Stryper's "Second Coming" on March 26

Stryper's first release of a multi-album deal with Frontier Records is Second Coming, which will hit streets on March 26.

The album features 16 tracks, including new recordings of 14 songs from the band's early years as well as two brand new songs recorded especially for Second Coming, and is produced by Stryper frontman Michael Sweet.

Sweet commented, "We're really excited about this record. The re-recorded songs are sounding awesome...better than the originals in many ways! One word to describe the record? Heavier. We've hooked up with some great people - we've got new management, a great album, a great label. We just feel like everything is coming together, and hopefully some big things are to follow."

Watch the video EPK:




Stryper is one of the top Christian rock bands of all time.  Comprised of the original line-up of Michael Sweet (vocals/guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Tim Gaines (bass), and Robert Sweet (drums), Stryper has been rocking since 1984, and is responsible for such '80s metal classic albums as SOLDIERS UNDER COMMAND, TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL, IN GOD WE TRUST and such MTV hit singles/videos as "Calling on You," "Free," and "Honestly." After a sabbatical for much of the 1990's, Stryper returned strong in the early 21st century.  To date, the band has sold upwards of 8 million records worldwide and is a Dove Award-winner and Grammy nominee.  Stryper is the first band to have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously.

Winter Jam Rings Up a Record 23 Sellouts in Tour's First Half

Reaching its midpoint last weekend, the internationally top-ranked Winter Jam Tour Spectacular reports a record-setting 23 sellouts to date this year. Playing in 24 cities so far, the tour drew more than 19,000 people at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, and 18,000 at Columbus, Ohio's Schottenstein Center, while nearly 16,000 packed Charlotte, North Carolina's Time Warner Cable Arena. This year Winter Jam has seen almost 300,000 attendees to date, with 20 more concerts slated through March.
The Winter Jam 2013 Tour Spectacular is headlined by GRAMMY®-winning, multi-platinum recording artist TobyMac. The 44-city tour, which launched its unprecedented 18th year January 4 in Charleston, West Virginia also features RED, Matthew West, Jamie Grace, Sidewalk Prophets and Royal Tailor, with a message from national speaker Nick Hall, Winter Jam's Pre-Jam Party includes performances from Jason Castro, OBB and Capital Kings.

Winter Jam has been the #1 tour in the world (first quarter) for the last two consecutive years, based on attendance, according to Pollstar's 2012 Worldwide First Quarter Ticket Sales Charts - Top 100 Tours. Created by NewSong in 1995, the tour has consistently featured the genre's biggest names, introducing Christian music to new audiences across the country while providing a powerful platform for the Gospel message.

Mandisa to Perform "Stronger" for Robin Roberts' Return to ABC's Good Morning America

On Wednesday, February 20, three time GRAMMY® Nominated artist Mandisa will join the welcome celebration for the return of beloved anchor, Robin Roberts to ABC's Good Morning America. Mandisa will be on the set to perform her hit song "Stronger" during the 8 AM/ET hour of the morning show. The powerful anthem "Stronger" was used by the No. 1 rated program several times last fall when the show updated the anchor's progress following Roberts' hiatus following a bone marrow transplant. 
 
In addition, Mandisa is scheduled for a double feature, returning to the set of the highly rated syndicated television show The Doctors. The segment, which also airs Wednesday, February 20, highlights Mandisa's weight loss journey along with a few health tips from Dr. Travis Stork. 

Immediately following her television appearances, Mandisa will embark on her "3 in 1 Tour" along with Brandon Heath and Laura Story. The 23-city trek kicks off on February 21 and partners with international relief and development organization, Food For the Hungry.

Is 'The Lost Medallion' the Indiana Jones for the Next Generation?

“The Lost Medallion,” an action adventure film targeting tweens, appears to be an “Indiana Jones” for the next generation with spiritual nuggets to ponder as well.

