Friday, May 27, 2011

Sleeping at Last goes solo

Emo/alternative rock band Sleeping at Last announced on their blog last week that bass guitarist, Dan Perdue, would be stepping down from the band leaving Ryan O'Neil as the sole remaining member.

"After much thought and soul searching I have decided to step down as a member of Sleeping At Last. It was a very difficult decision, made all the more difficult by how much I love my Sleeping At Last family. It's hard to give you a specific reason. It's just something that has been on my mind for a while now and it just felt like it was the right thing for me to do". - Dan Perdue

Sleeping at Last had it's beginnings in 1998.  Brothers Ryan (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Chad O'Neil (drums), along with Dan Perdue (bass), began playing local venues in Wheaton, Illinois and developed a strong local following.  Later SAL went on to open for bands such as Switchfoot. The band came to the attention of Billy Corgan who arranged to have them signed with Interscope Records in 2000. Interscope released SAL's Ghosts" CD in 2003. The band returned to being independant with their follow-up CD "Keep No Score".

Stylisticly, Sleeping at Last is similar to bands Future of Forestry, Copeland and Jon Foreman (who provided vocals on the SAL song "Birthright").

Artistry is the calling card of Sleeping at Last. The band offers a poetic and thought provoking blend of lyrics and music.

when i fell to my knees
to sew the damage shut,
i couldn't believe...
a bright, staggering light
came flooding into me
from out of the seams.


so i reached deeper in
and pulled my whole world wide open,
and for each broken mile, a billion
miracles happen at once
in everything... in everything
- Porcelian lyrics

Beautiful cover art for all SAL releases provided by watercolourist Geoff Benzing.  The cover art alone is worth the price of a CD.  Animated videos are a trademark of this band.  Look for the video links below.

The band may also be recognized for their songs that have been featured on the small screen. A soundtrack slot for the song “Quicksand” occured on the season 3 premiere of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. Episodes of ABC's Private Practice have featured Sleeping at Last's "Quicksand" and "Watermark".

Sleeping at Last has to be one of the most prolific bands in music:
1999 - There's a Quiet Understanding EP
2000 - Capture
2003 - Ghosts
2005 - Ghosts of Christmas Past EP
2006 - Keep No Score
2009 - Storyboards
2009 - Christmas Collection 2009

From October 2010 to September 2011, Sleeping at Last will be releasing a 3 song EP each month as part of their "Yearbook" collection.

"Our faith is a big part of who we are," Ryan O'Neil states, "but we have always intended our music to be for anyone that cares to listen, no matter who they are or what they believe in. Everyone hears a song in a different light."

Free download for Sleeping at Last compilation

"Green Screens" video
"Unmade" video

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Top 10 Best Live Bands

What follows are my picks for the top 10 best live Christian bands.

10) RED – Hard rock band. Twin brothers Anthoney and Randy Armstrong are tremendous on lead and bass guitars respectively.  Lead vocals by Michael Barnes.  As a whole, RED provides a very dramatic live show. YouTube

9)  Disciple – This band’s songs are often heard at professional sporting events such as NFL and WWE events.  Performance of “Scars Remain” YouTube

8)  Randy Stonehill – ‘80’s balladeer, regularly provided social commentary in his songs. Stonehill is still performing today.  His signature song, ”Turning 30”, could now be retitled “Turning 60”. YouTube

7)  Robin Mark - Yes, I know its worship music.  Robin Mark can make an audience of thousands feel like they are in an intimate gathering.  A truly great worship leader.  YouTube

6)  Article One – This band’s CD’s give no indication about the quality of their live performances.  Violin, drums, piano, guitars and vocals executed flawlessly and energetically.  YouTube

5)  Family Force Five – Energy explodes from this band.  Who can ignore their 800 pound drum machine? YouTube

4)  Showbread – Performing “Mouth Like A Magazine”.  Showbread has gone through a change in musical styles in every album, but it always seems to work. YouTube

3) Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart – Early ‘80’s powerhouse band.  Mylon was famous for having his beginnings playing Christian music, going into the secular market, having difficulties in his life and then returning to Christian rock.  Check out the BIG hair.  YouTube

2) Flatfoot 56 – Bagpipes, mandolin, electric guitars, drums and a vocal crowd, could there be a better version of “Amazing Grace”?  YouTube

1) newboys – perfectly synced band. Professionalism shows through with over 25 years live performances. Duncan and Peter on the revolving drum kit is a sight to behold. YouTube

Sunday, May 22, 2011

KoЯn No More

"Religion is when people try to act good because they're afraid to go to hell. A relationship with Jesus Christ is for people like me who have already been to hell." — Brian "Head" Welch

In early 2005, to the surprise of fans and the public in general, Brian “Head” Welch announced his departure from the multi-platinum, Grammy winning, metal band, KoЯn.  On the KoЯn website the band announced that they had “parted ways with Welch, who has chosen the Lord Jesus Christ as his saviour, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end”.

