Livin' Out Loud: Interview with CAREY "KOSHER" WOMACK of ONE BAD PIG

Note:  This interview was originally done in April of 2016 for my other website, but is being brought here for the reading pleasure of PositiveRockReview readers.  I hope you find something to enjoy in this fun...and LONG...interview with Carey "Kosher" Womack of One Bad Pig.

~Arttie

It's been more than twenty years since Christian punk/thrash/crossover pioneers One Bad Pig last released an album, but that is all about to change, as the Swine have entered the studio to record a new, Kickstarter-funded effort for 2016!  Lead screamer, Carey "Kosher" Womack was kind enough to take some time out of his schedule to talk all things One Bad Pig with us, to talk about the long layoff, and about why the band feels now is the perfect time to unleash the Pig once again!

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G2G:  Carey, first I want to thank you for taking time out of your recording schedule to talk with me for a bit...

Kosher:  Absolutely, although I must say that in this case, its not taking time from my recording schedule but from my songwriting, teaching, and pastoring schedule.  I'm in Tennessee currently, where I'm getting ready to teach an Old Testament course at Bethel University, as well as getting ready for weekend worship.  I'll next be in Austin with the guys for recording the week after Mother's Day.  I do want to say thanks so much for doing this interview, as well as for your great support of our new project!

G2G:  I have been such a big fan of the band for so long...I feel like I know you and Paul Q-Pek (guitarist) and Daniel (Tuchek--bassist) on an almost personal level.  In fact, I've corresponded with Paul and Daniel through the mail, of all things!

Kosher:  Awesome!  Thank you!

G2G:  So...is it okay if I call you Kosher?  (Laughing)

Kosher:  Of course...Mr. Parker...

G2G:  (Laughing)  Okay, so, for those not familiar, One Bad Pig is a skate/punk/thrash crossover band that has been together...in one form or another...since the early 80's.  More than 30 years now.  And you've never officially broken up...

Kosher:  Yep...still squealin'...

G2G:  How does the band and your style of music continue working after all of these years?

Kosher:  Well, while our music definitely isn't for everybody, neither is it very specifically and narrowly for a very specific group of people, either.  What I mean by that is our music has never been confined to one very narrow genre.  While its fair to call us a punk band, you can't say that we sound like the Ramones or the Sex Pistols or some other classic punk band.  We also don't sound like the pop punk bands that exploded in the late 80's and the 90's.  We've always been a bit of our own thing, mixing in elements of thrash, metal, and rock n roll, all with plenty of hooks that can be appreciated by anybody.  And, of course, everything we do is topped off with a big dollop of humor and with a real passion for what we are singing about.  So...we don't limit ourselves to a particular time or genre or sound, and we are able to reach and appeal to a greater cross-section of people across different age groups and periods of time.  At least those are my thoughts...you can tell me if you think I'm right...

G2G:  I would agree with that.  There are so many different elements to your sound, especially as you transition from album to album.  There has been a definite evolution to your sound throughout your studio records, but its always still One Bad Pig, without question.  So, can we expect continued growth on this new album?

Kosher:  Oh yeah!  Everyone will hear what is unmistakably One Bad Pig...very familiar...but you'll also hear some new sounds that are brand new to One Bad Pig.  Among other things, this is the very first studio album we have ever done with two guitarists in the band, and Lee Haley is a very different guitarist than Paul Q-Pek, so you really get to hear some great new flavors in each and every song.

G2G:  Speaking of members, One Bad Pig has had something of a revolving door of members throughout the years, with you and Q-Pek being the two consistent cogs in the machine.  Do you keep in touch with members who may have drifted away from the band through the years?  Do you hear from Streak (bassist on Smash), for example?

Kosher:  Unfortunately, Bryan "Streak" Wheeler is the guy that has been the hardest for us to keep up with.  He has had some tough things happen in his life since his time in the band.  Lift him up in your prayers.

Mike Connell and Jon Taylor we keep up with occasionally through social media.  I even saw Jon in Jackson, Tennessee several years ago when he moved to a similar area of Tennessee that I had.

We bump into Kevin Phelan every now and then, but we've connected with him a good deal more recently as he worked with his dad, Carl Phelan, on the "One Bad Pig Forever" book project.

As far as Phillip Owens (drummer on all previous studio albums) goes, God is using him in some astounding ways, and I still regard him as a part of the band that just isn't able to participate in this project.  And that's not to lessen Paul Roraback's contribution as the drummer to this new project, or his place in the band, at all.  He's been great.

G2G:  That's awesome to hear.  So, I have to ask you...why after all of these years, why did you guys say, "you know what?  It's time to unleash the squeal one more time?"

Kosher:  (Laughs)  Well, it was a combination of things.  In January and February of 2015, I made a trip to Austin to be with my dad.  I made it a point to try to arrange a get-together with the guys from the band, and as it turned out, Paul (Q-Pek), Daniel, Phillip. and Lee were able to come out and meet at one of Austin's Chuy's restaurants (a New Mexican twist on Tex Mex with a cool, quirky atmosphere).  Doug Van Pelt showed up as well.  (Interviewer's note:  Doug was the long-time editor of Heaven's Metal Magazine)

Whenever we get together, it's a blast...and it was once again!  We had a great time reminiscing and laughing...mostly laughing...and the conversation turned to whether we were at all interested in trying to get together to do something for our 30th anniversary, which was approaching.  We were all intrigued by the idea, knew we would have fun with it, and felt the Lord would use it.

But...on the other hand...we are all very busy with our lives, responsibilities, and families.  And, being in a band is expensive.   It costs a lot of time, energy, effort...and of course money...and so we had to consider whether it was worth it to try to put something together.

We sensed that our culture needs Jesus more than ever.  We talked about how there were many who walked with the Lord...both in and out of bands...back in our heyday that no longer did so.  But WE do, and WE are just as passionate about Him as ever...if just a bit less energetic and idealistic.  We felt that our continued commitment and conviction to follow Jesus was a statement in and of itself, and we felt like we still had a message to share.

Plus...there were also rumors of a possible AudioFeed booking, but nothing was concrete.

So...fast forward a couple of months, and we were gathered at the house of Carl Phelan, the father of

our founding bassist, Kevin, and grandfather of one of Flyleaf's guitar players.  Carl had already written a book about that band (Flyleaf), and he was working on a self-published book project about us called, "One Bad Pig Forever".  So, we all gathered at his house to have a MAJOR recorded reminiscing session to help him with his research.  Well, we also watched a video of the very first one Bad Pig performance, at the 1985 Zilker Park Labor Day Christian Music Festival.  It was awesome, and really got us excited and thinking even more.

So, again we talked about getting together and about possibly playing AudioFeed, which had become a genuine invitation by this point.  We wondered if we could make it financially work without losing our shirts.  Phillip was interested, but not absolutely positive, as he had to leave a bit early.  We discussed the idea of doing a crowd-funded recording project to stir the interest in the band and to get out the message we had such conviction about...plus, it helps to have new merchandise to helps to provide capital to cover our costs to AudioFeed.  So, we told AudioFeed "yes", but Phillip said he would have to bow out as his daughter was getting married, he was working extra, and he was leading worship at a major conference in Italy, and simply couldn't make his schedule work.       He was disappointed to not be able to participate, but encouraged us to go ahead and play the show with another drummer if we wanted to, which we agreed to do, although we hoped Phillip could still be on the new record.  He is just such a good drummer, writer, singer, and especially friend and brother.  But, as it turned out, Phillip felt it would be too much of a drain on his time and energy at such an important time for him and his family and the ministry that God had called him to.

(The "A Christian Banned" demo)

G2G:  That's too bad because Phillip has basically been there forever, other than the A Christian Banned demo...

Kosher:  Absolutely,  It was very hard, no doubt.  But at the same time, the others of us felt a new project was absolutely essential to make the trip to AudioFeed in Illinois possible financially...plus, we were excited about it!  So, we agreed to explore drumming and recording possibilities and to see what transpired as we continued to think and pray about it.

(2016 L-R: Roraback, Tuchek, Q-Pek, Kosher, Haley)

Some of the guys had gotten to know Paul Roraback who had been the drummer in Grammatrain and who had also spent a couple of years with Bloodgood.  He had moved to Austin and had done several projects of artful, tasty progressive rock, in which he played guitar and sang.  He had self-produced and recorded these projects...wait for it...at his home studio!  So the Austin-based guys got together with him, prayed about it, and he agreed to drum on the album and to record and engineer the project at his home studio.  Praise the Lord!  Paul is a fantastic brother with a great family who loves the Lord and shares a lot with us.  We have been having a great time getting to know him and spend time with him.

G2G:  So how did the idea to go to Kickstarter come about?

Kosher:  Well, crowd-funding has really changed the music world.  When our deal with Myrrh Records came to an end, Christian record labels were being bought out by secular giants, and they were trimming the rosters to only the artists they felt had big commercial potential.  That meant that not only were bands like us parting ways with Myrrh, but so were awesome artists like Phil Keaggy and The Choir.

In the years since that, the world of technology, the Internet, and crowd-sourcing has made music a lot more feasible for the little guy, so it seemed the obvious...and likely ONLY...way for us to go.

G2G:  Personally, I've been on-board with the band almost since the beginning through the Christian metal underground music and magazine scene of the 80's, so I was glad to contribute to the Kickstarter fund and just so excited that you guys are back and doing a new record!

Kosher:  Thanks for being with us all those years, Arttie.  Those stories mean a lot...

