Chaotic Symphonies: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Quarter - Hard Rock and Metal

Time to turn up the volume to 11. Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is the second part of our two genre tie for 5. Let's get to it.

Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

• August Burns Red - Constellations Remixed
• Comrades - For We Are Not Yet, We Are Only Becoming
• Death Therapy - Voices
• Diviner - Realms of Time
• My Epic - Violence EP

A nice veteran lineup. Alternative is next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Chaotic Symphonies: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Da Big Un

Or The Big One, if you must be grammatically correct. We have finally come to our third quarter wrap during eligibility year #PVX. Also those with me from the start know that I start out with a megapost, because I have a minimum bar of 5 entries for a genre to have a solo post. This quarter we ran into a problem. Four genres have only 1 entry, which even combined would not make the minimum bar, and then we have a three and a four. So here it is a 6 genre, 11 album post. I wont even try to come up with a cutesy title. Let's get to....the big one.

Children's Music

• Gateway Kids Worship - All of Me EP

Compilation Album

• FixT Neon - After Dark

Electronic - Industrial 

• Dear Gravity - The Pilgrimage Series: Departure

Instrumental Music

• Dear Gravity - The Pilgrimage Series: Departure

Rap/Hip-Hop

• Brinson - Reversing Tomorrow
• 5ive - Family Business 
• J-Heir - Headstrong

Remix Album

• August Burns Red - Constellations (Remixed)
• Jesus Loves Electro - Made To Be Remixes EP
• TobyMac - Scars (Come With Livin) Remixes EP
• Branan Murphy - Coming Home Remixes EP

And We are underway. We move on to our single genre posts right away. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: June 2019

It's July, and that means that we now enter into the final quarter of #PVX. Just three months to go.

The Singles Scene

• Danielle Apicella - Wilderness (ft Torey D'Shaun and Byron Juane) 4.75 Emeralds
• Attaboy - Waking Up 5 Emeralds
• Cristabelle Braden - Not Giving Up 4.75 Emeralds
• Bridgewater - Shine 4.50 Emeralds
• Jeremy Camp - Still Alive 5 Emeralds
• Citizen Way - The Lord's Prayer 4.75 Emeralds
• Quinten Coblentz - Stay (ft Eric Ford) 5 Emeralds
• Cochren & Co - Church (Take Me Back)(Acoustic) 5 Emeralds
• Cochren & Co - I Got You 5 Emeralds
• Color Theory - Glory Days (Marco Dassi Remix) 4.75 Emeralds
• Color Theory - Sniper 4.75 Emeralds
• Alan Cox - Dead Things Come Alive 4.50 Emeralds
• Crowder - Let It Rain (Is There Anybody?) (at Melrose Billiards Parlor ft Mandisa) 5 Emeralds
• Sean Curran - The Great Migration 4.75 Emeralds
• DJ em-D - Pursue ft Sajan Nauriyal 5 Emeralds
• David Dunn - The Human Condition 4.75 Emeralds
• Embassy - Galaxy of Hope 5 Emeralds
• da Foo - Heroine 3.50 Emeralds
• For All Seasons - Life In Your Love 5 Emeralds
• For King and Country - God Only Knows (ft Echosmith) (Timbaland Remix) 5 Emeralds
• Dear Gravity - Voyager (Salt of The Sound Remix) 5 Emeralds
• Jason Gray - Order Disorder Reorder 4.75 Emeralds
• Sara Groves - Behold (ft Propaganda, Robbie Seay Band, Audrey Assad & Ellie Holcomb) 5 Emeralds
• Matt Hammitt - Footprints (Acoustic) 4.75 Emeralds
• Highlands Worship - Crown Him Lord of All (All Hail The Power) 4.75 Emeralds
• Jacksayfree - Trust In You 4.25 Emeralds
• King Dame - Lean on God ft JK 4.50 Emeralds
• Lara Landon - Starting Again 4.75 Emeralds
• Mark Lee - Your Love Will Find Me 5 Emeralds
• Legin - fear Not 5 Emeralds
• TobyMac - Hello Future (DJ Maj Par-T-Side Remix) 4.75 Emeralds
• Teressa Mahoney - Not A Love Story 5 Emeralds
• Rachael Nemiroff - Belong 4.75 Emeralds
• North Point Inside Out - Here I Am ft Kaycee Hines 4.75 Emeralds
• Ginny Owens - Magnified 4.75 Emeralds
• Mac Powell and The Family Reunion - Back Again 4.75 Emeralds
• Red - The Evening Hate 5 Emeralds
• Rend Collective - Your Name Is Power 5 Emeralds
• The Rocket Summer - Peace Signs 5 Emeralds
• Allan Scott - Bright 4.75 Emeralds
• Skillet - Anchor 5 Emeralds
• Skillet - Save Me 5 Emeralds
• Oh Sleeper - The Island 5 Emeralds
• JSteph - Worth It All ft Matthew Tuck 4.50 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - Rather Be Lost ft Cade Thompson 5 Emeralds
• Trinity - Living To Love 4.75 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship - More Than Everything 5 Emeralds
• Zach Williams - Rescue Story 5 Emeralds
• Wolves At The Gate - Drifter 5 Emeralds

