Cooking Something Up: The Class of 1996

The Class of 1996. Or the Class of 2021. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction rules, which I am borrowing, is 25 years from the date of the first album. This year is 25 years from a release in 1996. And what a year it is.

The list is by no means inclusive, but I think the following would be first ballot Hall of Fame. 

First, the also rans. These may eventually get in, but not first ballot. Blackball, Ghoti Hook, and My Friend Stephanie. Rock, Alternative and Ska.

The Class of 2021 is 6 Strong. We Start with a little house cleaning, and when you do, it's best to use Bleach. A punk alternative band that made it's bones by appearing on the Jenny Jones Show and performing Super Good Feeling. The Post Punk scene wasn't very big, but Bleach fans were loyal. They burned out quickly as their final concert was in 2004. I saw them 3 times in 1997 with Seven Day Jesus, in 1999 with Joy Electric and Miss Angie, and as part of Soulfest in 2004. The Cause of Death was a tired heart caused by the death of friends in the Gulf War. We have been waiting for a reunion since.

Seven Day Jesus came on to the scene at the same time, and actually toured together for a time. They were more straight up rock than Bleach an so got overwhelmed in the crowd. A. Point of trivia is that Bass player Russ Fox also played with Bleach

The Ska Scene blew up in 1996. When a genre takes off it seems like the band flow to it like mice to the Pied Piper. The most successful of them was the Orange County Supertones.

Punk had the Ramones, and the Christian World's Ramones were called The Huntington's. If you like your songs under 2 minutes, this is the band for you.

Starting from Hard Rock and mellowing to Emo, Stavesacre. Their latest release was in 2017 after they had taken a 7 year hiatus.

And finally, the most successful of them all, Skillet. I still consider their debut almost unlistenable, though not as bad as ZoeGirl. The sole constant in a quarter century, Bass Guitar/Lead Singer John Cooper. His wife Korey joined in 2000 as keyboardist/guitar

R/programming/only adult in The room and the Band has been invincible ever since. Based on recent events, I expect they will be around for a long time to come.

There you have it, the Class of 2021. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat HOF: 1990-1995

This is where the rubber meets the road. 1996 is 25 years removed from 2021, so we are in the class of 1996. This means that the 90's is 1990-95.

This is the period where things really took off or totally went to Gehenna, depending on your view of things. By the 90's CCM began to settle into distinct genres that, with the exception of Summer festivals didn't exactly fellowship together. In the first two decades there was a kind of community that put everybody together in a Concert. Hey, it was all about the message. Now the message was still there, but you weren't going to have Stryper and Michael W. Smith on the same ticket.

By 1990 Pop had settled into a distinct genre and rock and metal had parted ways. Heavy metal was also beginning to splinter into hard rock and industrial along with metal, which was divided between melodic or symphonic and screamo or thrash. The synthesizer was making a big inroad into the CCM scene at this time and Dance Music began to be more accepted among the saints 

1990 is where we begin. And two of the biggest names of the Decade came from two very separate camps, IONA and Donderfliegen (Darn That Fly), which soon ditched that name for the more recognizable DEITIPHOBIA (Fear of God). IONA is a Prog-Rock powerhouse from the UK. Celtic symhonies meet some of the most talented  musicians around. Metal Mistress LEAH McHenry has been greatly influenced by IONA mainly through the  work of Troy Donockly on The Quest and Ancient Winter. DEITIPHOBIA is best described as the Father of Christian Industrial Music. 

1991 brought us Sorrow of Seven with April Lassiter on vocals and Kevin 131 Gutierrez on Programming and Guitar. Kevin also did Guitar work with DEITIPHOBIA, so there was little doubt that once the band shed it's unwieldy monicker for the more concise Aleixa (pronounced uh-Leek-uh) it would steer the course of Industrial for years to come. The Band is not Unloved.

Ring around the Rosie, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down. Rising from the Ashes in 1992 was Circle of Dust. The heavier of the two industrial projects of Klayton (Celldweller was more rock) he plays all the instruments himself. The perfect playlist for the Zombie Apocalypse. Speaking of Zombies, our other entry for 1992 is Audio Adrenaline, who has many hits including Some Kind of Zombie.