G2G:  Was it hard to get back into "Kosher" shape, vocally, after just being Carey for so many years?

Kosher:  To a certain extent, I was NEVER in Kosher shape!  (Laughing)  If I didn't have my voice loud enough in my monitors, I would just keep pushing harder and harder in a lot of shows to try to make sure I was heard.  So keeping my voice from getting shredded was always a challenge.  That said, the years have made hitting the high notes harder to hit, and its taking some work to try to get the stamina back.

The other challenge is that we've always written and rehearsed tuned together before...and sometimes to a small extent, after...going into the studio.  But now, with technology, I'm hearing a rough mix of tracks for my rehearsal purposes before even arriving in Austin to record vocals, not having worked through them live with the band.  After all these years, that is actually particularly hard.  I also have a weird timing issue, partly due to me being a music fan first, before being a musician.

I'm also going to need to get into MUCH better shape physically.  I've lost a lot of weight in the last year, but I really need to get my cardio up for a proper Pig gig!

(1991 album, I Scream Sunday)

G2G:  Too many ice cream sundaes? (laughing)

Kosher:  Yeah, too many ice cream sundaes and a lot of other stuff for the prior weight gain!  But, or course I was never a little guy.  It's more about spending too many hours in front of a screen or in a car and not enough chasing my kids, working outside, playing basketball, swimming or running.

G2G:  Back to your voice for a second.  Was it a conscious effort to get something akin to a pig's squeal at the top end of your vocals...as in "Bowl Of Wrath" or "You're A Pagan"...or is that just how your voice comes out?

Kosher:  Actually, on that particular squeal at the beginning of "Bowl Of Wrath", that was some kind of little toy that I think Phillip had picked up.  We recorded it on several tracks, slapped some effects on it, and there you have it.

However, I think Billy's (Billy Smiley, producer on all previous OBP records) favorite part of recording was when we got to a part where I was doing some really serious squealing/screaming.  They'd get me going on it and I would watch him just doubling over with laughter in the sound booth.  The fact that Billy is still rocking and getting ready to release the Union Of Saints And Sinners today is that I gave him an injection of youth through all that laughter he enjoyed at my expense.

G2G:  I want to take you back to the 80's for a minute.  It seems to me that there was a lot more of a Christian metal community at that time.  I mentioned to someone in another interview...maybe it was Rey Parra or Rex Carroll...that I always had this sense that everyone at Pure Metal Records, or everyone at Sanctuary Church...whatever...that they all just hung out and barbecued and were great friends and such.  Is there any reality to that belief?

Kosher:  I think there was a lot of community that occurred, but not necessarily centered in the labels.  That may be more true of some labels than others, though.  For instance, in our time with our first label, Pure Metal, we were geographically isolated from the label itself, from the other bands on the label, etc., and we basically did nothing with them.  Community occurred when there was real opportunity for relationship, especially for bands who were in it with sincere motives, when we found ourselves at an event or at a show together.  There was an instant camaraderie born of shared purposes and commitments.  And, if we were in it for the Lord, we tended not to take ourselves too seriously or have a prima dona complex.

(Bloodgood's 1986 self-titled album)

So, that's why you would see the guys from Bloodgood, Whitecross, and other bands bigger than us banging their heads on our live video.  We wore Bloodgood's wireless mics for that  show.  There was definitely an "all for one" or perhaps better said, "all for THE One" attitude on a lot of occasions.

I also think the Sanctuary bands had a community because they lived near each other, they worshiped together...at least in some cases...and they shared similar spiritual leadership.  But, once again, it comes down to relationships.  That's the basis of real community.  And, if shared relationships with the Lord are involved, the process is facilitated and hastened, partly because                                                                 "How shall brothers walk together, except they be agreed".

G2G:  I talk with Rex Carroll from time to time...just yesterday, in fact...and he said much the same thing.  Which kind of leads me to my next question.  There seems to be several more Christian bands hitting the mainstream now...Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Red, Flyleaf, etc., but they all play festivals with secular bands and tour with secular bands...not that there's anything wrong with that at all.  But I do wonder if there is that same sense of camaraderie there.  The 80's Christian scene just seemed so tight and so organic...  Maybe that was due to the more underground nature of the scene...

Kosher:  Well, it's a much different strategy in the model you are talking about today.  I suspect that much of the ministry that takes place in those circumstances are the Christian bands forming authentic relationships with other bands, roadies, tour personnel, etc.  Not all will be open to their relationships with the Lord, but some will.  And, they are actively bringing light into the world.  They may not shut down the music and preach a sermon with an altar call, like Glenn Kaiser (Resurrection Band/Rez)...or even your's truly...but they are not in an atmosphere that is conducive to that.  I hope that they are doing it that way because they feel called to do so.  If they're serious about serving the Lord, that's a tougher road because its a more lonely, more challenging atmosphere.  But, I believe God is using many of them in great ways.

G2G:  Did you encounter any bands who were in the scene for the wrong reasons?  There are a couple of regularly mentioned instances...

Kosher:  Yes, but I'm not naming names!  (Laughs)  Bear in mind that a lot of people in many of these bands were young and immature, getting their first taste of fame...even as a medium perch in a small pond...away from home, and perhaps they had spent more time emulating their rock and roll heroes than Jesus.  Others wanted to commit their music to the Lord but weren't sure what that meant.  And of course, we were all human.  We were assuming roles that carried great responsibility, so we were role models whether we liked it or not.  But the proper role to play was not perfect saint on a pedestal.  Ideally, we would model a humble,authentic desire to serve and followJesus, while being real but not parading our brokenness.

All of us in One Bad Pig had our moments, as well.  One of us had an interaction with a girl...nothing scandalous, but not appropriate...that later came to the attention of Glenn Kaiser.  He called me up and asked that we deal with it biblically and seriously, and we did.  I, myself, had more than one instance in which I was confronted about significant sin of one kind or another.  We took it seriously, we involved our pastors, I repented, and I took steps to change my behavior.

The bands to be concerned about were the ones willing to portray themselves on a pedestal and the ones...sometimes the same bands...who had little-to-no interest in authentically serving the Lord or walking closely with Him.  And, while I know I saw that on several occasions, we need to be careful about where we point our judging finger.

Look, some of these bands were being forced into the ministry band mold, and they were not even called to do that.  All believers are called to be true to the Lord, but our specific callings, especially vocationally ad publicly, can be quite different.  Some of these bands had members whose faith was not truly owned by them or fully formed.  Some were just playing a role.  I think its a key question for any believer in the arts; what exactly is God calling ME to do with my art?  Some people will say that being evangelistic or message-driven with our art is just propaganda and that it is bastardizing the value and authenticity of our art.  I would argue that our art, such that it is, is not "selling our faith", or some such thing, rather it is so much a part of who we ARE and what we are ABOUT that it IS an authentic expression.

G2G:  Looking back now, did you have any inkling that One Bad Pig would be recording a new album some thirty years after this thing started?  I know you couldn't have known specifically, but did it ever occur to you that you might be onto something really lasting and special?

Kosher:  Thinking about when or if we thought that we had something special...in a way, EVERYTHING that has happened has been a huge surprise.  But, at the same time, from very early on there have been inklings.

I don't know how much your readers know about the origins of the band, but it was really kind of an accident.  In fact, it was a joke.  Two threads of events among a certain group of friends in Austin, Texas led to the birth of the Pig.  In Thread 1, as I am sure is the case in many locales, a bunch of us who were interested in edgier Christian music had managed to find each other.  One regular activity that we developed coincided with our weekly Christian rock radio show.  Paul Q-Pek was a disc jockey at KIXL, an AM Christian radio station that allowed him a slot on Friday and Saturday nights where he could play whatever was hot and rocking in the Christian scene.  Some of us got the idea to go down to some of the punk and metal clubs in town after the radio show and engage in street witnessing with the kids and people who were there.  I can remember running down the sidewalks with a couple of friends singing early Undercover and Altar Boys songs acappella.

G2G:  I would imagine that was a sight!

Kosher:  Right?!  Well, Thread 2 is that several of us had heard about the first ever Cornerstone Music Festival in the summer of 1984.  A guy named Curtis Tarpley and I drove up to that first one together in my VW Bug.  It was AWESOME!  For Cornerstone '85, we brought Q-Pek and Melvin Gene "Freedom" Noble, a West-Texas bred Jesus hippie who was totally into JPUSA (Jesus People USA), creators of the festival.  We stopped in a suburb of St. Louis at a Pizza Hut for lunch, and they

(KSHE's SweetMeat)

were doing a promotion with a local rock radio station, KSHE, selling these wraparound chrome sunglasses with the KSHE logo on it.  We thought it was a tough looking pig (which turned out to be a female pig named Sweet Meat), and I saw that and said, "Man, that is one bad pig!"  Paul said that sounded like the name of a punk band, and it was the start of a running joke that would last the entire trip...and then beyond!

So, weaving those threads together, a bunch of us had been working on planning a local Christian music festival in Austin caled the Zilker Park Labor Day Christian Music Festival.  After we got home, we thought, "why not play a short set as One Bad Pig, as sort of a joke?"  Our weekend radio schedule began adding music rehearsals to our agenda after that.  Freedom wasn't able to play, so we found a bass playing friend, Kevin Phelan.  We decided we needed a drum kit, so we recruited a young drummer from Q-Pek's band, named Phillip Owens.  We worked on covers of some Lifesavors and Undercover songs, and I wrote the lyrics to an original song that Paul set to music.  It was called "Anarchy Is Prison", and it was directed at the anarchist philosophy espoused by at least some punks.

