Messenger
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Messenger

Springfield, Virginia, United States | INDIE

Springfield, Virginia, United States | INDIE
Band Metal Christian

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Messenger: I'm Talking To You"

One phrase comes to mind when listening to this disc: old school. Everything about this release screams late 70's to early 80's Christian rock/metal ... and I mean that in a good way. The classic hard rock/metal sounds remind me of the heavy guitar power of earlt Rez, Daniel Band, Barnabas, Darrell Mansfield and all such bands of the era. Lyrics are very up-front and in-your-faceevangelical, leaving no doubt as to their message. If you dig classic rock, check this out. - Jeff McCormack/ Heaven's Metal Magazine


"Messenger - On Delivery (Live)"

Messenger returns with this live release for 2010, recorded during a benefit concert for Corinne's Kitchen at Arlington Assembly Auditorium. This release is available on CD as well as DVD and, believe it or not, Blu-ray. The band seems to be appearing everywhere, and in the short time since hitting the music scene, seem to be accomplishing quite a bit.
For a live album, it has excellent sound quality. A lot of independent live releases sound like glorified bootleg recordings, but not On Deliver (Live), it almost at times sounds like a studio release. Each instrument is heard with clarity and great separation, which is rare on many live albums. As expected, in a live setting many of the songs appear in extended rocking formats from the studio release, so this is not like simply listening to the studio album with an audience track; plus there are tracks here that were not present on the studio release (Fear No Evil, Let My people Go, The Risen Christ, Rulemaker), making it that much of a better package.

So, grab it, sit back, and let it melt your face off with that classic rock/metal feel. The album opener is Chained, which makes sense - I thought it felt like a good single so why not a great show opener to get the people pumping and singing along. Let's focus on the songs not included on the studio album:

Fear No Evil is an upbeat, powerful metallic rocker speaking of living this life with no fear of evil, knowing that the Lord is with us and in control. Let My people Go starts off with the acoustic ballad feel, but eventually kicks it up a notch with a great sing-a-long feel. A real stand-out live track to get the crowd singing along - which they do. The Risen Christ starts with a opening keys sequence that feels like it may take a spacey mellow approach, but nope - it kicks right in with a mid-tempo crunch that tells the story of the crucifixion. A Bible story set to music, it is yet another great standout song of praise for the work of Christ, I can almost picture this as a scene in a rock opera, similar to the track Crucify by Bloodgood. Then there is Rulemaker which starts up high energy, then drops down into the pocket for a straight-forward hard rocker with a nice shredding guitar solo.

I am not sure if these four songs are older tracks that did not make it to the first album, or newer songs written since then, but I hope to hear some studio versions of these, they really compliment the band's style. The total track listing for On Delivery (Live) is as follows:

Chained
Fear No Evil
Wallowing in the Mire
Let's My People Go
Bright and Morning Star
The Risen Christ
Rulemaker
The Rapture (Extended)
So Good (Extended)
Don't Shoot the Messenger
King of King's (Extended)

I am looking forward to eventually grabbing a copy of this on DVD to experience it visually. These guys rock, and they sound like they are enjoying every note; I just hope to one day see them in person (which shouldn't be too hard since they are located only a few hours from me). I encourage you, if you like hard and heavy classic rock, this band shines in the genre. - Pendragon Music Mania


"Messenger: I'm Talking To You"

Lusty and uptempo stuff that splits the difference between ‘80s-style metal and ‘80s style hard rock with occasional and ill-advised forays into glam-oriented fluff, dopey blues-rock and post-grunge mainstream rock drivel, Messenger’s I'm Talking to You provides a nice overall diversion for the bulk of its twelve song playlist. At its best, this thing conjures true metal magic on “King of Kings,” “Special Delivery” and the careening-for-2:38 “Roar,” replete with stirring riffs, guitar-and-keyboard interplay perfect for any Riot or Manowar fan. At its worst, you have an all-thumbs opener like “Hell Is No Party,” which sounds like an invitation to the dullest L.A. glam orgy in history, or a clunky power ballad such as “Forbidden Love,” which sounds like something Tesla half-wrote and palmed off to Daughtry, which was then reduced to simpering, over-enunciated earnestness. One just wants to wrench frontman Frank Clifton Herring loose from his concessions to modern rock formula and tell him to belt out clarion screams like you know he wants to! Still, this thing hits for better than 0.500, with a good six or seven tracks out of twelve doing what they need to when they need to do it. Alas, this one also comes with a caveat emptor: if Christian lyrics be not your thing (and they ain’t mine), this one will grate you to the point of screaming. There’s something to be said for nuance and implication, and then there’s the sort of imploring and proselytizing such as on display here that makes you feel as though the music is actually secondary to the message. Given the band’s moniker, I’ve got no one to blame but my ol’ lonesome.

written by Matthew Kirshner
- Tarterean Desire/ Matthew Kirschner


"Rowe Productions/August Update"

"... just this past month I have discovered a killer Jesus Metal Band called Messenger.
... please check Messenger out at www.messengermetal.com. You will hear their songs streaming and have the opportunity to buy their CD from CD Baby. You will hear that Messenger are killer and the message is very evangelistic. It is bands like this that we as True Christian Metal fans need to support into the future. " - Soundmass.com


Discography

Messenger: I'm Talking To You
Messenger: On Delivery (Live) CD
Messenger: On Delivery (Live) DVD

Photos

Bio

The Messenger sound arises from Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and Progressive Rock influences that stretch from the early rock pioneers to the best production masters today. Messenger has sold hundreds of CD's since the turn of 2009 and has found broadcast radio play in Australia and internet radio airplay in America and Greece. Since April '09 MessengerMetal.com has had 20,000 visits and their MySpace Profile (MySpace.com/MessengerDC) has had over 21,000 views in the year they have been together - hits from all over the world. Messenger is a Christian Metal quartet from the U.S. Capital area which joined together in September 2008, playing secular nightclubs opening for National Hard Rock/Metal acts such as Extreme, W.A.S.P. & KIX, the '09 Marine Corps Marathon, Christian Rock Festivals, the largest Virginia County Fair, church groups and coffee houses. They bring a powerful message with good music & loud guitars.