1993 started a trend which spread like wildfire through the Church. I mean, if you want to go deeper, if you can hear the mountains tremble, or if you can sing of his live forever. If you can you may be Delirious. The British Youth Group band led by Martin Smith revolutionized the Modern Worship genre. Things were truly Jumping in the House of God.

It should be illegal to have so much talent in a small area. Four hours from Littlehampton is Manchester, where the Message To Schools Trust worked with kids in the schools. On Friday they put on a concert for the kids as the World Wide Message Tribe, which made it hip to dance in Church. David would be proud. 

Things were heating up. 1994 was a very active year. I might be tempted to say Kiss Me. Sixpence None The Richer burst on to the scene in 1994, along with Nu Metal Band Payable On Death aka P.O.D. Also making their splash were the synthpop bands Joy Electric and The Echoing Green. You might need a three day weekend.

And 1995 was when Third Day flew in like a Blackbird with their brand of 1970's Southern Rock. Mac Powell and Company created a niche in CCM that Disciple and Decyfer Down were to enter. There aren't too many bands willing to step into the shoes of Bad Company and ZZ Top.

Our final post is next. 1996. The Class of 2021. Until Next Time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Night Beat HOF: Generation Next

1980 was a turning point in the world, and I don't just say that because I was an 80's kid. Ronald Reagan was elected in November of that year and launched a Republican Revolution that is still in Progress. TV was better, Fashion was Better, Hair was Better, and Music Was Better. 

Christian Music was also better then. The genre was growing up. Growing up is painful, and it is no different with CCM. As the years went on the Jesus Music Movement cooled off and artists didn't feel pressured to utter the name of Jesus every other word. Purists call it selling out, but it's really maturity and it led to a better product. Ironically despite the selling out image, some of the most spiritually on fire music came out of the era.

CCM had barely come together as a genre when it began to fracture into many sub-genres. Pop and Rock began to develop into separate worlds, and Rock itself was splitting into Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative and Metal.

Like it's predecessor era, this is just a ten year era. The 90's would be another era altogether. Our 80's inductees include: 

The Choir, 77s, AD, Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart, Stryper, Whitecross, Bloodgood, Saint, Bride, Michael W Smith,

Russ Taff, Leslie Phillips, Barren Cross, Shiela Walsh, Life Savers Underground, Steve Taylor, White Heart, Undercover, Altar Boys, Carman, Farrell and Farrell, Crumbacher, Newsboys, DC Talk and Kicking off the most amazing decade ever, ArkAngel.

The 90's Await. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Night Beat HOF: The Founders Class

The Founders Class of The Night Beat Hall of Fame technically would consist of any artist prior to 2021. Considering that our starting point is Larry Norman's Upon This Rock in 1969 that's 52 years. That's unworkable. So the founders class will be the First decade 1969-1979. It also coincides with the Jesus Music Era and would encompass, according to HOF rules, the Classes of 1994-2004.

While not a Comprehensive list, this would include:

Larry Norman, Daniel Amos, Servant, Petra, The Archer's, Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, The Second Chapter of Acts, Keith Green, Resurrection Band, Sweet Comfort Band, DeGarmo and Key, Denny Correll, Love Song, Chuck Girard, Evie, Barry McGuire, Reba Rambo, Dallas Holm, Kansas, Don Francisco, Darrell Mansfield, Andrus Blackwood and Company, Glad, Truth, Andrea Crouch, Phil Driscoll, Amy Grant, Michael Omartian.

I invite you to make your own suggestions, as I think this is far from complete, but I think this is a good start. Next up is the CCM era 1980-1989, when things started to become a coherent industry, which in my opinion was a very good thing. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Hall Pass: Recognizing the True Gems

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions of 2021 came out recently, and a quiet riot has erupted, not necessarily because of who was inducted, but because of who was not. 

Now since I got born again in 1975 and switched to a Christian Music Only diet beginning in 1978, I admit that my knowledge of Mainstream Music is limited, but I did live through the 80's and 90's and you pick up things through osmosis. So yes, I am aware of Journey, Madonna, Chicago, Van Halen and a bunch of others from the era, even though I did not choose to purchase that music.