Even after going forward to accept Christ at a local church, Head went home and got high on speed. Sitting there high, knowing he could not break the hold drugs had on his life, he cried out to God saying, “Jesus, if you are real, like that pastor said, then you’ve got to take these drugs from me.  Come into my life; come into my heart.”

After a few moments of silence, he continued, “Search me right now, search my heart.  You know I want to quit.  You know I want to be a good dad to this kid.  She lost her mother to drugs and she is going to lose me if I don’t quit. Amen.”

After struggling for a couple weeks trying to believe if God was real or not, Head finally had his answer; He had a real, intimate encounter with God that would forever change his life. Instantly, love from the Holy Spirit poured into him.  The encounter Head had was so real and powerful, that he threw out all of his drugs the next day.

Celebrity conversions to Christ often result in the person’s faith being placed under the microscope by both Christians and non-Christians. This has been the case with Head.  Welch has illustrated his walk of faith with the publication of his autobiography “Save Me From Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story ”.  During 2008 Welch recorded a solo album with the same title.  Head carries on with the same nu metal style that brought KoЯn to prominence, but from a Christian perspective.

Head has also gone on to help form a group, The Whosoevers, who are dedicated to meeting with unsaved youth both within and outside the church, sharing Christ with them through music, art, and testimonies. Other musicians include Sonny Sandoval (lead vocalist of P.O.D.) and Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf, extreme freestyle motorcyclist Ronnie Fiasst, and Ryan Ries, a former marketing manager of a pro skateboard team, round out the group.

Our prayers should go out to Welch as he continues to grow in his faith in God and that he continues to be an outspoken witness for Christ.


Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, bassist of KoЯn also came to follow Christ, he has released his memoir, “Got The Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery and KoЯn”.


Welch is one of many secular musicians that have found Christ, and then continued their musical careers performing from a Christian worldview.  A few examples are listed below:

Bob Dylan
Joshua Brown (of Full Devil Jacket, to Day Of Fire)
Phil Keaggy (Glass Harp)
Alice Cooper
Dion DiMucci (from Dion and the Beaumonts, to solo career)
Lou Graham (Foreigner)
John Schlitt (of Head East, to Petra)
Van Morrison
Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers)
John Elefante (of Kansas, to Mastedon)
Kerry Livgren (of Kansas, to A.D.)
Dan Peek (America, to solo career)
Leon Patillo  (Santana, to solo career)
Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad, to solo career)

Friday, May 13, 2011

Flashback Friday

What follows is an interview I did with DanMcCabe, lead singer of Daniel Band back in 2009.  Be forewarned, it's lengthy.


DANIEL BAND:   “Comin’ Home”
By Dave Hawkins
Daniel Band is well known to music aficionados as one of the select forerunners to the Christian metal bands who perform today. I had the opportunity to speak with Dan McCabe, frontman of Daniel Band, prior to their show at “The Way Inn” at Bendale Bible Chapel in Toronto. Returning to the very church where they had begun three decades earlier, Daniel Band performed before an expectant crowd for this highly anticipated show. This was not so much a reunion of the band, but rather a reunion of the many fans it has captured over the course of the band's career.  Dan provided me with some insight regarding the early days of Christian rock and how Daniel Band influenced performers yet to be born.

ME:  In 1979, when you formed Daniel Band, Christian rock was in its infancy.
 
DAN: Oh yeah, in 1979 there wasn’t a lot heavy stuff out. You know, Resurrection Band were fairly new, other than that there wasn’t a lot of really heavy stuff. Servant was out too, but again, they weren’t really heavy. That was, sort of, new ground back in 1979. For us to come out with the kind of music that we did, we didn’t think we were coming out with anything strange or different; we just played the music that we liked.

ME:  Was the main idea of starting Daniel Band to be an outreach or was it because you enjoyed the music?

