This Week’s Good Music

Here are five new songs that I’ve been listening to all this week. Check out the playlist:

1. “Be Enthroned” by Bethel

Here’s another song from last week’s conference that has stuck with me. The song beats with a passion for Christ to be glorified, with a chorus singing out: Be enthroned upon the praises of a thousand generations, you are worthy, Lord of All.” It was a great song to reflect on all this week.

2. “Know Death; Know Forever” by Phinehas

Phinehas are a newer metal band from the Tooth & Nail/Solid State label, and their fourth album Dark Flag was my first introduction to them. Dark Flag (2017) is a concept album focusing on the human rights violations of North Korea under the Kim regime. Despite its focus, the album is not a political diatribe. Rather it is heartfelt and passionate exploration of human suffering. This particular track is a standout for me. It’s the longest track on the album but it doesn’t feel long. It builds slow with a creeping guitar and then with real punch vocalist Sean McCulloch introduces the weight of the song’s theme. That theme focuses on hope through sorrow, with hints at the gospel’s direct application of that truth.

3. “The Voice of Defiance” by Crashdog

“We’re not in to social compliance, cause we’re the voice of defiance.” Crashdog was an early 90s hardcore punk band. They were often very politic and used their music as a platform to speak against social ills, but with an overt Christian emphasis. In this song they speak “truth to power,” namely speaking against the abuse of power within governmental authorities and urging Christians to let “virtue and deed” push back against such abuse. Though the abuse is never spelled out specifically, it is contrasted with Christian ethics and the band seeks to embolden believers to “Put into practice the words that you read.”

4. “Spiral Gaze” by Off Road Minivan

This is a brand new song off a brand new band’s first EP. “Spiral Gaze,” the title track of the new EP, has a haunt rock kind of feel to it. It’s ethereal tones blend smoothly with Ryan O’Leary’s melodic voice. The 90s inspired sound has a great hook, though, and serves to set up a decent EP.

5. “I Would Give You Anything” by Huntingtons

A little punk rock post-Valentine’s day love. The Huntingtons had such a derivative, if still enjoyable, sound; they were complete Ramones wannabes (an aspect of their music they fully embraced, see “I wanna be a Ramone”). This song has such a bubblegum pop sound to it, but the bleeding heart of a devoted lover echoes throughout. Here is a guy who doesn’t want his girl to be sad. A sweet sentiment from a punk rocker, and one I can echo.