Alex Kendrick, co-producer & co-director of Facing the Giants, Fireproof & Courageous states:


“The Lost Medallion is a wholesome movie that will take you back to a more innocent time but will keep you on the edge of your seat. My kids loved it and have watched it again and again. You’ll be blessed by The Lost Medallion and I’m guessing that you will still be talking about it with friends and family for a long time after you leave the theater."

Cracker Barrel Plants Steven Curtis Chapman's Deep Roots

Steven Curtis Chapman brings his inspirational sound back home to his rural Kentucky origins on Deep Roots, the latest exclusive album release from Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. The new 12-track CD will feature stand-out collaborations with bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs and some of Nashville’s finest players, as well as three generations of Chapman family members including: Chapman’s father, Herb Chapman Sr., brother, Herb Chapman Jr., son, Caleb Chapman, and daughter-in-law, Jillian Edwards Chapman. The uniquely personal album will be available for purchase in all Cracker Barrel locations, iTunes and Amazon.com beginning March 11, 2013. 

Having achieved 47 No. 1 hits on Christian radio, five GRAMMY® awards, and an unprecedented 57 Dove Awards, Chapman shows a new side with Deep Roots. The album includes a compilation of both fan-favorite hits and timeless hymns, all newly recorded.

Deep Roots Track Listing:

1. ’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
2. How Great Thou Art (featuring Jillian Edwards Chapman)
3. What a Friend We Have in Jesus (featuring Ricky Skaggs)
4. Blessed Assurance
5. Life is Like a Mountain Railroad (Life’s Railway to Heaven) (featuring Herb Chapman Sr. and Herb Chapman Jr.)
6. He Touched Me (featuring Herb Chapman Sr. and Herb Chapman Jr.)
7. Hiding Place
8. Rock of Ages
9. Be Still and Know (featuring Caleb Chapman)
10. His Eyes
11. My Redeemer is Faithful and True
12. Cinderella

Did Brandon Heath Pen the Next Country Hit?

Two years ago, Dave Barnes had a smash hit on the country charts courtesy of Blake Shelton.  More recently Dave covered his friend Brandon Heath's song "Love Will Be Enough For Us" which also appears on Heath's new release Blue Mountain.

I don't know much about country music, but it seems an obvious choice for Blake Shelton or some other artist who wants a hit.

Downhere Plays Final Concert

Downhere announced on their Facebook that they're playing their final concert tonight.

"Today we play our FINAL concert for the foreseeable future. We're excited to be closing things out where it all began, on the campus of Briercrest College. It feels like a fitting bookend to a fantastic journey.

Moving forward, we just wanted to give you all a quick update on what we're currently doing individually:

Jason
Aside from serving at his church in Nashville as an artist-in-residence, Jay has carved out a niche for himself as a mastering engineer. JasonGermain.com will be launching soon, so keep checking back (there's no link as there's currently nothing to see yet). We get to celebrate his daughter's first birthday this weekend with her - yet another dh family memory!

Marc
Hey everyone! Just wanted say things are going well. I just finished my second tour (already!) with the Queen Extravaganza. Got to fulfill a boyhood dream of playing in the same arena as the Montreal Canadiens. Wow! Thanks for your continued prayers and support. Always especially nice to see some of you at the QE shows. It blesses me more than you can know. My EP is out! You can find it on iTunes by searching my name. Excited also to put out a full-length album later this year. But right now looking forward to getting back on stage one more time with the guys for our last show (for a while) at the place of Downhere's beginnings. Hope you all are well!

Glenn
Life has changed dramatically for Sherri and I over the past 8 to 9 months. I have accepted a job as Director of Worship Arts at the Williamsburg Community Chapel in Williamsburg, Virginia. My role there is to provide oversight and direction to the entire worship service. Not exactly the same as planning a rock and roll tour but there are definitely skills that overlap, like producing videos and lyric slides and of course arranging, planning and leading the music. One of the major benefits is that I still get to bring my friends in as musical guests from time to time so although I am not on the road I'm still able to bring the road to me! In the next month we'll have Marc, Jason Gray and Andrew Peterson! If you are ever in the area to visit Colonial Williamsburg or Virginia Beach come on out and say hi! Thanks for your prayers and support - stick with us to get us through one more weekend. :) Hope to see you out there!

