It's amazing where I find inspiration. I don't write a story because I think up something after pondering the meaning of life for hours, I write a story based on a thought, or even a fragment of a thought that makes its way into my head at seemingly random times. Certain events and sights in my life strike me in a powerful way, and when they happen, I feel a need to write about the event either in a poem or a story (or a blog I suppose). For example, one of the more strange examples of this happened the other day. I was taking a shower and I was feeling very sick to my stomach. For whatever reason, I felt the need to lay down in the bath tub in hopes of feeling better. While lying down, I had the thought of how unclean the floor of the tub must be. This thought struck me as being very ironic since showers and baths are where we go to clean ourselves, yet many times we would never think of lying down in one, especially if it were at a friends house or at a hotel. So it made me wonder "If we think the floor of a tub is dirty, does that mean the shower head and the water is dirty as well? Are we in fact getting dirtier when we take a shower?" This mixture of strange thought made me write a poem about the event because I kept coming back to it day after day.
More recently, and more realistically speaking, I came across another situation. In my "Creative Writing" class, there's a girl who although she's very pretty and nice to me and everyone else, no one ever talks to her or seems to care about her. My seat in the cafeteria always faces the place where she sits, which gives me a view of her sitting mostly by herself writing in what I believe is a journal. I've tried making conversation, but I'm usually afraid that she'll take my willing friendship in a way not intended. I've wondered about her a lot. I wonder why she sits by herself. Does she just like being alone? Does she have some secret past? Or are people just excluding her for no reason? With this new thought, I've yet to write anything other than this blog about it. I don't like writing stories involving high school students because I have a deep hatred for young adult literature (a story for another time), but it seems like a poem wouldn't encompass it all. Who knows...
Friday, February 5, 2010
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Top 5 Best Intro Songs
In music, people tend to rate a band based on their vocals, guitar riffs, breakdowns, and lyrics. Today however, I would like to give credit to bands that have mastered the unappreciated art of producing a good introduction song. In this countdown, I plan on being very liberal about what the definition of a "intro song" is. The song does not have to be called "Intro", like many are, it does not have to be completely void of vocals, and the song doesn't even have to be the first on the album. The only requirement is that the song cannot be any longer than two and a half minutes, and the song must stand out from the rest of the album. Meaning, if a band usually has screaming vocals and heavy guitar riffs, then a song that has a violin and no lyrics, is probably an intro song.
#5. Burden of a Day-Blessed Be Our Ever After
This intro is the shortest one on our list, but manages to tell us a lot about the band before the real music even starts. The thing that makes this one stand out, is that instead of the band changing their style, they combine everything they have to offer into one song. The song starts out with a sort of chant of clean vocals, to then abruptly having the familiar sound of harsh screams and heavy guitar riffs before leading us smoothly into the next song.
#4. I See Stars-The Ocean
If you know your Christian bands well, then you might have noticed that this intro song also has a similar name to another intro song that Burden of a Day has titled "Oceans", but maybe that was just me that saw that. As for this song is has everything I like in an intro, a good build up, change in tempo, showcasing all the band has, and a smooth lead into the next song. The only thing it lacks is the energy that the songs higher on the list do.
#3. Anberlin-(Debut)
I know, you were probably expecting that this would be number one on my list due to my love of Anberlin, but someone managed to score better. What this song does have however, is not only a good build up and change in tempo, but it also has some other unexpected things like an ambulance siren and some noise distortion before it leads flawlessly into the most energetic song on the CD.
#2. Attack Attack!-Interlude
This one should be pretty self explanatory, it's a techno intro. Not only does it have a nice build up, it has a nice, catchy tune. So if you like techno or dancing, this one is for you.
#1. Akissforjersey-A Tree and Its Fruit
So maybe you're some guy who happened to find this pitiful blog, and decided to read the most unexciting post on the blog. Maybe you even read all the way to this, expecting some great song that everyone knows. Well in that case I'm sorry to disappoint. I'm sure of all the 5 people that read this blog, none of them will know who Akissforjersey is. They're a a hardcore band that sounds like a mix of Underoath and Saosin, and that's exactly what makes this song special. This song is simply a recording of a pastor reading an excerpt from the Bible with the band playing in the background. But the way the song is composed, I find to be amazing. Both the pastor, and the band seem to be on the same page, since they both have a slow buildup of emotions. The pastor starts out by simply reading, and the band is simply playing a guitar, but by the time the pastor is done, the energy in his voice is noticeable in the reflection of the band playing.
#5. Burden of a Day-Blessed Be Our Ever After
This intro is the shortest one on our list, but manages to tell us a lot about the band before the real music even starts. The thing that makes this one stand out, is that instead of the band changing their style, they combine everything they have to offer into one song. The song starts out with a sort of chant of clean vocals, to then abruptly having the familiar sound of harsh screams and heavy guitar riffs before leading us smoothly into the next song.
