The Christian rock and metal community has taken a hit with the announcement of Creation Festival's disbandment. It has often been a great place to catch your favorite Christian artists, even within the rock and metal communities. However, there is a new festival in the works in its place. Keep an eye on Agape Festival, and maybe we'll see continued support for the heavy music scene.
There are still some great tours that are active, so make sure to catch those on the road soon. Demon Hunter is going on their supposedly "only" tour for the year, Twenty Years in Exile, and you won't want to miss it. And Facedown Records' new hardcore band, Meadows, is going out with Solid State Records' metal band The Undertaking and indie hardcore band Empty for a great East Coast tour.
In spite of Creation Festival's disbandment, the last couple months have been great for the Christian rock and metal community. Not just with NewReleaseToday's own We Love Awards, but also the Grizzly Awards. Here are some of the most recent music releases from the bands and artists making a difference in the heavy music scene.
Project 86 - OMNI, Pt.1
One of the most influential bands in the Christian metal and hardcore scene is Project 86. They started in California, where they brought intense, hardcore music with their debut record, Self-Titled, and their groundbreaking sophomore album, Drawing Black Lines. Since then, for over 20 years, they've released provocative, aggressive, and unique hardcore music. Some of their most known songs that I love are "Fall, Goliath, Fall," "The Spy Hunter," and "Evil (A Chorus of Resistance)." Now, their time has come to finalize their time as a band and we are going to greatly miss them in our community. The final album is 2-parts and titled OMNI. Part 1 is out now and is unlike anything they've done, in both musical experimentation and lyrical conception.
Relent - World War Me
One of my favorite new bands to the world of Christian rock and metal is Relent! Their iconic blend of rock/rap--or nu-metal in some cases--reminds me of foundational bands like P.O.D., DC Talk, and Linkin Park. Relent's debut record, Heart Attack, was re-released with their label, Rockfest Records, whom they are still signed to. And now, their newest release, in full collaboration with the label, is ready for the world to hear. It's an EP titled World War Me, and they continue to evolve their nu-metal sound while bringing hope through their lyrics. I'm excited to see what the future holds, especially as they continue to release music like this.
Cultist - "Preacher III"
If you've read my articles, you probably know that my favorite record label is Facedown Records with their unabashed love for Christian-based heavy music and full support for all things related to Christian rock and metal. Some of my favorite recent additions to their family are bands like American Arson and Bloodlines. But for fans of the more intense and relentlessly heavy music, you have to check out Cultist. Cultist's beatdown hardcore/deathcore style is some of the most aggressive and overpowering music to be added to the Facedown Records Family in some time. They're worth checking out for intense fans of heavy music. Their debut studio record, Slow Suicide, is releasing on July 21. Until then, listen to their song "Preacher III" below.