That's a lot of singles. On to the albums, and we begin with those albums which will not make the #PVX finals.

Missing The Mark

• Egypt Speaks - Wanderer 3.75 Emeralds
• Kevi Morse - Reality 3.75 Emeralds
• Reconcile - Streets Don't Love You 2 3.75 Emeralds
• Unspoken - Reason 4.25 Emeralds

Must be softening in the heat. Only four missing the mark seems low. The next group meets and exceeds all expectations.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Apollo LTD - Out Of Body 5 Emeralds
• August Burns Red - Constellations (Remixed) 5 Emeralds
• Diviner - Realms of Time 5 Emeralds
• J-Heir - Headstrong 5 Emeralds

I am really impressed with J-Heir. Word Based Rap is hard to come by. Most of the albums, as always, are in the middle.

Semi-Precious Metals

• Canyon Hills Worship - As Long As I Live Volume 2 (Live) EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Riley Clemmons - Fighting For Me EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Comrades - For We Are Not Yet We Are Only Becoming 4.75 Emeralds
• Sean Curran - Bigger Than I Thought EP 4.75 Emeralds
• 5ive - Family Business 4.75 Emeralds
• Gateway Kids Worship - All of Me EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Gloria Gaynor - Testimony 4.75 Emeralds
• Jesus Loves Electro - Made To Be Remixes EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Leem of The Earth - Chapter Three EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Elle Limebear - Elle Limebear EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Karlos Nichols - Be Alright EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (Come Alive) (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Amy Savin - Unveiled 4.75 Emeralds
• Shane and Shane - The Worship Initiative Volume 17 4.75 Emeralds
• The Sing Team - Live On! 4.75 Emeralds
• Shae Wilbur - Unmoveable EP 4.75 Emeralds

June is in the Bag. The Third Quarter is over. Time for the Wrap. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: February 2019

We are two thirds of the way through the second quarter of #PVX (Platinum Vinyl 10 to the rest of you). And what a quarter it is January started us off with 4 Perfect 5's and February has blown that away with 11 Perfect 5's. It's a Temptation that may be impossible to Resist.