#4. I See Stars-The Ocean
If you know your Christian bands well, then you might have noticed that this intro song also has a similar name to another intro song that Burden of a Day has titled "Oceans", but maybe that was just me that saw that. As for this song is has everything I like in an intro, a good build up, change in tempo, showcasing all the band has, and a smooth lead into the next song. The only thing it lacks is the energy that the songs higher on the list do.
#3. Anberlin-(Debut)
I know, you were probably expecting that this would be number one on my list due to my love of Anberlin, but someone managed to score better. What this song does have however, is not only a good build up and change in tempo, but it also has some other unexpected things like an ambulance siren and some noise distortion before it leads flawlessly into the most energetic song on the CD.
#2. Attack Attack!-Interlude
This one should be pretty self explanatory, it's a techno intro. Not only does it have a nice build up, it has a nice, catchy tune. So if you like techno or dancing, this one is for you.
#1. Akissforjersey-A Tree and Its Fruit
So maybe you're some guy who happened to find this pitiful blog, and decided to read the most unexciting post on the blog. Maybe you even read all the way to this, expecting some great song that everyone knows. Well in that case I'm sorry to disappoint. I'm sure of all the 5 people that read this blog, none of them will know who Akissforjersey is. They're a a hardcore band that sounds like a mix of Underoath and Saosin, and that's exactly what makes this song special. This song is simply a recording of a pastor reading an excerpt from the Bible with the band playing in the background. But the way the song is composed, I find to be amazing. Both the pastor, and the band seem to be on the same page, since they both have a slow buildup of emotions. The pastor starts out by simply reading, and the band is simply playing a guitar, but by the time the pastor is done, the energy in his voice is noticeable in the reflection of the band playing.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Road Signs of Life
The other day, while I was doing an on road driving test (only two more before I can get my license, woohoo!) I accidentally missed a yield sign. Luckily, there was no on coming traffic, and all I got was a stern lecture from my driving instructor. But this led me to think about missing signs from God.
Although I think we have all asked God for a sign at least once in our lives, very often it seems that we miss these signs, or brush them off if they aren't the answers we want. I for one seem to see signs everywhere, maybe it's just my poetic mind that makes me see God in everything, but sometimes the smallest, almost insignificant messages can mean so much to me. I have seen God in everything from a Facebook status, to bumper stickers, or the one that always manages to scare me, songs being played on the radio. Although maybe some of these are coincidences, when these coincidences start to build up, I start to think about just what each sign is trying to tell me. Sometimes though, when I'll ask for a sign about a relationship, or a decision that I have to make, I'll see a sign that I don't like, and I'll simply try to cover that up by saying "Oh it's only a coincidence", yet I'm quick to jump upon my decision if I see the answer I want. I find this to be ironic, that we are telling God that we trust Him and the answer He will give, yet if it's not the answer we want, we don't listen or pay attention. Why do we do this? If we we're going to do something regardless of what God thinks, why did we bother asking Him in the first place? I think that all of us do, even myself, yet it seems to be another one of those questions that keeps me up at night. This then leads me to wonder if maybe when I want a certain answer, I go out and look for signs that will approve of what I want. I'll look in places that I think will give me the right answer, and believe that it's God telling me that He approves when I see them. Signs, for me, are something that still confuse me, and something I am unsure of. Regardless though, signs always manage to comfort me, and let me know that God is always there. Whether it be because my favorite song just happens to be playing on the radio when I'm thinking about a girl, or because I'm looking for an answer about what to do next in a friendship, and see the answer in a poem, I always know that God is there with me whenever I see one. I also feel that all of us have a certain place where we see God the most. Maybe it's a beach, or a garden, or even a room. For me however, it's something much further away, for me Orion's Belt is the most comforting place to look at. The three stars that form a long ellipse always remind me of the Holy Trinity, and if I'm ever feeling upset or sad or shamefull, I always look to the night sky and see Orion's Belt. Unless of course it's cloudy outside, then it always seems that those days are worst.
