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Project 86 To Livestream Double-Album Concert Event March 1-2 In Nashville

Project 86 to Livestream Double-Album Concert Event March 1-2 in Nashville

Project 86 waved goodbye to the old and ushered in something much more ominous with their recent release of the OMNI double album. Now, they are gearing up to celebrate the release with a unique livestream event on March 1-2. In-person tickets sold out quickly, but fans can still enjoy this special event in a virtual setting (tickets available at Project86.com).
“We wanted to create a multimedia experience that transcends the typical live show from a band. We view this event as another piece of world-building for the new material and content, while performing some of the classic P86 jams for one of the last times,” frontman Andrew Schwab says. “If you have ever seen the band play, this will be a much different animal. We have leveled up.”
Schwab has stated the OMNI double album is a complete reinvention, going so far as re-branding his longstanding outfit as P86:OMNI.
“It’s cyberpunk metal set in the OMNI-VERSE,” he explains.”It’s much more extreme than anything Project 86 ever released, and frankly, it has been so much fun to go to places I always wanted to go with building a world, creating a story and making heavier music.”
The band will unveil an exclusive vinyl variant, t-shirt, and new music video for the song “Complete the Circle” at the event. All livestream ticket holders will be entered to win an OMNi Vinyl Box Set. The livestream willl be available to stream after the event for those who cannot attend night-of.

OMNI is meant to be more than a twenty-three-song double album. It is an immersive scifi/cyberpunk experience, exploring the ideas of transhumanism and AI in a spiritual context. With an accompanying book (coming mid-2024), and fan-driven Alternate Reality Game at Omnicorp.one, fans will find much to lose themselves in. To discover more visit Project86.com.

Disciple Releases Promise To Live Video

Disciple has released the video to their track Promise To Live from the new album Skeleton Psalms.

If you have ever considered suicide, you need to see and hear this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1tbWW8gvSM

 

 

Lacey Sturm’s Sophomore Solo Album Kenotic Metanoia Drops

Lacey Sturm’s transformational sophomore solo album Kenotic Metanoia is available now

The chart-topping hard rock princess is back with fiery songs of spiritual metamorphosis

Lacey Sturm has released her sophomore solo album Kenotic Metanoia, available everywhere November 17 at https://stem.ffm.to/kenoticmetanoia.

The former Flyleaf lead singer offers the project to the world independently, led by a string of arresting singles including “Awaken Love,” “Reconcile” and “Breathe With Me.”

The album’s enigmatic title is drawn from two Greek words: “kenosis,” referring to a state of emptying of self, and “metanoia,” referring to deep change and altering of course. Together, Lacey Sturm says that the title captures a moment when you start to see the truth about reality that you didn’t see before. “Kenotic metanoia” is the demand to address and respond to that truth, a call to leave one version of yourself behind.

“All these songs have been for my own heart,” Lacey has said. “When David sings the Psalms, a lot of the time he’s telling his soul what to do. That’s me too in this: telling my soul, singing what I know to be true.”

That truth ranges from the life-force found in “Breathe With Me” to the relinquishment of “Not Your Fight.” These songs are both intimately personal and appropriately mysterious, a glimpse into a deep spiritual process of surrender.

Contemplating the human experience, Lacey says, “Are we going to suffer? Do I need to fight against it, or do I stand and embrace whatever comes? Do I reject suffering and pain, or do I stand and walk through it so I can grow spiritually and see that there’s a strength I didn’t know was there?”

“My strength is made perfect in weakness,” the songstress continues, quoting the scripture. “You lay down your life and you become like Christ. He taught us what it’s like to be human: it’s to willingly lay your life down for love’s sake. It’s walking through that and learning compassion.”

The songs found on Kenotic Metanoia show the full range of both Lacey’s songwriting and vocals skills, fittingly for one of the most lauded voices in hard rock. Her distinctive scorching vocal tones combine with husband Josh Sturm’s broiling guitar riffs. The result is an album that promises to deliver on consistently heating fan hype.

The album also follows a successful summer of Flyleaf reunion dates, featuring Lacey at the band’s helm. With major appearances at festivals like Sick New World and Rockfest, Flyleaf proved that their fanbase is as moved as ever by their emotive hard rock.

Kenotic Metanoia is available on all major streaming platforms and through her online store at https://bio.to/laceysturm. For more information about Lacey, visit laceysturm.com.

