Love and Death Meltdown Review

Brian Head Welch made a name for himself during his time as one of the guitarists for Korn in the 90s.  During that time he helped the band compose some of their biggest songs and became very distinct in the band.  However, he also became addicted to drugs and left the band.  During his rehabilitation and recovery from drug addiction he became a devout christian and would go on to form his own band called Love and Death.  One of the songs that helped that band gain traction in the christian metal scene was Meltdown

You defiantly hear the Korn influences in this song when it comes to the music, especially in the vocals.  Welch uses very quiet, eerie vocals in the verses that remind me of songs like Evolution and Freak on a Leash.  The music echoes that quiet eerie feel before we head into a heavy pre chorus.  We then head into a big chorus. This formula continues through the entire song, with the exception of a short bridge.  My favorite part of the song is  without a doubt the chorus.  It has good energy and the music matches the tone of the song perfectly.  The music isn't very technical and not to tricky which overall works for the song.  The one thing I wish they did though is instead of doing that short bridge with heavy, distorted guitar, I wish they did a deep sounding guitar solo that would work with the message and feel of the song.  I feel like that would of got the point across more effectively then the simple heavy guitar that is there instead. 

The lyrics in this song are pretty straight to the point.  They are about someone in pain, feeling like breaking down, and calling out for help.  I do like songs that address the pain that people feel, because I feel that songs like that give people a way to vent their pain.  People can also relate to songs like these because everybody goes through pain through out their lives and when you have so much music that is shallow feel good music, it is nice to see someone willing to go deep.  The message is clearly about someone's mental state when they are in pain.  Overall the lyrics do a good job of getting the message across, I do they they could be written to flow a little bit better, but it is a minor problem and it doesn't kill the song for me.

The song has a good deep message that isn't talked about much in mainstream music and I do like it when bands and artists do these kind of songs.  The music is overall good, but i do think the bridge could of been improved with a guitar solo instead of heavy guitar.  However, the music is effective overall.  I also think the lyrics are good as well.  I give Meltdown a 3 out of 5.

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Skillet Monster Review

Skillet has without a doubt one of the biggest Christian Rock bands in modern times.  With successful songs like Rebirthing, Live Free or Let Me Die, and Never Surrender, this band has proven to be the real deal.  Those songs made the band successful but when they came out with Monster, they rose to big time fame.  This song was my introduction to this band, I saw the music video on Fuse TV when the song came out and man was I impressed.  

Musically, I love the energy of this song.  The opening guitar riff is awesome and really gets you energized. Not only is that riff energizing but the way it sounds dark and heavy is really cool.  It has just the right level of distortion and the down tuned guitar chords create a slightly eerie sound that would work in a horror soundtrack, as many people have shown on YouTube.  Like I said in a previous review of this band, I don't think John Cooper is a great singer, but I will say that this song is great for a voice like his.   His voice really works well with the distorted guitar and he builds on that heavy, yet, eerie feel the song goes for.  

Lyrically, this yet another good song that bridges the gap between Christian music and Secular music. The lyrics in this song address how everybody has a dark side to them which is something that everybody has and deals with, no matter your perspective or religion.  It is a topic everybody can relate to and that really helps to make people enjoy the song.  The lyrics themselves are overall  written very well.  They flow well and the way they are paced works very well with the song. I will also say that they do a good job with rhyming in this song.  They all sound great and blend really well.

This is without a doubt one of Skillet's most solid songs.  I doesn't surprise that is has over 200 million views on YouTube and considered the bands biggest hit.  While it is not my all time favorite Skillet song, it is very impressive and is a song I love listening to.  If you have never heard Skillet before, this song is a good introduction to the band.  I give Monster a 4.5 out of 5. 

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Skillet Rebirthing Review

It goes without saying that Skillet is one of the biggest Christian Rock/Metal bands in modern times.  Having a style that appeals to both Rockers and Christians they certainly have made their mark on the world.  Most people who know of Skillet today, know them because of the huge success of their album, "Awake".  This album featured some of their biggest hits such as "Monster" and "Hero".  While that album and those songs are certainly great and deserve their recognition, I first got into Skillet when I heard their song "Rebirthing" off the "Comatose" album.

