Night Beat Rewind: October 2019 - Album Edition

October Marks a Month of Firsts. Our First Singles Scene Only Rewind, which makes a First Album Only Rewind. This will probably be a permanent fixture unless we get to a really lean month. Right now I do not anticipate that happening. Let's get right to it.

Christmas Music (Non-Eligible)

• Jonathan Butler - Christmas Together 5 Emeralds
• Riley Clemmons - The First Christmas EP 5 Emeralds
• The Collingsworth Family - A True Family Christmas 4.75 Emeralds
• The Erwins - What Christmas Really Means 4.75 Emeralds
• Keith and Kristyn Getty - Sing: An Irish Christmas - Live at the Grand Ole Opry House 5 Emeralds
• Danny Gokey - The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Collection 4.75 Emeralds
• Sara Groves - Joy Of Every Longing Heart 4.75 Emeralds
• Ernie Haase and Signature Sound - A Jazzy Little Christmas 5 Emeralds
• Marc Martel - The Christmas Collection 4.75 Emeralds
• Andrew Peterson - Behold The Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of The Coming of Christ 4.75 Emeralds
• The Singing Contractors - Building A Christmas Together 4.25 Emeralds
• Phil Wickham - Christmas 4.75 Emeralds

These are always the most "honest" of my ratings. Since there is no Christmas Music category, I try to capture how I feel about the quality of each album and try not to fudge to make it squeeze into a nomination. On to the non-holiday judged albums. We begin with the albums which will not make the cut.

Missing The Mark

• The Blamed - The Church is Hurting People 4.25 Emeralds
• Mike REAL - Moonwalk EP 3.75 Emeralds

Only two on this list. That will grow, hopefully, as the year goes on. You have to distinguish between what is truly excellent and what is only pretty good. In olden times of yore it was called being "Discriminating". It was a mark of excellent character until it became associated with the Democrat Party (you know, the party of Slavery, Jim Crow,and the KKK). When you have "Discriminating Taste" you will know that the next grouping is beyond excellent.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Color Theory - Lucky Ago 5 Emeralds
• Dear Gravity - Sleep Scenes 5 Emeralds
• Every Nation Music - Seven Verse Nine 5 Emeralds
• For All Seasons - Side A EP 5 Emeralds
• Kirk Franklin - Past and Present, Volume 1 EP 5 Emeralds
• Hollyn - Bye, Sad Girl EP 5 Emeralds
• Lifepoint Worship - Heart of Heaven 5 Emeralds
• The Maker and The Instrument - Instrumental Songs of Worship 5 Emeralds
• Norma Jean - All Hail 5 Emeralds
• Chuckie Perez - Faith Hope and Love 5 Emeralds
• Michael Sweet - Ten 5 Emeralds
• Thi'sl - STTAG 5 Emeralds
• White Collar Sideshow - I Didn't Come Here To Die 5 Emeralds
• Whosoever South - Backwoods and Small Towns 5 Emeralds
• Zach Williams - Rescue Story 5 Emeralds

15 Albums blew me away this month. We are kicking of our eleventh year of eligibility with a bang. Each year keeps getting better. Now to the grouping in the middle, or as we call it.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Jared Anderson - The Whole Landscape EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Beacon Light - Influential EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Jeremy Benjamin - Wonderlove 4.75 Emeralds
• Anthony Brown and Group Therapy - 2nd Wind: Ready 4.75 Emeralds
• Citizen Way - Love Is A Lion 4.75 Emeralds
• Clay Crosse - Freewill Offerings EP 4.75 Emeralds
• The Devil Wears Prada - The Act 4.75 Emeralds
• Elim Sound - Send Revival 4.50 Emeralds
• London Gatch - Home EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Coby James - No Trouble EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Kalley - Faultlines, Volume 1 EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Kalley - Faultlines, Volume 2 Ep 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt Maher - Alive and Breathing, Volume II 4.75 Emeralds
• Northland Worship - Who You Are 4.75 Emeralds
• One Hope Project - You 4.75 Emeralds
• Paradise Now - Supernatural EP 4.75 Emeralds
• The Porters Gate - Neighbor Songs 4.50 Emeralds
• Noel Robinson - I Surrender 4.75 Emeralds
• Stillman - Let Go EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Laura Story - I Give Up 4.75 Emeralds
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Anticipation EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Upperroom - Moments: Design 004 EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Simple Hymns: Songs of Worship 4.75 Emeralds
• Vive Worship - Resonance (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• Kelly Wright - The Love Train 4.75 Emeralds
• Y+YA - Beyond EP 4.75 Emeralds

