One Song this time, and it's Country!

Okay, so I get the point that country music might be relatable to many: The themes presented, the rustic quality of the images evoked, and so on. However, in my life, this genre doesn't usually perk my interest. The music (coming from a guy who considers bands such as Massive Attack, Radiohead, and King Crimson normal) is pretty bland and predictable, the themes of living in a southern small town on a farm don't relate to me, whose only small farm-town experience has been up here in Alaska, and the scenes of depressed men going to the bar are silly and, dare say it, depressing. However, like other genres, there are often those that evoke a spiritual reaction even to the inner-city dweller in the Big Apple.

1) Johnny Cash - "Hurt" : This song is very depressing, but also very humble and beautiful. There are three reasons for it's beauty. First, this song was released near the same time of Cash's death, making this song of humility almost an epitaph to the listener. Second, the message in itself talks of a man who has done wrong, who has lost everything, and, without fully expressing it, a man who is crying for repentance... not in like a deathbed conversion, but rather like Alma the Younger as he felt swallowed in the depths of Hell crying for forgiveness and surrendering his life for the savior. Finally, there is the irony of the song's beginnings. While, as you listen to it, you might think it came out of Cash's own life struggles, it is actually a cover of a NINE INCH NAILS SONG! Yeah, that's right, this came from the same man who released such songs as "Closer" in the 90's and helped kick-start the careers of other infamous artists like Marilyn Manson. But maybe that's the whole point of this song, not just for Cash, but also for Trent Reznor and us... no matter what foolish and wicked things we have done in the past, there is always hope for us under the Atonement. As Cash changed for the better, and as Reznor appears to be changing from the man he used to be, and even as Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah transformed from torturers and murderers of members of the church into the greatest missionaries in the Book of Mormon, we can change too. Amazing what power comes through the medium of music.

Artist Showcase: Demon Hunter

In this blog post, I decided to showcase that some of you may know, but not all. Demon Hunter is a Christian Metal often considered by critics to be comparable to Slipknot and Killswitch Engage. Lyrically, their music is a mix of cathartic metal ballads, triumphant jams which display general Christian themes, and, sometimes, slightly violent songs that are used to symbolically show how we should flee from Satan and his followers. While I believe that their third motive of lyric writing is very inefficient and make them sound much like their secular counterparts, their other two motives, much like the Underoath ballad that was posted last time, ironically plug into the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost while still jamming out.

1) "Carry Me Down" (Link: http://youtu.be/oD2t1qLJGLQ):
This song is, simply put, a song that would be very appropriate to play at a funeral. The song, while discussing death, lyrically paints a picture of a good and faithful man bidding adieu before he is about to die. Amidst this, it is actually a very uplifting song, because it displays to the listener how, when you stay strong and true to the gospel light, how much of a non-issue it is once you die and enter the spirit world.

2) "I Play Dead" (Link: http://youtu.be/8pYDwNBp4xE):
As said previously, two of the effective ways Demon Hunter, a metal band, taps into the spirit are through encouragement and catharsis. As "Carry Me Down" was the song of encouragement, "I Play Dead" is more of the song that is cathartic. In this song, the lyrics paint of a man who appears to be mortally injured, and they use said picture to show how much sin damages us. The song itself is much a song of repentance, especially the lyrics "Two broken hands left seven wounds, a fight to stand" which paint a picture of the Atonement and, "I won't, I won't leave without a trace. I won't be erased," which paints the picture of not wanting to be in Hell/Outer-Darkness. Finally, it mentions the idea of "playing dead" of those who seem to be well-to-do without repenting or even believing in the gospel, or at other times people who leave the church out of comfort. Nevertheless, it is actually a great song and a powerful one at that.