I decided to check out the RARHOF Website and both check out Eligibility (25 years from First Album) and scroll the inductees. Not that I was surprised, but there was no Christian Rock Band represented unless you consider U2, which I would, but that means that they are a token to pacify the religious. While CCM and Mainstream Rock have become separate industries, it sounds pretty much the same instrumentally speaking. Lyrically, it is definitely cleaner and there may be a reverential reference to Jesus as a bonus.

"What's the big deal", I hear you say. You have a Gospel Music Hall of Fame. You have yours and we have ours. That would be fine, except the GMHOF is really the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame. It is mostly SG, no amplifier necessary. Petra is the only Rock entry, and maybe Amy Grant. Big Whoop. Even the Jesus crowd can't get around to honor the righteous rocker.

What we need is a Night Beat Hall of Fame, and I am going to Start the seeds of it right here. I'll use the RARHOF standard this year 1996=2021, that will come later, and first I'll try to come up with a Founder's Class of inductees from the Golden Era. It should be a fun exercise and Unwelcome your input as well. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Sweet Melodies of The Fallen

I begin with a disclaimer. I have been a fan of Evanescence since they were a bunch of kids out of Little Rock, Arkansas. The first song I remember hearing was Even in Death on Christian Industrial.com internet radio. Then I heard Bring Me to Life and My immortal on the Daredevil soundtrack. Fallen was the only album I have put on pre-order. So while this review is honest, it also is coming from a fanboy.

The Bitter Truth is the fourth studio album from Evanescence and the first in eleven years (the Night Beat had barely got of the ground. I started the blog in July of 2010). It is amazing to realize that I could say that I have been following the Band for my entire career as a blogger. Of course the Night Beat started as a radio show in 1984 when Amy Lee was in her terrible two's. 

The Bitter Truth gets off to a different kind of start with a two song intro. Artifact/The Turn and Broken Pieces Shine could be the best 1-2 punch to open an album ever. I would call Artifact/The turn an EDM song and it begins with a question "Where do we go now?" The answer is up to 11 on the volume. A simple countdown of three, two, one zero into the metal anthem broken pieces shine is the best transition since Tourniquet and Imaginary from Fallen. Survival Hurts, and I don't know if I will be alright, but I have to try is Amy's commentary on the death of her brother. As someone who has experienced the loss of a lived one I understand her completely.

There isn't a bad song on the album, but the album does sound different. Any lack of production can easily be forgiven by me in that this album was put together during a lockdown. I would say it sounds great despite the obstacles. Yeah, Right may be the only Pop Happy song that Amy ever records. That's not to say that her songs are depressing, but the pain that she channels in her songs work healing for the listener. In that way the song works.

Use My Voice is another different song, in that it came out in the middle of the Presidential campaign, that is different. Evanescence has pretty much stayed clear of any political statement. Conservatives like metal too. When the song originally came out I confess I took a hiatus from the band, not wanting to be disappointed. I decided to check it out and am pleasantly surprised. The song and video steer a good middle course and has a patriotic flair. My only wish is that Amy et al doesn't get petty and do cease and desist orders if Republicans use it in 2022. Both sides should be allowed to say you don't speak for me.

I'm a sucker for the epic ballad, see My Immortal or Lost In Paradise for proof. Far from Heaven is Amy at her spine chilling best. It is full of pain and prayer, and may be one of my favorite Ev Worship tunes. I can't see your light anymore, cause I've spent too long in the dark. I am not ashamed to say it's an emotional trainwreck of a song and will leave you in tears. Best song on the album.

You know where this is going.

The Bitter Truth is that this is a 5 Emerald perfect album. Is it multi-platinum like Fallen. It should be, it has that kind of impact, but since Fallen was a debut, I don't know if that lightning can strike twice. Still, it cements Evanescence status as legendary. That's the (not so) Bitter Truth. The revenge of the fallen. until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply. 