The Singles Scene

• Meredith Andrews - Open Over Us (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Apollo LTD - Heaven (All Around You) 5 Emeralds
• Battledrums - Breakthrough 4.75 Emeralds
• Big Daddy Weave - Alive 4.75 Emeralds
• Bonray - Love U Forever 4.75 Emeralds
• Marci Coleman - Timeline 4.75 Emeralds
• The Color - The Kind of Man 5 Emeralds
• Dayseye - Victory 4.75 Emeralds
• Demon Hunter - Close Enough 5 Emeralds
• Demon Hunter - More Than Bones 5 Emeralds
• Deraj - Everything 4.75 Emeralds
• Deraj - Genes 4.50 Emeralds
• DJ Em-D - Away ft Shope 4.75 Emeralds
• Embassy - Jehovah Jireh (ft Deraj) 5 Emeralds
• For All Seasons - Light and Momentary 5 Emeralds
• GAWVI - Hope You Say 4.75 Emeralds
• Chad Graham - You say/Look Up Child/Rescue/Still Rolling Stones 5 Emeralds
• Sara Groves - Jesus See The Traveler 4.75 Emeralds
• HGHTS - Somebody ft Kristen Hicks 5 Emeralds
• Koryn Howthorne - Unstoppable ft Lecrae 5 Emeralds
• Luke and Anna Hellebronth - Abide 5 Emeralds
• JJ Heller - The Place Where Lost Things Go (from Mary Poppins Returns) 5 Emeralds
• Highlands Worship - Jesus You Alone 5 Emeralds
• Hillsong United - As You Find Me (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Hollyn - Good Times 4.75 Emeralds
• Influencers - Just The Cross 5 Emeralds
• Ledger - Completely 5 Emeralds
• Elle Limebear - Call On Your Name 5 Emeralds
• Local Sound - Never Far 4.75 Emeralds
• Dianne Michelle - Let It Be Evident 4.75 Emeralds
• Narrow Skies - Season of Gold 5 Emeralds
• Neon Feather - Come To Life ft Matty Mullins 4.75 Emeralds
• Christy Nockels - In Every Way 5 Emeralds
• Pastor Victor Onwundi - You are at the centre 4.25 Emeralds
• Brian Ortize - Only Jesus ft London Gatch 5 Emeralds
• Ginny Owens - Echo 4.75 Emeralds
• Passion - Step Into The Light ft Sean Curran [Live From Passion 2019] 4.75 Emeralds
• Plumb - Somebody Loves You 5 Emeralds
• Royal Company - Found In You 4.75 Emeralds
• John Schlitt - Fighting The Fight 4.75 Emeralds
• Beckah Shae - You Are 5 Emeralds
• Shonlock - Gnarly 4.75 Emeralds
• Michael W. Smith - Waymaker ft Vanessa Camapgna & Madelyn Berry 5 Emeralds
• Social Club Misfits - Everytime 4.50 Emeralds
• Stars Go Dim - It's Gonna Get Better 4.75 Emeralds
• JSteph - Erasing History 5 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - Close ft Evan and Eris 4.75 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - More Love ft CASS 4.75 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship - You're Carrying Me 4.75 Emeralds
• Kevin Ward - He Loves 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy James Whitaker - Promise Me 5 Emeralds
• Jeremy James Whitaker - Tell Me What Is Real 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy James Whitaker - Turmoil (Ju5tabu5t Remix) 4.75 Emeralds
• Ian Yates - Deconstruction 5 Emeralds

54 Entries. Yikes. That's a lot of songs. If there are a comparable number of albums released we will soon be inundated. On to the albums, and we begin with the albums which do not make the cut.

Missing The Mark

• Xay Hill - Red Ranger: Part 3 3.75 Emeralds
• 1k Phew - What's Understood 4.25 Emeralds
• Slow Coming Day - 1,000 Years (Like A Day) 4.25 Emeralds

3 Missing The Mark is pretty low, but it's still okay. You'll wonder when you see the next segment.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Adelaide - Strong + Brave 5 Emeralds
• Evan and Eris - Seasons 5 Emeralds
• London Gatch - New Stories 5 Emeralds
• Donald Lawrence - Goshen 5 Emeralds
• New Hope Oahu - Scripture Songs 5 Emeralds
• Brady Novotny - Passions Collide 5 Emeralds
• Michael W. Smith - Awaken: The Surrounded Experience 5 Emeralds
• The Tommies - The Tommies Reunion 5 Emeralds
• 29:11 Worship - Marble and Mortar, Volume 1 5 Emeralds
• Various - Lift Every Voice and Sing, Volume 1 5 Emeralds
• Within Temptation - Resist 5 Emeralds

3 MTM to 11 Perfect. It appears that the candy store is open for business. But Hey, it's February, and candy and chocolate is in style. We have many criteria to pick a Perfect 5 Album, probably as many as the genres themselves. One of the major criteria is that the album is perceived as perfectly representing the genre that it is in. And in the case of New Hope Oahu, I have given a 5 for the effort. Turning non psalms into music is quite an undertaking. Most will not do it. On to the music in the middle.

