Artist: Thousand Foot Krutch

Album: Welcome To The Masquerade

Release Date: 9/8/09

Label: Tooth and Nail Records

Do you want a great rock album? Maybe even the best one of 2009? Then Thousand Foot Krutch's new album is exactly that. They return with their much anticipated fifth studio album, entitled Welcome To The Masquerade. It mixes lots of different TFK elements such as some of their original rap-rock, heavy guitars, and even some new heavier vocals not usually heard on TFK albums. The album opens up with the instrumental track "The Invitation" which blends guitars with some piano. The title track follows with hard-hitting guitars and is a good opening full length track for the album. The song "Fire It Up" is a great sports anthem that goes along the lines of "Move" and "Rawkfist". It has also had placements on the Indycar Series and the G.I Joe movie trailer. The first single "Bring Me To Life" features haunting piano and great guitars. Listeners may notice the scream after the first chorus is different then the original single released for free via Feed The Beat. "E For Extinction" has the heavy vocals mentioned above in the background in the chorus. "Watching Over Me" bears resemblance to an FM Static song. It is a song about knowing that God is always there and features these lyrics in the chorus : "I know You're out there, and I know You care, cause I feel You like an angel watching over me". "The Part That Hurts The Most (Is Me)" is a typical TFK rock song that includes some of the piano that is being used on most of the album. "Scream" is an emotional song that states "It's like a mask I don't want to wear anymore" which is referring to disguising past sins and wrongs that we have committed. A similar song that goes along with this theme is "E For Extinction" (mentioned above). That song says that we "camouflage ourselves" from things that we have done. "Look Away" is a nice stripped down acoustic song about asking Jesus to take away our cuts and make them shine. The ballad "Forward Motion", is a radio-ready song, currently being played on Air 1 radio. "Outta Control" is another typical rock song for TFK. "Smack Down" is a hand-clapping, feet-stomping song, that seems like it was made for wrestling, and probably any competition sport. The album ends with "Already Home" which features very beautiful violins in the beginning of the song. It is about being on our knees in front of Jesus confessing how we have sinned, but not running away since we are already home. TFK has definitely become a very mature band with the release of WTTM. It is the most complete TFK album to date, and their best release.

Album Highlights: Fire It Up, E For Extinction , Forward Motion, Look Away, Smack Down, Already Home

Rating: 10/10 This is TFK's best album ever to date. It is also the best rock album of the year!

(Not Final Artwork?)

Here is an original cover for the new The Almost album. It will release November 3rd on Tooth and Nail and Virgin Records! The album was produced by Aaron Sprinkle at Dark Horse studios. They will be releasing a new single to Rock/CHR radio in October named "Hands". They will also be shooting a music video for "Hands" and another new song titled "Lonely Wheel". Anyone excited?

Artist:Nevertheless

Album:When I'm With You EP

Release Date:8/18/09

Label:Independent

I was introduced to this band when I heard their single "Sleeping In" on Wow Hits last year and I thought it sounded good. Then I saw they were releasing an acoustic EP and I thought it looked good enough to review! The EP is crafted as a collection of love songs for the band's wives. So, they are really nice, acoustic love songs. The first track, "I Can't Help It", is talking about why someone would want to love, but then ignoring that statement when they found someone to love. The EP follows with "Look What You've Done" which could definitely be a rock song but electric guitars were used. "Stay (In My Arms)" starts off with just piano then the chorus contains acoustic guitar. This is a very great collection of love songs! You can buy a physical copy from the Nevertheless official online store or any digital retailers.

Album Highlights: I Can't Help It, Stay (In My Arms), In Or Out

Rating: 8/10 Nice collection of acoustic love songs!

Artist:Ruth

Album:The Covers EP

Release Date:8/25/09

Label:Tooth and Nail Records

Washington natives Ruth have returned yet again with a new EP full of covers. Some of the artists they cover span from Buddy Holly to Coldplay. The first track "Everyday", originally by Buddy Holly, is a short song at a play time of only 1:31. It has an acoustic sound and some gang vocals. It is also shorter than the original version. "Dream" by the Everly Brothers follows and has more of the Ruth (folk rock) sound to it. The next song "I'm The One Who Wants To Be With You" is originally by Mr. Big from the 90s. It is probably one of the best songs on the EP. "Give Me One Reason To Stay Here" by Tracy Chapman is another good sounding track that very well could have been an "Anorak" b-side . "Fix You" from Coldplay originally, sounds just as good as the original in my opinion. This is a great collection of covers but is very short.