Jeremy
Funny… as I write this I'm listening through a rough recording of our Farewell Tour set in preparation for tomorrow's show - a full rehearsal will not be possible. And - I'm sure not by chance - the song I'm on right now is "Let Me Rediscover You". I feel like that's what I've been doing over the last couple of months. There's a part of me that wishes I had a simple, concrete answer for you as far as what this new season looks like for my family: "I am working for _____ doing ____." The truth is that _____ has still not been answered. But had that question been answered when I first started asking it, I would have missed out on the gift of the past months. I have enjoyed a season of rediscovery - rediscovering who God is and His desire for me to pursue both Him and holiness above everything else, and rediscovering my family and what it's like to be a father with a "normal" schedule. Liam has turned 4, Karis will celebrate her 3rd birthday in a couple of weeks, and baby #3 will make his arrival sometime mid-April. Erin and I continue to ask the Lord for direction (read Luke 18 and the parable of the Persistent Widow - a good reminder for us all), and He continues to provide in unexpected ways. Thanks for your continued prayers and support - we (the Erin-and-I "we" as well as the Downhere "we") have felt them in very tangible ways over the years and are grateful for your investment in our personal and professional lives.

Well, there you have it. We will do our best to keep you updated as life goes on - and hope to see you at a Downhere show at some point down the road!

Jeremy, on behalf of the guys

Follow Us on Twitter:
Marc - @marcmartel
Glenn - @glennlavender
Jeremy - @normalrockstar
Downhere - @downhere"

CCM Artist Carman Diagnosed With Myeloma Cancer

CCM legend Carman has just announced that he has been diagnosed with Myeloma Cancer. Please keep the singer in your prayers. Below is Carman's personal letter to his fans via Facebook about the diagnosis...

I have delayed writing this but those of you I call friends and supporters, who have prayed for me and this ministry need to know about this new battle that lies ahead. One week ago I was diagnosed with Myeloma Cancer. It is incurable and I've been given a 3-4 year window of time. Tomorrow I go in for my first bone biopsy and the process will start. I used to go to movies in the afternoon, now I go see doctors. I write these things for a few reasons. First, I want to put an end to all the rumors. Second, I ask for your prayers. And 3rd, I want you all to know that I will continue to minister and win souls until I can't do it any longer. My life has always been about ministry. I have a call of God to touch lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ and that's what I will do until the Lord calls me home. Please, do not allow this facebook site to be an ongoing blog for cancer treatment remedy's. That would be depressing to everyone. If you have any insight you can message me personally. But I want to encourage you, if you can, to please come see me the next time I'm in your area. Bring someone who doesn't know the Lord or who needs to be healed. I will always pray for the sick and I'm also going to step up the intensity of my message at these events. I will not leave this world quietly and I want the devil to know that he put cancer on absolutely the wrong Italian. I have a few good years and before it's too late I want to see your faces, shake your hands and hug your necks. But mostly I want to see one of you get healed of what threatens your future and I really want to see someone you love come to Christ. Now lets get back to business, we have to work while its day for soon the night comes.
I love you all -C
By: Carman Licciardello

RED Releases the Panic and Earns Top 10 Debut

Rock band Red debuts at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 with "Release the Panic" (41,000), marking the second top 10 for the group. Their last studio set, 2011's "Until We Have Faces," charged in at No. 2 two years ago, moving 43,000 in its first week.