Although I think we have all asked God for a sign at least once in our lives, very often it seems that we miss these signs, or brush them off if they aren't the answers we want. I for one seem to see signs everywhere, maybe it's just my poetic mind that makes me see God in everything, but sometimes the smallest, almost insignificant messages can mean so much to me. I have seen God in everything from a Facebook status, to bumper stickers, or the one that always manages to scare me, songs being played on the radio. Although maybe some of these are coincidences, when these coincidences start to build up, I start to think about just what each sign is trying to tell me. Sometimes though, when I'll ask for a sign about a relationship, or a decision that I have to make, I'll see a sign that I don't like, and I'll simply try to cover that up by saying "Oh it's only a coincidence", yet I'm quick to jump upon my decision if I see the answer I want. I find this to be ironic, that we are telling God that we trust Him and the answer He will give, yet if it's not the answer we want, we don't listen or pay attention. Why do we do this? If we we're going to do something regardless of what God thinks, why did we bother asking Him in the first place? I think that all of us do, even myself, yet it seems to be another one of those questions that keeps me up at night. This then leads me to wonder if maybe when I want a certain answer, I go out and look for signs that will approve of what I want. I'll look in places that I think will give me the right answer, and believe that it's God telling me that He approves when I see them. Signs, for me, are something that still confuse me, and something I am unsure of. Regardless though, signs always manage to comfort me, and let me know that God is always there. Whether it be because my favorite song just happens to be playing on the radio when I'm thinking about a girl, or because I'm looking for an answer about what to do next in a friendship, and see the answer in a poem, I always know that God is there with me whenever I see one. I also feel that all of us have a certain place where we see God the most. Maybe it's a beach, or a garden, or even a room. For me however, it's something much further away, for me Orion's Belt is the most comforting place to look at. The three stars that form a long ellipse always remind me of the Holy Trinity, and if I'm ever feeling upset or sad or shamefull, I always look to the night sky and see Orion's Belt. Unless of course it's cloudy outside, then it always seems that those days are worst.
Monday, April 6, 2009
And Then There Were None: Who Speaks for Planet Earth?
As many of you have probably guessed, I have a secret love affair for techno music, dance music, electronica music, and my personal favorite, electronic techno dance music with a touch of screaming. The album that I am about to review, "Who Speaks for Planet Earth?" by And Then There Were None, falls largely under the dance/electronica umbrella of genres. As many of you have probably also guessed, I also have a not so secret love affair with Christian music, and this band is no different. Although they don't profess their faith very through their lyrics very often in songs, their beats and melody provide a very happy, and upbeat feeling even with darker lyrics.
Murmurs of...
Like many albums now a days, "Murmurs of..." is a simple, lyricless song that's meant to open up the album. It's only 38 seconds long, and consists of random sounds that range from static, to speaker feed back, to some guy saying "Seven dollars". What I like most about this song however, is the seamless transaction into the next song. The transition is planned so well, that when I first heard the song I didn't realize I was listening to a different song. Rating-5/5
John Orr the Arsonist
This song, as I already stated, continues exactly where the intro song left off. The start of the song is a very catchy and upbeat electronic sound. Unfortunately (at least to me), that is the only real techno sounding part in the whole song. After the first couple seconds, the song melody levels out to a steady drum beat with typical synthesizer noises as background music. This remains mostly consistent throughout the song, but will sometimes jump to catchier sounds during the bridge and in between verses. Many of the songs by ATTWN are very confusing, and very vague, and in this song, the only meaning I can find is a that it's about a selfish girl who wants a guy to change for her, but when he refuses to, she gets very angry. The mood of the song is also like many of their songs, very happy, hopeful, and upbeat. Rating-4/5
The Hospital
This song probably has one of the heaviest pop influences I have ever heard, to the point where it sounds so cheesy that I almost refuse to listen to it. The song does have one thing going for it, that saves it from it's nightmarish pop syndrome, it also happens to be one of the catchiest dance songs that I have ever heard from a Christian band. Right from the start, we can already anticipate that this is going to be a great dance song with its repeating keyboard notes in the background, then slowly the drums are brought in, and then, the synthesizers are faded into the background. The real punch however, comes right before the chorus. It's hard to explain techno or dance music to someone, but just picture a bunch of lasers and lights that change colors to the beat, now just imagine the greatest laser and light show you've ever seen, and you got this song. Okay, I'm sure that probably didn't help, but just trust me, it's pretty awesome. The meaning behind the song is like I said before, very poppish. He sings a cliched meaning of asking a girl to bring him to the hospital since he's "sick with love" for her...yeah I know, I'm getting sick myself just thinking about how lame that line is. The mood is, well, happy...like all their others. Rating-4/5
Reinventing Robert Cohn
This was the very first song I ever heard by ATTWN, and I loved it right from the start. The song's melody combines everything I love in a song. It slowly fades in with a piano (awesomeness #1), then the song takes you by surprise by breaking right into the sythesizers (awesomeness #2), then the song gets softer again with the piano, only to take you by surprise again once the chorus hits (awesomeness #3), it has an awesome bridge to it (awesomeness #4), and lastly, it has techno in it! (awesomeness #5) As for the meaning, it is about a girl that the lead singer is obcessed about, even though he knows she is a bad influence on him since she always tempts him, but she is "in his blood", so it is very difficult for him to let her go. Rating-5/5
