Artist: Anchor & Braille
Album: The Quiet Life
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Over the past ten years, Stephen Christian has been a busy man. He's written a book (The Orphaned Anything's), co-founded the non-profit Faceless International, and toured the world as the frontman of renowned alt rock band Anberlin, along with maintaining his other music endeavor, Anchor & Braille. The Quiet Life is the band's sophomore effort, and their first with Seattle's Tooth & Nail Records, and is quite different from the debut Felt.

Artist: The Chariot
Album: One Wing
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Label: Good Fight

Artist: Project 86
Album: Wait for the Siren
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Label: Independent

After three years, and the departure of every member except lead vocalist and creator Andrew Schwab, Project 86 have come back with their first truly independent album, and their seventh album overall Wait for the Siren. To help make the new album a possibility Andrew enlisted the help of an all-star cast of friends including Bruce Fitzhugh (Living Sacrifice), Rocky Gray (Soul Embraced), Brian "Head" Welch (Love & Death), Blake Martin (A Plea for Purging), and The Wedding. Andrew said with this album he was able to take the reins of the creative process and make an album that he was really passionate about.

Artist: The Modern Post
Album: Grace Alone
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Label: Mars Hill Music

Less than a year ago, one of my all time favorite bands, Thrice, announced that they would be going on a hiatus after their farewell tour this spring, shortly after the release of the fantastic Major/Minor. However, there had been rumors and a few photos from frontman Dustin Kensrue's Twitter account that stated that he had been working on a worship album slated to be released this year, after moving to Seattle to lead worship at Mars Hill Church alongside Pastor Mark Driscoll.

Artist: Children 18:3
Album: On The Run
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Over the past 20 years, punk rock has been the fuel for the teenager or 20 something who have searched for an escape from conventional pop or rock that flows through our radios and everyday pop culture. Since their first release back in 2008, Children 18:3 have constantly been crafting good punk music in the purest sense, and four years later, the band have truly found their niche with On The Run. While no real new musical ground is really broken, the sibling trio have created what is their most cohesive project yet.

Artist: House of Heroes
Album: Cold Hard Want
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Label: Gotee Records

To anyone that has said rock music is dying, they haven't heard House of Heroes. A beacon of hope in the midst of disarrayed radio rock, Cold Hard Want strikes at a time that is crucial. After a seemingly great discography, this new album takes things up a notch (if at all possible) and really goes all out with heart and grit, a much more edgier result than 2010's summer pop rock-laden Suburba. Cold Hard Want is also the band's first album with Paul Moak (Lovedrug, Third Day, Mat Kearney), adding in perhaps some of the raw, untapped energy that hasn't been evoked from the band since moments of The End Is Not The End.

Artist: Capital Lights
Album: Rhythm 'N' Moves
Release Date: July 19, 2012
Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Rhythm 'N' Moves is the sophomore release by Tooth and Nail's Capital Lights. Following the vastly successful This is An Outrage, which was released in 2008 and had a #1 single on the R&R Christian Rock charts ("Out of Control"), the group announced that they would be breaking up for personal reasons. This was not the last that their disappointed fans would hear from them though, and on December 24th, 2010 bassist and lead vocalist, Bryson Phillips, announced that the group would be releasing one more album, though they would not be touring behind it. Here it is, nearly four years from the day that This is An Outrage was released.

Artist: Wolves At The Gate
Album: Captors
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Label: Solid State Records


Solid State has been a staple in terms of heavy christian music. Unfortunately, it also has lost some of it's greatest artists in the last few years (i.e. The Chariot, and Norma Jean.)  However, lately Solid State has really started to kick it up a notch. With some of the recent "new breed" signings, Solid State has given us The Overseer, and Wolves At The Gate. Two bands that I believe will be shaping Solid State back in to the label it used to be.Wolves At The Gate has been on my radar for a couple years now.  They released their EP We Are The Ones last year independently, and it was instantly a hit for me.  Their sound was not super unique, but they did have the maturity to come in to their own. When I heard that Solid State was signing them, I was really excited to hear them expand on the mastered sound of the EP.  Captors, is something really special.

