A Couple of Things I am Stoked For!

I have been a huge fan of Star Wars since I was a wee lad. I remember going to my grand-parents house on the weekends and watching Episode 4 with my Grandpa. Well in the last 10 years we have been given so much Star Wars content that it has been hard to really be excited about anything new. Well last September we were given the best Star Wars video game to date. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed let us play from the Sith perspective, something I was very excited about. Well here we go again. Just watch.

Video Games - E3 2009 - Video Game Trailers

And we also got the first animated series based on Star Wars characters in a long time. Does anyone else remember the cartoon "Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C3-P0"? Didn't think so. The Clone Wars series spawned a very surprising feature-film spin off. Well season 2 is just around the corner and here is the official trailer. Enjoy!

Video Game - E3 2009 - TV

Well I'm sure there will be plenty more Star Wars stuff by the time Comic-Con is over. Until then May The Force Be With You.

Texas In July Involved in Fatal Accident in Tour Van.

I told you guys in the last post about the band Texas in July. Well I found out that they were involved in a fatal head on collision on July 10th while on tour in Missouri. This is what the band had to say about it via there myspace.com blog:

"On Friday July 10th, Texas In July and An Early Ending were involved
in major accident while traveling to perform in Springfield, MO.
The van containing both bands and their tour manager was struck head
on by a driver traveling the opposite direction who, allegedly,
suffered a fatal heart attack, causing her vehicle to cross to the on coming
lane of traffic and initiated the accident.
All the passengers suffered differing levels of injury, some minor but
manageable, others were airlifted to a hospital 55 miles away.
Miraculously, the only fatality in the accident was the driver of the
vehicle that hit them head on. However, three members of An Early
Ending and the tour manager for both bands remain hospitalized.
While full recoveries are expected, the physical and emotional trauma
experienced by all involved is extensive, and we ask for your thoughts
and prayers for all involved and their families in this difficult
time."

Here is a news report on the accident.


This is the video for the song Hook, Line and Sinner

Video Blog

Here is my first video blog. I just threw it together. Enjoy!




Links that I promised you.

Wrench in the Works
For Today
Texas in July
August Burns Red
Sleeping Giant

Sleeping Giant "Sons of Thunder" Review.

I have been looking forward to hearing this album for at least a year now. The wait is over! Sons of Thunder lives up to all the hype. If you have seen SG live in the past year some of the songs will sound a bit familiar. It doesn't matter though, this album is better than I expected it to be. The first 3 tracks, "Gang Signs", "No One Leaves This Room Sick" and "Sons of Thunder" are up on the band's myspace page. Bruce from 100 Demons makes an appearance on this record as well on track 4 "Descending into Hell". The sound of this album is a little different than the last one ("Dread Champions of the Last Days") but it is a welcome one. It's heavier and the tempo is slowed a little bit but not so much as to notice. I had to listen to a few tracks side by side to really notice. There are only 9 tracks but 4 of the 9 are over 5 minutes in length. This album as a whole is amazing. I haven't stopped listening to it since I got it and I doubt this will be out of the CD player in my car for at least a week. I know I said that another CD would be hard to beat for Album of the Year, but that was before I heard Sons of Thunder! I can say that this album will be up there with Overcome's "When Beauty Dies", NIV's "Flesh and Blood", and Comeback Kid's "Wake the Dead" as one that I will be listening to for a long time to come. You can still pre-order the CD through the SG myspace. I definetly recomend this album to anyone into hardcore, Christian or not, this is one of those albums that dranscends beliefs and can be enjoyed by all who enjoy great music. 10 out of 10.