Action is the Anecdote
Although I don't care much for the melody of this song, I find the lyrics to the song to be beautiful. The melody is very slow and boring, and repetitive in many parts. The meaning however, I find to be very unique, in a sort of clichéd way. The song itself is another simple love song, but the lines he uses to describe the girl he is obsessed with, are something I find to be rare. With lines like "Or I could be a good scene in a bad dream, I could make it something beautiful", or "I can see that the closest thing to perfect is the farthest thing from me.", I feel that they were very creative in their lyrics, and for that I give the song much higher ratings than I first expected. Rating-4/5
The Atmosphere
I don't have much to say about this song really, the lyrics are confusing, and the melody is very repetitive. It's not really a bad, it just doesn't catch my attention very much. One good thing I must say about it though, is that the few beats they do repeat are pretty cool sounding. Rating-3/5
Cloak and Dagger
When I first heard this song I hated it. That was most likely because the song opens up with a very annoying synthesized beat (yes, believe it or not I do hate some techno). Then one day, I decided to listen to the whole album, and ever since then, I have never skipped this song. It has now, ironically enough, become one of my favorite on the album. The melody's style is very similar to that of Reinventing Robert Cohn, in the sense that the beat jumps from slow in the verses, to fast and loud in the choruses. The meaning is again, very confusing, and the best I can come up with is that it's about a girl and a guy liking her (Yeah I know, a very rare theme...) Rating-5/5
Right Here Waiting
I have very little to say about this song, since well, it's a remix, and I very rarely like remixes. Luckily, ATTWN, surprised me by remixing this song beautifully. I'm not sure how familiar you are with techno songs, but if you have ever heard the song Everytime We Touch by Cascada, this song sounds very similar to that one. The song has amazing techno qualities, that even though they've probably been used in every club dance song ever made, they still make me want to buy some strobe lights, and lasers and start jumping around my living room (believe me, I would do that if I could). Rating-5/5
Bed of Nails
This is one of the few songs I still skip on the CD when I listen to it. The vocals are very annoying, the techno sounds are even annoying, and the lyrics are once again, very poppish. I especially hate the way he says "Ironic how", he just says it in this high pitched voice that makes me want to cringe. Anyway, the song is about a breakup, and how he is trying to get on with his life even though everything reminds him of the girl. Rating-2.5/5
Thank the Watchmaker
Now we've reached my second favorite song on the album. In many ways though, this song has even better qualities than Reinventing Robert Cohn. This song has a better dance beat and a better sounding intro. The lyrics however are somewhat annoying, which bumps it down a bit. The song opens with one of the best fade-ins I've ever heard. Then it proceeds to go staight into the paino, then techno sounds, much like Reinventing Robert Cohn. This song however, has a "techno solo" as I like to call it before the chorus, which is when the person just bust out this awesome dancing music. The lyrics, like I said are what brought it down though. With lines like "Your pictures are the paper that lines my wall", I wasn't sure if I should find this song to be sweet, or creepy. Rating-5/5
The Alamo
I have nothing to say about this song, by far the worst one on the album. Annoying vocals, annoying lyrics, annoying beats, enough said. Rating-2/5
Insozzz...
I don't care much for the lyrics and vocals in this song, but it does have a very catchy beat to it. The song has a heavy electronic sound to it, that although it doesn't really make me want to dance, I still find it to be a very soothing beat. The lyrics are a bit confusing, and I've yet to figure them out, but they're very repetitive and he sings in a higher pitched voice which is a big downside for me. Rating-3.5/5
Overall, I find this to be a very happy, and upbeat album that have many songs that make me want to dance, or will at least put my mind at ease. If you enjoy music like this, you will most likely enjoy this album. But if you have yet to discover the awesomeness that is techno music, I would suggest you start with something different first. I would also like to note that ATTWN has a demo in which they have different, older versions of the songs "Action is the Anecdote", "John Orr the Arsonist", and "Occam's Razor" which is the same thing as "The Atmosphere". All of these songs are slightly more rock sounding, and in my opinion, better sounding, but hey, that's just me. Overall Rating-4/5
The Idiots Guide to Humility
Recently, my high school had a spring dance, and when you live in a small town such as mine, dances are pretty much the only thing even semi-exciting that happens. Most of these dances however play out much like this. Around 7:00, the first groups of people start to arrive. Around 7:15, pretty much everyone that is coming to the dance is there, yet still no one is dancing. Then, around 7:30, a group of girls will slowly move to the center of the dance floor and start dancing to some Lil Wayne or Akon song. This somehow sends a sort of telepathic message to everyone else that's still in the lobby telling them "Hey! It's safe to get on the dance floor now, there's people there". I myself have never been one to like to dance in public; so when a bunch of my guy friends decided to have a good time and fool around and make themselves look like idiots in the social sense, I was a little hesitant to join at first. Then I remembered what the Bible had to say about humility and humbleness, so I decided to join in. I apologize, that last sentence was a total lie, I was simply trying impress you by making you think I know every Bible verse by heart. The real reason was because somebody poked a hole in the top of a water bottle and was spraying everyone.