DAN:  Well, Daniel Band wasn’t planned. We didn’t sit down and say “Hey guys let’s start a band”. We were a fill-in band for other bands that couldn’t make it. We just kind of said “Oh, we’ll do it” kind of thing. Tony [Rossi] and I both played in Harvest together. There came a time when some of the guys in Harvest couldn’t keep playing as frequently as they were and they would have to turn down engagements. So Tony and I started taking them and just filling in. One night we filled in at Bendale [Bible Chapel] when there was a cancellation. It was never a plan to be a band, it just grew into that. Even when we first played together we weren’t even called Daniel Band, we were referred to as “Little Harvest”, because of Tony and I playing in Harvest. It wasn’t a plan, it just turned into that.

ME:  So how accepting was the church and the Christian community with your music?

DAN:  Not at all. Our home church here, Bendale, was very accepting; they understood what we were doing. They knew us personally; they knew our lives; they knew what we were all about. They took the time to look at what we were saying in our songs and they realized that this was having an affect on young people. One magazine that was called “Guitar Player Magazine”, which was a secular guitar magazine, referred to us as “the grandfathers of contemporary Christian music”. And so, it’s often said that we carved the way through the difficulties with Christian music and styles and sort of made the way for what band are doing today [and not receiving any opposition today].

ME:  It’s true. Stryper, Whitecross and Bride all came to follow.

DAN:  Yeah and they didn’t have a lot of opposition like we did. We really took a lot of the heat for it. Eh, it was fun.

ME:  So, who was most of the heat from?

DAN:  A lot of churches. We had more heat. Of course, some Christians at the time would say “This just proved you were wrong”. We had more heat from Christians than people who weren’t Christians. People who weren’t Christian actually respected us. They said, “Well, you know, I don’t really agree with what you are saying, but, I really like what you guys are doing, and you have the right to say it”. I remember when we won third place in the Q107 [Toronto secular rock station] contest. I phoned up the station and said: “Hey, I just want to thank you guys for choosing us. You guys know that we’re a Christian band. I think that really says something about you guys, that you would choose us”. Their answer to me was “Well, you know, we play ‘Highway to Hell’ so there is nothing wrong with giving the alternative”. These people, who weren’t Christian, saying this kind of stuff, the Christians really could have taken a lesson from them.
I think too that a lot of pastors were really afraid that they were going to lose their youth. They didn’t understand what we were doing. They thought this might be an evil thing and that all their youth would be going to hell in a hand-basket if they started to listen to our music.

ME:  What kind of music did you listen to as a teenager?

DAN: Oh!  I listened to Rush, Kiss, and Triumph…

ME: Because there was no Christian music…

DAN: Right! There was no Christian music to listen to! I think that was what Tony and I felt like. We should just play the music that we like and write about the things that are important to us.

ME:  Were any of these bands or musicians a particular influence to your Daniel Band?

DAN:  Yeah, like Geddy Lee from Rush. I really loved his bass playing and I loved his sound. So, I went out and got a Rickenbacker, the black and white 4001. I took the guitar to the same guitar tech that he used and the tech redid it so it would sound exactly like Geddy’s. Some of the vocal styles that were around, like Queen – I really liked their stuff a lot. Some people thought that vocally I sounded like Geddy Lee. Zeppelin, a lot of stuff like that.

ME: How did the first album “On Rock” come about?

DAN:  I know that people find this hard to understand, hard to believe. We had talked about doing an album. Someone else really felt that more than we did. A wealthy family came to us and said “I see the kind of impact that you are making on our own family, and teenagers. We think that you should seriously consider doing an album and send us the bill”. We walked away from that and thought “Wow, maybe we should make it”. We sat down and talked about the purpose of the album. It wasn’t an instantaneous decision. We really took some time and prayed about it. We came to agree that, yes; we should go forward with it.

ME:  It’s great to be able to afford recording an album, but how do you go about distributing it?

Dan McCabe
DAN:  There was a company that stepped forward. It’s interesting how God brings people together for a particular purpose, you kind of cross paths. There is a purpose in that, it is no accident. I was working, at the time in a studio. One of the fellows who worked out of that studio was a fellow named Carl Mernick and he was doing a lot of kids’ albums for a company called Lawson and Falle, you know, who made all the Christian plaques for the walls. He went to Dave Falle and said “you’ve really got to hear this band, they’re Canadians and I think they’ve got something here.” So Dave Falle picked us up and signed us to a distribution agreement with Lamb & Lion, at the time, and it went from there.