About Lacey Sturm

Lacey Sturm is a Grammy-nominated queen of hard rock who secured a place in rock history as the first solo woman to top the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart with her debut album Life Screams. With a career spanning songs like “All Around Me,” “I’m So Sick,” “Again,” “Impossible,” “State of Me” and most recently “Awaken Love,” Lacey Sturm has proven herself as one of the most powerful and enduring voices in hard rock. She is also a sought-after speaker and author, penning the autobiographical books The Reason, The Mystery and The Return. Also a dedicated wife and mother, Lacey tours with her family, supported on stage by her guitarist husband Josh Sturm. You can connect with Lacey at www.laceysturm.com.

-Written by Mary Nikkel of Transparent Media

Disciple “Skeleton Psalms” Album Review

 

DISCIPLE “SKELETON PSALMS” ALBUM REVIEW

 

By Colin Cruz, TheBlast.FM Program Director

 

I never thought I’d hear gospel music (or what used to be referred to as “black gospel”), on a Disciple album, but those are the opening sounds of their new record Skeleton Psalms, which comes out April 28th on BEC/Tooth & Nail Records.   But as long as Kevin Young’s band has been around, there is no need to question his modus operandi.  It works.

 

 You’ve heard the shrill screams and monstrous guitars of the lead track The Executioner on both The Blast and The Implosion (oh YEAH, it’s that heavy) over the last 15 weeks.  So what does the rest of the album sound like?

 

If this album was a radio station, going from track 1 to track 2 Promise To Live, it would be a train wreck, as this is a beautiful pop-rock song with a pretty soft melodic intro.  But when the magnificence of this song is realized, that is quickly forgotten.  This song appears to go out to all who struggle with life’s regrets…and thoughts of suicide. 

Regrets, cutting, drugs, thoughts of suicide.  The struggle is real.   Promise To Live is so heartfelt.   “This is where redemption lives.  All your death will be resurrected again.  This is not your downfall.  It is not your curtain call.  It’s only the start”.  As I listened to this song for the first time, I felt God reassuring me and us that He is so in love with who we are.   This song brings tears to my eyes.  “I vow to hold you till you break through, just swear you’ll stay alive”.  If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, I encourage you to listen to this song and hold tight to the mighty arms of Jesus! 

 

Since the album is called Skeleton Psalms and track 3 is Skeleton Psalm…it  is the closest thing there is to a title track on this collection of tunes. This hard driving grinder finds Kevin Young pressing into Jesus, wanting more… “I need a new love, a liberation, I need a real self-revelation, I need to know what I am living for…show me the world you want me reaching for.”  

 

Bad Words starts out with some all-out screaming from Mister Young mixed in with fierce guitar work from Andrew Stanton and Josiah Prince and relentless drumming from Joey West, and it stays on a brutal METAL track throughout!  Kevin won’t apologize for his faith in this upside-down Bizarro World we live in, where right is wrong and wrong is right.  Wow, this song is jaw-droppingly amazing both musically and lyrically:

“I’ve got these bad words foaming at my mouth.  Kicking my teeth out.  My philosophy is your profanity.  You can ban these bad words foaming at my mouth but you can’t censor the sound.  Your obscenity is my identity. He who Christ sets free is free indeed.  I won’t apologize.  Nothing’s gonna silence my beliefs.”

 

Resurrecting Reasons answers the question…will the Disciple power ballads continue now that Disciple’s altar ego worship band Honor & Glory is in existence?  And the answer is yes!  That makes sense, as the Honor & Glory songs are vertical and this tune is horizontal.  We get some southern rock vocal stylings from Young in this ditty.  And we get to hear the word Jesus a lot on this album.  I think that is 3 songs so far, and I love it.  And with this band, it’s not for the JPM’s…they mean it, and they feel it…and you’ll feel the resurrection power of Jesus in this song. 

 

Dawning Of Deliverance starts out really heavy.  Is this going to be a melody of old Deliverance songs?  No, of course not.  Ah, but the guitar solo will get 80’s metal fans excited. “You pull me under the water so I can breathe again. This is the dawning of deliverance”.  This heavy banger reminds us how we come to new life in Jesus Christ and that we need to fix our eyes on Him. 

 

20:20 Blind Wasn’t that the name of an obscure Christian Rock band?  This track has a theme of casting off the sadness and the misery and the naysayers and only listening to what God’s report is for your situation. 

“Don’t wanna hear another lie of a sad song.  Tonight I feel what I haven’t felt in so long.  Just let me ride to the rhythm of your love song and get swept away.  All I see is you.  When I’m 20/20 Blind.”  Have some things in your past you need to let go of?  Listen to this…

“You’re shining down all over me…your glory lighting up my face…my past is burning in your grace.”  Ooh, I love that.   

