Punk rock has become almost run of the mill these days with the success of bands like Stellar Kart, Olivia the Band, Hawk Nelson, and Everyday Sunday. This bodes very well for new Forefront records signee, Philmont. These 4 guys from North Carolina have a work ethic that is conveyed in both their music, and their dedication to success. But behind all of this is their true love, their dedication to God and their appreciation of the salvation given to them by Jesus Christ. This 5 track EP is just a glimpse inside the complexity and fun that is the band Philmont. And if this is what is to come from these guys in the future, then they have a very bright future ahead of them.

    “I Can’t Stand To Fall”, the first track on the album is a cry to God to “Tear down these walls, I’d climb but I can’t stand to fall without You, Tear down these walls that separate us now, I can’t make them fall without You“. The message of this song is evident, that all the things between God and us, he can break it all down. “The Difference” is a song about the difference that should be in our life when Christ comes into it. “If You’re really inside changing my life, You would shine, You would be evident“. Continuing the theme of spiritual change, “My Hippocratic Oath” is almost a narrative of how our lives get put on the spiritual operating table when Christ saves us. In fact, this whole album is along these same lines, the changes made by Christ in our lives. The album is serious and fun at the same time. The guitars are strong, the vocals sharp, and the overall feel exciting.Closing out the album is “Another Name”, co-written by new BEC artist, Chris Taylor.

Philmont has succeeded where many others have failed. These 5 tracks are some of the best that I have heard on an EP in quite a long time. Look for big things from Philmont in the coming months and years.  

 After releasing 2 full length albums, 2005′s “The Wedding” and 2007′s “Polarity”, Fayetteville, Arkansas’ own The Wedding pulls back into the station with a five track EP, titled “The Sound The Steel”. Joining the band on this outting is new lead singer Matt Shelton, formerly of the band Letter Kills. He brings with him a much more mature vocal sound than previous lead, Kevin Keihn. Paired with a more mature sounding band, The Wedding has created something that can be appreciated by both longtime fans and new fans. The biggest downfall to this album is that it is only five tracks, so there isnt a great deal of musical variation displayed, and several elements are actually overused.

   “Recieve” has a very straight-forward message in it, “You cannot keep us silent, We are the prisoner set free”. Christ has set us free from our sin and this message is abundant throughout this song. The imagery of the train coming is very dramatic in that, it truely is like a train coming when we feel the power of Christ in our lives. From a musical standpoint, this song, as well as “Return” and “Renew” overuse the gang vocals a bit. It gets very repetitive after the first chorus of each song. “Return” serves a two-fold purpose on this album. First, it is an outright notice to everyone that The Wedding is back and they want everyone to know. Second, it is our natural response to what Jesus has done for us. He calls us to “Sing of Me, sing of My love” and that “We’ve got to shake the world, we’ve got to lift our voice.”. Its basically the Great Commision, summed up in a song. The driving guitars of both of these songs really draw you in, even thought they seem to run together sometimes. “Return” does have a really great breakdown near the end that takes the tempo from driving to a much slower, yet more forceful version of the chorus.

    “Renew”, the third track on the album, is a song about drifting, breaking relationships, and in the end, being pulled back by God and those who love you. “So I’m shaking like a leaf, You keep coming after me, So as long as I can breathe, I’m gonna have to sing.” The final track on the album, “Redeem”, is the slowest track on the album, and probably the most beautiful. The sound is quite different than the rest of the EP, reminiscent of Waking Ashland, and Weaver At The Loom. Altogether, this song rounds out the 5 R’s quite well.

     While this album grabbed my attention straight from the get-go and has since become one of my favorite albums this year, it could have been the best album of the year, if it had just been a little more diverse. The gang vocals, and random screams and yells became rather repetitive after a couple of listens, but this EP is promising of a bright future for the new, more mature The Wedding. I look forward to hearing the continuing evolution of The Wedding and adding their future album releases to my collection. This album recieves

Chris Tomlin’s “Hello Love” is an album of deep passion, thankfulness, and commitment! Sentiments of amazement, hope, and surety can be felt in the sweet, but yet bold melodic words of this seasoned artist. The album’s first cut “Jesus Messiah,” begins what appears to be the album’s theme of “Amazing Love & Grace.” Establishing the love, purpose and identity of Christ, “Jesus Messiah” is a song of sweetness, simple melodies, peaceful thoughts, and a soothing tone. “Love so amazing…Jesus Messiah…Name above all names…Blessed Redeemer…Emmanuel, all of our hope is in you!” “Amazing Grace” follows up as a slow tempo, with the traditional story of “how amazing the grace that saved a sinner like me.” Recorded in a non-traditional, but unique manner, Chris Tomlin sings: “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free! The Lord has promised good to me!” Again, he speaks of Christ’s Unending Love and Amazing Grace!

Hearing the music of an endless song, this artist asks the question: “How Can I Keep From Singing” your praise in this so named third cut of the album. With a great musical arrangement, Chris echoes that “He Sings the songs ‘He’ gives. How amazing is your Love he declares…I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing!”

By now, I am moved with amazement and my heart is wanting to sing, when I hear the next cut: “Let God Arise.” Now, I am toe tapping as I am reminded of all that our God has done. This very up tempo cut encourages all, to “Tell the world of His great Love!” For he sings: “Let God Arise, He reigns now and forever, He is the God who saves!”

Overall, I was well pleased by this project by Chris Tomlin. This is an awesome album to remind us of just how amazing God’s Love and Grace has been to us, and continues to be. It is an album of honor to the works of Christ. And in so rightly doing, Chris Tomlin concluded “Hello Love” by giving God all the glory and the all praise in “Glory In The Highest.” He worships with the lyrics…You are the first, You are the last, You are the Encore. It all began with the love of God, and it will all end with the love of God; and according to Chris Tomlin in “Hello Love,” to God be all the Glory!