Teens For Life » Reviews

Hawk Nelson – Live Life Loud

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:11:22 +0000

From the cheerleading intro to the album’s title track Life Life Loud, Hawk Nelson is on a pop-punk journey and they want you along for the ride. There’s a lot to like here, including repeated calls to actively engage in life instead of sitting on the sidelines. You’ll even find a revved up remake of the old hymn “Tis So Sweet” and a wacky “Ode To Lord Stanley” that only a Canadian band could get by with. An extra bonus when you buy Live Life Loud is a miniature pair of 3D glasses that you will need to view the photos of the band dressed up like fruit.

Skillet – Awake

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:09:10 +0000

Skillet’s studio follow up to its breakthrough Comatose album will likely please a broader range of listeners while leaving longtime fans wondering what happened to the edgier sound from previous releases. From all appearances, the new Skillet is produced for radio play and should do well in that arena. The band’s lyrics, as always, remain solid to the core. One note: many are discussing how the song “Lucy” seems to address the grief of losing a child, possibly to abortion. Lead singer John Cooper says the song was written to address all times of loss.

Copeland – Walking Downtown

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:36:40 +0000

Maafa 21 review

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:31:59 +0000

We don’t use the term “defining” lightly, but the new film Maafa 21 is without question the defining documentary on how abortion equates to black genocide in the United States and around the world. Maafa 21 painstakingly documents the horrific roots of the modern eugenics movement from the time of Charles Darwin to the present and shows how, without exception, African-Americans bear the brunt of the sociel elite. This isn’t popcorn-munching entertainment, but neither is it a poorly done film that can be dismissed as alarmist or unfair. Photos, newspaper clippings, and direct quotes make this film highly credible and disturbing. You’ll learn why civil rights leaders in the 1960′s understood that abortion and population control is aimed at the black community. You’ll learn why Democrats and Republicans alike share responsibility for abortion. And you’ll learn why some African-American leaders are awakening to what is happening to the black community today as a result of abortion. Maafa 21 contains scenes and language that might be disturbing and offensive, so it is strongly suggestd that you ask your parents before ordering a copy.

Submerged – Don’t Hide

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:24:15 +0000

Take a healthy dose of Barlowgirl, mix in a little Flyleaf, and you’ve got the basic ingredients for the sound you’ll find on Submerged’s debut EP Don’t Hide. Produced and co-written by Skillet’s Ben Kasica, Don’t Hide features some real flashes of brilliance and a knack for hooks that point to a bright future for this band. The band’s sound would be undoubtedly elevated by the major dollars that one of the big labels could provide, but for a starter project there is a lot to like. The most poignant song in the EP is without a doubt “The Beating of a Heart” which chronicles the sadness of an end of life journey: hands reaching, hearts beating/holding on to dear life/hope’s fading, doctors waiting/only a miracle can save her now. Forgivess for past mistakes is the theme of “Who I Used To Be”: the past has got me bound with chains/I’m not content to stay the same/help, I need you to get over it/what I did, I need you to forgive. Fans of female-fronted rock will find Submerged to be a diamond in the rough.

Chris and Conrad

admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:10:56 +0000

Passion and artistry is at the heart of this debut album featuring Chris Kuti and Conrad Johnson. From its opening track “You’re the One”, Chris and Conrad draw you into a world of rock and worship with a depth of lyrical intensity that will have you alternating between singing along and soul-searching introspection. This album engages you all the way with songs like “Buried Alive”: we’ve all broken ground/take one look around/we’re in over our heads/but we keep digging down. In the honesty of “Let It Out” we hear: how long can you keep building/those walls around your heart/how long can you keep running/from who you really are. Tight production, a bright guitar-driven sound, and perfectly blended vocals combine to make this an album well worth a listen. Oh, yeah –as an added bonus you’ll get the Chris and Conrad documentary DVD “We Want A Revolution” giving you a behind-the-scenes look at producing the album. Great music and a documentary – what else can you ask for?

Remedy Drive – Daylight is Coming

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:32:30 +0000

The all-brother band from Nebraska is emerging from the Indie scene with the boost of the haunting power of the album’s title cut. Remedy Drive successfully integrates a unique keyboard sound with driving guitars for a successful blend that works from start to finish. Lyrically this band stays focused on a theme of hopeful expectation, typified in the anthem Hope: hope is with me in my time of trouble/when it all comes crashing down she will stay/by my side digging through the rubble/she’s not giving up – not giving up – not giving up. Look for Remedy Drive at most of the major U.S. Christian music festivals in the summer of ’09.

Group1Crew: Ordinary Dreamers

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:31:02 +0000

Don’t dismiss Group1Crew as lightweight because their lyrics carry a positive message instead of trash talk. This three-person group delivers a serious dose of funky rhythms, teeth-rattling bass, melodic vocals and a whole lot more in a new release that is climbing charts and firing up concert halls coast-to-coast. Ordinary Dreamers restores your faith in an urban sound that doesn’t need to descend to the gutter, focusing instead on calling on a generation to live life with a passion and thirst for changing the world for the better with lyrics like those in Critical Emergency: this is a critical emergency/get up/we’ve got to get together/brothers and sisters are in desperate need/so get up/shine the light and get up.

Every Young Man’s Battle

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:02:22 +0000

Authors Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker understand the trials that teen guys go through when it comes to temptation, and they also understand that the game seems to be rigged against guys when it comes to dealing with the nonstop parade of sexual imagery. This books addresses key issue guts face head-on, but don’t expect a “get out of jail free” card chalked up to guys just being guys. The real guts of the book lay out a battle plan for guys who are serious about personal purity, providing step-by-step advice for building lines of defense before it’s too late. “The problem is that some men excuse themselves as victims of impure eyes and thoughts, as if that absolves them from all responsibility,” write the authors.

Every Young Woman’s Battle

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:01:13 +0000

Shannon Ethridge teams up with Stephen Arterburn for some really straight talk challenging young women to guard their minds, hearts, and bodies in a sex-saturated world. Topics covered by this book are extensive and always reveal the true core of issues like why young women experience such a appetite for attention from guys, the emotional lures of internet chat rooms, obsession with outward appearances, and more. The book includes sections on how to avoid self-destructive patterns, understanding how temptations can compromise sexual integrity, and how seemingly harmless things like flirting can have destructive consequences. No need to despair – Every Young Woman’s Battles gives solid advice on guarding the heart, mind, and body so that any young woman can emerge victorious from the fight.