One of the things I really like about this song is the combination of rock and orchestra they have in this song.  The combination makes the song sound more intense and more powerful.  The guitar work is not super technical, but it sounds good and it does its job very effectively in the song.  The vocal work is also very good in this song.  While I don't think that John Cooper is the greatest singer in the world, he is good and you can hear the passion in his voice and it makes the song sound more authentic.  Korey Cooper does a great job when she sings as well.  The way she sings "I come alive somehow" is done very effectively and I think it was a smart move to have her sing it instead of John.  Her type of voice communicates that section better then John's voice could and as a result it sounds really good.  My one problem with this song is the guitar solo.  It sounds pretty good, the melodic guitar playing was awesome, but I thought it was too short.  If they stretched it out for just a few more measures,  I feel like the solo would have been much better.  This is a minor problem though and doesn't kill the song for me.

Lyrically, they did a fantastic job with this song.  Like I said in the beginning, Skillet is a band that is able to appeal to both Christians and Non Christians alike and these lyrics are a good example of how they do that.  To a Non Christian, it sounds like the song is about being in hard times and deciding to come out a better person.  For Christians, it is about needing God and being reborn with his spirit. For Skillet, it is about needing God and being reborn with his spirit.  However, they aren't blunt about it and it doesn't come off as them trying to tell people to go to church like other Christian bands do.  It sends a good message that everybody can relate to in one form or another.    

While I love Monster and Hero along with many other song from Skillet, this is one of my favorites.  The music is good and the lyrics are very well written, making this a must song if your a Skillet fan.  If your a Rocker, Metal fan, or Christian music fan, I recommend giving this song a shot. I give Rebirthing a 4.5 out of 5.

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Top 5 Christian Metal Songs

5.  E For Extinction by Thousand Foot Krutch

What I really like about this song is how it builds up.  It starts out with soft slow tone that slowly builds up and gets more energetic.  Then when the pre chorus comes you get hit with an awesome heavy combination of guitar and in your face vocals and lyrics.  This really gets you pumped up and really into the song when the chorus comes. If you are looking for song to get your energy up, listen to this song.

4. One Thousand Apologies by Demon Hunter

This is more of a sorrowful song, that speaks to people who are in mourning and are sorry for something they have done. The song has a heavy melodic sound that works very well for the lyrical message of the song.  Got to give the vocals credit in this song.  The vocals sound very authentic and carry out the songs message very effectively in a way that will make the listener remember.  

3.  Yahweh by  Stryper

You can't have a Christian Metal list and leave out Styper.  Stryper has proven that they are not just a great Christian Rock Band, but a great metal band.  This is made clear in one of their newer songs called "Yahweh".  This song has a great modern feel to it while also paying tribute to the 80's.  The guitar work gives off an awesome power metal feel while Michael Sweet's vocals continue to sound amazing even after all these years.  Whether you're Christian or not, this is one band you don't want to pass up.

2.  Sing and Shout by Angelica

Angelica is a very underrated band and no song proves that more then Sing and Shout.  It starts out with that awesome guitar riff in the intro and then leads into the energetic, uplifting verse.  Then it leads into the very catchy chorus that makes that truly makes you want to sing and shout for the Lord.  The guitar solo in this song is awesome.  It has a great melodic tone that brings out the best of 80's metal.  It's a shame that this band got started when grunge was already on the rise.  They would have been legends.

1.  Dive by Disciple

Dive is a song that inspirational and is a great metal song.  The lyrics are about rising up to the challenge and overcoming it.  This song is inspirational to anyone in a though spot.  Musically, this is a very catchy song.  The intro to this song hooks you right away and plays a big part in keeping you engaged with the song.  The vocal work is very impressive.  It's energetic, it's real, and you can tell the singer is pouring his heart and soul into the song.  Every time that I need a song to either get me pumped or to listen to when I am down, this is the song. 

Demon Hunter One Thousand Apologies Review

Demon Hunter is considered by many to be one of the best modern Christian Metal bands. They are  known for their interesting combo of melodic metal and metalcore.  Over the years the band has developed quite a catalog of good music.  With so many great songs like (Carry Me Down) and (Last One Alive), this band has quite a catalog. One of my favorite songs from this band is One Thousand Apologies.