(Remember: This is only some of DH's songs. If you feel uncomfortable of metal for the lyrical value, don't up and jump into these guys. The more "violent" stuff might be metaphorical, but it's still not comfortable and not very adequate if you want a spiritual jam session)

Post-Hardcore/Emo: Screaming for Something Better

Okay, for the past few posts, I have avoided going more head-deep in the purpose of this blog. As it states in the definition, this blog will report on ALL genres that I can feel the spirit through, not just those that are commonly accessible. Well, today I will start my blog on the very stereotyped genre of post-hardcore, commonly referred by the mainstream as "emo" or "screamo". In spite of the fact that the fans of this genre are stereotypically represented as overly-depressed kids who wear black/overly-vivid colors and cut themselves, the genre itself can be very volatile in evoking one to be in a frame of mind in which the spirit can easily dwell. As always, I'll headline two songs to prove my point:

1) Underoath - Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZOwB_gaJ1A)

This song helped end the album that helped Underoath, once a little Floridian Hardcore group, into a powerhouse for the genre and massive side projects The Almost and Aaron Gillespie. The song itself is a very quiet, almost CCM-sounding song for the most part, with Aaron singing under calming Synth flourishes and guitar part. Halfway though, however, the volume picks up, all the way to the point in which the screamer starts off screaming "Jesus, I'm Ready to Come Home". Amongst the heaviness and chaos this should evoke, it doesn't. Instead, the end makes the song more epic, and even the still, small voice of the Spirit pierce the soundwaves even more fantastically! From the screams, it almost creates a cathartic effect for the listener, even to the point where one can vividly picture what the Savior did in order that we may come home. AMAZING SONG!

2) You're Not Alone - Saosin (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj0PtMZaWss)

Fortunately, this song doesn't contain any screaming, but this is a very great song nevertheless. This song, the first Mormon-fronted group presented in the blog so far, is a very great song, with heavy-hitting guitars, rhythmical dominance, but, most importantly, lyrics that pierce the soul that relate to the listener how alike we all are in our circumstances and, no matter all of the pain of frustrations that we may encounter in this life, that "We're not alone" and that "We can make it out, we will live to tell". Yes, this is a very simple message, but it is just as important. Knowing that there is opposition in all things, I know there are circumstances in my life that might test my faith and bring me down, but, as long as we keep the faith and hope for better things, Heavenly Father will always help us out.

Keep tuned in for more!

Contemporary Christian Music... in relation to a Mormon

Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM for short) is a very emerging genre nowadays. Even in the early days, this genre, although discouraged by the mainstream media, has had hit-makers. From Jars of Clay's hit "Flood" to DC Talk's magnum opus Jesus Freak, many CCM artists have made positive strides in help bringing the light of the gospel into a world that seems to be further drifting towards the dark. However, in the mind of myself and probably many other members of the LDS church, the question arises: "How can we apply this music into our faith?" Obviously, being that most of these groups had never embraced the doctrine of the restoration of the gospel, there are times when the message of the songs doesn't walign with the restored gospel. For instance, many discuss the doctrine of the Trinity... ehh. However, in a general sense, much of CCM can be applied to the gospel in a positive light. There are two songs that I'll bring up in particular:

1) DC Talk "What If I stumble?" (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwMTKUSYZKU):
This song is a very good song, which discusses to the listener the difficulty of truly bearing a testimony of the gospel in a world that seems to run counter from it. In particular, the main problems addressed in the song are pride and hypocrisy. We need to be bearers of the light, but, if we do err, how does that impact our testimony?

2) Jars of Clay "Flood" (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfAhpX_wIBk)
I particularly like this song for two reasons. First, as an avid King Crimson fan, I find it kinda cool that Adrian Belew produced the classic. The second reason, of course, is the message. In this song, imagery of Noah's Flood is applied to show to the listener the fact on how, no matter what, we cannot be able to survive without God. To recant something I've learned in my Book of Mormon class this last semester, the message of the song is of Faith ("I Need You to Hold Me..."). Heavenly Father will show us the way on how to return home, but we need to keep on believing, amidst the floods that might rise to drown us.