Artist: For Today
Album: Immortal
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Label: Razor & Tie Records

The main thing I've always admired about For Today has been their unashamed faith in a scene that has been judged so much for its darkness and anger. In fact, I think that has been the key driving point behind their music. While oh so often For Today are classified as unoriginal, it can be insignificant, because at the end of the day, they make uplifting metalcore, that certainly focuses on message over originality. However, that being said, their new album Immortal does switch things up a bit. The band's typical breakdowns are still there, but are utilized a bit better as compared to their last album, Breaker, and many more melodic elements are implemented, such as clean vocals and brighter sounding guitar riffs, even a jazzy one (layered over frontman Mattie Montgomery's screams in "Immortal").

Artist: The Old-Timers
Album: Soli Deo Gloria
Release Date: June 14, 2012
Label: Thumper Punk Records

Three men; Dave, Don, and Matt from South Africa have come together to form a hardcore-punk band known as The Old-Timers. The band who record their albums in a very odd way, have come out with their latest high octane album, Soli Deo Gloria. This album was recorded be three men in three different cities and two different countries. Dave (vocalist) and Don (guitarist/bassist) live several hours apart from each other in South Africa, they recorded their parts and then sent them to drummer, Matt whom recorded his parts Idaho. The band states that their main purpose is to make music they love, and music that honors the Lord and they're not going to let anything including distance get in their way.

Artista: Sobre Todo Nombre
Album: Abba Padre
Fecha de Publicación: 29 de junio 2012
Discográfica: Ven y Vive

Procedente de Bogotá, Colombia, Sobre Todo Nombre han irrumpido en la escena del metal cristiano con su álbum de debut de Abba Padre, que la banda dice que el nombre "porque queríamos mostrar a cada persona que escucha, que somos hijos e hijas de un Padre que nos ama sin límites ... " El nombre de la banda en sí viene de Filipenses 2:9-11 "Por eso Dios lo exaltó hasta lo sumo y le otorgó el Nombre que está sobre todo nombre (Sobre Todo Nombre), que en el nombre de Jesús toda rodilla se doble ... " Los chicos de Todo Sobre Nombre no se avergüenzan de lo que esta banda está a punto, o lo que es su mensaje y eso se nota en cada canción.

Artist: Sobre todo Nombre
Album: Abba Father
Release Date: June 29, 2012
Label: Come&Live

Hailing from Bogota, Colombia Sobre todo Nombre have burst onto the Christian metal scene with their debut album Abba Father, which the band says they named "because we wanted to show each and every person that listens to it, that we are sons and daughters of a Father that loves us without limits..." The bands name itself comes from Philippians 2:9-11 "therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name (Sobre todo Nombre), that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow..." The guys in Sobre todo Nombre do not shy away from what this band is about, or what their message is and it shows in each and every song.

Artist: Memphis May Fire
Album: Challenger
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Label: Rise Records

If you felt a little “hollow” after listening to Memphis My Fire’s last album, this next album is definitely a "Challenger." On June 26th, Dallas, Texas’ Memphis May Fire has set to release what may be their best album yet. What makes this album their best? One could claim it is the heavier roots, or the guest appearances of both Kellin Quinn from Sleeping With Sirens and Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria; however, although each strengthens the album in their individuality, it is nothing that sets this album apart from any other.

Artist: Altars
Album: Conclusions
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Label: Facedown Records

Altars have really become a huge part of the Facedown Records family, one of the bands that I see replacing the absence of For Today, and Impending Doom. Playing their version of metallic hardcore, these guys sure know how to go hard. With last years release of the Opposition EP, Altars wasted no time in getting down to business with their new album Conclusions. This album is hard hitting and relentless. It covers something that lacks in today's hardcore scene. Passion.