ME: How was Daniel Band accepted in the U.S.?

DAN:  Very well, we were much bigger in the U.S. than we were here. In fact, everybody in Canada thought we were from the U.S. We were playing out in Saskatoon and everyone thought we were from L.A.; that we weren’t Canadians. That’s how Canada is. You have to go to the States and do well there. Then you come back here and they take you seriously. When we went to the States, we would do very well in all the towns we played.

ME:  When you were touring what kind of venues did you play in?

DAN:  We did all of the festivals, which was great. Icthus, Creation and Cornerstone. We played Cornerstone a few times. It was really neat, you got to hang around and meet some the people you really respected and listened to as well. We developed a friendship with Mylon [LeFevre] as we met him on tour all the time. One of my favourite bands back in the early 80s was AD.

ME:  Kerry Livgren (ed. note:  Kerry Livgren was previously the guitars, keyboards, synthesizers player for the mega-group Kansas).

DAN:  Yeah, Kerry Livgren and Dave Baldwin and those guys. I used to actually drive around and listen to them and warm up vocally to Michael Gleason. He was the most incredible singer, so I would always play him and sing his stuff all the time and also Kansas, with “Vinyl Confessions” and “Drastic Measures” – great albums. It was great to play at Cornerstone with those guys [AD]. I was right on stage and talking and saying how much I like their stuff.  Asking “How do you do this, how do you do that?” It was just a great experience. In the hospitality room later, sitting around with Kerry Livgren and actually having a conversation with him and I’m kind of looking around me, thinking “This is really cool!” 
So, we played a lot if those types of venues, also a lot of high school auditoriums. We didn’t play a lot of churches. Of course, the reason being, a lot of churches weren’t ready for it, you know, to have this in their church. I think a lot of the churches that did bring us in understood that it’s better to have it in a neutral area, not in a church, but rather in a high school auditorium, where people wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, but where they would all come. If they thought it might be some weird Christian thing, they wouldn’t show up.

ME:  What do you think of some of the Christian bands nowadays who wouldn’t play a church, but are OK with playing bars and clubs?

DAN:   Yeah, the older I get, the less hung-up I am about that. There was a time when I would have said that I was very much against that. Maybe, that was because, all that I had seen, it never ended well. A lot of bands would have said “OK, we are going to minister to people there” but, it never seemed to turn out that way. If I had seen more success stories, I would have felt differently about it. I sit here now, turning 50 in July, and I look back it now and go “Well, whatever God has called you to be, be faithful and do it”. Be faithful, it can be a very hard thing to do.

ME:  Difficult to stay the course.

DAN:  Yeah, I think so. Yeah, it’s a very difficult thing to do.

ME:  So, you guys opened for Rez Band. What kind of a relationship did you have with them?

DAN:  Oh, we were really close and still are. Glenn [Kaiser], somehow, got a hold of our first demo tape when he was down in Chicago. Glenn always had a real love for Canada; a real burden for Canada. So he got this demo tape from us and he listened to it and he goes, “I really love this; this is great!” So, we ended up having him and the Rez Band come up when we did a concert here and we opened up for them. We just hit it off, right from the word “go”. We are likeminded in what we thought, how we handled music and preaching. Glenn and Roger [Heiss] came up and helped us produce the first album. We didn’t know what we were doing! They spent a whole week with us to do the mix-down. Glenn stayed at my place with me and we hung out and mixed the album. That’s why the first album sounds a lot like early Rez, since they had a heavy influence on the sound of it.

ME:  What about the change in style that moved Daniel Band from straight rock to a metal sound?

DAN:  We took a little bit of a turn. We did the first album [“On Rock”] which people love to this day. They still say that was our best album.  The second favourite album, for them, is our third album, “Run From the Darkness”.  The second album, “Straight Ahead”, you could sort of pick up, from me anyway, the Kansas influences. We became more creative in our writing. We started introducing some riffs and orchestras and this kind of stuff. We sort of turned away from the heavy rock and experimented with that kind of stuff. I wouldn’t say that it failed, because the album did very well, but it didn’t do as well as the first album. So, the third album we said “OK, let’s go back to what we do best”.  We came right back to a style that was very similar to the first album. After that we went into the fourth album which was “Rise Up”, which was starting to get a little heavier. By the time we got to the fifth album, “Running Out of Time”, which we literally ran out of time, that’s when we ended our playing. At that time I was getting into heavier bands like Doc, and of course I was always a big Def Leppard fan. You can pick up on a lot of that stuff coming through.

