Your Love Is Strong

Artist: Jon Foreman

Album: Spring- EP

Genre: Acoustic Rock

Rating: 9/10

Part of a series of four EPs, Spring is definately one of my favorites. I love the music that Jon Foreman writes. My favorite track off of Spring is "Your Love Is Strong," which starts off with a sung, modern version of the Lord's Prayer.

I definitely recommend this newest Jon Foreman EP. The tracks have a nice acoustic, almost indie, sound to them. I also like the guitar tunes, as they are simple and mellow sounding. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys the music of acoustic artists such as Jack Johnson or Paul Wright.

Children 18:3

Band: Children 18:3
Album: Children 18:3
Genre: Punk
Rating: 9/10

Yeah, that's right not pop/punk, just plain punk. It's intense. Seriously. I was amazed at Children 18:3's debut album! The songs are amazing. "LCM" (track number 2) even has a guitar solo. Really it's good. My favorite track was "All My Balloons" because it has a pretty sweet rhythm and I liked the basic outline of it.

So if you asked me to compare Children 18:3 to another band, I probobly couldn't. They have a truly unique punk sound. The best I can describe them as is a mix of the vocal styles of The Clash, the guitar styles and partial scream vocals of Emery, and the rhythm of Reliant K or Superchic[k].

Dance All Night (single)

Band: Inhale Exhale
Song: "Dance All Night"
Album: The Lost the Sick the Sacred
Genre: Scream
Rating: 8/10

Inhale Exhale is another one of my all-time favorite bands. "Dance All Night" is a pretty sweet track off their debut album. Although the instruments can be repetitive sometimes, the lyrics are unique and the guitar and bass play actual music, as opposed to some other scream bands, who call slamming the strings as hard as they can "music."

I enjoy listening to Inhale Exhale and I hope that they come out with a new album soon, because I like them so much. Who could I possibly compare them to? . . . Their sound reminds me a bit of Spoken or The Devil Wears Prada (the band, not the movie, obviously), but then again I haven't listened to The Devil Wears Prada in a long time, and I don't own their album so don't quote me on that.

Hawk Nelson Is My Friend

Band: Hawk Nelson
Album: Hawk Nelson Is My Friend
Genre: Pop/Punk
Rating: 7/10

This was another pretty good Hawk Nelson album, but still not my favorite. I liked it better than their last album, Smile, It's the End of the World because Hawk Nelson Is My Friend has more of a punk element than a pop element . . . besides I thought Smile, It's the End of the World was kind of a snore.

Altogether the album was (in my eyes) a success. The songs are pretty good and I liked the single song "Friend Like That." I recommend this album if you like Hawk Nelson's first album, Letters to the President, or if you like the band in general.

A Moment Encased in Ash (single)

Band: The Showdown
Song: "A Moment Encased in Ash"
Album: A Chorus of Obliteration
Genre: Scream/Classic Metal

Rating:10/10

Let me say it now: I LOVE THE SHOWDOWN!!! Seriously, they're one of my favorite bands. The first time I saw them was at Purple Door Music Festival and I was hooked. "A Moment Encased in Ash" is probably the best song off the album. It starts off with a drum beat and then goes into this insane speed metal twin guitar riff. Needless to say, the song is amazing.

Eventually I'll probably need to buy A Chorus of Obliteration as well as the Showdown's newest album, Temptation Come My Way because this song really rocks my world. I highly recommend downloading at least this song if not the whole album. I can't really think of any other band to compare The Showdown with other than Dragonforce, because of their guitar lines, but even then they aren't that much alike. You should really check out The Showdown to see what I mean.

The Reckoning

Band: Pillar
Album: The Reckoning
Genre: Rock
Rating: 8/10

Once again Pillar comes through with a sweet, somewhat hard-rockish album. All of the tracks were, in my opinion, insane on guitar riffs. I loved all of the songs on The Reckoning, but my absolute favorite song was "Everything," cause it had a pretty sweet, almost southern-sounding opening guitar line.

The Reckoning is probably my favorite Pillar album! Then again ... I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't bought all of their new album, For the Love of the Game, yet, so I still am not sure. Anyhow, I would highly recommend buying this explosive Pillar album as it will not be a disappointment!

Riot

Band: Paramore
Album: Riot
Genre: Alternative/ Punk
Rating:9/10

Okay, so this one's a bit old, but it's one of my all-time favorites. This was the first Paramore album that I had ever bought. I bought it 'cause I had read about it in a magazine review that put a positive spin on it. So I logged on to the handy iTunes store (one of my favorite inventions) and downloaded it to my iPod (another one of my favorite inventions) and let me say this, this album is a must-have!

The band's sound is compared to Evanesence's a lot, but I don't really get the hopeless and depressed vibe that they give off. Riot's sound is a lively punk blend that makes all of the tracks wonderful and unique. Riot definitely deserves the 9 rating.

Great White Whale

Band: Secret and Whisper
Album: Great White Whale
Genre: Alternative/ Rock
Rating: 7/10

I'd actually never heard of Secret and Whisper before I bought Great While Whale from the iTunes Store and put it on my iPod. It was a pleasant surprise to find that these guys don't focus on just vocals or synth effects. The guitar lines on Great White Whale are amazing! It was kind of like mixing alternative rock with shred guitar music.

As far as the album itself . . . don't let the first, almost completely instrumental, track let you down; the other tracks are as lively as could be. I would recommend Secret and Whisper to anyone who likes songs like "No One Really Wins," by Copeland, "Surprise Funeral (For the Charmed)," by Far-Less, or "Days End," by Ivoryline.