That does it for October. Platinum Vinyl 11 is underway. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Dead Memory

Welcome to an all new edition of Music Video Monday. Today is Columbus Day, where we celebrate the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. Now it used to be a day of Joy. After all, none of us would be here if he didn't show up first, and this would be a savage land filled with war and human sacrifice instead of the beacon of the Gospel that it was destined to become.

I promised last week that we wouldn't have another all EDM Monday. We are going all Hard Rock/Metal this time. First up is The Devil Wears Prada. They have an album just out Last Friday called Transit Blues. This is The Key of Evergreen.
Next up is Memphis May Fire. The band is also coming out with a new album this month entitled This Light I Hold. This is the title Video which features Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach. The Album Drops October 28.
Finally, all new, a video Fit For A King. Like TDWP, they also had an album drop last Friday. From Death Grip this is Dead Memory, which features Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red, one of the best out there.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday, and yes, we would notice and we would care. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

 

Music Video Monday: #PlatVnyl4 - Hard Rock/Metal Video of The Year

We are at the penultimate post for the Video Awards of #PlatVnyl4. That means the next to last for those in Rio Linda. The first of the last is Hard Rock/Metal Video of The Year. As we are like to remind you, you can click on the genre to view the results for Adult Contemporary, Alternative, Pop, Dance, Electronic, and Hip Hop. 

The nominated videos, which you can check out at the Nomination Post, were: The Abandoning by +Love And Death ; Cover Girl by The Ongoing Concept ; First Sight by +The Devil Wears Prada ; If You Got it at Five, You Got it at Fifty by Norma Jean; and Transgressor by Colossus 

And the winner of the Hard Rock/Metal Video of The Year for #PlatVnyl4 is Transgressor.

That does it for this category. The last genre based video award is for Rock. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

MVM Special Edition: Heavy Metal Video Nominees

The final two are upon us. We are on the final approach for our revelation of the nominees for the video portion of the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Today we cover Heavy Metal, and tomorrow we do rock. There are still some other video nominees, including Video of The Year, but they are yet to be compiled. Some will depend on the voting here.

The nominees for this years Platinum Vinyl Awards in the category of Heavy Metal Video of The Year are:

The Abandoning, Love and Death
Cover Girl, The Ongoing Concept
First Sight, +The Devil Wears Prada 
If You Got It At Five You Got It At Fifty, Norma Jean
Transgressor, +ColossusMusic 
Only Rock Remains. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply (and comments too).

Music Video Monday: Martyrs

Welcome to the final Music Video Monday of 2013. We close out the year with a bang. Actually a head-bang, since we are closing out Heavy Metal as well as the year. 2014 goes into rock and the wrap of 2013 videos. Soon we will be entering the 5th PVA pool videos. Exciting Times folks.

We begin our final metal tour with Leaders, rocking about Hell.
Next up is The Devil Wears Prada, always a favorite of the Night Beat Staff. This is Martyrs. 
Fallstar is next. Forget sex, drugs and rock and roll, this is drags, drugs and bones.
We close out 2013 and Heavy Metal with My Heart to Fear. This is 414 Days.
Friday we move on to Rock and Roll with music from I am Empire, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Skillet. We rock on into 2014. Until next time have a very blessed and safe New Year. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Hard Rock

We are down to the final two genres as we wrap up the fourth quarter. This is where the Heat Advisory really takes off.  We begin with the Heat Turned Up to High. Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. Let's get to the music.

Hard Rock/Metal

• The Burial - In the Taking of Flesh
• The Devil Wears Prada - 8:18
• Love and Death - Between Here & Lost
• Love and Death - Between Here & Lost - Expanded Edition
• My Heart to Fear - Algorithm
• Norma Jean - Wrongdoers [+video]
• Phinehas - The Last Word Is Yours to Speak
• Oh Sleeper - The Titan EP
• We Came as Romans - Tracing Back Roots

One point of mention. Yes, there are two editions of Love and Death. Only one will most likely make it to the finals. No point in giving anyone an unfair advantage.