Demon Hunter Responds To Recent Linking To Interrogation Tactics

A recent article on Metal Injection reported that metal legends Metallica had asked that their music not to be used during U.S. interrogations, so Demon Hunter "volunteered" -- according to the shooter of Osama Bin Laden. In reply to this accusation that put Demon Hunter at the end of many fans' and internet readers' proverbial barrels, the band posted on their Facebook page the following:

As you can imagine, our inboxes and phones (and those of our representatives) have been flooded with messages asking us how we feel about the Esquire article on the raid that brought Osama Bin Laden to justice that began circulating yesterday. Specifically, the person identified in the story as "The Shooter" said that Seal Team 6 wore the Demon Hunter emblem on their uniforms and "I wore it when I blasted Bin Laden."

Over the years, we have been overwhelmed by the personal (and unofficial) emails and letters we've received from members of the US military. We have been humbled and honored by the troops who've told us our music has offered them some comfort while overseas, while missing loved ones, while doing what they do best in order to keep America safe and protect the freedoms we enjoy. We've met many servicemen and women at our shows and they've shared their stories with us in person, as well. We wrote "The Soldier's Song" back in 2005 to pay tribute to these folks who've reached out to us. We included one such veteran among the Demon Hunter fans we profiled in our documentary film, 45 Days.

We have seen our symbol, a demon skull with a bullet hole in its forehead, tattooed on fans around the world. We've seen it made into sculptures, painted onto motorcycles, even spray-painted onto tanks and military planes. We often post these pictures on our Facebook page when we receive them. One such email, a few years ago, came from a special operations team who had crafted homemade Demon Hunter patches and put them on their uniforms. They asked us if it was OK if they did this and we of course told them "YES" because we are unapologetic supporters of our troops. In the last 24 hours, we have come to believe this team who contacted us a few years ago must have been Seal Team 6.

As for the talk about enhanced interrogation techniques that has sprung up in the media in the last 24 hours surrounding this story, we feel that it is an unnecessary distraction. It's been widely reported for years that heavy metal music has sometimes been used in these situations. We have no specific knowledge of our music being used for this, nor have we ever volunteered it to be used as such, nor are we commenting on it beyond that. The debate about enhanced interrogation techniques is for politicians, military intelligence, pundits and others of the like to have.

The members of Seal Team 6 and The Shooter are American heroes who deserve our support. We were among the Americans and people around the world abroad who supported the bringing to justice of one of the biggest mass murderers in history, who planned and executed some of the most horrific acts imaginable. All of the military who risk their lives to protect our freedoms earn our respect each and every single day. We are honored, humbled and blessed that Demon Hunter was of any support or comfort to Seal Team 6 or anyone in the US military at any time.
-- DEMON HUNTER

Britt Nicole Selected as Presenter at Grammy Awards

First-time nominee, Britt Nicole, was one of the presenters at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast Ceremony on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.

“Head” Welch, Teams up with Korn again

“Head” Welch last week announced his plans to team back up with his former Korn bandmates for several European tour dates in June 2013 and possibly record new material. In Welch’s highly publicized exit from the incredibly successful Nu-Metal band, he cited his drug addiction and “chasing the almighty buck” as the reasons for his leaving. In addition, he desired the respect of his then 6-year-old daughter and to rededicate himself to a Christian life. 

At the time, the other members of Korn were surprised at his departure.  But even more surprising is that eight years after leaving the band, Welch is joining forces with Korn again. A reunion which came about by accident according to Welch:

“I played one song last May [at the Carolina Rebellion Festival],”Welch tells Rolling Stone “I showed up at that festival; I was on tour with POD, and we had a few days off. They had a big festival, and Korn, Evanescence and Five Finger Death Punch were playing. I wanted to go and my daughter loves those bands. So I took her, and I was just going to go hang out.  Then I met up with Munky, who I hadn’t seen in seven years, and talked with him for 30 minutes. It was really heavy. Then, 10 minutes before they went onstage, [bassist] Fieldy is like, ‘I’m just saying, we have a guitar set up for you’  I’m like, ‘What? I just want to see you guys! All right, I’ll play ‘Blind.’  It was just crazy, because it was really emotional. That’s what set it up. Munky called me a month after that, and he said, ‘;Hey, if you ever want to come back, the door’s open. We miss you.”

