The World I Used To Know: It Rocked

Christian Contemporary Music owes a lot to Scott Stapp. Not only was Creed and its Spiritual lyrics instrumental in forging a new Alternative Music like U2 before them. Though not having as prolific offspring as contemporaries Evanescence, Kutless and Jeremy Camp owe their existence to the "Creed Sound".

Creed has been gone for a while now, but frontman Scott Stapp has forged a solo career that like his former band has found a welcome home among the CCM faithful. The Space Between The Shadows is his third Solo outing and the second covered by this iteration of The Night Beat.

The Space Between The Shadows is Stapp's "Hardest" album to date in this reviewers opinion. There really is no letup on this album. The Album begins with the near metal World I Used To Know, and except for a few breathers, (Heaven In Me, Wake Up Call, Gone Too Soon and Mary's Crying) doesn't let up. Heaven in Me has a definite Third Day/Mac Powell vibe going on. He does Southern well. 

It's hard to pick a favorite on this one. Part of Me wants Purpose For Pain with it's screaming guitar solo, and part want's Gone Too Soon which deals with premature death.
"Gone Too Soon My Friend, I know that you're dancing with angels on the wind. It's not the end. Until I reach forever, and we're together, you will always be Gone Too Soon." Hearing this song I remember my college friend Ben Rieder, who was hit by an auto at the Grand Canyon. At the time, it hit all of us at ENC hard, but I really got to heal when I heard For Whom Does The Bell Toll by Messiah Prophet. This got to me the same way.

I am giving The Space Between The Shadows a Perfect 5 Emerald rating. Even this Word of Faith Protestant can overlook Mary's Crying. The World I Used To Know Rocked and I thing The World I Know Now is on the right track. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

#PlatVnyl3 - Male Vocalist of The Year

We try to keep things honest here at PVA Central (I know, that sounds like a home improvement store). The Male and Female Vocalists of the Year are the place where shenanigans take place, usually in the form of having a band front man (i.e. John Cooper of Skillet) nominated as a Male Vocalist. Because of things like that, our rule is that any nominated vocalist must have released an album under his own name during the year of eligibility. There were 5 nominated vocalists.

• Chris August
• Lecrae
• Andrew Peterson
• Mac Powell
• Phil Wickham

I can hear the objection as I write. "Mac Powell, he's the Lead Vocalist for Third Day". Yes, that's true. Third Day released Miracle back in November, and that will be considered for the 4th Platinum Vinyl Awards. However, way back in August Mac released a self titled album in time for these 3rd Awards.

A funny thing happened on the way to the voting. People with me from the start know I have a distaste for Country Music. Since Mac publicized his album as Country, one would think that would have knocked him out of the running. Well it didn't. Mac wisely didn't stray too far from Third Day and it was more Southern than their usual Southern Rock, but it was rock enough. Mac's got a great drawly rock voice which makes him instantly recognizable and puts him apart from the crowd. It also means that Mac Powell is the Platinum Vinyl Award winner for Male Vocalist of The Year. 

That concludes our first wrap up post. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Miracles on The Third Day

Yes you can expect a Miracle [+digital booklet] . Southern Rock fans everywhere held their collective breaths a while back when they heard that Third Day Frontman Mac Powell was releasing a solo album. With the recent breakup of a number of bands, it is no wonder. When we heard the album would be a country album, a few of us were doubly concerned.

Well we can all breathe now. Not only did the self titled country release impress us here at Night Beat HQ, it did it by realizing it was best not to stray too far from Third Day.

Third Day has matured a lot over the years, and I should know. I have been on board since the bands second album, Conspiracy No. 5 (1997). When I heard them for the first time during the inaugural Inside Out Soulfest (1998) at Loon Mountain, I immediately was drawn to the Bass Heavy, Plodding Rock Sound reminiscent of 70's Bands. While that has mellowed a bit, the band rocks out just fine.

Miracle hits you like a bomb, to quote the opening cut. Personally, I think it is better than the previous release, Move. A little less country, a little more Adult Contemporary.