After the dance however, I learned that even though I joined into the harmless fun we had, and probably would have made myself look stupid on any other day, I had much more fun than I would have if I simply stood around the whole time. I feel that humility and humbleness are a characteristic many Christians seem to struggle with. Although I'm not sure if Jesus was trying to tell all of us to go jump around in the pouring rain while shouting Rihanna on top picnic tables (Yes, I did indeed do that), I feel that his message still applies in the same sense. Many people don't like to humiliate themselves, because we want to try and fit in to our social groups. Although some people have a strong urge to want to join in on fun things, they avoid it because they are afraid of what other people will think, and they feel that if they don't participate in such childish or "foolish" acts, people will look at them in a better way. What surprises me the most however, is that so many Christians feel the same exact way, when you would expect Christians to be the happiest, most out going people, many of them stand on the sidelines not wanting to stand out, not wanting to be "down to earth" so to speak with other people and make an example that they don't feel they are better than everyone else, that they are happy even though they are humiliating themselves. Instead we view people that do acts like I did as being immature, and maybe we are, but at the same time we are truly happy. I'm not saying to go out and do whatever makes you happy, since that can easily include things like drugs, alcohol abuse, and sex. But instead, humble yourself, don't stand aside because you feel you are better than that person, or are more mature than that person, because making a "fool" of yourself in public, whether it's a group of Christians, or a mixed group, isn't always a bad thing. But when you stand aside and watch other people and wish you were there, but avoid it since you have to much pride in how "mature" or "grown up" you are, that's when you start living a life of mediocrity.
Note:Just to get some ideas for your next school dance or dance party, here's some excellent ways to start humiliating yourself in public, the list includes, but is not limited too: Jumping around the dance floor and waving your arms around to the song "Jump Around", Running across the floor as a group in a V formation and pretending your a flock or birds, making up your own dances, jumping on top of picnic tables while its down pouring, making a giant wave, seeing who can crawl across the floor the furthest without getting stepped on, seeing who can dance to "Cyclone" the best, seeing who can break dance the best, having a push up contest, and many many more. (And yes, all of the things I listed I did participate in while at the dance, yes I know high schoolers are immature, and yes, the dances get very boring if you don't do these things...but hopefully your dances are better).
P.S.-Another great way to humiliate yourself with your friends is to tell them you like techno hardcore music...trust me, it always makes people laugh.
After the dance however, I learned that even though I joined into the harmless fun we had, and probably would have made myself look stupid on any other day, I had much more fun than I would have if I simply stood around the whole time. I feel that humility and humbleness are a characteristic many Christians seem to struggle with. Although I'm not sure if Jesus was trying to tell all of us to go jump around in the pouring rain while shouting Rihanna on top picnic tables (Yes, I did indeed do that), I feel that his message still applies in the same sense. Many people don't like to humiliate themselves, because we want to try and fit in to our social groups. Although some people have a strong urge to want to join in on fun things, they avoid it because they are afraid of what other people will think, and they feel that if they don't participate in such childish or "foolish" acts, people will look at them in a better way. What surprises me the most however, is that so many Christians feel the same exact way, when you would expect Christians to be the happiest, most out going people, many of them stand on the sidelines not wanting to stand out, not wanting to be "down to earth" so to speak with other people and make an example that they don't feel they are better than everyone else, that they are happy even though they are humiliating themselves. Instead we view people that do acts like I did as being immature, and maybe we are, but at the same time we are truly happy. I'm not saying to go out and do whatever makes you happy, since that can easily include things like drugs, alcohol abuse, and sex. But instead, humble yourself, don't stand aside because you feel you are better than that person, or are more mature than that person, because making a "fool" of yourself in public, whether it's a group of Christians, or a mixed group, isn't always a bad thing. But when you stand aside and watch other people and wish you were there, but avoid it since you have to much pride in how "mature" or "grown up" you are, that's when you start living a life of mediocrity.
Note:Just to get some ideas for your next school dance or dance party, here's some excellent ways to start humiliating yourself in public, the list includes, but is not limited too: Jumping around the dance floor and waving your arms around to the song "Jump Around", Running across the floor as a group in a V formation and pretending your a flock or birds, making up your own dances, jumping on top of picnic tables while its down pouring, making a giant wave, seeing who can crawl across the floor the furthest without getting stepped on, seeing who can dance to "Cyclone" the best, seeing who can break dance the best, having a push up contest, and many many more. (And yes, all of the things I listed I did participate in while at the dance, yes I know high schoolers are immature, and yes, the dances get very boring if you don't do these things...but hopefully your dances are better).