Well, on Labor Day, we did our thing and it was outrageous!  It was also ROUGH!  (Laughing)  It was also, by far, the most aggressive act at the festival.  We went into it with a bizarre combination of treating it as both a joke and something serious at the same time.  As the band cam on stage, a svelte, shirtless Paul Q-Pek, with a full head of hair leading the way, I came barreling down the hill from behind the audience, screaming and leaping onto the stage to deliver something never seen or heard before...PIG MUSIC!  Playing up the pig reference, I delivered a sermonette that riffed off of George Orwell's Animal Farm, screaming at the crowd, "We are One Bad Pig, YOU are One Bad Pig!", saying that we were all unacceptable to God unless washed clean by Jesus' blood.

The thing is, despite offending our share of the crowd, a large number responded positively, even if they hated the music.  We prayed with some audience members backstage after the show, and a friend led one person to the Lord, bringing them over to pray with us.  People said they could sense God using One Bad Pig that day.  From there we started working our way into clubs that we had been witnessing outside of.  Repeatedly, we had the experience of seeing an open door, praying about it, then walking through.  I don't know that we ever foresaw the scope of the impact we were to have, but all along the way we kept getting glimmers, and open doors, and we kept walking through.  It was as though God was giving light for the next few steps but never really telling us the final destination.

Now, it was not all one smooth slope.  There were all sorts of bumps, lulls, and interruptions along the way,  Yet, one thing kept astounding us--God would use something foolish in the eyes of the world, something that started as a joke...our band...and if we would just make ourselves available and allow Him to use us, He would do just that,

G2G:  Here am I...

Kosher:  Exactly.  So, in a sense, every new step and every new opportunity was...and is...a surprise we would never have anticipated along the way.  But, on the other hand, He's done it so often that all these surprises aren't surprising at all.

G2G:  You mention offending a segment of the crowds at your early shows, and I was going to ask about that, so it worked out perfectly.  Did you have a lot of push back, a lot of doors shut in your face due to your look, sound, name, etc?

Kosher:  Absolutely.  In fact, that's the source of the name of the first, self-released demo EP, A Christian Banned.  There was a local punk label who liked us called Unclean Records.  The owner really wanted to sign us.  However, he was distributed by a big punk distributor in California and they refused to sign us because we were "too Christian", even though punk was all about self-expression.  Within a day or so of hearing that disappointing news, we were turned down to play a coffeehouse hosted by a local church that met at a shopping center.  We had even previously played there.  Why?  Because we were "too worldly".  So, we found ourselves, in the words of the great Mark Heard, "...too sacred for the sinners/And the saints wish I would leave/Now I'm stuck here in the middle..."

G2G:  Alright, let's fast forward to a bit more success for the band, because it really isn't all that far down the road that you find yourself working with a man many consider to be THE original punk...the original rebel...Johnny Cash...

Kosher:  Yep.  What an honor it was to work with Johnny.  That voice was AMAZING!  He was so humble, and he really wanted to serve the Lord and to contribute to what we were doing.  Very cool.  We need a lot more like Johnny around.  It was very clear that he wasn't a perfect man, but his transparency about that and his need for Christ made his faith and testimony that much more real and powerful.

(L-R: Phillip, Kosher, Johnny, Daniel, Q-Pek)

There was actually talk later of us getting to do the Tonight Show, or something like that, with Johnny, but that talk never got very far.  We've never really been able to do "The Man In Black" live before, but this summer we're going to get to do it, at least on one or two occasions.  There's an Austin band called The Band In Black that started by doing Johnny Cash covers, and now does originals in that same vein.  Their singer, Jason Birdwell, does a pretty mean Johnny impression, and he's going to do it live with us a time or two.

G2G:  So, how did the Johnny Cash teaming even come about?  You aren't exactly likely to show up on the same radar screen very often...

Kosher:  We had several special guests on our first two records with Billy Smiley, and we really wanted everything on our third record, I Scream Sunday, to be just us, unless we had one REALLY special guest on the album.  So, the Johnny Cash connection started as a case of our people talking to his people, specifically our A&R guy, Mark Maxwell.  After it became a realistic possibility, Paul Q-Pek worked up the great arrangement of the song, "The Man In Black".  I recorded my vocal part and a scratch vocal of Johnny's part.

As the time approached to make some final decisions, a few things happened.  I had gone back to Austin to leave the mixes to the other guys, and we got invited to a John, Jr. 18th Birthday Bash being held at a massive club out in the boonies outside of Nashville.  I had read Johnny's book, The Man In White, a novella about the Apostle Paul's conversion upon encountering the Man in white on the road to Damascus, and I was impressed.  A lot of people were.  Even Billy Graham called it the best fictional treatment of Paul he had ever read.  But I was not only impressed with the book, but 
also with Johnny's forward to the book in which he explained how he came to write it and much about his spiritual walk.  I wrote him quite a long letter explaining what we were about and what I hoped would be contributed to our mission as a band by his participation in the project.

The record company flew me back out to be there for John, Jr.'s party. and we went with the hope and expectation of meeting Johnny and spending a little time with him, getting to pitch the idea of him doing the duet.  But, as it turned out, this place was packed with hundreds and hundreds of country music elite.  It was filled with smoke and warm bodies an is perhaps the most crowded place I've ever been in my life.  We finally saw Johnny and June take the stage, along with John Jr., and a bunch of others.  But, not very long after that, Johnny announced that June was not feeling very well and that they were unfortunately going to have to leave early.

They started up an aisle from the stage with a press of people and security all around them.  I began to fight my way through the crowd as quickly as I could and spilled outside the door at the top of the stairs just after Johnny had done the same.  With trepidation, I called out to him and told him who I was and handed him this letter.  The next day he called and tld his manager that he wanted to do this One Bad Pig thing.

G2G:  Awesome!

Kosher:  So...the record company flew me back to Austin and then back out again for the recording session.  As we waited for things to get underway, we heard of several print publications that were going to come out and record the session for posterity.  This also included the Crook & Chase country television show.  We were so excited that we were going to have a larger audience to spread the gospel to with this opportunity!  One by one, we learned that none of these organizations were going to be able to come and cover the session that day, however.  We were disappointed.  Not only that, but Johnny was also quite late in arriving.

After a period of time, Daniel suggested we go outinto the larger recording room and spend some time in prayer.  We circled up and began to pray.  It was during that time that Johnny showed up, and he explained to us that he had been on a deathwatch at his mother's bedside.  However, he told us he really wanted to do this with us and he felt he needed to get away for a little while.  Daniel invited him to join the circle and pray with us and we did so.  What a powerful time!

Johnny was incredible.  I cringed every time Billy Smiley would offer a suggestion or ask him to do another take, but Johnny was great and always humble obliged.  Afterwards we posed for pictures and shot Silly String at each other.

As I was traveling home that night, I was reading in Mark's gospel about how Peter protested when Jesus said he was to be arrested and killed.  You might remember that Jesus told Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!"  As I read that passage, I heard the Lord speak to me, "Get behind me, Satan!  You are concerned about the things of men rather than the things of God.  I didn't need you today to proclaim my name on some television show.  I needed you there to pray with one of my children."

Even as I tell you that story today, Arttie, I get tears in my eyes.

It was only last year when we were reminiscing for Carl's book project that I learned that Johnny's mother recovered from that illness and went on to live a few more years.  By the way, I've learned that Carl has had some health problens and I encourage everyone to lift him up in prayer.

G2G:  So, Kosher, as we speak, your Kickstarter goal has been met and surpassed, including the stretch goal which allows for vinyl pressings of the new record.  What does it feel like to you guys to still mean so much to your fans after all these years?

Kosher:  We are thrilled!  And humbled!  It just blows us away what the Lord continues to do, and we are doing our dead level best to really make it worth everybody's while.  We're bathing it in prayer and working really hard.  The creativity of the guys in the band is awesome.  You know, Billy Smiley was the producer on all of our previous releases, and he's already let us know that he really likes how it's sounding.

It's also great to know that not only will we really get to do the CD, we will also for sure now be able to do the vinyl record.  That is so cool, and we are stoked.

I don't know how many shows we are going to get to do with this, but I do know that just like always, it's going to be 110% mayhem and 110% ministry all the way.  No holding anything back.

G2G:  You teach at a college, correct?  I teach high school, myself.

Kosher:  Really?

G2G:  Yeah, I work with juvenile offenders and struggling kids...

Kosher:  That's awesome, Arttie.  I'm a full-time pastor, but I am teaching an Old Testament course as an adjunct at Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee this semester.  I truly enjoy it.

When I lived in Austin, I worked over a decade in a hospital/treatment center for head-injured and multiple-diagnosis behavioral disorder patients.  Most of that time I spent working in an accredited school they had on campus.  Then, the last year and a half in Austin, I worked with our county's juvenile offender intervention program, intended as a last gasp attempt before the kids hit the state system.  So, I have some ideas of what you're dealing with.

G2G:  That's awesome...

Kosher:  When we moved to Tennessee and I went back to finish college, I got my degree and teaching certificate in Exceptional Learning and Development (Special Education).  That was before going on to seminary, even though that was the plan all along.

G2G:  I am also endorsed in Special Education...

Kosher:  Very cool...very cool...

G2G:  So, do any of your students know the "Kosher" side of Mr. Womack?

