Shemita Songs: The 2015 Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Qtr - Rock

We are heading down the stretch folks. Rock was tied with Modern Worship for the second most entries this quarter. The big surprise in that statement isn't that rock wasn't well represented at other times, it is that Modern Worship wasn't number one. A dozen entries is pretty good. Let's get to it.

Rock Music

• Carrollton - Sunlight And Shadows
• Disciple - The Best of 2005 - 2013
• Disciple - Vultures
• Memphis May Fire - Unconditional: Deluxe Edition
• Needtobreathe - Rivers EP
• Pillar - One Love Revolution
• 7eventh Time Down - God Is on the Move
• Sidewalk Prophets - Something Different
• Thousand Foot Krutch - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Thousand Foot Krutch
• Tree63 - Land
• Veridia - Pretty Lies EP 
• XXI - Inside Out

Next up is the big winner, and it was POP. Who woulda thunk it. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: August 2015

Eleven down, one to go. Once September is done we can put the cover on the #PlatVnyl6 pool and open the #PlatVnyl7 pool for entries. 7 Years. God Is Good. There was one song released in August, and that was the Title Track for Stryper's upcoming album Fallen. It wasn't as good as Yahweh, but you would be very rarely have two perfect songs, even on a perfect album. I give it 4.75 Emeralds.

We begin our album coverage with those releases which, while pretty good (I haven't found a real stinker in years), just aren't platinum.

Missing The Mark

• Between The Trees & Ryan Kirkland - Wanderer 3.75 Emeralds
• Rend Collective Experiment - As Family We Go 3.75 Emeralds
• Jim Sonefeld - Love EP 3.50 Emeralds
• United Pursuit Band - Simple Gospel 3.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Top 25 Hymns: The Old Rugged Cross 3.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - War Room: Music From The Original Motion Picture 3.75 Emeralds
• Aaron Watkins - Chasing After You 3.75 Emeralds

I was very disappointed by Rend Collective, they sounded so ordinary. While I don't know much about United Pursuit, I do know that Michael Ketterer teamed up with Har Megiddo, so I had my expectations. The next group not only met my expectations, they smashed through them.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• JJ Heller - Sound of a Living Heart 5 Emeralds
• Toby Mac - This Is Not A Test 5 Emeralds
• P.O.D. - The Awakening 5 Emeralds
• Pillar - One Love Revolution 5 Emeralds
• Sidewalk Prophets - Something Different 5 Emeralds

All I can say to this quintet is WOW. JJ Heller burst out of her folk mold to be a certified Pop Star. Pillar reformed its original lineup and returned to the rap-core sound that I loved on Fireproof. P.O.D. likewise reached heights like a Satellite, and even Toby Mac has put out his best album in a while. I know, I didn't dote on the Sidewalk Prophets, but they were awesome as well. Now on to the ones in the middle

Semi-Precious Metal

• Brinson - Until We Meet Again 4.75 Emeralds
• Tasha Cobbs - One Place (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• Disciple - The Best of 2005-2013 4.75 Emeralds
• Abigail Duhon - More Than Gold 4.50 Emeralds
• For A Season - I Will Wait 4.75 Emeralds
• Ghost Ship - Costly 4.50 Emeralds
• Geoffrey Golden - Kingdom Live 4.75 Emeralds
• Travis Greene - Intentional EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Gungor - One Wild Life: Soul 4.75 Emeralds
• Cheri Keaggy - No Longer My Own 4.75 Emeralds
• Bridgett Kern - No One Greater 4.75 Emeralds
• Nichole Nordeman - The Unmaking EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Natasha Owens - No One But You 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy Rosado - Heartbeat 4.50 Emeralds
• 7eventh Time Down - #GODISONTHEMOVE 4.75 Emeralds
• Aaron Shust - Doxology 4.75 Emeralds
• Thi'sl - Heavy Is The Head 4.25 Emeralds
• Tony Tillman - Camden 4.50 Emeralds
• Tony Tillman - Camden (Instrmentals) 4.50 Emeralds
• John Waller - Crazy Faith 4.50 Emeralds
• WARR Acres - Future 4.75 Emeralds

I am going to forgo links once again to get this out. I think I shall go back and do the old ones. If I don't they shall never get done. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Red Rocks Your Faces Off

Until We Have Faces, the third release by Hard Rock band Red, is the follow up to their Grammy Award Nominated and Dove Award Winning Best Rock Album (Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album for the Grammy's) Innocence and Instinct. It is a fine follow up, and they seem to have gone harder this time, even including a few thrash growls here and there, though their trademark clean vocals still rule. I'm not surprised that they chose to go harder this time. After Pillar abandoned the Rap-Core style that I was familiar with (I was introduced them during Fireproof) and basically copied Red for Confessions, even to the point of using Red's producer, it was a foregone conclusion that Red would reinvent itself.

The album is an almost non stop adrenaline rush. Wisely though there are two rest stops. Red has always been know for awesome ballads and here there are two. Not Alone, which is the string heavy sixth track, could almost be interpreted as a modern worship song, but it doesn't quite fit that mold. It really is a plea from Father God for the Prodigal to return, no matter what he has done, that God still loves them.

And I will be your hope
When you feel like it’s over
And I will pick you up
When your whole world shatters
And when you’re finally in my arms
You’ll look up and see, love has a face

Since I just love symphonic rock, this is my favorite cut on the Album. It is my opinion that most rock music would be greatly improved if they would incorporate strings into the mix somehow, or horns. By way of example check out Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, The Annie Moses Band, Skillet, and the O.C. Supertones. The album finishes slow, with the regular ballad The Best is Yet to Come and the haunting Hymn for the Missing.

In my opinion this is the best RED yet, even better than innocence and instinct, which is hard to imagine. I give this release a full 5 Emeralds making it a certainty that it will get into the Final List of Nominees next year when the 2011 Platinum Vinyl Awards are handed out. As they always say, Red will draw attention every time.