P.S.-Another great way to humiliate yourself with your friends is to tell them you like techno hardcore music...trust me, it always makes people laugh.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Attack Attack!: Someday Came Suddenly
Lately, I have taken up a liking to a rather unknown, and unpopular genre of music, Techno/Screamo. As the name suggest, this genre combines the dark, masculine growls and screams of hardcore and screamo, with the soothing, popish sounds of techno and electronic music. Although separately I enjoy listening to both (Yes, I do dance...sometimes), when you combine them, you get this incredible blend of head banging and hip moving at truly gives you a full body workout. Anyway, when I first found this genre I was disappointed to find that many of the bands incorporated messages of sex, drugs, and excessive drinking into their lyrics, at least that was until I found the band Attack Attack! (Yes, they do actually have an exclamation point in their name, which makes them all the more awesome). At first, I figured they were a secular band since I found them on a compilation album of many well known punk bands, but after listening to their songs, I kept thinking I heard words like "Grace, Lord, God" being played, so when I at last looked up the lyrics, I discovered I was correct, and that nearly every one of their songs had a Christian message in it, which puts them in top rank for my favorite Techno/Screamo band...very exclusive title.
Hot Grills, and High Tops
Needless to say, when I first saw this title, I was already questioning if whether or not I should even check this band out. But after listening to the song itself, I was even further discouraged, but luckily I didn't give up just yet. This song sounds nothing like their others, it sounds more like a rap song performed by Lil Wayne than a hardcore band, but thankfully it is only a minute long. It doesn't have much of a meaning, since well, I can't understand the lyrics. I think the mood is simply just to get you pumped up for the rest of the album, but it did a poor job for me.
Rating-3/5
Stick Stickly
Now we blast right into the hardcore stuff not even five seconds into the song. The song starts out with a bunch of seemingly random burst of screams and growls, before it levels out into the first verse. Throughout the rest of the song, it switches between hardcore growling and deep voice sounds, to regular singing, to distorted singing with a heavy techno sound to it. By far, my favorite part of the song though, is after the bridge when they randomly start playing this techno part that makes just about anyone want to dance. The meaning of the song at first glace seems confusing, since for many people, they can't understand unearthly growl sounds too well. It's moments like these that I'm very thankful for lyrics websites. So after doing some research, I discovered that the song has very strong Christian influences and is a song about God's grace, and the fact that He died so that you may be saved. He also sings about how being a Christian was never meant to be easy, and that you'll always have challenges. One line that I find to be to be the most interesting, was the verse where the guy sings in a technoish voice "You know I'll wait for you, You know I'll wait for you." I don't know why, but that line seems to stike that many songs can't. I'm going to skip the mood for this one, since I don't believe hardcore songs really have much of a mood to them since they always sounds dark, and techno songs always sound happy. Rating-5/5
Bro, Ashley's Here
When I first heard this song, the first thing I was thinking was "Oh boy, here comes the song about sex". Thankfully though, I was totally wrong. This song, much like the previous one, is about God. The melody is probably one of the catchiest ones on the album, and in my opinion, is the "softest" song on the album. The lyrics speak of a girl who has no faith, and the lead singer is telling him to "Get up get up, He's calling your name". As we go further into the song, we find out that this girl was someone very special in his life, and that he is starting to get frustrated by her lack of faith. I feel this is yet another powerful song on the album. Rating-4.5/5
Shred, White, and Blue
This was actually the first song I ever heard by them, and the title once more prepared me for a song about rebels, anarchist, and occults. I was once more proved wrong though. This song is very similar to the last one, in the sense that it is about a person the singer loves who has no come to God yet, and he is explaining to them what got has done for him and how "This is an open door". I feel however, that the most powerful line in the song is by far the one that sums up Christ's mission on earth in one sentence "You never asked me to repay the price You payed", truly amazing. Rating-4/5
Party Foul
I find it amazing that a Christian band can have so many song titles that sound so disturbing, although I suppose they aren't as bad as Demon Hunter. This is one of my least favorite songs on the album. The beat is rather annoying, and if it weren't for the awesome techno sounds that are mixed in it would be getting a much lower rating. But worst of all, it no regular singing in it, big no no in my book. The meaning is also vague, and from what I can tell it is about who has come to faith, and no she is learning to give up her earthly world where she is her own god.