Kosher:  I've mentioned it, but so far they seem pretty unimpressed.  (Laughs)  I'm going to tell a good story from back in the day on Monday, though, so we'll see where that goes. (Laughs)

There's a guy that comes into the math class that meets in our room right after us who connected with me around St. Paddy's Day...you know, all things Irish.  He really likes a lot of the Irish punk bands

(Chicago punks, Flatfoot 56)

like the Dropkick Murphys, so I referred him to Flatfoot 56.  By the way, those who like that kind of thing will be particularly interested in one song on the new record...

It's funny where Pig connections come up, though.  We have some kids at church who go to high school in the next county up.  Their band director, it turns out, is a big Pig fan!

G2G:  So, you're packing up the Pig van for a big show.  How many cans of Silly String go?

Kosher:  Well, I guess that depends on the money left over from the Kickstarter campaign!  (Laughs)  Just kidding...mostly!  In general, we have two cans per band member per show, plus two for our onstage hand, and a few backups.  So, for a standard show, around 15 or so.  For a really big show, with maybe more active stage hands, more like 25.

Pretty early on, particularly when we were a four piece, we decided if we were going to travel with one extra person, we were better off traveling with a stage hand than with a sound guy, and we were right.

G2G:  How about guitars to smash?

(The One Bad Pig SMASH logo)

Kosher:  It depends.  How many guitars can we find cheap?  (Laughs)  Yeah, that's right Pig fans, we're not out there smashing $5000 guitars...or $500 guitars for that matter...night after night.  We usually go to a pawn shop and say, "Do you have any guitars that you don't have out right now?

Maybe something that's in such bad shape you're embarrassed to put it out right now...", and we go from there.

Of course, we take donations, as well.  (In his best advertisement voice)  Do YOU have a guitar whose better days are way behind it?  An instrument that fights instead of plays?  A six-string that screeches unknown notes instead of sings?  Bring it to us and we will help it go out in splinters of glory!  (Laughs)

Anyway...what were you asking?

G2G:  (Laughing)  How many do you take?

Kosher:  Oh, yeah.  At least one more than we think we'll need.  For a small, routine show, it may just be me smashing one guitar, or perhaps me and an audience member.  For a bigger gig, we'd like to have multiple smashes, and it depends on what we can afford.  Of course, we offered as Kickstarter rewards the opportunity to smash a guitar with us on-stage at either the Audiofeed Festival or the album release show in Austin on June 24.  To be honest, we haven't completely planned our stage set ye, so who knows how many stringed instruments we may have?

G2G:  Do you still give on-stage haircuts?

Kosher:  (Laughs)  Let's Be Frank, Arttie, big hair, long hair...it's not nearly the problem it was 25 years ago.  And, government regulations are likely much more stringent today.  I'd rather eat a Bowl of Wrath!  Frankly, I don't care if a guy's (or girl's) hair looks like a Birdnest, I'm not likely to give them a haircut.  In fact, I may tell them to Take A Flying Leap!  And, if someone doesn't like the way I'm answering this question, I say, "Take A Look At Yourself!"  Ask me if I'm scared; tell me if you See Me Sweat!  (Interviewer's note...all of the above entries in capital letters are titles of One Bad Pig songs that Kosher was throwing in for amusement...)

Actually, we have a large back catalog of songs filled with antics, and we're not going to be doing each and every one of them.  Not likely to get many two and a half hour sets these days.  And we want to play a bunch of these great new songs, so...I don't know about the haircuts.  We'll see what happens.


G2G:  My kids are 8 and 4 and are big "Big Bad Pig" fans, as my 4 year old calls you.  He loves "For A Good Man" and "Birdnest" and "Smash The Guitar", while my 8-year old loves "Never Forget The Cross" and will sing "We Want You" at the top of his lungs.  I realize you don't play out a lot now, but did you see a lot of multi-generational families at shows?

Kosher:  It's funny, but we've seen a lot of young children, down to toddler age...

G2G:  Piglets!

(One Bad Pig's label debut)

Kosher:  (Laughs)  Piglets, yes!  We've seen a lot who love One Bad Pig.  We don't know exactly what that says about our musical credibility.  Purple dinosaurs, Teletubbies, Bad Pigs?!  I can remember when A Christian Banned came out, how a couple were absolutely delighted at how much their 2 year old loved to dance crazily to One Bad Pig.  I think we've seen the growth of the multi-generational thing as the years have passed and parents, like you, have passed it on.  However, we haven't gotten to see it a ton at shows because we've played so seldom over the last 10-15 years.  Since we're hoping to do at least a little flurry of shows with this project, it will be something fun to watch out for.  We'll definitely be looking for the Parker kids!  (Laughs)

(New album artwork!)

G2G:  Well, now that the album has been fully funded, and the name has been dropped (Mitch Connell Presents Love You To Death is the title, with Connell winning his name on the cover as part of the Kickstarter campaign), it seems natural to ask if this will be the "swine song" for the band, or more of a rebirthing of sorts.  Could you see the band doing another record...maybe even just an EP every now and then?

Kosher:  Here's a good rule of thumb for One Bad Pig:  never say never!  Personally, I can't stand EPs!  If you've got five good songs, designed a cover, mixed and mastered, and paid to have them pressed up, by all means, take a little more time and give us five or ten more songs!  That's one of my little pet peeves.

But, to your question, who would have ever believed that God would use us like He already has?  Who would have ever believed we would record again after 25 years?  Let's not get in a hurry and decide what God's going to do a year from now.  As a matter of fact, right now I'm working on a song about giving God room to work, giving the Holy Spirit room to breathe.  So, let's just see what happens.

G2G:  Any chance this new tour...or at least these new shows...could be recorded for a new DVD or live album?

Kosher:  There is indeed a chance, but we don't know what will come of it right now.  The best chance to see the Pig is to make it to Austin, to Audiofeed in Illinois, or to try to line up having us come to your community, wherever you may be.

G2G:  Carey, it has been amazing to talk to you after all of these years of loving what you do.  I'm so very happy that you guys have met your Kickstarter goals, that you have a new album and some new dates scheduled...it just makes me smile!  For those who want to know, how many dates do you currently have lined up, and where?  Is there a website of some sort people can follow, or just Facebook?

Kosher:  Arttie, I've enjoyed this as well.  Are you planning on going to Audiofeed?  Hoping I can bump into you.

G2G:  Kind of like the Pig, never say never... (Laughs)

Kosher:  (Laughs)  Awesome.  At this point, I think Facebook is probably a lot more current than our website.  As we make changes to get the website more current, we will announce it on Facebook.  We'll also announce project updates, new live shows, and perhaps some teasers on Facebook as well.

If someone wants us to get a message directly to or from them, they can message us and give us their email address.

We'll be keeping our Kickstarter supporters regularly updated on that page, also.  We also want to leave information about basic pre-orders and where those can take place just as soon as we can get that set up. 

As far as shows, right now we only have the two "Written in Stone" dates:  Audiofeed in Urbana, Illinois from July first through the third, and in Austin, Texas on June 24.  That's the album release show.  We also have a date in mind, June 30, in or around Camden, Tennessee, but nothing is concrete, so more details will some as we can finalize them.  Other than that, we have a few possibilities being discussed, mostly in Texas.  In terms of doing much more traveling, that depends upon the level of interest and who wants to help us make it happen.  We just want the Lord to use us.

G2G:  Thanks again, Carey...sorry, Kosher...for sharing so much with us.  I've really had a blast!

Kosher:  Blessings to you, your family, your website, and your students, Arttie.  And thank you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There it is folks...straight from the Pig's mouth!  Be on the lookout for the new One Bad Pig record sometime in June of 2016, and keep an eye open for the band to possibly play a show or two in the Midwest this summer.  You can check out the band's website at www.onebadpig.com , but as Kosher said, it is not overly up-to-date.  Facebook is a good way to track the band and their schedule, and you can do that here.  There is also a One Bad Pig fanpage on Facebook at this location.  AND...if you haven't had a chance, check out our review of Swine Flew right here on PRR!


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STRYPER "God Damn Evil"

 

(c) 2018 Frontiers Records

1. Take It To The Cross
2. Sorry
3. Lost
4. God Damn Evil
5. You Don't Even Know Me
6. The Valley
7. Sea Of Thieves
8. Beautiful
9. Can't Live Without Your Love
10. Own Up
11. The Devil Doesn't Live Here

Michael Sweet--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Oz Fox--Guitars, Backing Vocals

Robert Sweet--"The Visual Timekeeper" Drums

Additional Musicians

John O'Boyle--Bass

Paul McNamara--Keyboards, Moog

Danny Bernini--Percussion

Charles Foley--Backing Vocals

Matt Bachand (Shadows Fall)--Death Growls on "Take It To The Cross"

Yikes!!!  Suddenly, Stryper is swearing at me!  And apparently, they are playing death/thrash metal now, also...at least that's what we are led to believe if we take the entire new album, God Damn Evil, only at face value.  I mean, just check out the chorus on the lead single, "Take It To The Cross" (the first one hits at 2:13)...