Artist: xLooking Forwardx
Album: Down With the Ship
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Label: Facedown Records

It's been seven long years since one of the original straight-edge hardcore bands in the Christian market made their last album. Now, xLooking Forwardx is back with one final EP appropriately entitled Down With the Ship. The EP is relatively short clocking in at 11:30, but that's what hardcore music was and is about. Keep it short and to the point.

Artist: Beautiful Eulogy
Album: Satellite Kite
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Label: Humble Beast

The first time I came across Beautiful Eulogy, I instantly took notice of the fact that they were from Portland and based on their image, I figured they were some sort of indie folk group. Turns out I was wrong, completely wrong in fact, as the group in fact create hip hop, and are actually made up of rappers Braille, Odd Thomas, and producer Courtland Urbano. The music of Beautiful Eulogy is quite unique, in the essence that their music feels much more organic than simply a few beats made on a MacBook with the latest production software. The vocals from Odd Thomas and Braille are flawless, whether they be spitting out words so quickly that its hard to keep up or even just a slower, spoken word piece, everything seems fitting, conveying a very explicit message, that of redemption through the blood of Christ, and the incomprehensible love of God.

Artist: The Overseer
Album: We Search, We Dig
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Label: Solid State Records

Hardcore and metal over the past few years has fallen into either two categories: creative or just more of the same. In 2012, while we've had a handful of good, even less great, releases in terms of heavy music, I've found myself dissatisfied and underwhelmed with the majority of it, following a year that had some of the best albums the genre has heard since its inception. One good place to turn that's still putting out great music is Solid State Records, with a slew of veterans and newer artists like To Speak of Wolves making big waves, but nearly halfway through the year, the label have unveiled what they're called their New Breed, a duo of their newest bands expected to usher in a new wave of music, "post-metalcore," for years to come; made up of Wolves At The Gate and The Overseer. We Search, We Dig has now been unleashed, the debut from The Overseer, being heralded as a mix of Underoath and Thrice, and the album quite easily hits the mark and goes beyond.

June 15, 2012 will mark one year since the release of Love & War & The Sea In Between, an 18-song endeavor by Portland, OR native Josh Garrels. It's been a journey too, as Garrels' decided to give away his beautifully intricate piece of art for one year, free of charge between independent music sites BandCamp and Noisetrade. Every listen of the album has only seemingly been better, revealing the true emotion and tangibility behind the massive collection of songs, each unique, yet tied together with a common thread; pieces in a story of love, tension, and faith. The musicianship is remarkable, from orchestra-laden pieces to intimate acoustic melodies and even a bit of hip-hop influence thrown in for good measure, which accompany Garrel's thick, deep vocals and haunting falsettos. The cunning lyrics are yet another thing that can't go without mentioning, using imagery and good flow to convey the themes of Love & War to the listener. If you're like me, you've heard plenty of good music over the past few years, but I'm willing to say that Josh Garrel's Love & War & The Sea In Between is truly something special, willing to astound listeners for years to come.

Love & War & The Sea In Between is available for free download at Noisetrade and BandCamp until June 15. If you miss the opportunity, the album will still be available on iTunes and AmazonMP3 as well. The trailer for the upcoming film that documents the inception of the album, The Sea In Between, can also be seen below, with more info to be found here.



Josh Garrels: The Sea In Between - Trailer from Mason Jar Music on Vimeo.

Artist: Bellarive
Album: The Heartbeat
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Label: Sparrow Records

Led by Sean Curran, some may be familiar with Bellarive from their days with Come&Live! and through their first EP, The Being Human Project... Start Listening, and fans of Leeland and Coldplay noticed and found something to like in the similar melodies and piano driven rock songs. The six-piece worship band from Orlando, whose name translates to "beautiful river," now are bringing their debut full-length, The Heartbeat, to listener's ears through Sparrow Records. Many of their original songs have been tweaked (albeit not overly) and included on this album. In fact, what you'll find are some of the most energetic and spirited melodies you've heard this year, paired with a heart for true intimacy with God.