if you just get lost in the words you’ll come to love the song. I also love what they did near the end of the song to mix things up. And overall I felt that this song was very tight, and executed extremely well. A huge HIGHLIGHT and their first “ballad” on the record.
6. Nostalgia Seeds
Of all of the songs on the album so far, this one is the strongest both vocally and in showing off the typical style of this band at its best. The vocals here use lower growls instead of the typical yelling style of screams, and the lines of the song are screamed in a much more deliberate manner. This makes the song lyrics much easier to follow. This song is excellently paced, and is easily one of the best songs on the record so far. A clear HIGHLIGHT. Thematically, this song deals with a person who is taking the brunt of life and being crushed under it. Feeling hopeless and angry at God for not “being there”. With lines like, “the killing feeling / that i cant save my brothers / the loneliness of my father / the abandonment of my mother / the confused thoughts of my sister / raining on me / it’s always raining on me.” Definitely not a happy song, but one that is realistic with what a lot of young people go through in their broken family lives and many people will likely relate to it. HIGHLIGHT
7. Je Suis Fini
This strangely named song is another strong one vocally. The song starts out as a kind-of counter point to the last song, speaking of being strong in the face of adversity. However thematically it quickly degenerates into the same tired old themes that pervade on this record, and which the song itself attacks with the lines, “oh please release my body/ from the jaws of the beast / let my savage triumph be a sight for all to see / day in day out / all you taste is stagnation / so spit it out / it’s getting so old.” Sadly, this type of juvenile drama IS getting old by this point in the record and the themes of a rough life beating you down is starting to wear thin. Although this song offers some redemption, it pulls it back too far to ultimately be more redeeming than not. Even so, it’s another strong vocal performance like on the last track, Nostalgia Seeds.
Here is the Je Suis Fini music video from To Speak of Wolves:
8. Oregon
WOW. My respect for this band just rose up a notch thanks to this incredibly heart-wrenching song. This may be the second, if not first, best song on the album. The song tells the all-too-common story of the pain that his parents bare with them due to their failures in life. And the manner in which the love between them and the love for others is wasted… This line in particular hit me hard: “well i rest my head / and i cry myself to sleep / cause they’re both lonely / when there’s no need to be / and that kills me.” Man can I relate to that. Overall this was an outstanding song. If there’s any one that you download, be sure it is this one. GREATEST HIGHLIGHT
9. Dialysis Dreams
The heavy themes continue from the last song with this one, which almost wholeheartedly revives the band in my eyes. This song conveys extremely powerful emotion of the regrets, sadness, confusion and loss that comes from losing a loved one; how that effects a person and how that person cannot change the circumstances and is powerless to do so. Additionally this song is done in a real personal manner, you can feel the pain… because the vocalist is talking about himself (or the person who wrote the song, using pronouns like I) and that adds so much more emotion and power to the song. This line can’t help but to move you, “everyday i lose a memory / i feel the pull of time / a piece of me dies / a bit of my life unwinds / but i’ll never ask why / because everyone grows and everybody dies.” Powerful stuff. HIGHLIGHT
10. Voidmaker
This song takes the band back into familiar territory from earlier on the record, with a return to themes about the difficulties, tribulations and trials of life and questioning God and the like. This song is done pretty well though, and by this time you are getting more used to their style and lyrics. I love the ending of this song when the music cuts out and switches up, although I thought the end vocals at that part could’ve been done much clearer. Overall this is a pretty good song. It’s worth noting that the title of this album is taken from the final line of this song, “find your worth / come home”. I liked these lines in particular: “changing lines and shifting sides / coward cant you grow a spine? / you will fail the test of time … oh, defiant lion tearing your way through life / blood in my teeth but i’m still thirsty.”
11. Rearview Memories (featuring Levi The Poet and Bree Macallister)
HOLY…. *wipes tears* I am speechless. This song literally led me to tears and made me wept. This is flat out one of the most powerful and heart-wrenching songs I have EVER heard in my entire life. This song has singlehandedly pulled this album from the grave of “average” and violently shoved it into greatness. This TRUE HIGHLIGHT is a song like no other… made up of spoken testimony, real stories of real people… whose lives were shattered by the suicide of that one individual. One point of view is from the daughter, who is asking God questions but has a forgiving heart, and is trying to remember the good aspects of their relationship. The other is one of complete anger, especially due to the fact that it led to the daughter’s downfall, as bitterness at God and life grew in her heart. “she took off her crown / i watched it shatter when it hit the ground.” This song gives you chills, and I’m still being moved by it. If this song doesn’t make you re-evaluate life, then check your pulse. You may already be dead. A must listen. BUY THIS SONG NOW. (buy Rearview Memories by To Speak of Wolves on Amazon MP3)
Wuv, Marcos, Sonny and Traa return with a new album called Murdered Love on June 10th, 2012!
Payable On Death has released the “Lost In Forever” music video, their first new song in four years, off their upcoming all-new album “Murdered Love”, which releases July 10th, 2012 on Razor & Tie Records.
The first music video from the album is for this Lost In Forever single, and man is it a doozey! Quite frankly, this new music video returns P.O.D. to a more classic sound that old-school fans will love… although I wouldn’t put it up there with some of P.O.D.’s best early material, like “Youth of the Nation”, “Change the World”, “Satellite”, or “Boom”, but it gets very, VERY close. The music video was produced by Spence Nicholson.
Murdered Love wallpaper of an astronaut walking on an unknown planet in space, looking for his love.
In particular the amazing visuals offered in this piece, coupled with the awesome shots of the band rocking out, and the absolutely AMAZING storyline and theme of the music video puts Lost In Forever up there with the best that music videos have to offer (from any band). Of course, P.O.D. is well-known for doing insanely awesome and amazing music videos, from “School of Hard Knocks” off the Little Nicky (starring a demonic Adam Sandler) soundtrack, to the emotional and moving “Going In Blind” off their Greatest Hits (The Atlantic Years) album, to the absolutely epic “Sleeping Awake” music video off the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack, P.O.D. has always put out amazing music videos and “Lost In Forever” gives them one more notch to add to the belt. This music video is absolutely FAULTLESS. I absolutely love it.
The absolutely awesome cover artwork for P.O.D.’s new album Murdered Love.
Overall, I am extremely satisfied with “Lost In Forever” and I CAN’T WAIT for the upcoming album Murdered Love! (Very badass name!). I’m a HUGE P.O.D. fan and have loved the band ever since I first heard “Snuff the Punk” and “The Fundamental Elements of Southtown”, and I am a diehard fan who has purchased every one of their records since. My favorite two albums are actually their self-titled album “Payable on Death (Sanctus)” from 2003 (“I and Identify” is one of my favorite songs of all time, alongside “Asthma”) and “Testify” from 2006. Unfortunately, I pre-ordered their last album, 2008’s “When Angels & Serpents Dance”, and found it to be a pretty major disappointment. On individual listen it has some great songs, but the album didn’t stick with me and I entirely forgot about it for quite a while. I have since returned to it and enjoy it, but it doesn’t touch Testify IMHO or their previous material. And I found Marcos screams to be extremely weak and detractive. They return on “Lost In Forever”, but sound fine.
Watch Us Play Games 