ME:  The band finished performing because…?

DAN:  We never really quit, we never really broke up. We just felt, that with children coming along, and commitments in our lives that it was tough to keep performing. We had to make a decision that we couldn’t carry on as a band and take care of our families properly. We saw a lot of bands try to do that and in many cases it ended up in devastation. So we just said, “We’re not going to do that.” We really felt that our first responsibility was to our wives and children. It didn’t stop me from ministering, I minister to my family and I can also minister to others in my local church. Bill Findlay always said “I don’t have to do this.  I don’t have to play guitar.  I can teach Sunday school”. When Daniel Band stopped, really just stopping taking engagements. I took about two years off and wasn’t doing anything, because my son wasn’t well and I needed to be around our house, to help my wife.
 
ME:  How does music play a role in your life, now?

DAN:  I very busy with music. I’m on staff at a church called Carruthers Creek as one of the worship leaders.  I’m very involved with that on a regular basis.  I play bass for one of the other worship leaders, Allen Froese, you hear him on the radio all the time. Now my son, Josh, is a drummer, he plays professionally with a group called Esterlyn; he’s on tour with them right now. He just finished the Disciple tour.

ME:  Yeah, I listen to Esterlyn.

Daniel Band playing in Ajax, ON
DAN:  My daughter is a worship leader as well and plays with me every Sunday that I play. She is leading the worship for the youth. My youngest daughter doesn’t isn’t musically inclined. She loves music, but has very different gifts. Wherever help is needed, she’s there, taking photos, baking. If musicians are there with young children, she will be helping organize them, so they aren’t running around. So, we are a ministry family.

ME:  What are the plans for Daniel Band now?

DAN:  Well, the record company that we are with in the States wants to re-release our first album. That will be our third re-release with them.

ME:  Retroactive Records.

DAN:  Yup… is that right? Yeah, I think it is? [laughs] That’s terrible! I don’t even pay attention to the name of the company! [laughs] I just talked to the fellow there. He is a great guy.

ME: [laughs] “…Am I getting a cheque?”

DAN:  [laughs] He has been very helpful along the way. All of the copies of “On Rock” are gone, unless you go online and grab one somewhere.
 
ME:  I’ve been trying.

DAN:  That’s why another release of “On Rock” is coming out.  Retroactive said “We need to do something different”.  Tony Rossi and I talked and decided to go back in the studio and we recorded two, brand new songs.  They will be bonus tracks on the CD.  The CD is about 80% finished right now.
 I let my kids listen to it and they said “It sounds like Daniel Band, but modern”. So, that is exactly what we went for. In fact, before we went in the studio, I went online and asked a bunch of people, “If Daniel Band came out with a new album, what should it sound like? Should it be like the Daniel Band of the 80s, or should it sound like something current?” Overwhelmingly, everyone said it should be like the 80s Daniel Band. So, we went in and did what we do, but with new technology, which you kind off pick up on in the sound of it.

ME:  What do you think of all the retro bands coming back into action?

DAN:  I think it’s fantastic! My kids are, of course, a lot older now and Tony’s kids are grown up. Bill is just starting out with young kids. I was talking to Tony a few weeks ago and asked him if he thought we should put out the word that we would be available to jump into the retro thing again. Tony said “Yeah, maybe we could go on tour with a few of these things in the summertime”. I don’t think I would have time for that, but maybe we could do a few festivals. We did Cornerstone a few years ago.

ME:  2001.  You recorded the live CD.

DAN:  Yeah, the live CD. That was great! What was really exciting about that was that the tent was full. There had to be 800 people there. There were people there that had never seen Daniel Band, but had always wanted to. You know, they were big fans and had all the albums, but they had never seen us play live.  It just blew me away that they were so excited about seeing Daniel Band live. One guy – this was so funny – he said, “I’ve always wanted to see you. Now I have seen you guys. Now I can die”. [laughs] Oh, come on! 
I remember playing “Run from the Darkness”. I’m starting the vocals. I’m looking at this guy, tears coming down his face, I’m going, “this is like …” It was fun.

ME: So there could be a chance of seeing you again in the future?