Album Highlights: I'm The One Who Wants To Be With You (Mr. Big) , Fix You (Coldplay)

Rating: 6/10 The EP includes some good covers, but not enough and is also sort of short.

Artist:Flyleaf

Album:Again - Single

Release Date:8/25/09

Label:A&M/Octane Records

So,I was very excited when I saw that Flyleaf was releaseing a new single from their new album Momento Mori, releasing October 27th. I then bought the single off Amazon and thought I should review it. It is a great rock song and reminds me some of "All Around Me". Lacey Mosley apparently doesn't scream anymore because of vocal chord troubles. So the song is more of a hard rock/rock track. It sounds like some more recent Skillet and The Letter Black material. It is an overall good track and is a great intro to Momento Mori. The song is being added to Rock,Active Rock, and Alternative stations soon. Please keep an ear open for this song on the radio and remember, Momento Mori is coming October 27th!

Artist:The Glorious Unseen

Album:The Hope That Lies In You

Release Date:8/25/09

Label:BEC Recordings

The Glorious Unseen is a worship band from Nashville, Tennessee. I found out about this band when I download their Cries Of The Broken EP off of Noisetrade. Then I saw that they were coming out with a new album and I was very excited. They mix alternative rock with worship music and out of it comes a masterpiece. The first song "All Around" is a great song about when everything in the world is going wrong, Jesus is our comfort and he loves us when we're weak. The third track, a cover of John Mark McMillan's "How He Loves" is a very memorable one. It is a great song and sounds great with TGU singing it. The albums first single "Heavyhearted" is a song that is very inspiring. It's chorus is great: "And when You take me as I am, it's like the sunlight gracing the land, and when I feel heavy hearted, please take me as I am". The self-titled track is great and ends in just singing Hallelujah, which is also heard on "Awakening". The album closer "Sweet, Sweet Sound" is a prayer asking God to come again. This is definitely my favorite worship album ever, and believe me, I have heard a lot of worship music over the years . This is a great album for fans of worship and those who don't like worship alike. This is the best album I have heard in 09!

Album Highlights:All Around, How He Loves, Heavyhearted, The Hope That Lies In You, Sweet Sweet Sound

Rating: 10/10 This is definitely the best album that I have heard in 09! Please go pick this up!

Artist: Abandon Kansas

Album: We're All Going Somewhere EP

Release Date: 9/8/09

Label: Gotee Records

Are you looking for some great indie rock? Than check out Abandon Kansas, the newest addition to the Gotee Records roster! As their name says, they are a band from Kansas. They sound almost like a mix of House Of Heroes and Relient k with different vocals and they are indie rock. They do have more of a unique sound from other indie bands. Their new album was produced by Mark Lee Townsend who actually produced Relient k and House Of Heroes. I have even noticed the lead singer's voice to sound like Jon Foreman of Switchfoot at times. So,as you can tell, this band has a very unique sound. The albums second track "I Wonder If It's Me" is a song about everyone understanding things differently. The pre-chorus says "the small town kids miss the city,the city kids miss the trees,but how can we get this backwards when it's only a change of scenery". The last song "Close Your Eyes" is about knowing that God is always there even when you can't see him. This album is up for pre-order from Zambooie. Please give a listen to the newest member of the Gotee Records family!

Album Highlights: I Wonder If It's Me, Make Believe, Close Your Eyes

Rating: 9/10 Great new addition to the Gotee Records roster!

The Letter Black releases their debut EP September 22 on and have an early 2010 full length release coming out.

Poema is a 2-piece acoustic/pop band from New Mexico. They are going to record a new album with Aaron Sprinkle and have a release set for next year.

Sent By Ravens

Sent By Ravens is a progressive rock band from North Carolina(and Hawaii). They recorded a full length album with Aaron Sprinkle and plan on a late 2009-early 2010 release date with Tooth and Nail.

Write This Down is a 3 piece rock band. They have a late 2009 release date on Tooth and Nail Records.