Rating-3.5/5
What Happens if I Can't Check My MySpace When We Get There
I love bands that come up with long titles like this one, and I must say, I can make a personal connection to this one. This is another one of my favorite songs on the album, due to its very fast paced beat and techno portions. The entire song gives me a feeling of happiness, and is one of the few songs on the album that has a mood to it. The meaning of the song however, is by far the hardest one on the album, and at first this song almost turned me off to the entire band. When I heard the opening lines, "Lay down your head, and sleep with me tonight, lay in this bed." I was a little surprised. But as the song progressed, I got the sense that it was in fact a girl asking him to sleep with her, and he is trying to tell her no, and is battling the temptation. This is seen best in the line "Come on have some selfless-ness, don't give into arrogance. Sleep with peace tonight". Rating-5/5
Interlude
There are few things I love more than when bands put techno songs with no lyrics in the middle of their albums. I feel it gives a bit of a break to whoever is listening, and for people like me, gives them a chance to more around a bit and "dance" to the beat. Rating-5/5
The People's Elbow
There are few things I hate more than when bands put really bad songs after really good ones. Although this isn't the worst song on the album, it comes pretty close. The drums are annoying, and guitars are to loud, and even the techno background music is annoying, plus the screaming. The only thing that saved it from last place was the clean vocals during the chorus and the semi-cool techno sounds in the bridge. The meaning of the song is also different from the rest of the album. This one is about a girl that the singer thought was "The one", but she never gave him any sort of chance, and he has no given up and moved on. Rating-3/5
Kickin' Wing, Animal Doctor
Well here we have it, the worst song on the album, but don't worry, things will get much better. This song is not much different from the last one, except it has no clean vocals, and no techno music which is just a shame. The meaning is meaning is actually pretty good however, since it is about a girl that views God as something that he really isn't, and the singer says how he wishes she wouldn't since "He can save you". Rating-2.5/5
Dr. Shavargo Pt. 3
As promised, the music gets much better here. In fact, this song is in my opinion, the best one on the album. The melody is filled with an equal balance of clean vocals and screaming, and has pleanty of techno sounds and distorded vocals. The lyrics to the song also have some of the best Christian lyrics I have ever heard. Unlike many Christian artist, Attack Attack speaks directly to the person through their lyrics, which I feel is inspiring no matter if you're a Christian or not. With lines like "Take my hand, I'll keep you safe, take my hand." it's hard not to feel a tingle go up your back. The song itself is once more about a girl who has not come to faith, but the singer really likes, and is trying to show her God. Her selfishness however, stands in the way of God. This is seen in the opening lines of the song with "As always its all for you", and evidence of the guys struggle to show her God I feel is best showed in my favorite line in the song, "Come on girl, I've been waiting for you to make your move". Rating-5/5
Catfish Soup
Yet another great title for another great song. This one is a close tie for first place, and if you like softer hardcore songs with piano and techno, then this is your song. The beat is similar to the last one, but I feel is slightly perfected. Unfortunately it doesn't have any techno in it, but the violins and piano make up for it (Hardrock and classical is another favorite combo of mine). The lyrics are once more one of the most inspiring I have ever seen in a mainstream Christian band. This song is clearly a message to someone who doesn't believe in God, and on the day of judgement they will "Look to the sky, and know this couldn't have happened by chance" and that "The decisions you have made will come back to haunt you". My favorite line however is in the bridge, when the leader singer nearly whispers "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, saved by grace." then shouts "Hallelujah, I've been saved by grace, Hallelujah, saved by grace. and this is why, I've been saved, by His grace". Rating-5/5
So there you have it, the best Screamo/Techno band ever in my opinion. Not sure how many other people are fans of that genre, but if you are, I promise you will love this CD whether your a Christian or not. Album Rating-4.5/5
A Call to Arms: A Post on Writing
I once more apologize for the long length of time between my post. With finals, projects, and driving, I've had very little time to come up with ideas for my blog. I have however, managed to expand my writing library to include three more stories, and three more poems since the last time I posted a blog, and I feel since writing is such a big part of my life, I wish to share my thoughts on it in this post. In this post, I will mention the three main reasons for why I write. Although I am unsure if these reasons only apply to me, or to many other writers that consider themselves Christians, but I hope you enjoy this article and can connect in some way.
The first reason for why I write, is one that I think any writer can connect to, which is using writing as a stress reliever. For me, writing is the best painkiller for both physical, and mental discomfort. There are two ways writing has helped me overcome any sort of pain. The first is by facing it, and admitting that it exist; and the second is to use writing as a sort of vacation when you forget about what is going on in your life and focus on the story. For me, poetry has always been the best way for me to express my feelings. If I feel strongly about something, if I am having relationship problems, or even relationship happiness, I will always express my feelings through writing. Although at first I was unsure of why I did this, I can now understand that I do it as a means of letting everything out. If you can't tell someone how you feel, or are even afraid to tell yourself how you feel, writing is the best way for me to show people, and see it for myself. Short stories however, play a much different, yet equally as important role in stress relief. These works of writing, don't typically express feelings or emotions; instead they help me to forget the problems that may be going on in my life. When writing a story, I probably have one of the greatest mental that is humanly possible without dying. Although I doubt it's possible to die because of a writing overdose, I will probably be the first to experience such a phenomenon. When I start writing, I tend to enter into the very world and setting that I'm creating. A place where I wish I could be in since it has so much that I want. Something though, I'll write a story that makes me realize how lucky I am, and how what I'm going through, is nothing compared to what other people may have. All of my stories have happy endings, which somehow makes me feel good about myself too, and usually by the time I am done writing, my problems have been lifted, and a sort of weight has been lifted.