DAN: Yeah, you never know, yeah. I mean, these two songs we’ve been working on have been taking forever. So, I don’t know how long it would take us to do a new album. We’re open to it, and, you know, we’ve already talked to the record company about it, and they would love us to, of course. So I think where we’re at with it now is that, we’re just going to go in and do it two songs, and we’ll do two more songs, and two more songs, and when we have enough we’ll just throw it on a CD [laughs].

ME: So what do you think now about how the market works now for Christian music? I mean it’s changed.

DAN: Yeah, it’s really different. We’re on iTunes; so they’ve set us up on iTunes. ‘Cause occasionally I get a cheque for it, that’s how I know! [laughs]  And the record company, too, says they’ve have a lot of people asking for ringtones, so I have to go in the studio and edit some stuff for ringtones that people are wanting to buy, so that’s kind of funny too. I find that amusing. [laughs]
 
ME: Okay, here, Woody Woodland from LIFE 100.3 had a question for you; he emailed me. He said: if you were stuck on an island, and could take only one record with you, what would you bring?

DAN: Oh, wow! That is so tough. Because my taste keeps changing, you know? It depends what phase I’m in right now.

ME: Okay, who do you listen to now?

DAN: You’d laugh if I told you!
ME: You’d laugh at what I listen to!

DAN: [laughs] I was at a Diana Krall concert last night at Massey Hall. I think she’s fabulous. And live, it was just outstanding. Like, “Wow, the musicians and the sound and ….” You know, I like that kind of jazz, which people wouldn’t expect.

ME: Now are you going to have to repent for that?

Tony Rossi, lead guitar
DAN: No man, that’s OK! We can get through that. And uh, to tell you the truth, I don’t listen to music much. I very rarely listen to music. I listen to the radio; I listen to talk shows and stuff. But one of my favourite singers of all time is Don Henley, from the Eagles. I just think that he’s an amazing writer, and I love his voice. And probably people are listening to this going, “Oh, he’s not saying any Christian bands,” but you know, I have my favourite Christian bands too. You know, Chuck Girard from way back was a huge influence on me. We became friends as well, and he probably played the biggest role in my life in Christian music. Of course,along with Glenn Kaiser.  Although Glenn and I are really, really good friends, I was never really a big Rez Band fan. You know, I liked their album covers, but that was about it. Other than that, I didn’t really listen to a lot of Rez. But that’s okay, you know, we’re just good friends, right? [laughs] And of course I liked AD a lot, and Kansas’ stuff. But my tastes are changing a lot, like right now I’ve been listening to Diana Krall and I’m listening to the Eagles, you know? If I listen to anything at all! [laughs]

ME: Well my kids are appalled, because I’ve taken the progression, actually getting even into hardcore and screamo….

DAN: Oh! Yeah, well you know my kids listen to all that stuff.  But yeah, my kids listen to all that stuff too. You know, I like all that stuff. I have a real cross-section of stuff I like, just no one particular thing.

ME: Good for you!

DAN: But again, I like Def Leppard a lot too. A friend of mine, who’s a pastor, right? He’s from the UK, and so he never really got to see a lot of the bands from the ‘80s and so whenever one comes in, he phones here and says, “Can we go and see….” So he and I went to Def Leppard together. So, you know, things have changed a lot, like when a pastor of a church will go to see Def Leppard with you. Things have changed a lot from what we were doing in the ‘80s.

ME: It’s true. My salvation was doubted because I was saved at a Petra concert.

DAN: Yeah, it can’t be real, right? And then, the funny thing was, a few of us went up – um, you know, guys are really going to be upset with me when I tell you this – a few of us went up to Casino Rama to see Boston.

ME: Oh yeah.

DAN: And they were fantastic. And, lo and behold, the guitar player is Michael Sweet –

ME:  Of Stryper.

DAN: – that we toured with. So I’m going, hey, you know, this is great! This is good! But you know, I always bring it back, though. I went to school, and I learned math and I’d learn science and I’d learn music from all those teachers there, and none of them were Christians. So they taught me some very valuable things. So why do we look at music differently, that I can’t learn musically from people who aren’t Christians?

ME: True.

DAN: I don’t have to necessarily agree with what they’re saying. But there’s a lot of things that I can learn from them as far as the art is concerned, you know? Or the skill? When I see that, I think, “That’s really good, I’d like to be able to play like that guy.”

ME: So, this is sort of your thirtieth anniversary show.