Artist: A Current Affair

Album: The Real Devastation

Release Date: August 2009

Label: Independent

So, I had heard of A current Affair from Effect Radio when they started playing The Real Devastation. Once I heard that song,I knew this band was something special. So,this 5-track rock disc is a great example of an album of the year contender. The disc starts of with the hard hitting track "Life Of Me". The next track,"Explorer" is about someone searching to find God and God is speaking to them. "The Thief" is a song about someone who broke a girl's heart. The albums title track is probably the best song and the current radio single being played at RadioU and Effect Radio. The album finishes off with the softer track named "The Search". This is a great album and was a great pleasure to listen to and too review. I would get this off iTunes,AmazonMP3, or for a physical copy,A Current Affair's web store.

Album Highlights: Life Of Me, Explorer, The Real Devastation

Rating: 9.5/10 One of my favorite rock albums of the year!

Artist:Satellites and Sirens

Album:All We Need Is Sound EP

Release Date:8/4/09

Label:Word Records

Satellites and Sirens is a new synth-driven rock band on Word Records. Their new EP,All We Need Is Sound,is a great introduction to their full-length record coming out in early 2010. The EP starts off with Sateillites and Sirens first radio single,"Take Me Back" which is pretty much a prayer. The EP follows with the synth track "Light The Night" which has some great bass on the intro and in many parts of the song. The last track is a great example of Sats and Sirens style of music(synth-driven rock) and is the title track for the EP. This EP is short,but that is what EPs are supposed to be. This is a great intro to Satellites and Sirens and I would ighly recomend picking this up of iTunes or AmazonMP3!

Album Highlights: All songs

Rating:9/10 Keep a listen out for Take Me Back going for adds at CHR and AC radio soon!

Artist:Sent By Ravens

Album:The Effects Of Fashion And Prayer

Release Date:July 6,2008

Label:Independent

So,the other day,I stumbled upon this band while looking on Wikipedia at Tooth and Nail's page and saw that they had signed this band. The T+N's site put up an article about signing this band. And as a big Tooth and Nail fan and supporter, and knew that I should give fans something to look forward to,so I am doing Sent By Ravens' independent record. So, Sent By Ravens is a rock/progressive band that was put together completely last year. They have also been referred to as "heavy" by others. So this band sounded great and I wanted to check them out. Then I contacted their management and got the album. The first track "Trailer Vs. Tornado" is a great track that features the rumored "heaviness". About 3/4 of the way through on almost every tack,there is a quick breakdown that sounds like a combination of Andrew Schwab's heaviness from Picket Fence Cartel and Cody Bonnette's raw yelling from As Cities Burn's 2nd album. So,it is not hardcore screaming, but it is loud,doubtless. The next track "This Awakening" is a great track about wanting in spiritual terms,to come back to life. After that features 2 more songs that follow the same style. track 5 is named "I Am" and is more speaking with music and is pretty neat. The last track "The Best In Me" features some female vocals and is softer than the other songs on the album. This is a great album and I would recommend picking it up off AmazonMP3 or iTunes.

Album Highlights:This Awakening,Trailer Vs. Tornado,The Best In Me The first 2 tracks from the album will be featured on their new album coming out this winter!

Rating:9.5/10 This is a very promising band that fits in perfectly with Tooth and Nail and will have a big future ahead of them!

Artist:Rootdown

Album:Summer Of Love EP

Release Date:June 17 (digital) /July 31 (physical)

Label:Beach Ave Records

So,what caught my attention from this band was not only that it was Paul Wright's side project,but that the seemed to be the only Christian reggae band that there is (I may be wrong though). Also,I saw that they were playing a song from them on my radio station,Air 1. So here is the review.It is an EP,so it only has 5 tracks,the typical number of tracks on a physical ep. Another thing about the album is that it is a collection of songs fit for summer and love (hence the title). The first track is a nice relaxing song called "Sweet Love" and is talking about how people need love in their lives. The next track,"Baby Come Back" is a track about a broken relationship and basically telling the person to come back. "Taking Over Me" is their new single on Air 1 that has a story behind it. It is also available for free download and you can read the story at http://www.takingoverme.com/. The track after this is "Burrito Boy" which is a love song that also involves loving Mexican food.Also,some of the song is sung in Spanish which is pretty cool. The last track,"Summertime In The City" ,well,it's pretty self-explanatory from the title. First time I've ever listened to this kind of music,but I liked it .

