Subseven
The EP
Flicker Records
22:00 TRT

A recent visitor to AON emailed me and asked what I thought about Christian punk/hardcore music. This review for the hardcore/emo band Subseven is as good time as any to pass that opinion along.

Not to be flippant, but does my opinion really matter? A better place to start is with Scripture. What would God think? Read Psalm 47:1, 66:1, 95: 1-2, 96:1 and 100:1. There's an audience, primarily young is my guess, for this style of music. Do many of them spend their spare time listening to hymns from "the green book"? My experience with youth says no. I may not listen to punk any more, but that hardly means I'm going to dismiss the genre in Christian music. Do the lyrics live up to the Biblical standard stated in the previous verses?

Subseven rolls out a seven song EP. The EP is a current trend in the recording industry as a means for discovering new music in a less expensive way than having to buy a full length CD.

The lyrics for "Faded Letters" are the most interesting. "I don't want things my way - my delight is in you, my Holy Lord" gives you an idea about where the band is coming from. "Game of Love" lets the listener know that God has been with us since "when I was young." Lyrics for other songs seem to be on the spiritually generic side but you can check those out at the band's web site.

Musically the band is not a one-trick pony. While five of the tracks have the emo-style screaming (I'm sorry but I laugh when I hear that), "Beginning Once Again" is more melodic (for hardcore) and has a neat tempo change during the musical bridge. "At the Park" is poppy and "Game of Love" has a pinch of Styx in the chorus.

It will be interesting to see what more the band has to say when it releases a full length CD. Until then, fans of hardcore may want to check out this EP.

- Rob S.