There are so many things wrong with this track that I almost gave up on the record after one track!  Okay, not really, as I genuinely love Stryper and have since they first hit the scene with The Yellow And Black Attack clear back in 1984.  I've followed them forever, it seems.  And they have been seriously kicking Satan's head around for the past five or six years since they were revitalized on Frontiers Records with the brilliant melodic metal on No More Hell To Pay and Fallen (and, technically, on Second Coming, which is also on Frontiers).  But this?  Like I said, so many things wrong with this song.  For starters, that 1:19 intro is NOT just on the video; it's also on the record and it is super annoying.  I thought my CD was damaged the first time I popped it in because it took SO LONG to start playing!  Now, once it kicked in, its's pretty decent in the opening musical section, with some aggressive rhythm guitars and kick drums, and a style that is a bit heavier than is typical for the band, but still pretty much recent Stryper, with Michael's melodic voice still very much present.  But then the chorus kicks in and...and...heck, I don't know!  Look, I love thrash metal, which I have made very evident throughout this site and the reviews I've done, but this is just a big swing and a miss from a normally very heavy hitter in the melodic metal line-up (I also love baseball, in case you hadn't figured that out)!  Christian metal fans will likely note that Michael Sweet sounds exceedingly close to Dale Thompson of Bride with his shrieks in the chorus section. (In a bit of historical irony, Thompson was reportedly asked to front a Michael Sweet-less Stryper a couple of decades ago, but that's a story for another time.)  And then, Matt Bachand from the melodic death metal band, Shadowsfall, comes growling out of my speakers at me for no apparent reason.  I'll be honest, this album features one truly unique distinction for me in that it is now, officially, the only album I can think of that has an opening song (not intro, but actual song) that I skip right off the bat.  I just can't do it.  I actually ended up ripping and re-burning the album without "Take It To The Cross" for my car.

It's funny to me that the next track is called "Sorry", because it seems like Stryper is apologizing for the previous track!  And, from this point on, the record is pretty much what you would expect from Stryper:  big, catchy hooks, strong lead vocals, soaring, perfectly harmonized backing vocals, and thunderous drums.  In fact, some of the tracks on this record are among the best the reformed band has released since they came back with Reborn clear back in 2005.  Check out the video for "Sorry" below, and tell me this isn't exactly what you'd expect from Stryper these days...

Michael Sweet is in absolutely stellar form on this record, delivering powerhouse vocal after powerhouse vocal on pretty much every track here.  Heck, he even gives it his all on "Take It To The Cross", for what it's worth.  But to me, nowhere does he sound better than on the previously mentioned "Sorry", and on the big, mid-tempo rocker "The Valley", which features a chorus of a slightly paraphrased 23rd Psalm, "Yea though I walk through The Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Fear No Evil, No Evil...".  Excellent stuff here and a song that I can only hope ends up in the playlists of the band for years to come, as I think it is a truly classic Stryper song!

Three other songs are sure to become instant classics, as well, with the big, melodic sing-along of "Sorry", the barn-burning, near-speed metal of album closer, "The Devil Doesn't Live Here", and the most controversial track the band has recorded since "To Hell With The Devil".  Of course, I am talking about the huge, arena anthem that is the title track, "God Damn Evil", which is apparently so bad that Wal-Mart has refused to carry it.  Okay, whatever.  Michael Sweet laughs it off and explains (as if it needed explained) that it is actually a prayer, of sorts, asking God to damn the evil of this world to hell.  Just like people claimed Stryper was asking you to go to hell with the devil in 1986, they are, at least according to Wal-Mart, pronouncing themselves to be God damn evil musicians.  (For the record, I believe if this was what they were going for, the grammatically correct way to say it would have been to use the past tense form of the verb "damn", which would then be God damned evil...no blasphemy intended here in my grammar lesson, as I am both a God-fearing Christian and a teacher.)  All three these tracks feature everything that has made Stryper so great for 30+ years, and definitely everything that has them laying waste to pretty much every other 80s-era glam/hair/metal band that is still pulling on the spandex and strapping on their guitars.  And kudos to the band for bringing the yellow and black back, but in a more modern way, as the imagery is the stuff of my youth and I LOVE seeing the stripes on the guitars and cymbal stands, etc., without having to see the band all bumblebee'd out!

The other real stand-out for me is "You Don't Even Know Me", which has a total 80s throwback vibe, with the guitar riffs and tone, as well as Michael's wailing vocals, sounding like they could have been written and recorded during the To Hell With The Devil sessions.  "Own Up" is pretty decent, also, with a bit more of a modern, bottom-heavy sound, and some slight production effects added to Michael's vocals on the verse sections.

There are a couple of lesser tracks here for me, but by no means do they fall to the level of filler material...they just aren't quite as strong as those first six cuts and the last two.  Oddly, all three fall in consecutive order, with "Sea Of Thieves", "Beautiful", and "Can't Live Without Your Love".  Of the three, "Beautiful" is the best of the batch with some big, thundering drums leading off the track and powering their way throughout the song's entirety.  I can envision this song being the full-band return to the stage after a big drum solo from Robert.  It has some strong chorus vocals, also, but it just doesn't really grab me like most of the rest of the record, although it has grown on me more and more with repeated listens.  Thankfully, we don't have to sit through any saccharine sweet ballads of the "Honestly" ilk, and the slowest thing on this album is "Can't Live Without Your Love", which really doesn't hit ballad level.  It is also one of the few Stryper songs I can recall off the top of my head that speaks directly to humanly love, with no possibly way to interpret the song's subject as being God, as the chorus is pretty blatant:  "Woman, I can't live without your love/Every moment is just what this dream's made of/Can't live without your love".  And you know what?  Good for Stryper!  I get so sick of people thinking that Christian bands, or bands of Christians, or however you want to label them, can't sing about anything but God and Jesus.  These guys are married with kids and families and if they want to sing about Earthly, human love, so be it.

In the end, this record isn't quite up to what Fallen and No More Hell To Pay are for me, but it is Gosh Darn Close (see what I did there?!).  Take away a couple of tracks, however...especially the out-of-left-field opener, "Take It To The Cross"...and everything people have come to love about the Yellow And Black Attack since their rebirth is still there in a big way.

On a side note, new bass player, Perry Richardson (ex-Firehouse) did not play on the record, nor did longtime bassist, Timothy Gaines (or his original replacement, Tracey Ferry, who played on 2009's Murder By Pride).  Bass was handled by a guy by the name of John O'Boyle, who does a heckuva good job carrying on the Stryper sound and style!  It will be interesting to see...and hear...how Richardson fits in live, as Gaines' bass and harmony vocals were a part of Styper's live show for so many years.

One final not here.  Michael Sweet produced this record, and I would like to suggest to Frontiers Records that Mr. Sweet produce ALL of their studio records, as he has an amazing sound on the three albums Stryper has released for the label.

Rating:  Just a slight slip from the level of the past two records, but still exceedingly crankable!  Give God Damn Evil an 8!

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GOLD, FRANKINCENSE & MYRRH "Framing My Perception"

(c) 2022 Rockfest Records

1. Burn Your Fears
2. Framing My Perception
3. Honest Abe
4. The Enemy
5. Why So Toxic
6. Disrupt The Silence

Maggie English--Bass, Vocals

CJ English--Guitars, Vocals

Lulu English--Drums, Percussion

 Additional Musicians:

Weston Evans--Addtional Guitars

I'm going to be honest.  I have loved what the English sisters have been doing as Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh since the beginning.  Their "beautycore" blend of harsh metalcore screams and growls, downtuned guitars, and furious breakdowns intermixed with the clean vocals and a pop punk charm brought a fun spark to the Christian hard rock/metal scene.

I'm also going to be honest in saying I am a huge fan of what Rockfest Records has done for the Christian hard rock and metal scene.  They have quickly...but not really quietly...snapped up some of the biggest names in the scene and have built an amazing roster of talent.  Joseph Rojas of Seventh Day Slumber seems to have a very good feel for what will work and who will fit with the core artists he has assembled.

Final honest statement (well...final honest INTRODUCTORY statement...I'm not going to just start lying or something...):  I was rather concerned about GFM joining the Rockfest Records roster because I was concerned that their sound and attitude would be compromised in some way.  I was worried some of the harshness would be smoothed over, some of the rough edges would be polished away.

I was wrong to be concerned.  With their latest EP, Framing My Perception, GFM proves that they have every bit as much punch as they always have, even if there is a certain maturity to their sound with this latest offering.  I'm not suggesting the fun, punkish charm is gone or that the growls have disappeared, but it would be foolish to deny that these girls have started to mature a bit in their songwriting and the structures of the tracks they have put together here.  It was bound to happen after all, as the girls have been performing as a band for more than seven years, with a hard-to-find debut effort, a full-length album (Identity Crisis), an acoustic offering, and a pair of EPs prior to this one (Oh, The Horror and Operation Take Over).  They aren't new to this thing, despite the fact that all three girls are 22 or younger, and with each release they have shown bits of growth and change.  Framing My Perception simply continues that growth.

"Burn Your Fears" kicks things off, and instantly it is obvious that this is going to still be GMF, regardless of what label they are with or who is helping turn the knobs and spin the dials.  A bed of electronic effects opens the song, with oldest sister, CJ, dropping a chugging riff into place, with baby sister Lulu crushing her kit right alongside the snarling guitars.  The contrast between CJ's clean vocals and Maggie's uber-harsh growling has always been a big part of what makes GFM such a unique and fun listen, and Maggie is in full-throated roaring fashion almost immediately.  In fact, she may hit the lowest range growling I have heard from her on this track.  This is a great opening crushfest that sets the course for the rest of this EP.