 

Scapegoat has an awesome intro…the beginning of this sounds like an 80’s space video game meets the sound of listening for aliens meets industrial music.  Well, kind of.  What do you hear? The deeper I get into this album, the more it hits me…I used to think of Disciple as a hard rock band, but dude…they are so metal.  And I love it!   Feeling some industrial undertones in this song, too, and that’s a good thing.  Hey maybe we can get them to do a whole industrial song on their next album…maybe involve Travis Wyrick and/or Jason Wisdom of Death Therapy in the venture?  On that note, how about a collab with John Cooper of Skillet?     

 

The intro to Bow Down made me go…what the heck?…so creative, musically.  You’ll just have to hear it.  I think the lyrics here are “The hand of the Father is my shield and my dagger.  The blood of Messiah is my torch and my fire….” Wow, the guitars on this album have made my blue eyes get big on multiple occasions.  

 

Alright, turn on the light on your smart phone and wave your arm back and forth in the air.  For The Life Of Me, the final song on the album is by far the mellowest track.  A nice soft landing after the ramping, jarring organized chaos of the previous 9 tracks. 

 

I give Skeleton Psalms 5 stars out of 5.  

Skillet Video For Psycho In My Head

Whether you’ve seen it or not yet, it’s worth a(nother) look.

You’ve literally never seen John Cooper this fiery!

The video for Skillet’s new rock track Psycho In My Head, which peaked at number one The Blast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SZBBjmwALQ

2nd Update: (Working Out Bugs) The New TheBlast.FM Android And IOS Apps Are Live (Apple Car Play + Android Auto)

Update:  we are working out some bugs in both new apps, so please be patient and hold off on any bad reviews.  It will be cleaned up!

The new TheBlast.FM iOS app is live!

The upgraded TheBlast.FM app is now live on Android and iOS!  The app is compatible with Android Auto and Apple Car Play, which means that in modern infotainment dashboards you will see what band and song are playing in the dash.

Screen shots of the new TheBlast.FM app

Disciple Album Skeleton Psalms Drops On April 28, 2023! And Vinyl Will Follow!

Disciple’s new album called Skeleton Psalms releases on April 28th.  Skeleton Psalms features the new single called The Executioner, a savage new track that is heavy enough to also play on The Implosion.  UPDATE:  Tooth and Nail Records record rep Lauren Sieh confirms that the album WILL also come out on vinyl.  Sieh says the vinyl will not be released until 1-2 months after the official release date in late April.   CCM Magazine just published this story on the band:

https://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/disciple-announces-new-album-release-new-single-the-executioner/

 

Skillet’s New Video Surviving The Game / Interview Continues Friday On The Blast

Skillet’s interview with TheBlast.FM Program Director Colin Cruz continues this week on the show Friday at 12 Noon (USA/Canada Central Time).  Here is the video for the debut single off the upcoming album Dominion, called Surviving The Game which we play on The Blast:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IpP6j7je5A

 

TheBlast.FM’s Colin Cruz Interviews Skillet’s John Cooper Friday Sept 24 2021 + Next Week

TheBlast.FM founder and Program Director Colin “Cruz” Strombeck and John Cooper met in 1999 during Skillet’s Hey You, I Love Your Soul tour.  That was Skillet’s second album.  Colin Cruz, then known as Colin Cruise, was the music director and an on air personality on what was at the time, an Albuquerque FM Christian Hot CHR radio station called K-LYT.

Colin was an early adopter of Skillet music on the radio…he played songs from their first album at his previous Christian rock radio shows before moving to Albuquerque and under Colin’s direction, K-LYT played so much Skillet music that the band took notice and thanked Colin Cruise on their 3rd and 4th albums in the liner notes.

TheBlast.FM equally believes in Skillet.   Skillet has always been a core band here and it is always a pleasure to talk to Cooper.    We are airing the first three segments of our recent interview we recorded with him, on Friday September 24th in the 2 pm hour, USA/Canada Central Time, with more segments airing next week.

The Colin Cruz Skillet John Cooper Barren Cross Mike Lee Gale Force Connection

“Huh?” most of you are thinking, after reading the subject line of this article.   “What’s that all about?!” Well, you’ll find out in Colin Cruz’s interview with Michael Drive (fka: Mike Lee), lead singer of the band Gale Force, which airs Wednesday September 15th in the 11 AM hour and Thursday September 16th, 2021 in the 2 pm hour (USA/Canada Central Time).

The interview is in 6 segments, some will air on Wednesday and the rest will air on Thursday.

Pictured above is Michael Drive sporting the Gale Force Subhuman t-shirt.