Seems like there is always an attempt afoot to rescue the back catalog of the Frontline/Intense/Alarma media empire. I remember way back in the day when an add in HM magazine announced they were just straight-out re-pressing some of the classics: “don’t miss them this time around!” it said. Then KMG came along and… well… gave a new meaning to the word cheap.

Now we have a new label called Intense Millennium Records.  Their goal is to form a group that is “dedicated to releasing fully licensed material from one of the most prolific group of record labels to exist in the Christian Metal scene, the Intense/Frontline/Alarma Records group.” First up are a pair each from Vengeance Rising and Bloodgood, as well as Sacred Warrior’ first album.

A little focused on only the metal side for now, but I did notice they said Alarma. I also see that you can vote for a few punk-ish albums by Altar Boys and Scaterd Few.  Starting in 2011 they will re-issue two CDs a month.  They plan to re-master each album and release them with new artwork and booklets.

Sounds like a good idea. Not sure about the new artwork idea. I know retroactive does that occasionally – but it seems to be only in some cases (such as Deliverance). The new artwork for Human Sacrifice looks good, but there was nothing wrong with the original.  Not sure I like the new artwork for Once Dead.  But we’ll see – could work out just fine. Wonder how long it will be before they get to classics by L.S.U., Daniel Amos, Swirling Eddies, etc… or even the more obscure titles?  Hope they do. Now if we could get some people to also take on other labels like R.E.X. and Broken.

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Cool banner, huh? I like the new artwork for this release. Anyways, Retroactive Records is bringing out a bunch of re-issues for you to check out. Already out is Jimmy Hotz - Beyond the Crystal Sea 30th Anniversary Edition on Born Twice Records (a new sub-label of Retroactive). If you are a fan of ArkAngel, Kemper Crabb, or progressive 70’s rock, you will love this album.  Long considered a hard-to-find classic album. Look for a review in the next issue.

Also keep a look out for our first contest, featuring something cool from The Choir for the lucky winner.

Coming Soon from Retroactive Records:

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PTSD, the new album by rock super group L.S. Underground, is finally out!  Pre-orders are being shipped now, but if you didn’t pre-order you can still get a copy.  You can order a copy through PayPal by sending money to  gerardartwork@yahoo.com. The cost is $15.00 for each copy shipped in the U.S.A. and $17.00 for each copy shipped outside the U.S.A. (both prices include shipping).

Some songs from the new album are also streaming at the official L.S.Underground MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/lsunderground. Oh, and all the songs that have been streamed so far from the album are killer. If you know anyone with a label, bug them to pick this up for distribution.

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So much news to cover from the holidays – so little time! I’ll try to contain it to just a few a day to not overwhelm people!  First up is Upside Down Room.  They went on hiatus for a while, but are now back! UDR has been playing a few reunion concerts and there are rumors of new songs and re-issued classics. A few links for more information:

Upside Down Rroom  Interview by Brax
Upside Down Room MySpace

Up next is Slide – they continue to release songs and work towards bigger and bigger things. January 12th will see the release of their 3rd single “Dime Store Queer.”  The single will also feature two additional remixes by MDAVISTO.  Slide is looking for a video director for a possible video for this single.  They also mentioned that they “will update soon with that BIG piece of news along with another important newsworthy mention.”  Keep an eye on slidemusicstore.com for more news.

Finally, a new album by the Wayside is already here!  Spiritual Songs is a collection of gospel songs, some new but many old, that can be purchased as a physical CD or as a pay what you like download.  In addition, there will be a special edition box set with bonus items available. See http://thewayside.bandcamp.com for ordering details.

Finally, we have some fun new stuff coming from Down the Line magazine this month, in addition to a jam packed new issue coming by April. Stay tuned!

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If you were in to the harder side of music in the early to mid 1990s, you might remember a funky, groovy metal-ish band called Scapegoat that had some really funny, cool songs on a few compilations. They had the potential to go places, but like so many bands from that period, they just disappeared.

Apparently, they are back now, with a CD in the works of unreleased music from back in the day. There aren’t a whole lot of details on this one, but check out their MySpace page to hear some unreleased music:

http://www.myspace.com/scapegoatmusik

Keep your eye on their “unofficial official” page for more sdetails as the become available:

http://www.scapegoatband.com

And don’t forget to be their friend on FaceBook :)

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SLIDE (featuring former members of Sincerely Paul) have released their first single “January (Feel Like Dancing)” as free download for the next month or so. If you like the single, you can also purchase two remixes of the song by MDAVISTO.

See the recently updated SLIDE website for more details:

http://www.slidemusicgroup.com

Also, you can preview the new single and remix tracks on their MySpace or FaceBook pages.

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One of the downsides of our publishing schedule is that we get a great book or album right after the current issue is published… and then have to wait three months to get the review in!

I do have a review coming for God’s Not Dead (And Neither Are We) by Jerry Wilson. But until it comes, take my word for it and BUY THIS BOOK! If you are even a casual fan of this magazine, you will love Wilson’s book. Wilson interviews several members of bands such as 4-4-1, Daniel Amos, Barnabas, Veil of Ashes, The 77s, The Choir, Adam Again, Undercover, Crumbächer, and the Altar Boys… as well as solo artists Steve Taylor, Kemper Crabb, and Marie McGilvray and label head dude Caesar Kalinowski. The result is an unflinching look at the music industry as it was and how these bands survived.

For more information, see this website:

http://www.godsnotdeadbook.com

…and then buy the book already!

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The word is that two new vinyls are coming from Starflyer 59: ‘Old’ will finally make its vinyl debut, thanks to the good people at Crossroads of America Music. No details on that one yet. Not to be out done, Burnt Toast has announced the deluxe re-issue of the ‘Gold’ album on vinyl, saying that they have ‘many plans.’ Using words like this makes me think that the ‘Gold’ re-issue will have something extra that the first vinyl issue didn’t have. Speculation has begun at http://www.sf59fans.com.

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