Of course one of the trademarks of any Third Day is the worship, and on this album the worship is covered by Your Love is Like A River, You are my everything, and Morning Has Broken. There is one music video out, and that is for I need a Miracle.

I have one complaint about this album, and that is that the opening cut is the hardest cut on the album, and the next hardest is The Victory (track 8) and then Times Running Out On Me. The rest of the album is pretty AC friendly. Because of that I'm only giving Miracle [+digital booklet] 4.75 Emeralds. It could have been a perfect album if it had a few more rock numbers. Still, it should be well primed to make the final pool in the 4th PVA's. Click on the links to buy the album and support The Night Beat at the same time. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Warm Tones: The 2012 4th Quarter - Rock

The end is here. At least the announcement of  the 4th Quarter eligible releases for the 3rd Annual Platinum Vinyl Awards. The final genre is Rock, and there were six eligible entries in this quarter. Once again, that is almost an entire genre list in the finals.

One change, I have decided to make this post on a Sunday, and I usually take Sunday off. However I made an executive decision to run a Sunday post in order to start things off fresh with Music Video Monday. Without ado, Rock the 4th.

• Flatfoot 56 - Toil
• The Insyderz - The Sinner's Songbook (International Version)
• Petra - More Power to Ya: 30th Anniversary Edition
• Petra - This Means War: 25th Anniversary Edition
• Mac Powell - Mac Powell
• Rhett Walker Band - Come to the River

That completes the 4th Quarter 2012 Rollout. Some may be surprised to see Mac Powell in my list of Rock entries, considering his solo debut was marketed as Country. When I listened to the album, I didn't think it strayed but a few centimeters from the Third Day Southern Rock Tree. Of course that's a very fine line with Powell, but he walks it fine. Of the above entries The Insyderz and Rhett Walker Band have the best chance to move on to the finals. Until Music Video Monday, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Greatest Story Ever Sung

"Music Inspired by..." When I see a CD with this intro I know two things immediately.

1. It isn't the official soundtrack
2. It's probably not worth buying

So you can imagine my reaction when the homepage of New Release Tuesday sported a listening party for Music Inspired by The Story. Actually my first reaction was "What's The Story?" Come to find out it's not a movie, but a Bible. Yes a Bible. The Bible as a continuous story.

The Instrumental Overture kicks things off, and I kind of hope it was a movie, because the orchestral arrangement is definitely soundtrack worthy.

I have one big complaint. NRT should have broken the stream into two parts. Using my libraries account, I get 55 minutes, and that is just about the length of the first disc. However, there is no way to fast forward, so you have to start again at the beginning. So there is no way to just get to disc two. A shame.

This is a two disc CD, and like the Bible itself, Disc one is the Old Testament and Disc Two the new. One minor Biblical nitpick. Like I said, the concept is that the Bible is arranged as a continuous narrative story, but there is a chronological error. The Old Testament is as follows: Creation, Adam & Eve, Abraham & Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Ruth & Naomi, David, Daniel, Esther, Job. The error is the last song. Despite its position in the Bible, only Genesis-Esther is arranged in rough chronological order. Most Bible Scholars place Job somewhere between Abraham and Moses in time.

The Big Guns came out for this, and I think they will be having a Christmas Tour to support the album. That should be something to catch. Leigh Nash, Casting Crowns, Brandon Heath, Peter Furler, Mandisa, and Mac Powell among others. Actually, the only minor miscast here may be Mandisa. While I loved her Album, her casting as "Esther" was mistaken IMHO, considering the orchestration of the album. Overture and the filling orchestration sounds so much like Are You Ready? from Beckah Shae's album Destiny, that I think she should have been on it. Just Saying.

This is a majestic concept album, and it delivers. I'm a sucker for strings, and there are strings in spades here. I'm going to go out and give this album a full 5 Emeralds, and then figure out where I'm going to put it. Any thoughts, readers? I am Awaiting Your Reply.