Semi-Precious Metals

• August Burns Red - Phantom Sessions EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Becca Bradley - Heaven Come Down 4.50 Emeralds
• Cross Point Music - Cross Point Music 4.75 Emeralds
• Dayseye - Victory EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Elias Dummer - The Works, Volume 1 4.75 Emeralds
• Keith and Kristen Getty - Sing! Psalms: Ancient and Modern (Live at The Getty Music Worship Conference) 4.75 Emeralds
• Chad Graham - First 4.75 Emeralds
• Alex Holt and Free Worship - Grace.Mercy.Love 4.75 Emeralds
• Rick Lee James - Thunder 4.75 Emeralds
• Lindy and The Circuit Riders - Driven By Love 4.50 Emeralds
• Radiate Worship - Come Alive 4.50 Emeralds
• The Recording Collective - Gospel Volume 3: Yes And Amen EP 4.75 Emeralds
• K-Ross - Son 4.75 Emeralds
• The Ruins - The Ruins EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Shane and Shane - Hymns (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• Switch - Symphony EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Chris Tomlin - Is He Worthy? EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Upperroom - To The One 4.75 Emeralds
• Cory Voss - Songs of The House (ft Madison Street Worship) 4.75 Emeralds

That does it for February. March is already off to a Lions start. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

 

Night Beat Rewind: October 2017

#PlatVnyl9 has begun, and looking at the entries which crossed our desk this month, this will be the biggest yet. We seem to say that every year, and that means we're growing. 

Before we get to the music, a few announcements. First up, the Missing The Mark section has grown. Beginning with this year the minimum bar to reach the pool will be 4.50 Emeralds instead of 4. This is mostly an accounting matter, since no 4.50 rated album has won a Platinum Vinyl Award in its history.

Second, #PlatVnyl7 is just about ready to be unwrapped. I am leaning toward dribbling out the results over several days, in order to avoid the ire of Facebook. Hopefully the slow revelation will not turn my fans away. On to the start of #PlatVnyl9

The Singles Scene

• Anthem Lights - Just Be You (ft Sadie Robertson) 4.75 Emeralds
• Dee Black - Good Day ft Eshon Burgundy 4.50 Emeralds 
• Antoine (fka ABIV) Bradford - Safe 4.50 Emeralds 
• Capital Kings - Rip It Up (ft Aaron Cole) 4.50 Emeralds
• Datin ft Bizzle - Words You Don't Say 3.50 Emeralds
• Jordan Feliz - Witness 5 Emeralds
• Trip Lee - Forever 4.75 Emeralds 
• Levi the Poet - Sanctuary Cities 2,50 Emeralds
• Derek Minor - This Morning ft Anesha Birchett 4.75 Emeralds
• Nerva - Mind, Body, Soul 4.50 Emeralds
• PoetiCS - On My Grind 2.75 Emeralds
• S.O. - All Day ft JSon and Mission 4.75 Emeralds
• Ryan Stevenson - Lift You Up 4.75 Emeralds

A very good scene with 13 (very Halloweenish) entries. Of course there are some Tricks in this list. Spoken Word may be the next to get banned from the Night Beat. It is the most incomprehensible stuff I have ever heard. Poetry it is not. On to the albums, and we begin with Christmas Releases (I know, but we can't fight it). They are not eligible for the awards.

Christmas Music (Non-Eligible)

• Meredith Andrews - Receive Our King 4.75 Emeralds
• Jonathan Cain - Unsung Noel 5 Emeralds
• Casting Crowns - It's Finally Christmas 4.75 Emeralds
• Hillsong Worship - The Peace Project 4.50 Emeralds
• Shelly E. Johnson - Christmas Is Beautiful 4.75 Emeralds
• Hannah Kerr - Emmanuel 4.50 Emeralds 
• For KING and COUNTRY - A For KING and COUNTRY Christmas: Live In Phoenix 5 Emeralds 
• Chris Tomlin - Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship (Deluxe/Live)  4.50 Emeralds
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Christmas EP 5 Emeralds    
• Various - The Star: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 5 Emeralds 

A good start to the Christmas Music Scene. I may make an exception to the non-eligible rule for The Star, since it also qualifies as a Compilation. It is an under-represented genre as such, so any help helps. On to the non seasonal releases, and we begin with the Miss The Marks, those that do not make the pool. 

