"Shockwave"
Posted May 14, 2011
By shortperson22,
I have been a big fan of Mission Six since their 2008 debut, "Superhero". Well, since then the guys have released "Not Too Young" (2009) and this year's release, "Shockwave". Mission Six is known for their fun, pop/rock/dance music, and encouraging lyrics for teens. Does "Shockwave" take Mission Six one step further? Let's find out!
Let me start this off by saying "Shockwave" is not your typical album release. Rather than calling it a cd, "Shockwave" has been labeled, "MVP", which stands for Music, Video, and Purpose. The music aspect gives you 10 songs, (which can be downloaded for use on your MP3 player from an internet link given in the MVP case) the video part of the DVD means you will get 10 music videos, (more on that later), and an episode of iShine KNECT featuring Mission Six. The purpose portion gives you behind the song sessions, and includes the iShine episode.
Starting off the album, we have the title track, "Shockwave". Mission Six brings their signature style to this song, and it's definitely a top-notch track. The lyrics bring a great message of being a "shockwave" in our daily lives, by impacting this world for Christ.
"Lifted High" brings more of a worship aspect to the album. "Lifted High" brings a punchy pop/rock sound with lyrics that glorify God, and is sure to become a favorite among youth groups. "Heaven Down To Earth" brings a slightly different sound, and the lyrics continue to impact the listener, challenging us to bring Heaven down to earth and spread the Gospel. Definitely one of my favorites!
Next we have "Outshout The Lies", a slightly poppier rock track that challenges the listener to outshout the lies of this world and Satan. Overall, it's a great track from start to finish. "Shine" comes next and is my personal favorite off the album. I love it musically, and to me this track has the best lyrics of the album. I like the "harder" sound of this track, and it's one of those worship songs you would definitely not yawn at!
"Sweet Sixteen" is a song written by Noah Hayden, the lead singer of Mission Six after his 16th birthday. There's a lot of meaning in this song, because as teens, around 16 is when we really start solidifying our beliefs and what we want to do with our lives. The music fits the song perfectly, and overall this is a great track.
The next four tracks are all covers, so I won't focus so much on the lyrical themes, but more on how the band covered them. I was a little disappointed they chose to do four covers instead of four original songs, but M6 does a great job on them. I enjoy their own unique take on the different songs. The four songs are "Everlasting God", "Mighty To Save", "Never Let Go", and "Revelation Song". In my opinion, the best cover is "Mighty To Save", to which M6 brings a rockier sound. "Everlasting God" is also a great cover, and gives Anthony the opportunity to show off his guitar skills. "Never Let Go" and "Revelation Song" are also great covers.
The video aspect brings ten music videos, which are ten live performance videos Mission Six did at the KNECT Shoot a few months ago. The guys are great performers, but the audio you hear is the cd, not really the live performance. I personally wish they would have left the original live audio on it, but it's not a huge issue. The KNECT episode is all bout "being cool", and I enjoyed it very much.
Overall, I enjoyed "Shockwave" very much. This album focuses more on worship, but not in that pre-packaged formula a lot of bands follow today. I like the fact that you get a lot for your money with this album, and the behind the songs, Knect, and live performance videos were nice to watch.
If you are a fan of the Jonas Brothers, VOTA, FM Static, Robert Pierre, or any other iShine artist, I have no doubt you will like Mission Six. Be sure to check their tour dates at http://www.missionsixband.com/ for the Shockwave tour this summer and fall!
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