Barren Cross To Record New Material

Barren Cross is “definitely” going to record new music.  That’s the word from from bass player Jim LaVerde, second from left, in this photo of the band, all together.  When The Blastozoic Era program director Colin “Cruz” Strombeck spotted this photo on LaVerde’s Facebook page last night, he was the first to ask, “Is there going to be new BC music?”

LaVerde did not answer whether it will be a full album or not.   But, c’mon…it’s been this long…Stryper puts out album after album…Bloodgood was putting out new albums…Barren Cross is overdue!

Also pictured, lead singer Michael Drive (fka: Mike Lee); guitarist Ray Parris and drummer Steve Whitaker.

Barren Cross was one of the top Christian metal bands of the 1980’s.  They were one of the first Christian bands to land a video on MTV.  And they were a favorite band of Colin Cruz (and incidentally, John Cooper of Skillet) growing up.

Rock For the King, dudes!

Bloodgood Is Writing A New Album

The 80’s Christian metal/hard rock juggernauts Bloodgood announced this morning that they are writing a new album!   Les Carlsen, Michael Bloodgood, David Zaffiro and Paul Jackson are writing the album on Zoom from four different states.

The last time they put out a studio album was 2013 (Dangerously Close). 

 The Blastozoic Era recently added their song The Word, the bonus cut from the 2021 reissue of that album.

Miss Angie Is Back With A New EP

Miss Angie is back!

By Colin Cruz

Miss Angie hit the scene as a teenage rocker on Myrrh Records in 1997, with the smash rock hits Lift My Eyes Up, Satisfied, and Hands.   I loved playing those songs on my weekly FM Christian rock show back then.  The title track from her debut disc, pictured above, 100 Million Eyeballs, was released to Christian CHR/Top 40 radio at the same time as the debut rock single Lift My Eyes Up, and of course, 100 Million Eyeballs was way too cool for most Christian CHR stations, but I was happy to be able to play it on a Christian Hot CHR station that used to exist in Albuquerque when I was there in 1998-2001.

In 1999, her sophomore disc Triumphantine came out, featuring the rock hit I Love Light.

In 2011, under the radar, she dropped an album called Time And Space.

And now in 2021, she releases her new EP called Desert Flags.   The Blastozoic Era has added the song Joy Rider to The Middle Blastozoic Era show playlist.

Stryper To Hell With The Devil…2.0???

I think most Stryper fans know deep in their hearts that despite some solid recent albums,  Stryper will never be able to top their 1986 album To Hell With The Devil.   But they will soon release an album that may very well be their best album since To Hell With The Devil.

The band recently recorded the whole album all over again at Spirithouse Studios in Massachussets.

Rights and use issues surround some of their earlier works and this will certainly give the band some more freedoms and probably open up some more income streams from airplay and other usage of the new versions of the songs.

~Colin Cruz, The Blastozoic Era Program Director

Book Review: 80’s and 90’s Christian Rock Singer Rick Cua’s Book “What Are You Known For?”

Book Review: What Are You Known For?  (Building Your Legacy One Brick At A Time) by Rick Cua

By Colin “Cruz” Strombeck

 

Fans of 1980’s Christian rock remember Rick Cua as the man who sang “Wear Your Colors”, which in my opinion, is one of the top 10 Christian rock songs of that decade.  

 

He certainly wasn’t a one hit wonder.  His band put out 11 albums in the 80’s and 90’s, and one in 2007.

 

Recently, Rick, who now serves as a pastor, wrote a book called What Are You Known For?  (Building Your Legacy One Brick At A Time).

 

In it, Cua shares stories about his heritage of faith, his great relationship with his wife and family, and lessons learned as a member of bands over the years.

 

In the book’s Introduction, Cua grabs the reader with this thought:  “The sum of what we have done on this earth follows us to heaven.”   In Chapter 1, Cua reminds us that if we admire Christ, we should act like he does.