The title track hits next, and it hits hard, both in tone and in message, while being a PERFECT example of the growth I mentioned previously.  A subtle electronic lead-in builds to a powerful guitar riff before CJ's clean vocals come powering their way into the mix, with Lulu's thunderous drums accompanying her.  One thing that stands out about this track to me is the presence of an actual guitar solo, and a pretty melodic solo at that!  Generally known for her fierce bottom-end breakdowns, CJ is given a chance to shine on her axe and she grabs that chance by the throat!  I always suspected she had this kind of playing in her somewhere, and I'm really happy to hear it come forward here.  I hope to hear more of this kind of playing in the future.  Also noticable is what isn't here; there are no harsh, raspy growls from Maggie.  Rather, the middle sister accompanies CJ on the chorus section, providing that layered harmonic sound that only siblings can really achieve.  All of this newness still sounds like GFM, however, and this is an excellent example of the growth that the girls have exhibited throughout this EP.  A really powerful song about remaining positive and seeing the good in life is further enhanced by the first video released from this EP.  

If "Framing..." isn't my favorite track on this release, next cut, "Honest Abe", likely takes the title.  No electronics or synths to set the stage here, just a punchy drum strike and CJ's rhythm guitars chewing on your ear right from the start.  Rather than lead in with clean vocals, Maggie's deathy growls take center stage as the main vocal type this time around.  No worries that the counter is missing, however, as CJ sweetly chimes in on the chorus section.  This may be one of the heaviest tracks the girls have ever put together, with a booming breakdown section before the last runs through the chorus, and CJ's guitar approach throughout is absolutely brutal...in a good way.  But it's Maggie's roar that powers this track into the upper echelon of the band's catalog for me, and I find myself hitting repeat on "Honest Abe" numerous times.

"The Enemy" follows the successful formula that GFM has utilized to great effect throughout their recording career, laying down aggressive, buzzsaw guitar riffs and rapid-fire drums with a combination of both clean and harsh vocals being used throughout.  Instead of singing on this track, however, CJ is a bit more snarky in her delivery, using that sneering voice that she has honed to perfection over the past few years to bark at the listener.  There is still plenty of difference between CJ's sharper delivery style and Maggie's gutteral growl, however, and this is a track that long-time GFM fans are going to feel right at home with.

As aggressive and harsh as "Honest Abe" is, "Why So Toxic" showcases the other side of the girls equally well.  Straight-up pop-punk, this is a bouncy, fun track that still showcases some speedy riffing from CJ and that rock-solid drumming that Lulu really deserves more attention for.  That girl has grown up right in front of the music world's eyes, and she has become a seriously talented drummer that people in the rock/metal community should be giving credit to.  Once again, as with "Framing..." there are no harsh snarls from Maggie, but there are plenty of "whoa-oh-ohs" for the listener to bop along to.

"Disrupt The Silence" closes things out with another heavy, high-speed affar that again uses Maggie's growls as the dominant vocal style on the verses, with CJ's cleaner vox handling the pre-chorus and chorus sections.  There is an electronic element running throughout the track that again shows some of  musical depth and growth the band has tinkered with on this EP, and even some programmed drum effects underneath a brief spoken word portion, but it's a vicious breakdown, with pummeling drumwork and macnine-gun rhythm riffing that quickly reminds you that GFM remains a metal/metalcore force to be reckoned with.

The mixture of styles in such a short space of time is interesting and gives the listener plenty to consider on Framing My Perception.  Whether you are a fan of the angrier, harsher side of the band, or you lean more toward the cheerleader pop-punk approach the girls have had so much fun with in the past, you are going to find something on this EP to suit your beautycore needs.   

If I had any complaint with the project it is that this is yet another EP.  In what appears to be a growing trend, more and more artists are releasing music, even in physical formats, just five or six tracks at a time.  This is four EPs in a row for these girls (counting the acoustic effort), and a couple of digital singles have been mixed in there, as well.  I know I should be thankful that RockFest continues to release physical product in this digital world, but the fact that I have all three of their previous EPs ripped and burned onto one disc with room for a good portion of this one frustrates me a bit.   Still, if this is how the girls, who are MASTERS of self-promotion and connecting with their fans, reach out to their audience on a regular basis, I'm sure I will be there to snap it up.  But don't think you can make me stop grumbling about the flood of EPs recently!

Bouncy yet crunchy, angry yet positive, both snarly and clean at the same time, Framing My Perception is a nice step forward for GFM, while keeping a firm foot planted in the band's past.

Rating:  Definitely crankable!  Crank this to 8.5!

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*FLASHBACK* RAGE OF ANGELS "Rage Of Angels"

(c) 1989 Regency Records

1. Leave You Or Forsake You
2. Reason To Rock
3. It's Not Late For Love
4. Somebody's Watching You
5. Hooked On A Good Thing
6. Do You Still Believe In Love
7. Rock For The Rock
8. Are You Ready For Thunder
9. Don't Give Up

Dan Mariano--Vocals
Frank DiCostanza--Guitars
Greg Kurtzman--Guitars
Dale Gilfort--bass
John Fowler--Drums

Rage of Angels is probably most famous in non-Christian circles as the band that DiCostanza and Fowler were in before they joined Steelheart.  A smaller number of fans may know Mariano's later work in a band called Pyn Siren.  Regardless, if you are one of the many fans of the hair metal genre who has not yet heard Rage Of Angels as a complete unit, I strongly urge you to do so.

In the late 1980's, the Christian metal hair scene consisted largely of...well...Stryper.  There were a few others...Guardian, Eternal Ryte, Whitecross, Neon Cross, etc...but not many had achieved solid label status yet.  Enter Rage Of Angels.  While Regency is not a huge label by industry standards, they were certainly a recognized label in the Christian music industry, and Rage Of Angels was primed and ready to go.  They had a great look, a couple of very talented guitar players, and a far above average lead singer, so it looked like they had every opportunity to explode.  Of course, since so many people probably have no idea who they are, it should be obvious they did not explode.  Rather, they imploded....

There are varying versions of what happened, but the most commonly held version is that the band, which had been together since 1987, had actually broken up by the time their album was actually released.  As such, there was not much in the way of merchandise to promote, no tour to support the record, and, since the band was in effect dead, no reason to push it for airplay.  This is all very unfortunate, as this is a very solid record with several potential radio hits that would not have had to be restricted to Christian radio (mainstream radio was not as open to Chrsitian music at that time as it is now...and it is still RIDICULOUSLY difficult to get airplay if you aren't Skillet or Red).  

Stylewise, comparisons between Rage Of Angels and bands such as Skid Row, Theater or Girls-era Motley Crue, or Cherry Pie-era Warrant, are all fair.  The band never drops into ballad gear on this album, with the decidedly mid-tempo "Are You Ready For Thunder" or "Don't Give Up" being the closest these guys come to slowing down.  Otherwise it is full speed ahead with some excellent, hook-laden rockers such as the hit-ready "Somebody's Watching You" or "Do You Still Believe In Love", either of which could have been slipped into rotation at any rock station with no one being the wiser.  Granted, some of these songs do wear a bit thin due to the cliched "Rock For The Rock" type lyrics of many Christian hard rock bands of the time; in fact, they use that very title for a song here, along with "Reason To Rock".  While many of the songs have definite faith-based lyrics, it is rumored that this was merely a gimmick that was used to attempt to garner attention for the band.  I find this a bit hard to believe, as, like I said, Stryper is the only Christian band to have any kind of real mainstream success at the time, but it is unlikely we will ever know for sure.  As it stands, if you can find a copy of this album cheap, snag it and give it a chance.  I highly doubt you will be disappointed, as many of the songs are exceptionally catchy and well performed.  Fans of Steelheart already know of DiCostanza's talent on the guitar, and that is on display on this record as well.

It should be noted that this album has been widely bootlegged.  The original Regency Records version, which mine is, has a blue border around the cover, that I have been told is missing on some boots.  I have a 2004 Brazilian bootleg from a label called Avantage Records that also has the blue border but has absolutely nothing for an insert...the inside artwork is identical to the front cover, minus the blue border.  There is also a reissue that supposedly has some demo tracks on it, but I have never encountered this and cannot verify the status of that, although I do know a demo is floating around out there, as well as a handful of live tracks.  Keep an eye out, folks, because this disc does not usually sell cheap with eBay prices regulary between $25 and $50...even for the bootlegged versions.

Rating: Crank this Christian hair metal classic to 7.5!

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JODI ESSEX "Fearless"

(C) 2022 Independent Release

1. Offend
2. Fearless
3. Unravel
4. Lean
5. Bandaid
6. Shine

Jodi Essex--Lead and Backing Vocals

Josiah Prince--All Instruments and Production

Two years ago, newcomer Jodi Essex dropped her debut album, Irreverant.  While definitely a strong debut with some excellent material, I didn't feel the album really captured all that Essex was capable of.  There was too much middling material on the record as Essex seemed to waffle between being a rocker and being a CCM/pop crossover artist, especially on the ballads.  I opined on my review of the record that "a lot of how Essex fairs from here forward is going to depend largely upon what direction she chooses to take her music.  I have no doubt that she will find success in whatever style of music she chooses to perform  I truly hope it is the rock road that she chooses to travel."

Wish granted!

With her new album, Fearless, Essex comes out firing on all cylinders, producing the kind of album (okay, EP) that I felt she was capable of!  Enlisting the help of one of the hottest writers and producers in Christian rock, Mr. Josiah Prince of Disciple, who co-wrote every track here, Essex has crafted an energetic, rocking record that should open the eyes of many a listener.