Patheos makes the point that “the greater story is that less than a decade later, Welch has become such a strong man in Christ that he is able to go back to an environment that was once toxic and deadly to him. To strike up friendships and play music again with Korn shows an incredible maturity on Welch’s part as he continues to lead his own band, Love and Death, while rekindling the fires of his former one. Though this time around, having found faith in Christ, Welch is able to find the ‘redeeming qualities' of Korn’s music.”

Brian “Head” Welch last week announced his plans to team back up with his former Korn bandmates for several European tour dates in June 2013 and possibly record new material. In Welch’s highly publicized exit from the incredibly successful Nu-Metal band, he cited his drug addiction and ”chasing the almighty buck” as the reasons for his leaving. In addition, he desired the respect of his then 6-year-old daughter and to rededicate himself to a Christian life. - See more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christandpopculture/2013/02/signs-of-christian-maturity-from-metal-guitarist/#sthash.HM3zg7cO.dpuf

Brian “Head” Welch last week announced his plans to team back up with his former Korn bandmates for several European tour dates in June 2013 and possibly record new material. In Welch’s highly publicized exit from the incredibly successful Nu-Metal band, he cited his drug addiction and ”chasing the almighty buck” as the reasons for his leaving. In addition, he desired the respect of his then 6-year-old daughter and to rededicate himself to a Christian life. - See more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christandpopculture/2013/02/signs-of-christian-maturity-from-metal-guitarist/#sthash.HM3zg7cO.dpuf

Brian “Head” Welch last week announced his plans to team back up with his former Korn bandmates for several European tour dates in June 2013 and possibly record new material. In Welch’s highly publicized exit from the incredibly successful Nu-Metal band, he cited his drug addiction and ”chasing the almighty buck” as the reasons for his leaving. In addition, he desired the respect of his then 6-year-old daughter and to rededicate himself to a Christian life. At the time, the other members of Korn were surprised as Welch told MTV News:

“I think it made the guys mad. It confused them. I left at the worst possible time. We got off Sony, and all the money was there, we were going to own all of our songs, but I had to prove to myself that money wasn’t my God,” he said. “I talked to Jonathan [Davis] and he said, ‘I don’t get it, man, you’re all happy and we’re sitting here grieving because our band is breaking up.’ And I wanted to tell him, ‘Well, for years, you guys were out partying while I was sitting on the tour bus wanting to die.’ “

But even more surprising is that eight years after leaving the band, Welch is joining forces with Korn again. A reunion which came about by accident according to Welch:

“I played one song last May [at the Carolina Rebellion Festival],” Welch tells Rolling Stone. “I showed up at that festival — I was on tour with POD, and we had a few days off. They had a big festival, and Korn, Evanescence and Five Finger Death Punch were playing. I wanted to go and my daughter loves those bands. So I took her, and I was just going to go hang out.
Then I met up with Munky, who I hadn’t seen in seven years, and talked with him for 30 minutes. It was really heavy. Then, 10 minutes before they went onstage, [bassist] Fieldy is like, ‘I’m just saying, we have a guitar set up for you.’ I’m like, ‘What? I just want to see you guys! All right, I’ll play ‘Blind.’ It was just crazy, because it was really emotional. That’s what set it up. Munky called me a month after that, and he said, ‘Hey, if you ever want to come back, the door’s open. We miss you.’ “

The greater story is that less than a decade later, Welch has become such a strong man in Christ that he is able to go back to an environment that was once toxic and deadly to him. To strike up friendships and play music again with Korn shows an incredible maturity on Welch’s part as he continues to lead his own band, Love and Death, while rekindling the fires of his former one. Though this time around, having found faith in Christ, Welch is able to find the redeeming qualities of Korn’s music.

