"This Is Our Anthem; Let It Be Known ..."

I'm home (:
We had a very good show. Lots accomplished and lots learned. I had a wonderful time, but it sure feels good to be home <3

The last few days for me have been special, very special. I've spent almost all my time with my best friends in the world today and yesterday, and it's been pure bliss. I love just goofing off with my buds and being a teenager xp
I have to say, though, the highlight of my time since I've been home was seeing some local bands play last night at a pleasant little soda shop. However, despite the quaint and charming venue, the show was ... how else could I put it except brutal? Over twenty four hours later, my ears are still ringing. But I had such a fantastic amazing time, combining three of my favorite things; worship, music, and spending time with my friends.
Last night's show got me thinking a lot about music, obviously ... and, more specifically, about my favorite genre.

Now, you can only imagine how difficult it is for me to decide on what my favorite genre of music is. I adore so many different styles of music ... I often joke that my iPod is as bipolar as I am :) But, since music is such a form of expression, it's hard for me to decide on just one TYPE of "expression" I enjoy most ... ya know? Does that make any sense? We, as human beings, all express ourselves differently. And while musicians may have all chosen music as their outlet, they still have the freedom to use that medium and make it their own.

In the past, when asked, I settled on using the hugely vague "Alternative" genre as my default fav. Alternative music means a lot of different things, though, and I never really bothered narrowing the term down into something more specific ... because I guess I had never really bothered deciding what my favorite genre really was. But, just recently, I discovered the style of music which truly set my heart on fire; the kind of music that really made me feel alive.

When a pounding bass drum sets the stage for a whirl of flying guitar riffs, you can't help but anticipate something spectacular is about to go down. When a bassist, cool and collected, starts plucking away at a slow and steady bass progression, you know it's foreshadowing something just as dark and intimidating to come. And when the vocalist finally lets out with that frightening growl ... it all just falls into place.
You can't hardly decipher a word these guys are yelling at you, but it doesn't matter. You don't have to know what they're saying because you know what they're telling you. You don't have to understand the words, because you already know the meaning. You feel it in every part of your being; in the same way you can feel that bass line in the pit of your stomach, you can feel the message of the lyrics resonating in your soul. You don't have to make sense of it; you just have to accept it, and let it fill you, let it take you over. You sit there, dumbstruck and in awe over something you can't hardly comprehend ... and somehow realize you're really, really enjoying it. And after what seems like a lifetime of brutality and force ... everything is quiet. The world seems to stop spinning, unsure of how to follow up such a performance. And you sit back and can't help but smile at the sheer power and grace you just witnessed.

... and I guess that's what made me fall in love with heavy metal.

But that, in itself, isn't my favorite genre. Sure, I love all types of metal; from gothic metal to thrash metal, from glam metal to death metal, I've found something new to appreciate about all the sub-genres associated with this wide and diverse genre. I tend to always gravitate towards the heavier sound, though; the pounding bass, the screaming vocals; I just can't ignore that passion. And when that passion for music is paired with a passion for something so much more ... that's the formula for my favorite genre of music.

I think I'll forever find myself in awe of the beauty of Christian metal.