Album Highlights:Taking Over Me, Sweet Love, Burrito Boy

Rating:7.5/10 A great album for summer that might not be so great other than in summer,but otherwise, it's an overall good album.

Artist: Take It Back!

Album: Rumors Of Revolt EP

Release Date: 8/18/09

Label: Facedown Records

So,this release looked very interesting to me, so I emailed Facedown for it.I was not expecting much, since Take It Back! is really not my style. However,I had listened some to a track and it got me interested. The first track is named "New Empires" and is about some bad things in our modern world,such as babies not having a father and some other problems.In the end,the singer is saying he will be the change for the modern problems. The next 2 tracks are great punk rock tracks and completely eliminate any heavier things from the first song.Suprisingly,the song "American Fantasy" reminds me of Switchfoot's "American Dream" a little bit and not just because of the title.It may just be me however. After that,there are two cover tracks.The fisrt,"Rise Above" is about rising above all your trouble doubtless of how bad it is. The last track was by a more recent band who is actually on Facedown Records named No Innocent Victim called "To Burn Again". It repeatedly says "give me the fire,to burn in me again" obviously asking Christ to burn inside of someone who has excepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Album Highlights: Pretty much the whole album,not anything that i disliked.

Rating: 8.5/10 This was a great album! One of the best I've heard this year! This isn't even my style of music, but I love it! Pick this album up off the Facedown Merch Store or Amazon before it sells out!

- Brooks

Artist: Anchor and Braille

Album: Felt

Release Date: 8/4/09

Label: Wood Water

So first off,if you don't know,Anchor and Braille is Stephen Christian from Anberlin's side project.Aaron Marsh from Copeland also played a pretty big role in helping to produce the album and also does some guest vocals. Also,please don't expect an Anberlin-like album or anything close when buying this or just listening to it.These songs are songs that Anberlin would never play,they are far to personal. But that doesn't make it bad. These are Stephen Christian's own personal songs and they are very unique. The first song "Rust" according to Stephen,is about a family member who was in the hospital. The next song,the albums first "single" is "Like Steps In A Dance".It is another great example of Anchor and Braille's unique sound. Another track that caught my attention was "Summer Tongues" which is where Aaron Marsh comes in.The beginning of the song,many other parts,and the very end sound just like a Copeland song. The next track "Calm,Calm Yourself" is a nice,simple piano driven love song. The track also,how do I put this,has a beautiful string section toward the very end of the song. "Wedding/Funeral" is a sad song about someone who died and the onlooker remembered that they were dressed beautifully at their wedding and also ,at their viewing. It is a very sad song. The rest of the album ends out with more good tacks,but out of out of the 4 tracks,I think the best one is "Sleep.When We Die".I got this song as a download earlier in the year from a Faceless International free sampler. One noticeable thing is that Stephen's voice gets very high in some songs,unlike in Anberlin. Also,the album definitely has a huge Copeland sound to it,and Aaron Marsh also does some great guest vocals.If you like Copeland or are a fan of softer indie stuff,I would highly recommend that you pick this album up.

Album Highlights: Like Steps In A Dance, Summer Tongues,Sleep.When We Die,Sing Out,Sheet Music

Rating: 8.5/10 This is definitely one of the best albums I have heard all year!Go pick it up and support Anchor and Braille!

Artist:Ruth

Album:Fix You - Single (from The Covers EP)

Release Date:7/28/09

Label:Tooth and Nail Records

So when reviewing covers,it is always a good idea to listen to the original version, which in this case,the song is by Coldplay.The song is very touching and has a good message to it. Some people have said this was not a good cover and that Coldplay's was a lot better.However,I think I like Ruth's better because I like the nice soothing guitars,the smooth vocals,and the indie folk-rock tone to it. I am just going to take a stand and,no offense Coldplay,say Ruth sings it better. So,I would reccomend picking up the single or waiting for the full release Covers EP Aug. 25th.

Rating: 8/10 I think this is better than Coldplay's and if it's better than Coldplay,it deserves a high rating.