Home » Music » Christian Rock » April, '04 Update

April, '04 Update

© Paul Landkamer

It seems to me like it's been a long month! We bought the place next door to us, and have been working on getting it cleaned up. Mowing season has begun, and it seems like there's no time left to hear music. Luckily, I write a month or two ahead. Next month's Update might be a bit more sparse.

Heard, but not yet in the Collection

• Staci Orrico: Staci Orrico surprised me. She's been compared to Britney Spears, with whom I'm only familiar through magazine covers. I expected bouncy, sweetsy, squeely adolescent girl music. I got modern almost-hip-hoppy dance pop, but the lyrics were pretty grabbing, and the instrumentals were interesting enough to be not too stereotypical. Staci's got a slightly pouty and cooing, almost Rebecca St. James-like, voice. A thing I always like to hear about is outspoken Christians, who are speaking Truth. Staci's not shy to speak out publicly. I like her attitude! [3]
• Magdalen: Some hardcore, some melodic speed/heavy metal. Nice instrumentals, and they kept the screaming way down --music, not noise. I guess I could sum them up by calling them melodic metal. [5]
• Fold Zandura: Similar to Rock and Roll Worship Circus, but a little heavier on the electronics. Spacey, psychedelic, alternative, techno, and retro all come to mind. [5]
• Sylph: Darkish psychedlic album-oriented rock. Somewhat airy and ethereal like Pink Floyd's more obscure albums. A little like Hawkwind, and white-noisy. It got a bit monotonous. Experience Sylph in small doses. The lyrics were difficult to pick out, so I'm taking the Encyclopedia at its word that Sylph's a Christian band. [BOD 4]
• JAG: Modern arena praise and worship. Too cliche in the lyrics. [3]
• Lovewar: Big hair and spandex arena rock. [4]
• Ordained Fate: Big hair and spandex heavy metal. [4]
• The Kry: Retro psychedelic electronic rock with jangly Byrds-like guitars, but not white-noisy like lots of other janglers. They threw in enough modern touches to show the CD was fairly current, and not a find from the early '70s. Slightly preachy and cliche in the lyrics. (The Kry [BOD 5]
• Everybodyduck: Soft acoustic country praise and worship rock. Nice male and female harmonies. Relaxing. [3]

From the Collection

• Stryper: 1980s arena metal at its biggest, hairiest, spandexy, stereotypical best (or worst). Screaming guitar solos, piercing lead vocals, whiney harmonies. Stryper's a blast from the past. [4]
• Good News Garage Band: I'd written about this band earlier, but I finally got a non-bootleg recording. My local Christian book store was doing some house-cleaning, and Diane remembered I'd mentioned Good News Garage Band with positive words. She set the tape aside, and it awaited my next visit. I was surprised at the tape, and by its marked down $1.99 price. Strong Christian lyrics to classic blues rock. This is real ear-candy that's good for you too. [5]

The copyright of the article April, '04 Update in Christian Rock is owned by . Permission to republish April, '04 Update in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.