Milestones

Times have been interesting to say the least here at Night Beat HQ recently. Part of it is personal, as I had my 30th High School Reunion recently. The old guard among my readership already know that I was a college DJ in the 80's. You young ones just learned "boy is he old". Watch it, your time is coming.

There have been a number of Milestones reached here at +The WENC Night Beat as well. We are in the middle of early voting for our FIFTH Platinum Vinyl Awards. Yeah, that's right, the big 5. I am not just wishfully thinking when I say that number five is gonna be huge. The awards have grown each year since its inception and so has the awareness from the CCM community. Based on the feedback I have received via social media this time around it may be time to get a hall and invite the celebrities. Just kidding on that one.

There have also been some changes in the Community as we know it. Stryper cover band (just kidding, but they do sound an awful lot like them) +Blessed By A Broken Heart hung up their guitars on Halloween, sounds like a Trick to me.

No breakup for the second piece of news, just a major relocation. Industrial band +White Collar Sideshow has decided to become musical missionaries and relocate to Europe. There is a big yard sale going on here's a link to their note on Facebook. I would be more upset about this (we really can't afford to lose a good industrial band), except for the fact that music is all online now. Just keep the releases coming.

Just thought I would let you know about a few things going on here at Night Beat HQ. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Platinum Collection: The Top Six

In our last post we announced the bottom half of The Platinum Dozen, the twelve best albums of the year 2012, as determined by us here at The Night Beat. We Continue now with the Top 6.

6. Blessed By A Broken Heart, Feel The Power (January 24, 2012)

I LOVE 80's Music. Probably since that was my formative decade. CCM Came into the rock era in the 80's and so did Heavy Metal, with bands such as Bloodgood and Stryper. Since then the metal world has gone screamo/thrash with those growls that always make me think "that's got to hurt". This band from Montreal has it all. Stryper like harmonies, awesome guitar shreds, and great songs. As they say on their album, "Bang Your Head, Shut Up and Rock." What a way to kick off the new year, as this was the first Perfect album of the year, coming out on January 24. Read my original post at the link. They can even do a good Metal Love song in Forever.

5. Shiny Toy Guns, III (October 22, 2012)

From Metal to Techno. Before they were in the mainstream, the duo of Chad Petree and Jeremy Dawson were well known among the Christian Fringe as Cloud 2 Ground, and though the music may have less of an obvious Christian tint, Shiny Toy Guns still has enough of C2G to please. I gave the album a Perfect 5 in my Original Post. Of course with their music videos, what is it with Carah Faye having to run everywhere. Somebody get this gorgeous blond a sports car. Another one which should clean up at next years Platinum Vinyl Awards. There is nowhere to hide from Shiny Toy Guns.

4. Project 86, Wait for the Siren (August 21, 2012)

The Hard Rockers from San Diego (no, not P.O.D.), these are the other ones strike Platinum once again. Strings, Screams, arrangements. From the opening notes of Fall Goliath Fall with its Celtic intro to the title cut which ends it, this is a Hard Rock album worth every penny. Defector is about the only place to take a breather. The title cut, placed at the end with Celtic Pipes worthy of Iona, pure genius. Definitely a Siren Song worth listening to.

3. Sarah Macintosh, Current (March 6, 2012)

The former lead singer of Chasing Furies returns with her first album in four long years and does not disappoint. Her vocals are unique in the music world, and they are expertly used in this album. About the time the album was released a series of Music Videos taken in the Recording Studio were released on Youtube. The raw energy of these recordings is breathtaking. Personally, the best of these is Damaged.

T1. Lara Landon, Overcome (May 1, 2012) and Gungor, A Creation Liturgy (October 9, 2012)

Falling for an artist was never easier. Lara is without argument the best singer in Christian Music today, and probably the only Torch Singer in the industry. Yes, I'm a guy, but there is no way to describe her voice except seductive. And her Arabic heritage allows her to pull off the middle eastern Look East without a hitch. She can even do country in Leah, and I love it. That says a lot. Get caught in the River.

There was never a doubt about number one from the moment this album was released until the PVA Year ended, and Gungor came out with their live album for the Ghosts upon the earth tour. I didn't like the studio album much, felt it lacked pop, so I was skeptical about the live album, which is usually less energetic for some reason. Not so here. If they could have captured this magic in the studio, but they didn't.

That's it folks, the Top 12 Albums for the Calendar Year 2012. I will soon come out with my PVA Top list, which goes from October 1, 2011 - September 30, 2012, and a few others will be on this list. Until then, A Merry Christmas to all from all of us here at The Night Beat.

