Warm Tones: The 2012 4th Quarter - Hard Rock and Metal

Down to the final two. Our last two genres have seven and six entries each. Very well represented. First up is Hard Rock and Metal. Yes I know that there isn't much difference between this genre and rock, but it was necessary way back at the start to separate them because of the mass of entries. Without ado, Heavy Metal.

• A Bullet for Pretty Boy - Symbiosis
• As I Lay Dying - Awakened
• Becoming The Archetype - I Am
• Gideon - Milestone
• P.O.D. - Murdered Love
• Project 86 - Wait for the Siren
• Wolves at the Gate - Captors

Of the entries Project 86 stood out among the pack. Wait for the Siren garnered perfect album status and is in the final round. Also having a good shot at making the finals are A Bullet for Pretty Boy, Wolves at the Gate, As I Lay Dying, and last years winner Becoming The Archetype bidding for a repeat.

It is not looking good for P.O.D. this time around. Maybe it was the f-bomb, but I don't think so. Murdered Love didn't impress me, and I don't think it will be among the final grouping.

Another thing, we have a shot at a double chance for WATG, because both Captors and We are the Ones are in the running, the latter having been a perfect album. Rock finishes it out. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: The Time Bender

Welcome back to the latest edition of Music Video Monday. We are rapidly going through the Fourth Quarter 2012 Videos. We will wrap things up with the next two weeks, three to a post.

This week we will be doing a bit of harder music. We start off with one of my recent discoveries, and a band that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. White Collar Sideshow is a band that is a little hard to take initially, seeing that they deal with the subject of addictions. I would encourage you to take in my original post on the band first. This is the video for Monster Me from The WitcHunt.

Next up is a metal band that can put out some of the most melodic orchestral sounding arrangements ever. Even if you can't stand metal you will love these guys simply to to the arrangements. Celestial Completion was awarded best Hard Rock/Metal Album last year at the Platinum Vinyl Awards. This year they are back with I Am. This is the video for The Time Bender.

We conclude with a band which just released its album a few weeks ago. As I Lay Dying released Awakened on September 25. This is the official video for A Greater Foundation.

That concludes this edition of Music Video Monday. Next week we wrap up the 4th Quarter on a bit of a lighter note, with videos by Poema, Beckah Shae and Propaganda. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Lie to Me

Welcome to the latest edition of Music Video Monday, where since we began we have been sharing the Best Video's among the albums picked for this years Platinum Vinyl Awards. Rock is quite abundant, so we shall split this up among two weeks, and even then these will be packed posts. We will go loud and hard this monday. We will turn down the volume next week for our ears to recover.

We begin with a trip into The Cheval Glass by Emery from their latest album We Do What We Want.

We continue with Underoath and Illuminator

I don't know why, but I thought of my friends Rhiannon Paille when I picked this one. This is Magnetic Sky by Becoming the Archetype.

Next up is The Devil Wears Prada and Born to Lose.

And closing it out is Red and Lie To Me form Until we have faces.

That's a lot for one day, and we are still only halfway through the list. Sorry about the bleeding ears, but that's the price for the Rock. Next week we will have videos from Third Day, Eowyn, Worth Dying For, Icon For Hire and Switchfoot. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Spring Beats: PVA 2011 2nd Qtr Nominees - Hard Rock

The Hard Rock sub-genre produced just a handful of eligible releases this quarter, but still it was enough to merit its own (albeit short) post. I think 5 is a good cutoff.

The Eligible PVA 2011 Best Hard Rock Album Eligible Releases for the Second Quarter are:

• Celestial Completion by Becoming The Archetype
• The Great Campaign of Sabotage by Overcome
• Until We Have Faces by Red
• The Covering by Stryper
• We are the Ones by Wolves at the Gate 

I have posted the link to the full review in case of B.T.A. and Red. Much more to come, as well as the long awaited award post ceremonies for the 2010 Platinum Vinyl Awards. 

Celestial Completion

I consider myself a fairly well rounded person, musically speaking, and I can find something to enjoy about just about any style of music (county & southern gospel excepted). That being said, I think I am a headbanger at heart.

We close out March (though this post is written in April) with two albums that any headbanger will love. Not surprisingly, both are signed to the most successful label in the Christian Music Industry Tooth and Nail Records (along with its sub-labels BEC Recordings and Solid State Records), which happen to be run by King Midas himself, Brandon Ebel.

First out of the review gate is Georgia Metal Band Becoming the Archetype and their latest release Celestial Completion. In their writeup accompanying their listening party, the folks at AOL Music described B.T.A. as experimental, and if such is the case, then I am in favor of experimentation, at least musically speaking. The album primarily is described as Thrash Metal or Death Metal (in the Christian Music world Apocalyptic is possibly a better word, as the dominant theme is the end of the world, not life), continuing the tradition proudly begun by Saint. The thrash growls are highly understandable, a rarity, and there is an abundance of clean vocals. The experimentation is diverse, and can throw one for a loop. There are Sitars (yes, you heard right, sitars) on the instrumental, blink and you'll miss it Invisible Creatures, Opera on The Resonant Frequency of Flesh, and the DDMHO/OC Supertones Channeling Cardiac Rebellion (this one has to be heard to be believed). Finally there is the three part Rock Opera (Music of the Spheres, Elemental Wrath, and Xenosynthesis, all under the umbrella of Requiem Aeternam). The ride is thrilling, and worth it. I give Celestial Completion a near perfect score of 4.75 Emeralds. Even if metalcore or Death Metal, isn't your cup of tea, I encourage you to give Becoming the Archetype a listen. They have cooked up a giant smorgasbord so that everyone may find something that appeals to their taste. Experimentation. It's a good thing.