Missing The Mark

• Davis Absolute - Eden EP 3.50 Emeralds
• Deepspace 5 - 5:55 3.75 Emeralds
• Horizon Music - Victory 4.25 Emeralds
• The Ongoing Concept - Places 3.75 Emeralds
• The Porters Gate - Work Songs 4 Emeralds
• Serge - Rookie Season EP 4.25 Emeralds
• Sivion - Dark Side of the Cocoon 3.50 Emeralds 
• K Sparks - Urban Couture 3.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - The Hurricane Relief Compilation: 40 Days 3.25 Emeralds
• Various Artists - The Hurricane Relief Compilation: 40 Nights 3.25 Emeralds 
• Big Yae - We Gone Shine (Deluxe) 3.75 Emeralds 

Almost a dozen missing the mark. That is a good way to start off the new year. Trust me. The more rejected the easier it is for the cream to rise to the top. And now, The Cream.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Julie Elias - A Girl Like Me 5 Emeralds
• Beautiful Eulogy - Worthy 5 Emeralds
• Brandon Heath - Faith, Hope, Love, Repeat 5 Emeralds
• Light City Music - In Rivers 5 Emeralds
• Matt and Toby - I Quit Church 5 Emeralds
• Red - Gone 5 Emeralds
• Salt of The Sound - In Prayer EP 5 Emeralds
• Tye Tribbett - The Bloody Win (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Various - The Star: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 5 Emeralds
• Within Silence - Return From The Shadows 5 Emeralds
• Young Oceans - Suddenly (or The Nuclear Sunburst of The Truth Revealed) 5 Emeralds

11 Perfect albums, from 7 different genres. It's good to spread it around. Now to those in the middle of the pack.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Adam Agee - Paper Planes EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Anthem Lights - Painted Skies 4.75 Emeralds
• Ashes Remain - Let The Light In 4.75 Emeralds
• August Burns Red - Phantom Anthem 4.75 Emeralds
• The Knu Black (fka Out of the Blue) - Ohana 4.50 Emeralds
• B-L'attitude - Elevated Love 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy Camp - The Answer 4.75 Emeralds
• Carrollton - Everything or Nothing 4.75 Emeralds  
• Cherry Hills Worship - Cherry Hills Worship 4.75 Emeralds
• The Gray Havens - Ghost of a King Live 4.75 Emeralds
• Higher Vision - For Your Kingdom 4.50 Emeralds
• ICF Worship - The Journey: A Collection 4.50 Emeralds
• Carmen Justice - Against The Odds EP 4.75 Emeralds
• KB - Today We Rebel 4.75 Emeralds
• Tomi Malm - Walking On Air 4.75 Emeralds
• New Morrow - Ride On 4.50 Emeralds
• Mychildren Mybride - Vicious World 4.75 Emeralds 
• NF - Perceptions 4.75 Emeralds
• Parxx - Uncharted 4.75 Emeralds
• Pursue Worship - Let It Rise (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• J Reynolds - Fire and The Flood 4.75 Emeralds
• Scandroid - Monochrome 4.75 Emeralds
• Southville - Freedom's Tree 4.75 Emeralds
• Substance I.O. - Input Output 4.50 Emeralds
• John Tibbs - Heartland 4.75 Emeralds
• Micah Tyler - Different 4.75 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship - Wear The Crown: Anchour Studio Sessions EP 4.75 Emeralds 
• The Welcome Wagon - Light Up The Stairs 4.75 Emeralds
• C West - Hide and Seek 4.50 Emeralds

Over two dozen in the middle. Where most should be. Looks like the start of a very big year. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.