The song has a heavy, yet sorrowful melodic tone that really works well with the lyrics of the song.  The melodic guitar playing really creates and carries that sad tone that really defines the song.  None of the music in this song is tricky or super technical but it still sounds great and the music does a great job of bringing out the message it is going for. The vocals in the song are great as well.  The sad, melodic melody really brings out the lyrics and makes the listener feel the sorrow this song is expressing.  While there is some growling vocals in this song, it doesn't happen much and in a song with this kind of tone I don't think that is a bad thing.  For a song that has a slower beat and music that doesn't really sound super heavy, I am not sure it would be a good thing to have a lot of growling vocals in this song.  My only problem this song is in the bridge.  My problem with it is that it is repetitive and repeats the same lyrics over and over.  I feel it would have been better if they added a few different phrases or instead did a melodic guitar solo.  However, this is a minor problem that really doesn't effect the song overall.  

 The lyrics in this song are great and are written in a way that works for both Christian and Non Christian people.  The song is about realizing the mistakes you have made and feeling sorry for them.  To Christians this can mean they are apologizing to God while Non Christians can see it at as apologizing to someone they were in a bad relationship with or someone they hurt.  Demon Hunter was really able to bridge the gap between Secular Music and Christian Music with these lyrics. Contemporary Christian Music should really pay attention to this song, lyrically, and learn from.  See, part of the problem with Contemporary Christian Music today is that it does a good job celebrating God and his glory, but that is mostly all it does, (with a few exceptions).  There is not much music that expresses sorrow or allows someone to lament in the Contemporary Christian Music Scene.  This is a problem because it leaves out a big part of being human, we all feel sad and we all feel regret.  If we don't acknowledge that side then we are not being real and are not relating to people in that state.  Demon Hunter does a great job expressing that side of humanity and they do it very effectively.   

Like I stated in the beginning, this is one of my favorite Demon Hunter songs.  Musically, it is expressive and really captures a tone that matches the lyrics perfectly.  The vocals do a fantastic job of communicating the lyrics to the listener.  The lyrics in the song are fantastic.  People can understand them and relate to them, if they are in that state.  I give One Thousand Apologies a 4 out of 5. 

Disciple Dive Review

Disciple is a Christian Metal band from Tennessee that formed in 1992.  They have since gone on to release 10 albums and win many dove awards.  Disciple is a pretty diverse sound with some songs sounding like metal core, new metal, and even southern rock.  I discovered Disciple through Pandora Radio many years ago and have since looked deeper and deeper into their catalog.  Since then I have come across my favorite song from the band, Dive.

Dive is a song with great heavy energy that really makes you want to head bang to.  Right out the gate you get that awesome heavy guitar riff that carries into the verse.  The verse in this song does a pattern of a break in the energy and then brings it right back.  This leads to the melodic pre chorus that sets you up for one of the best choruses I have heard in metal.  The chorus continues with the heavy, energetic guitar and is lead with very powerful sounding vocal work.  Vocally, singer Kevin Young does a fantastic job.  He carries every section well and gives it his all in every portion of the song to really help communicate the songs message well.  He is a very powerful singer who is real and you can hear it in his vocals, which I always appreciate in a singer.  Brad Noah does great guitar work as well.  Like I said, the opening riff is great and the heavy guitar in the chorus sounds amazing.  His guitar solo is simple but still sounds good and works well with the song. 

Lyrically I love the authenticity of this song.  Dive is lyrically about being in a rough spot and having that determination to rise above your obstacles, issues, and problems to come out better.  It is a good, motivational song to build morale and determination to make you want to keep going no matter what you are going through.  I really like songs that acknowledge hardships in life and overcoming those obstacles and this song delivers that message very well. 

This is that really have a ton going for it.  Great music, great energy, powerful vocals, and powerful, authentic lyrics.  This I love this song, and would even put in my top 5 favorite metal songs of all time.  Kevin Young does a great job on vocals and Brad Noah's guitar work is impressive.  This song is available on ITunes, and it is a must buy.  If you are a metal head get it, if you like Christian music get it, if you are going through a rough spot you need to buy this song.  With all this, I give Dive a 5 out of 5.