Interview with Justin of The Great Commission (kinda)

I had a chance to speak to Justin of The Great Commission a few weeks back and I asked him about the changes in tempo from the demo to the full-length and this is what he had to say:

"In all honesty, when we wrote the music and the lyrics for this album I had a lot of things running through my mind. Towards the end of my old bands career (Every Man For Himself), I wrote lyrics based off of anger, and hatred and tried to write music that reflected that. With The Great Commission, I had this concept: I WROTE MUSIC THAT I WOULD WANT TO MOSH TO IN HEAVEN. REGARDLESS OF TEMPO, TONE, GENRE, I WROTE A WORSHIP ALBUM BETWEEN ME AND GOD. I wrote the majority of the riffs, drums, structure and all the lyrics. At the end of the day despite of what critics, reviewers, or interviewers think...I know it brings a smile to Gods face. This album is truly worship to me. We obviously cant play all of the songs from the album live, but I find myself listening to it and worshiping to it. If anybody reads the lyrics to any of the songs, they will know where I stand, what I believe, and who I wrote this album for. Don't get me wrong however I do love when we play shows, when I can look into the crowd and see kids singing along, tearing it up and just straight worshiping the way our culture was made to worship.

I know I'm not alone because we just spent 3 months on tour and have met other kids that feel the same way I do. And it's that encouragement that keeps fueling the fire in my heart."

This was all I needed to hear. I have told several people (including Justin) that when I first heard the album that I absolutly hated it. I didn't like the changes that were made. However, after hearing the reasoning behind the changes, it really doesn't matter if I like it or not. I know Justin enough to know that he will do what God asks of him. If he says that God told him to write the album this way I trust that God told him. I hope if anybody felt the same way I did that this post helps to understand.

GOD BLESS
~sean

He must be doing something right!

After seeing this new design for The Acacia Strain it made me think a little bit. And I have decided to answer the question posed by this shirt. "Christian Hardcore" is pretty much the same as "Regular Hardcore" but with Christ-centered lyrics. I also think that the graphic on the front, while some what offensive, is actually kind of funny. I believe that when Jesus died on the cross that he first went into "the heart of the earth" which is hell. (Not all Christians will agree with me on this.) After all being crucified for the sin of all mankind that is where He belonged. It says in the Bible that Jesus defeated "Death, Hell and the Grave", so for this design to show that satan defeated Jesus is just absurd. I'm sure that the main reason for this design was to be offensive. And to some people it will be. But not me!! All it shows me is that bands like Sleeping Giant, The Great Commission and For Today are affecting the scene in a positive way. Showing kids that it's okay to still listen to hardcore and be saved. Maybe what is happening is the "Non-Christian" hardcore bands are more offended by what God is doing through the hardcore scene so all they can think to do is to try to "One-Up" us Christians by trying to be offensive. All I can say is that I am not, and will never will be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what God has done to and through me. I will continue to go to shows until God moves me on to something else. I just hope that we can discuss our beliefs rather than just one-sided conversations "This is what I believe and F**k what you do". God is moving in the hardcore scene and you can either climb aboard or get out of the way cuz you can't stop Him! If any of you reading this have any questions about anything or you would just like to tell me how full of crap I am you can email me jchcsean@gmail.com. I will answer any questions you have. Also I will continue to pray for the scene that we can all get along. Christian or not it shouldn't matter. Jesus hung out with sinners so why shouldn't I? I also want to take the opportunity to apologize to anyone that has ever been offended by a "christian". Please take the opportunity to ask me anything and like I said I will tell you what the truth is. Thanks for reading.

GOD BLESS
~sean

Long Time No Post

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Well the last month or so I have been super busy. We lost our house and had to move in with Lorraine's grandma. It sucks but it's kinda a blessing in disguise. We have our own little corner of the dining room. Adrian is sharing a room with our nephew J.R. Raeleen is sharing a room with Lorraine's sister Bobbie and Spanky either sleeps with us or on the couch. We are just living day by day. Lorraine should be able to return to work in the next week or 2 and I will be working by the end of the week. But until then I will have plenty of time for new posts. I will do my best to post every day, but don't get your hopes up to high. hahahaha. Peace out homies.