Three singles have already been released, and each has delivered a little something different from Essex.  "Offend" is a straight-up hard rock track with an equally punchy message to those members of the church who choose to teach a watered-down version of the Gospel in the hopes of attracting more congregants.  Similar to the way Fireflight addresses the show biz-like atmosphere of many churches today in "Welcome To The Show", the video for "Offend" gets right to the heart of the matter with a steam-punk outfitted Essex asking "would you offend for the Gospel?" as she addresses a panel of wishy-washy church leaders.  From there, thundering drums kick start this driving rock track, with "Offend" taking a far punchier approach than anything on her previous album.  Alternately gritty--almost sneeringly so--and soaring, the verse sections showcase the various styles that Essex spread out over multiple tracks on Irreverent, with a snappy, energy-infused chorus blasting the listener with that same opening line..."Would you offend for the Gospel?  Or will you bend for mankind?"  

On the second single, "Unravel", Essex slows things down to power ballad territory, albeit with some modern rock song structure, to present a song about the power of a person's will and the need to surrender our spirit and allow God to "unravel" the walls we put up around ourselves.  A bed of electronic effects and percussion intros the song, with Essex's breathy vocals carrying the verse toward a powerful-yet-simplistic chorus.  From here, new layers of instrumentation are added, with Prince's (Disciple) guitars adding their voice to the mix as Essex ramps up the power in her voice until it reaches a full-throated peak during the third run through the chorus.  Orchestral elements are added as Prince winds his way through an emotion-drenched solo before giving way to Essex and her closing runs through the chorus.  More outstanding guitar work leads the track out, and almost immediately I hit repeat.  This...THIS...is the kind of ballad that Essex absolutely dominates and is what I was hoping we would hear from her this time around.  I can't help but think of Berlin's big hit, "Take My Breath Away" from the Top Gun soundtrack when I hear this song (now that I mention it, I would LOVE to hear Essex tackle that classic hit!), and for me it is obvious this is the type of song Essex works best with, at least on slower material.

Most recently, Essex dropped the title track from the EP, a song which finds the singer treading a more mid-tempo rock track and handling it in fine fashion.  Starting off with a punchy rhythm section intro, this straight ahead rock track allows Essex to really shine as the instrument-sparse verse sections provide the perfect showcase for her gritty vocals, while the chorus offers her the chance to soar a bit more with her voice.  There's a cool vocal bridge that has Essex delivering different vocal lines in a nicely layered section, and throughout the track there is a looped vocal that I would swear is echoing "The Warrior" of Scandal fame.  Check it out below.

By the way, I have no idea who the band is in the video, as no musicians were credited in the press information I had with the exception of Josiah Prince (who is featured in the video).  

As to the other three tracks here, all three could possibly see single release, as well, with "Bandaid", in particular, drawing my attention.  The hard-edged modern rock track "Bandaid" starts off with a crunchy guitar riff and some thunderous drums before Essex comes rushing in, singing about not living life with regret or hesitation, imploring the listener "don't waste another day, another minute, another hour...Don't put off the inevitable, Don't wait too long, you'll miss the incredible...".  What's especially striking is the punchy, aggressive chorus which finds Essex snarling "Rip the Bandaid, Rip the Bandaid, Rip the Bandaid OFF!"  

"Lean" has an urgent sound from the get-go, with a pulsating bed of electronics opening things up before giving way to a heavy, plodding rocker with a seriously down-tuned guitar line grinding away beneath the verse sections.  Essex's voice stands in stark comparison to the much darker-toned music of the track, with comparisons to Rage Against the Machine not being out of line, especially in the tone of the guitars (heck, the riff isn't completely different from "Bulls on Parade" if you have heard that track.  No, I'm being serious...).  I could see this song (as well as "Bandaid") becoming signature songs for the vocal powerhouse, as the edgier music really provides a backdrop that allows Jodi to shine.   

"Shine" is something of an outlier here, with its island rhythm and Essex's reggae-styled vocal delivery.  Very laid back in its structure and presentation, "Shine" is nothing like anything else on the EP and I'm a bit torn on my feelings for it.  On the one hand, the track almost doesn't seem to fit what is an otherwise rock-centric album.  On the other, Essex sounds very confident in her delivery here and you can hear her smile as she sings, particularly on the chorus.  Wisely placed at the end of the EP, "Shine" doesn't damage the release by any means, and I find myself inclined to repeat it from time to time, but it doesn't grab me for the same reason as a track like "Offend" or "Bandaid".

In a perfect world, Fearless would be garnering all sorts of attention in both the Christian and secular markets, but as is the case with anyone not named Skillet, Red, or maybe Stryper, there are very few chances for Christian artists to crossover these days, especially with all radio being programmed basically the same.  As such, I challenge readers to snag a copy of this digital release and share the love with their friends and family, spreading the word about the talent of this vocal powerhouse. Lyrically bold and passionate, and musically dynamic, Fearless is one of the best guitar rock albums I have come across this year, Christian or not.

Check out jodiessex.com for more information, or find the digital EP on all major streaming platforms.  

Rating:  Crankable...very crankable...so turn this up to an 8.5!

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DELIVERANCE "The Subversive Kind"

(c) 2018 Roxx Records

1. Bring 'Em Down
2. Concept Of The Other
3. Center Of It All
4. The Black Hand
5. Epilogue
6. Listen Closely
7. The Subversive Kind
8. The Fold

Jimmy P Brown II--Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitars

Glenn Rogers--Guitars

Victor Macias--Bass, Vocals

Jim Chaffin--Drums

Additional Musician

Greg Minier--Lead Guitars on 1, 3, second solo on 4

First off, let me say that I am not 100% certain of the track order on this album, as I have seen it in print like I have it listed above, but then the downloads came with a completely different order outside of tracks 1 and 2.  So, if I discover that my listing is in error, I will change it as soon as I have the physical CD in my hands, which should be some time in early 2018.

Regardless of the tracking order, it is safe to say that this is easily the heaviest and fastest record that the Christian thrash metal pioneers have recorded in twenty years or more...perhaps going all the way back to the debut record, or even the Greetings Of Death demo!  While 2013's excellent return, Hear What I Say! was a mixture of the thrashier parts of Deliverance melded with the more melodic approaches of albums like Learn and Stay Of Execution, this new record makes no bones about what it is, which is full-on thrash.  Referred to by some as Deliverance's Reign In Blood, a direct nod to the Slayer album that many people put at-or-near-the-top of the thrash metal heap as far as sheer ferocity and brutality goes, Deliverance's new record definitely has turned the band back a few chapters to the type of speed and aggression they played with when they first burst upon the scene.

For more than twenty years, it seems every fan of the band continually poses the question, "when will you do another real thrash album?"  Seemingly everyone wants a Weapons Of Our Warfare, Pt. II, or another What A Joke.  With The Subversive Kind, the band not only returns to the musical roots of Deliverance, it does so with a virtual who's who of Christian thrash history now in the band.  Besides founding vocalist and rhythm guitar master, Jimmy P Brown, II, this new incarnation of Deliverance features sharp bursts of machine gun drumming from Crucified drummer, Jim Chaffin, rumbling bass lines from Victor Macias (Tourniquet), and blistering lead guitar from Glenn Rogers (Vengeance Rising/Deliverance)...and guest lead work from Christian punk/thrash crossover legend, Greg Minier of the Crucified/Minier/Applehead!  If ever an album had a pedigree for success, it would seem to be The Subversive Kind. 

Musically, this album, as I have mentioned is extremely fast for the most part, but each of these eight songs also features multiple tempo changes within the song itself, creating some unique and interesting dynamics.  You can hear the individual contributions, as well, as several songs feature something akin to a hardcore breakdown in places, but not at the expense of a blistering guitar solo, which every song here features.  No, this is not nu-metal or metalcore, this is pure thrash at its finest.

Jimmy's voice takes on a much more gruff, barked style on this record than on previous efforts.  Gone are the high, soaring screams of Weapons..., What A Joke, or even Stay Of Execution.  To be honest, I'm perfectly fine, as the vocals laid down by Jimmy here fit the aggressive nature of the songs which are far more thrash metal and less speed metal than, say Weapons... was.  With so many of the songs here coming off as rather angry with the observations Jimmy is making, this harsher vocal approach fits the tone perfectly and brings a further fierceness to each of these songs.

Unlike their first few records, Deliverance is not out to beat you over the head with chapter and verse theology, but that does not mean that they have slid in their faith or their stances on touchstone social issues in the world today.  Take for example, "Concept Of The Other", which is about people who use false Christian interpretations to justify prejudice and hatred, with Jimmy singing/barking, "They seem to think we serve the same God, All rolling out their mats or sealed in their pods.  If only I've seen Christ in the way some live, The more we push and take, the more we make them give."

If pushed to choose a favorite track or two, it would be a fairly difficult task.  "Center Of It All", a track about being self-absorbed and drawing all attention to oneself, is an absolute mosh pit churner, featuring some serious speed and is a track that really recalls "Greetings Of Death" from the debut record as far as tempo and approach.  Its awesome to hear Minier rip into the solo on this track, as well, with the middle section slowing down a bit, with a nice thick groove setting the stage for Greg to go to town.  "Concept Of The Other" has some of the best lyrics on the album (see above), and I love the tempo change that is dropped after the second chorus, which allows Glenn to lay down a wicked solo before Chaffin kickstarts the track back into hyperdrive.  The albums' lead single, "The Black Hand" has a definite Weapons Of Our Warfare feel to it, particularly in the guitars, which is very cool, and "Listen Closely" does a nice job of combining the debut record's speed with some Stay Of Execution-styled phrasing used in the vocals.  But if it came right down to it, I'd have to say "The Fold" challenges "Concept Of The Other" for my favorite track here, and is a brilliant way to close a fantastic, breathtaking album, as a bit of singing returns to Jimmy's vocals, and the full-throttle riffing of the rhythm guitars drag the listener ever-so-slightly back to Weapons... one final time.  I also really like the gang-shouted sections, one right before an absolutely blistering solo leads the track into the final chorus, and one just before the outro of the song.  Cool, cool stuff. 