The second reason I write is to spread God's message. Anyone who is a Christian, will most likely know exactly what I mean when I say this since you have experienced it yourself. Some people are naturally born leaders that become pastors to help spread God's word, other write songs, others sing songs, and some will even try their best to capture God's beauty in oils and paints. I however, try to capture, talk about, and release God's message through words. This is no easy task, for it is hard to capture God in any art medium, since frankly, He is just to great to describe. But when I write, I always try to incorporate many Christian themes in them. These can range from Bible verses and references, to direct relationships between the characters and God. Like many Christian bands however, I try to make my stories relative to not only Christians, but to anyone of any faith, or lack of one, by making my reference subtle, but noticeable to people who know what they are looking for. Overall, I feel that God has given me the gift of writing for a purpose, which is to help glorify Him in any way I can, whether it be through blogs, poetry, letters, or stories.
The last reason that I write, is to make other people happy. Although this ties in closely with my other two reasons, I feel that this also should go under the more broad reason of "entertainment", since in a sense, that's what I try and write. Whenever I have a friend that is sad, I try my best to cheer them up by writing a poem or story that is specific to them and usually will tell them how important they are to me. So far I have a 100% success rate with these, since no one has ever told me that they hated the poem, but maybe they were just trying to be nice... Anyway, these poems that I will write for a friend work two ways, they no only cheer up the person I gave them too, but seeing the newly found happiness also cheers me up, and makes reminds me the reason for why I write. All I know, is that I am very glad that God gave me this excellent ability to write, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
The first reason for why I write, is one that I think any writer can connect to, which is using writing as a stress reliever. For me, writing is the best painkiller for both physical, and mental discomfort. There are two ways writing has helped me overcome any sort of pain. The first is by facing it, and admitting that it exist; and the second is to use writing as a sort of vacation when you forget about what is going on in your life and focus on the story. For me, poetry has always been the best way for me to express my feelings. If I feel strongly about something, if I am having relationship problems, or even relationship happiness, I will always express my feelings through writing. Although at first I was unsure of why I did this, I can now understand that I do it as a means of letting everything out. If you can't tell someone how you feel, or are even afraid to tell yourself how you feel, writing is the best way for me to show people, and see it for myself. Short stories however, play a much different, yet equally as important role in stress relief. These works of writing, don't typically express feelings or emotions; instead they help me to forget the problems that may be going on in my life. When writing a story, I probably have one of the greatest mental that is humanly possible without dying. Although I doubt it's possible to die because of a writing overdose, I will probably be the first to experience such a phenomenon. When I start writing, I tend to enter into the very world and setting that I'm creating. A place where I wish I could be in since it has so much that I want. Something though, I'll write a story that makes me realize how lucky I am, and how what I'm going through, is nothing compared to what other people may have. All of my stories have happy endings, which somehow makes me feel good about myself too, and usually by the time I am done writing, my problems have been lifted, and a sort of weight has been lifted.
The second reason I write is to spread God's message. Anyone who is a Christian, will most likely know exactly what I mean when I say this since you have experienced it yourself. Some people are naturally born leaders that become pastors to help spread God's word, other write songs, others sing songs, and some will even try their best to capture God's beauty in oils and paints. I however, try to capture, talk about, and release God's message through words. This is no easy task, for it is hard to capture God in any art medium, since frankly, He is just to great to describe. But when I write, I always try to incorporate many Christian themes in them. These can range from Bible verses and references, to direct relationships between the characters and God. Like many Christian bands however, I try to make my stories relative to not only Christians, but to anyone of any faith, or lack of one, by making my reference subtle, but noticeable to people who know what they are looking for. Overall, I feel that God has given me the gift of writing for a purpose, which is to help glorify Him in any way I can, whether it be through blogs, poetry, letters, or stories.
The last reason that I write, is to make other people happy. Although this ties in closely with my other two reasons, I feel that this also should go under the more broad reason of "entertainment", since in a sense, that's what I try and write. Whenever I have a friend that is sad, I try my best to cheer them up by writing a poem or story that is specific to them and usually will tell them how important they are to me. So far I have a 100% success rate with these, since no one has ever told me that they hated the poem, but maybe they were just trying to be nice... Anyway, these poems that I will write for a friend work two ways, they no only cheer up the person I gave them too, but seeing the newly found happiness also cheers me up, and makes reminds me the reason for why I write. All I know, is that I am very glad that God gave me this excellent ability to write, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
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