There's only one more to go, and that's Rock. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: June 2012

July is just getting underway and already I have completed rating the June Releases. I love it when things are going my way. It's time for the June Rewind, a quick hits column where I pick the perfect, the not so perfect, but still contending, and those that miss Platinum Vinyl Consideration. As always, we begin with those releases which

Missed The Mark

There were a few of those this month. You can't only mention those you think are worthy of a Platinum Vinyl Award and still maintain credibility. The also rans

• Altars - Conclusions 3.75 Emeralds
• Beautiful Eulogy - Satellite Kite 3.75 Emeralds
• Maria Jenkins - The Journey of A Worshipper 3.75 Emeralds
• Looking Forward - Down With The Ship EP 3.5 Emeralds

As I state in each Rewind post, these aren't necessarily bad albums (since my minimum bar is 4 Emeralds, absolutely not. These just missed being under Platinum Vinyl Consideration by a hair. Try 3 Emeralds and below for ones to avoid. Don't worry. I'll let you know about those. In the meantime, there occasionally pass our desk those releases which are

Pure Platinum

And there was one this month, sort of. I say sort of because it was a best of release, and that is sort of fudging it. You already have tons of material to sort through. You should be able to pick a 5 Emerald release from it. Especially when you, like Petra, have 5 decades of work to go through. They did limit themselves to their most memorable decade though.

• Petra - Best of the 80's 5 Emeralds

As is the case every month, most of the releases are neither perfect platinum or non-contenders. Though that is probably because I really don't want to give a bad review, the fact is that most releases are simply.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Bellarive - The Heartbeat 4.75 Emeralds
• Regina Belle Higher-  4.5 Emeralds
• Canopy Red - Wake Up 4.5 Emeralds
• Children 18:3 - On The Run 4.5 Emeralds
• The Devil Wears Prada - Dead & Alive (CD+DVD) 4.5 Emeralds
• Amy Grant - Rock of Ages: Hymns of Faith 4.25 Emeralds
• Israel & New Breed - New Season 4.75 Emeralds
• Natalie LaRue - Even Now 4.5 Emeralds
• Lovelite - In Three Persons 4.5 Emeralds
• The Overseer - We Search We Dig 4.5 Emeralds
• Page CXVI - RE: Hymns 4.75 Emeralds
• The Rocket Summer - Life Will Write The Words 4.5 Emeralds
• Various - Maranatha! Top 25 Praise Series Classics 4.25 Emeralds
• BeBe Winans - America America 4.5 Emeralds
• Write This Down - Lost Weekend 4.75 Emeralds

A few notes on this final list. Amy Grant isn't new, while it is good, it is a re-issue. The original album came out back in 2005. Israel Houghton is also a re-issue, his is from 2001. And of course BeBe Winans is a 4th of July Patriotic release. I may still stick it in in Inspirational, but it's final status is yet to be determined.

That does it for June. Hooray. Good thing things start to get quiet on the release front as the Summer months heat up. It's festival time. Get out to Cornerstone before it ends. Until next time, 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.

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.

Heating It Up: Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter Nominees - Hard Rock

Hard Rock, Metal, Metal-core, Thrash. The Devil Wears Prada. You get the idea. This is the hard stuff, cranked up to a billion. These are the best of the Summer.

Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter Nominees

This quarter we had eleven nominees in this genre. This is a very good showing. I will have to some serious slashing in this genre this year. Fans will be crushed.

Hard Rock

• Call to Preserve - Validation
• The Devil Wears Prada - Dead Throne
• The Great Commission - Heavy Worship
• Hands - Give Me Rest
• Haste The Day - Haste The Day vs Haste The Day (Live)
• Nothing Til Blood - When Lambs Become Lions
• Oh Sleeper - Children of Fire
• A Past Unknown - To Those Perishing
• Phinehas - The God Machine
• We Came as Romans - Understanding What We've Grown to Be
• Your Chance to Die - Suscitatio Somnus

That's a lot of entries. A lot of tough choices. I know my friend Melissa will be crushed if Dead Throne doesn't make it, but I think it has a lot in its favor. The links go to my reviews of the albums. Only Rock to Go. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

We Came As Romans...