 

By this point in the process, the light bulb went on above my head:  this is going to function like a devotional book for me.  I am going to read one chapter a day and digest each lesson well, that way.  If you pick up this book, you too, will likely find the same to be true.  And it is a  challenging devotional, at that.

 

In chapter 2, Cua points out that every time the Lord has a good work for us to do, the devil offers a distraction.  He says we should pray for discernment to see the distraction for what it is, and to boldly declare to the enemy that we will not be dissuaded from doing God’s will.

 

Early in the book is an amusing story of a man eating an actual glass…that was shocking.  I don’t think anything else in the book will shock you, but I would venture to say there are some things that will surprise you and amaze you.  

 

There is a chapter in the book that every Christian musician who is “trying to make it” should read.  Cua has been there and done that and his wisdom in this area is invaluable.

 

In another chapter, he talked about how, as a Christian musician, he struggled with the thought of self promotion and recounts how he worked his way through that. 

 

Late in the book, Cua asks the reader this question:  what are the learned behaviors in your life that need to be dismantled?

 

By the end of reading this work, you will feel like you know Rick Cua.   His humble attitude emanates from the pages.  

 

This book will make you laugh, it might make you cry, and it will make you think, and if you let it, it will bring you closer to God.

 

You may find, like I did, that it functions as a great devotional.   Whether you look at it that way or not, I believe you will find that it is definitely a book worth reading.

A New Miss Angie Album Is In The Works…Here Is A Preview

Angie Turner Darr, aka “Miss Angie”… put out two albums on Myrrh Records (that we Blast several songs from on The Middle Blastozoic Era) in her teenage years back in the late 1990’s.   And now she is recording another album.   The producer is none other than Gabriel Wilson, lead singer of Rock n Roll Worship Circus.  It’s been a long, arduous process and all they are willing to share so far is this delightful sample:

Capstone Music Festival 2020 Is Cancelled

Capstone is a Covid-casualty.   Yes, unfortunately, the Capstone Music Festival has been cancelled for 2020 due to Covid-19 shutdowns in Indiana lasting into next month.  The festival would have featured The Early Blastozoic Era (80’s) bands Bloodgood, Deliverance, Fear Not, Whitecross, plus Glenn and Wendy Kaiser of Rez/The Resurrection Band, and The Middle Blastozoic Era bands (90’s) The Blamed and XL & Death Before Dishonor (DBD)

The festival also would have featured a number of bands played on The Blast and The Implosion.  Organizers say they will put together a new festival next year.

The Letter Black Is Back Together And Working On Album # 4!

The Letter Black announces tonight that they are back together; they are signing a record deal; shows are getting booked and they are writing and recording album number 4!  This is exciting news for listeners of The Blast and The Blastozoic Era, as The Blast has been playing them since 2007, prior to them signing their first record deal.   A teaser to the next record will come out within a week.  Welcome back to The Letter Black!!!

Miss Angie Is Going To Make A New Album

Miss Angie  is a modern rock/alternative artist that put out two records of that ilk in the late 1990’s on Myrrh Records.   Well, guess what?  She is back at it!  She is working on a new album that will be produced by acclaimed producer Gabriel Wilson, who was the lead singer of The Rock n Roll Worship Circus.   Both groups are played frequently on the Middle Blastozoic Era radio show on The Blastozoic Era radio station:

https://Blastozoic.TheBlast.FM

Miss Angie tells The Blastozoic Era: “We are picking songs now and they range from sounding grunge 90’s to prayer roomy with a little edge. ”  She also says that  Wilson may also be playing guitars on the record.

To contribute to her fan-funded album, go here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/desert-flags-ep-by-miss-angie#/ 

The album is slated to come out in mid 2020.

 

 

Zion Has A New Album Coming Out

80’s Christian metal band Zion has a new album coming out.  Pre-sale orders are being taken now.

As far as mainstream comparisons go, the band sounds most like AC/DC, musically and vocally.

Here is a link to their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Zion-the-band-612822862202032/