If there are any drawbacks to this album, it would seem to me that clocking in at just 31 minutes is going to be a sticking point for many people.  That being said, let me assuage the angst of some of you by telling you it is a fast, furious, brutal, thrashy 31 minutes that is among some of the heaviest thrash metal I've ever feasted my ears upon in years.  Truth be told...I don't know if I could survive more than 31 minutes in a single sitting!  

Rating:  Starting off 2018 with a crankfest!  Find something to hold onto and crank this up to 8!  The Mighty D is back!

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DENS "Taming Tongues"

                                                               (c) 2020 Facedown Records

1. Even
2. Foolish
3. Men
4. Are
5. Wise
6. When
7. They
8. Learn
9. To
10. Keep
11. Quiet

Shaun Hypes--Vocals, Guitars

Josh Waltman--Lead Guitars

Josh Tomlinson--Bass, Backing Vocals

Brandon Osborne--Drums, Backing Vocals

Additional Musicians:

LeRoy Hamp (War Of Ages)--Vocals on "Foolish"

Laura McElroy (Comrades)--Vocals on "Are"

Gary Spears (Empty)--Vocals on "Quiet"

I am not necessarily a fan of labels, especially when it comes to trying to figure out how to represent a band's sound.  Dens is a band that gives me fits, label-wise.  Are they metal?  Well, no, not entirely.  Post-hardcore?  Grunge?  Not completely and no, not really.  Alternative?  Indie rock?  Sorta.  Maybe.  Nothing completely defines who Dens is, musically.  But maybe that's okay, because Dens isn't about being labelled.  They are about making heavy music that makes you think.  (And before you ask, no, they aren't math metal, either!)  With ambient sections, metal sections, hardcore sections, screaming vocals, barked vocals, dang near spoken word vocals, and deep, heavy grooves, Dens is one of those bands that really should appeal across hard/heavy music genres, yet when I talk to my friends about them, nobody has heard of them.  That, my friends, needs to change.

Immediately, most people are going to notice the message spelled out with the song titles, and as you may have guessed, that was not unintentional.  "Even Foolish Men Are Wise When They Learn To Keep Quiet" is an altered version of Proverbs 17:28, which reads, "Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues" (NIV), which is rather interesting to me as in this day and age, NO ONE seems to hold their tongues about anything, thanks largely to social media.  It's cool that the band is able to do this with the digital and CD packaging as it is, because in the cassette and vinyl days, the message would have been split up into sides A and B, causing a disruption in the flow of the message.  Also, it should be noted that rarely do the song titles actually have anything to do with the song itself, so hopefully no one is expecting "Foolish", for example, to have a chorus of the word foolish just being chanted over and over endlessly.

The album comes to life with a discordant squeal of a guitar, with a heavy wall of guitars, bass, and drums building in the distance and roaring forward.  The surprisingly clean singing voice of Hypes glides over the top of the fray, and I have to admit to waiting for the harsh screams or snarls to hit, but they never come.  After the second chorus, the guitars take on a droning quality for a moment wit some heavy drum work underneath, and while a solo never breaks out, the song doesn't venture into a breakdown, either.  One more run through the chorus and "Even" wraps things up, leaving me a bit overwhelmed despite the fact that I have heard this song dozens of times, as the song has been released as a single and is steadily climbing the Christian Rock charts.

My favorite track here has to be "Foolish", and for people thinking this type of music needs harsher vocals, then this is the track for you.  No, Hypes doesn't shred his vocal chords for the sake of the song.  Instead, the band calls upon LeRoy Hamp from War Of Ages to add his hardcore barks to this track, creating a stark separation from the smooth, clean vocals of Hypes.  This song is pretty much pure aggression, with big drums and jagged guitars ripping their way through the enormous sound wave that blasts through the speakers.  No doubt about it, this is heavy, heavy stuff, and someone needs to explain to me why metal/heavy rock radio isn't eating this song...and band...up.  I mean, at just two songs in, I find myself pretty much sold on Dens.  Anyway, check out another Dens video, this time the cool, "art house" video for "Foolish".

"Men" is up next and after a brief intro, the band hits full force, like a throat punch, but to your ears.  Again, Hypes' vocals seem almost out of place when juxtaposed with the heavy music, but it works so incredibly well.  You can feel the emotion dripping from Hypes' words, and the wall of guitars is an impressive thing to behold, as well.  I really wish I had the lyrics to this album, as I really want to know what Hypes is singing on the chorus, but it is hard to pick up sometimes because of the previously mentioned guitar wall.  The drums are big here, also, and Tomlinson weaves a bass line through the track that fills in the rare nooks that the guitars don't smother.  Good, good stuff.

The album really takes an interesting swerve with "Are".  The song opens with a much softer feel than the previous tracks, with Hypes singing in almost a whisper at first as he drifts through the ambient layers of stretched guitar chords.  At about the 1:50 mark, the gorgeous vocals of Laura McElroy enter the track, taking a turn at a verse by herself before joining Hypes in a duo fashion for a stretch.  It's nearly three full minutes before the percussion joins the song, and Hypes cranks up the power of his voice at the same time, and a heaviness envelops the track without picking up the pace of the song until near the end.  It is hear that Osborne's drums take on a heavier, almost tribal rhythm, picking up the pace gradually as the track bleeds directly into the next one, "Wise".  This new song relies heavily on drums and percussion and has a really cool vibe to it as Osborne pretty much takes over.  Sure, the guitars are still a major presence here, but for me, the power of the drums, the cool fills and the huge cymbal crashes are just impressive.  This is a song that, if played in concert, would likely leave me standing there, almost numb from all that is going on, especially if "Are" was included as the prelude, because together they reach almost 9 minutes of intense musical beauty.  I don't think it a stretch to consider a song/song combo like this to be progressive, as the styles incorporated here are definitely not singular in nature.

"When" gives the bass a bit of a chance to shine as it accompanies the drums in setting the foundation of the song, allowing the guitars to flow across the top.  Hypes is again a strong vocal force here, but once again, it is the somewhat unusual drum patterns that really grab my attention on "When".  In contrast, the guitars are the first thing to grab me on "They", a track that I would imagine will find itself being released as a single at some point, as it shares a bit of the same stylistic approach and a similar accessibility to "Even", the current rock radio single.     

"Learn" features a rather unusual vocal approach from Hypes, as he uses basically a spoken-word approach, or rather a shouted-word approach, on the verses.  I'm trying to think of who it reminds me of, as it is right on the tip of my brain, but I can't quite grab it.  It adds a different type of intensity to the track, and I visualize him standing up on a box, barking to the crowd through a megaphone in the live setting.  The chorus sections are sung, which gives an even greater power to the gruffer verse vocals, while the layered guitars churn away beneath the whole episode.

"To" has some jangly bass and rather angry, discordant guitars bouncing atop a tribal drum pattern to start things off, and the first thing I can think of is an angry Primus song.  But then Hypes takes on an equally angry/aggressive vocal style, turning to barks and shouts instead of the smoother singing style he had used throughout the first several tracks.  Everything is kind of a noisy, jumbled, heavy mess that runs for just two short minutes, but really sets the stage for "Keep" which has a melodic, emotive build at the beginning that stands in stark contrast to "To".  Hypes returns to his clean singing, and the guitars take on an atmospheric quality with the effects employed on the bluesy style of playing.  Good stuff, to be sure, and solid proof of the amazing skill of this band.  I hope this song and the next one, "Quiet", are both incorporated into the live set, as both prove Dens is so much more than just a blazing wall of heavy guitars and thundering drums!

Speaking of "Quiet", this song stands even further out in musical left field than "Keep" does.  After hitting hard to open with some power chords and crushing drums, a choir of fans' voices fills the chorus section, adding a really cool element to the track as they sing/speak "When you speak, the Earth it quakes.  When you speak, the fires rage.  When all is quiet, there You are.  When you speak, the waters flood.  When you speak, the winds they rush..."  Really a powerful section on a song that closes out a genuinely powerful album.

The production here is outstanding, which was honestly necessary.  With the sonic build of a band such as Dens, if great attention isn't given to each element and instrument, there is a huge risk of everything becoming muddy and muddled together.  Fortunately, that is not an issue here, as it is relatively easy to pick out a single guitar, for example, and follow its line throughout a particular song, with the intentional "messiness" of "To" being the chosen exception.  As I stated above, I don't have a physical copy of the CD, so I don't have access to lyrics or liner notes, so I can't comment on packaging here, but generally speaking, Facedown does a good job in this area.

I don't really know who to compare the band to if you have never heard them, because as I pointed out, Dens is really hard to pin down.  There are elements of Attalus in the sound, but the odds are most readers won't know who that is, so that's not a lot of help.  Just know going in that this is lot of record to take in all at once, as there are so many moving parts.  Lyrically deep and musically intense, Dens should be a force to be reckoned with in the heavy music scene if they are given the chance to impact the market.

Rating:  Crank this full-length debut from Dens to a 7.5!

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