“Everyone is broken in this world. There’s so much divorce, hate and unforgiveness. For people to see this, I think it’s just really uplifting. I never thought it would happen, and I’m not sure they did either. The fans just love it, because a lot of the fans back in the day were like, suicidal, and from broken homes and abuse. They looked up to us like their family. And to see their family split up was hard on them. To get it put back together, there is a joy around the people who care about it.”

- See more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christandpopculture/2013/02/signs-of-christian-maturity-from-metal-guitarist/#sthash.HM3zg7cO.dpuf

Brian “Head” Welch last week announced his plans to team back up with his former Korn bandmates for several European tour dates in June 2013 and possibly record new material. In Welch’s highly publicized exit from the incredibly successful Nu-Metal band, he cited his drug addiction and ”chasing the almighty buck” as the reasons for his leaving. In addition, he desired the respect of his then 6-year-old daughter and to rededicate himself to a Christian life. At the time, the other members of Korn were surprised as Welch told MTV News:

“I think it made the guys mad. It confused them. I left at the worst possible time. We got off Sony, and all the money was there, we were going to own all of our songs, but I had to prove to myself that money wasn’t my God,” he said. “I talked to Jonathan [Davis] and he said, ‘I don’t get it, man, you’re all happy and we’re sitting here grieving because our band is breaking up.’ And I wanted to tell him, ‘Well, for years, you guys were out partying while I was sitting on the tour bus wanting to die.’ “

But even more surprising is that eight years after leaving the band, Welch is joining forces with Korn again. A reunion which came about by accident according to Welch:

“I played one song last May [at the Carolina Rebellion Festival],” Welch tells Rolling Stone. “I showed up at that festival — I was on tour with POD, and we had a few days off. They had a big festival, and Korn, Evanescence and Five Finger Death Punch were playing. I wanted to go and my daughter loves those bands. So I took her, and I was just going to go hang out.
Then I met up with Munky, who I hadn’t seen in seven years, and talked with him for 30 minutes. It was really heavy. Then, 10 minutes before they went onstage, [bassist] Fieldy is like, ‘I’m just saying, we have a guitar set up for you.’ I’m like, ‘What? I just want to see you guys! All right, I’ll play ‘Blind.’ It was just crazy, because it was really emotional. That’s what set it up. Munky called me a month after that, and he said, ‘Hey, if you ever want to come back, the door’s open. We miss you.’ “

The greater story is that less than a decade later, Welch has become such a strong man in Christ that he is able to go back to an environment that was once toxic and deadly to him. To strike up friendships and play music again with Korn shows an incredible maturity on Welch’s part as he continues to lead his own band, Love and Death, while rekindling the fires of his former one. Though this time around, having found faith in Christ, Welch is able to find the redeeming qualities of Korn’s music.

“Everyone is broken in this world. There’s so much divorce, hate and unforgiveness. For people to see this, I think it’s just really uplifting. I never thought it would happen, and I’m not sure they did either. The fans just love it, because a lot of the fans back in the day were like, suicidal, and from broken homes and abuse. They looked up to us like their family. And to see their family split up was hard on them. To get it put back together, there is a joy around the people who care about it.”

- See more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christandpopculture/2013/02/signs-of-christian-maturity-from-metal-guitarist/#sthash.HM3zg7cO.dpuf

Brian “Head” Welch last week announced his plans to team back up with his former Korn bandmates for several European tour dates in June 2013 and possibly record new material. In Welch’s highly publicized exit from the incredibly successful Nu-Metal band, he cited his drug addiction and ”chasing the almighty buck” as the reasons for his leaving. In addition, he desired the respect of his then 6-year-old daughter and to rededicate himself to a Christian life. At the time, the other members of Korn were surprised as Welch told MTV News:

“I think it made the guys mad. It confused them. I left at the worst possible time. We got off Sony, and all the money was there, we were going to own all of our songs, but I had to prove to myself that money wasn’t my God,” he said. “I talked to Jonathan [Davis] and he said, ‘I don’t get it, man, you’re all happy and we’re sitting here grieving because our band is breaking up.’ And I wanted to tell him, ‘Well, for years, you guys were out partying while I was sitting on the tour bus wanting to die.’ “

But even more surprising is that eight years after leaving the band, Welch is joining forces with Korn again. A reunion which came about by accident according to Welch:

“I played one song last May [at the Carolina Rebellion Festival],” Welch tells Rolling Stone. “I showed up at that festival — I was on tour with POD, and we had a few days off. They had a big festival, and Korn, Evanescence and Five Finger Death Punch were playing. I wanted to go and my daughter loves those bands. So I took her, and I was just going to go hang out.
Then I met up with Munky, who I hadn’t seen in seven years, and talked with him for 30 minutes. It was really heavy. Then, 10 minutes before they went onstage, [bassist] Fieldy is like, ‘I’m just saying, we have a guitar set up for you.’ I’m like, ‘What? I just want to see you guys! All right, I’ll play ‘Blind.’ It was just crazy, because it was really emotional. That’s what set it up. Munky called me a month after that, and he said, ‘Hey, if you ever want to come back, the door’s open. We miss you.’ “

The greater story is that less than a decade later, Welch has become such a strong man in Christ that he is able to go back to an environment that was once toxic and deadly to him. To strike up friendships and play music again with Korn shows an incredible maturity on Welch’s part as he continues to lead his own band, Love and Death, while rekindling the fires of his former one. Though this time around, having found faith in Christ, Welch is able to find the redeeming qualities of Korn’s music.

“Everyone is broken in this world. There’s so much divorce, hate and unforgiveness. For people to see this, I think it’s just really uplifting. I never thought it would happen, and I’m not sure they did either. The fans just love it, because a lot of the fans back in the day were like, suicidal, and from broken homes and abuse. They looked up to us like their family. And to see their family split up was hard on them. To get it put back together, there is a joy around the people who care about it.”

- See more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christandpopculture/2013/02/signs-of-christian-maturity-from-metal-guitarist/#sthash.HM3zg7cO.dpuf

Colton Dixon Sends Message at No. 15 on The Billboard 200

Those Season 11 Idols might just do alright after all. Colton Dixon supplants Phillip Phillips as this week's top-selling album from an American Idol contestant, as A Messenger debuts at No. 15 on The Billboard 200. The seventh-place finisher's debut sold 22,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That also gives Dixon the top seller among contemporary Christian albums.

Notable 2013 Releases

Below are the announced CDs we just can't wait to play:

January 8

.Capital Kings Capital Kings

.VOTA Love Found Me

January 15

.Jason Castro Only A Mountain

January 22

.Love and Death Between Here and Lost

January 29

.Colton Dixon A Messenger

.Fiction Family Fiction Family Reunion

February 5

.Tal & Acacia Black & White

.RED Release The Panic

.Sanctus Real Run

February 12

.Jeremy Camp Reckless

February 26

.NewSong Swallow The Ocean

.Britt Nicole Gold (Mainstream Re-Issue) [Capitol]

.Plumb Need You Now

.Salvador Make Some Noise

March 12

.Steven Curtis Chapman Deep Roots

March 12

.Audio Adrenaline Kings & Queens

.Seventh Day Slumber Love & Worship [BEC]

March 26

.Stryper Second Coming

April 2

.Hawk Nelson Made

April 9

.The Almost Fear Inside Our Bones

.Josh Wilson Carry Me

April 16

.The Afters Life Is Beautiful

May 2013

.Skillet Rise

Unknown 2013

.Amy Grant untitled new studio album

.Guardian Almost Home

.Jars of Clay untitled

.NEEDTOBREATHE untitled

.Newsboys untitled new album

.Relient K untitled

.Seabird untitle

.The Waiting Mysteriet