Rewind Reboot: January 2021

Happy New Year Everyone. Yes, I know it's March, but the year used to begin here. (In case you didn't know the prefixes Sept, Oct, Nov and Dec are latin for Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten, and that only works if the first month is March).

The point of this trivial pursuit is that I think it's easier to get 2021 under control than 2020. What I'm going to do is ditch the song categories for now and focus on the albums. And since formatting these posts with neat lists is still a problem, I will just hit the highlights. Not every album will be covered. And finally, since this is a labor of love and I am not currently an affiliate with anyone, I will link to purchase directly from the artists website.

Maybe the lockdown has mellowed me, but only 3 albums missed the mark. Two of them were worship albums New Wine Worship Forever Glorified and Grace City Music's Revival Town. Both albums are pretty good, but flat. They don't transport you to the throne. The third was a cover album by MassAnthem.

There was a full dozen (12) Perfect 5 EMERALD albums to start the year. I will highlight four of them. Graves Into Gardens Morning and Evening is a remix album of sorts by Elevation Worship. This is exactly what I mean by transported. Skin and Wind by CCM legendary musician and producer Charlie Peacock is a folk masterpiece and a rare vocal album, as he has been on an instrumental jazz tear of late. Unseen: The Lion and The Lamb by Seventh Day Slumber is a rarity. A worship album by a rock band where the band is not ashamed to adjust the songs to their sound. And finally Don't Lose Hope by Cochren and Co.  I love the style that I would dub honkey tonk rock.

The other 18 albums were in the semi-precious metal category. I'll keep track of them but won't comment here.

That wraps January. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Seeds of Healing

Amorphous - Having no definite form, pattern or structure. 

That's what the dictionary says about the title of the latest album by Icon For Hire. If that is true, perhaps Ariel is referring to chaotic emotions, but since the entire album is about these emotions, that is in itself a pattern.  

Bursting onto the rock scene in 2011 with Scripted, they immediately came into focus here at Night Beat HQ as we are quite the fans of King Midas (aka Brandon Ebel of Tooth and Nail Records). Things were rocky for the band partly due to the distribution deal with EMI which ended in 2013. A number of bands decided to strike out on their own in the ensuing chaos over licensing.

Amorphous builds on the previous two releases (You Can't Kill Us, Still Can't Kill Us) in that all 3 albums are a heavy dose of emotional therapy at a fraction of the cost of a psychiatrist. Keep Breathing, Don't Lose Focus, Your alive, not a diagnosis. While I haven't been put into a nice box by the mental health profession, the medical community made a mess of my childhood, but thank you Jesus for his healing power at age 10. 

I would describe the album as Metal, with a heavy dose of rap thrown in for good measure (especially panic attack which channels NF to a T). Speaking of Mental Health, Hazmat Suit Wednesdays seems like a wonderful idea in these times. Of course no Icon album would be complete without a spine chilling Ariel Ballad. This one is Backround sad, which I think comes in degrees, especially on milestone days like birthdays, anniversaries and the like. 

The album ends on an up note, Warrior. (The actual end is Only Be A Story, another haunting ballad. It's a somber, not depressing, wrap, putting our life on earth in perspective. It actually complements warrior). Warrior is the embodiment of the phrase "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." We are what we've overcome.

Amorphous is one of those rare albums that puts you through the emotional wash, spin cycle and wringer. When you emerge, however, you will have discovered a pattern to your emotions, and you will not be Amorphous. The first PERFECT 5 EMERALD rating of the year, due mainly to the fact that I am behind schedule for the year. Here's to making progress. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

2021: New Year, New Hope

2020 was a difficult year for a lot of us, and we here at The Night Beat we're not immune either. While we weren't affected personally by COVID, being a small time operation reliant on public computers, government overreaction to the virus threw things into disarray. While we managed to piece together Awards for #PlatVnyl9 and #PVX, year 11 is a total mess and year 12, who knows?

Our Facebook Page  is going to be the most reliable source of information right now. You will even find out that a blog post will be active there. Mostly you will find video recommendations and news of album release,maybe even short reviews. We shall see how things shape up as we continue to reinvent things. Stay with us, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.