DAN: That long, eh? Yeah, I guess it is! [laughs] Yeah, wow!

ME: Is it making you feel old?

DAN: Yeah, but….‘Cause I’m going to be 50 in July, but I don’t feel 50, you know? I don’t feel or think any differently than I did when I was 20-something. In fact, strangely enough, I’m singing better now at 50 than I was when I was playing in Daniel Band when I was in my twenties. Which I can’t understand or explain, but….

ME: It’s just how it is.

DAN: I think it’s just: I’m taking better care of myself. I’m making sure I get enough rest; I’m eating better. You know, all of these things that I never did in my twenties. You know, you live a little recklessly; you don’t eat right, you don’t sleep enough.

ME: Even after all the hours that you put in at work.

DAN: Yeah, I said, “that’s it, I need a rest!” [laughs]

ME: Well, listen, is there anything else you want to add?

DAN: Uh, it’s just great to get together and talk about this stuff.

ME: It's been fun.

DAN: We’ve been trying to do this for a long time (ed. note: this interview). I’m really glad we got a chance to do it, and I’m looking forward to tonight. We don’t have anything else scheduled after tonight, so we’ll do this, and we’ll see where God leads us.

ME:  Thanks for taking the time to speak with me.  Have a great show.

DAN: Thanks.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Aaron Gillespie : Anthem Song review

Aaron Gillespie's first solo album is a 180° change from his previous endeavours.

Gillespie's roots began with the metalcore band, Underoath, back in 1997.  At the age of 14 Gillespie was offered the position as drummer and remained with the band until until April of 2010.  Gillespie also started an alternative rock band, The Almost, while he was still drumming and doing the clean vocals for Underoath.  The Almost released their first album "Southern Weather" in 2007 and their follow-up album "Monster, Monster" in '09.

In April of this year, Gillespie released a solo worship album, "Anthem Song".   It was a surprise to many fans to hear Gillespie offering praise music.  Vocally the album is a treat to listen to.  Gillespie has a distinctive voice that carries well within the worship format.  However, I was expecting more than just a typical contemporary worship album.  Aaron Gillespie is known for being much more than just "Underoath's drummer".  A talented vocalist, guitarist, and  his strong song writing skills have always been Gillespie's assets, but not many of those abilities showed up on "Anthem Song"

Yes, there are some better than average tracks.  The single "We Were Made For You" carries well on Christian radio and tells of how we were formed to be in a relationship with God.  "I Will Worship You" is a heartfelt call to God.  Acoustically driven, the song builds to a crescendo during the chorus with Gillespie passionately singing "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, our God reigns".  The title track "Anthem Song" has a pop slant that feels radio driven.  The lyrics reflect God's faithfulness and love to us "We sing to you oh God for you are good, Your love for us will always carry on, Your faithfulness is brighter than the dawn, The whole universe is echoing your song, Hear it rise".


Aaron Gillespie provided the answer as to why the change in musical style:

 "I saw people worshiping God because He exists, because that's what we were created to do," he says. "I believe everybody worships something, whether it be your job or your family or a relationship or whatever. We were all made to worship just one, and that's Jesus. And it really, really messed me up, seeing these African people who have nothing worshiping God, just because He exists. It gave me the fuel to go and do this record and also convicted me to leave Underoath and to pursue this ministry area in my life."


I'm hoping that Gillespie's next worship album might provide the listener with a greater musical and lyrical depth.

Click her to listen to songs from "Anthem Song".

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Maylene and the Sons Of Disaster

Dallas Taylor, lead singer for MATSOD
Southern metalcore band, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster played last night to a capacity crowd at the Sound Academy in Toronto.  The concert had a late start.   An unfortunate result was that each of the bands reduced their set list, leaving fans yearning for more.

Without wasting time MASTOD opened with "Waiting On My Deathbed" from their third album, III (yes, you guessed correctly, the first and second albums are entitled, I and II). The bulk of their 35 minute set was from III.  I was hoping to hear songs from their critically acclaimed second album and one of my favourites "Tough As John Jacobs" from I, but that was not to be.

The mosh pit moved into overdrive during "Settling Scores By Burning Bridges", pushing the non-moshing fans to the back of the venue.  Being 5'6" my view of the stage was limited.  None the less it was a great show.  Lead singer, Dallas Taylor, formerly of Underoath, never fails to give their fans their money's worth.


Want to listen to Maylene and the Sons of Disaster?  Click here.