And Left as Corinthians. Sorry. Couldn't resist the biblical pun there. Michigan Hard Rockers We Came as Romans released their second full length album Tuesday, and I doubt that anyone into CCM has ever heard of them.

The album, like TDWP, is hardcore, yet there are more clean vocals with these guys. The band doesn't consider itself a "Christian Band", yet fans of Christian music will find nothing to complain about. I know, wishful thinking.

The Track Listing:

1. Mis // Understanding
2. Everything As Named
3. What I Wish I Never Had
4. Cast The First Stone
5. The Way That We Have Been
6. A War Inside
7. Stay Inspired
8. Just Keep Breathing
9. Views that Never Cease, To Keep Me From Myself
10. What My Heart Held
11. I Can't make Your Decisions for You
12. Understanding What We've Grown To Be

Just going over the track titles tells you they've got more knowledge than the average band (ex. A War Inside, Cast The First Stone, I Can't Make Your Decisions for You). I like thesound of these guys. I'm going to give them 4.5 Emeralds for Understanding What We've Grown To Be. I still hope to have Amazon Links up soon for everybody, but right now it is more important for me to get out the reviews. I am convinced now that it is due to out of date browsers on the computer that I am using (Public Library right now until I get a new one for myself. I think the director is afraid to update his software).

September is just about up, and it never fails that the Record Labels decide to do a dump of releases just as the eligibility for the Platinum Vinyl Awards is coming to a close. That means more listening parties to enjoy. This Week you can enjoy parties from Needtobreathe, Jeremy Riddle (week 2), Matt Maher(hearitfirst), Matt Maher(jesusfreakhideout), Jamie Grace, Leeland(hearitfirst), Leeland(jesusfreakhideout),  Rush of Fools. That's a lot of listening, folks, and I'll try to at least get an opinion on all of them this week. I'll TRY. No Promises.

Until Next time. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Fresh From The Zombie Apocalypse

Well that was fun. The Interview with a Character blog fest was a little something to stretch my writing muscles. I've known for a while that Melissa (the host) was doing a Zombie Apocalypse story, and while that wasn't what my forte was (One interview was historical fiction, and the other Sci-Fi/Action) we writers have to hang together, and it never hurts to get your work before as many eyes as possible.


What was amazing was how seamlessly my two works blended this time. Who woulda thunk it? CCM and Zombies. Never in a million years? How about a year. Metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada just released its latest Tuesday. Entitled Dead Throne, the album is a Vast improvement, at least in my opinion, over their last CD. That one, an EP Themed around a Zombie Apocalypse, was a bit to Thrash for my tastes, and it suffered therefor in my review. This time around there are an abundance of what is termed Clean Vocals, and for someone who grew up on 80's metal, I like it more. You can make out the words. Even the growls are less gravelly than I remember last time around.

Since I am continuing to have blogger bugs, this will be a relatively short post. As to the nature of the bug my Amazon Associates widget is not working in the old interface, and since the updated interface isn't truly "live", it doesn't appear there either. Right now my favorites on the CD are Mammoth, My Questions, Kansas (instrumental), Holdfast and Pretenders. I hope to have the links problem straightened out early next week.

I gave the aforementioned Zombie EP 3.75 Emeralds, and it just missed being in the Inaugural Platinum Vinyl Awards. This time around Prada is Platinum bound. Though I am not reall a thrash fan, this album rocks. I am giving it 4.75 Emeralds. Though it will have some tough competition, I think it fair to at least predict that it should be among the final seven in Hard Rock.

That's it for now. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Do Zombies Wear Prada?

Zombie EP, the latest release by Tooth and Nail Metal-core act The Devil Wears Prada, chronicles a fictional invasion by Zombies, yes Zombies.
My problem with most Metal-core is "you can't tell what's going on without a program", in this case printed lyrics, at least with the thrash growls.  The good ones have a lot of easily discernible group choruses to appeal to the untrained ear. TDWP falls somewhere in the middle on this count.
Based on gang vocals and the music, I am going to give Zombie 3.75 Emeralds.  It would be four but I'm taking off for a short EP