The Frozen Chosen: Cold Steel

This quarter was a good one for Heavy Metal, and especially 80's Metal fans. Sure there were only seven qualifying releases this time around, but one of them was Feel The Power by Montreal Based Blessed By a Broken Heart. A Perfect Metal Album. Hair Metal is back, and none too soon.

Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

• Advocate - Trial and Error
• Before Their Eyes - Redemption
• Beware the Neverending - The Next Level
• Blessed By A Broken Heart - Feel The Power
• I The Breather - Truth and Purpose
• Impending Doom - Baptized in Filth
• My Children, My Bride - My Children, My Bride

Just one more post to the wrap-up. Rock is Next, and it is a huge one. Fourteen made the cut this quarter. Maybe I have to raise the bar. We'll leave that to the judging rounds next spring. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Lay Your Weapons Down

The Sixties, musically speaking, were framed by The British Invasion. Christian Music in the 21st Century is in the midst of its own International Invasion. This time it isn't the Union Jack making its audio footprint, it's the Maple Leaf.

As I have recounted in a previous post Canada has made a mark on the CCM Market here in the States. We have Lights, FM Static, Thousand Foot Krutch and Hawk Nelson from Ontario, Blessed By a Broken Heart from Quebec (Montreal), and more coming all the time.

Now it's time to add Calgary, Alberta based Kiros to the list. Maybe its time to heed the warning and Lay Your Weapons Down. I first came to hear of them through their Outlaws and Prodigals EP, and possibly so have many of their current fans. They are not a new band, however. This is their third full length album and four EP's, and play a melodic alternative not unlike Ivoryline. In fact Outlaws and Prodigals is my favorite ballad, and Unshaken, with its Ivoryline like sound is my favorite rock song on the album.

"Surrender Saves us All", as in surrender to God, is the theme, and musically speaking as well, the theme fits. This radio friendly alt-rock band is destined to take over the charts. It's been growing on me as I've listened again and again. I am going to give a final rating on this to 4.75 Emeralds.

As a special audio treat, here is Unshaken, their first single from the album. Sorry, even though it is from Youtube, it is audio only.


Don't get sold out by Good Intentions, Lay Your Weapons Down and Rock out To Kiros. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Shut Up And Rock!

It's been a long time since we at The Night Beat could let our inner headbanger out to rock. It's no secret that I am a metalhead, at least the CCM subvariety. From the moment I was introduced to metal in the 80's it was love at first bang. In this case I can say I was in on the ground floor, because even though a case can be made for Rez Band being the Father of Metal in the late 70's, it didn't gain prominence in CCM until the mid-80's with the arrival of Stryper. Other great Metal Bands of the era were Barren Cross (Stryper's Enigma Records Labelmate), Whitecross, Messiah Prophet, Sacred Warrior and Bloodgood. Though now derisively labelled Hair Metal, (I prefer the term Melodic Metal), the compination of harmonies, screaming fast guitar riffs and blast out your eardrums sound puts some of the best Thrash/Core Metal to shame (sorry TDWP, but I call it like I see it. I love you guys). Hair Metal got some heavy airplay on my Radio Show on WENC. With the exception of Stryper, a look over the CCM landscape would make you think those days were gone forever.

"Bang Your Head. Shut Up and Rock"  Such is the exhortation by Montreal based Blessed By A Broken Heart (abbreviated BBABH). What is it about Canadians and Great Music?. Their Tooth and Nail (Big Surprise) Debut Feel The Power could almost be mistaken for a Stryper Tribute Band, except for the original material. This CD takes me back to the Golden Age of Metal. Check out the guitar riffs on Skate or Die and Sleepless Nights or the Sweetesque "Devil" Scream by Lead Singer Tony Gambino on Deathwish. While there are a few well placed Thrash growls to placate some more modern metalcore fans, this is unashamedly a 80's Metal band, which the Band admits. If you have been nostalgic for the days when you could still hear the lyrics of a song regardless of the volume, this is for you. There's even a top class ballad with I've Got You.

This week the Album Streams at AOL Music, and it has been on Auto repeat for this blogger. I guess Third Time is the Charm (It's the bands third album, but its Tooth and Nail Debut). Remarkably, they started out as a Thrash band but made the transition to Melodic Metal. Though I like both styles, I LOVE the 80's Melodic style. I wish more bands would make the transformation. Maybe these guys will spark a trend.

I Feel The Power. I am giving this CD a Solid 5 Emeralds. Metal Bands, here is the bar to shoot for. King Midas sure knows where to find talent. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

P.S.- Don't forget to vote for your favorite musical decade in my poll. It closes at the end of the month.