For most people, change isn't easy. And for music fans, it can be the hardest pill to swallow. Anberlin fans saw the band end in 2014 when they released their farewell studio album, Lowborn, on Tooth & Nail Records. However, just before a global pandemic halted just about everything, the band reunited in 2019 and soon started playing through all of their albums on livestreams, recording each one and releasing them digitally and on vinyl. It was also in the midst of this that fans heard the news of brand new music coming from the band, and 2022 and 2023 saw the release of two new studio EP's. Last year, those EPs came together to form a full-length release titled Vega, which the band also used to transition original vocalist Stephen Christian out of the band, welcoming in his replacement Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire...

Blindside is so back! "Dead Weight" is everything fans love and could have hoped for from a new single from the Swedish alt-metal band. This single hits all the right notes, delivering a sauntering intro that builds into an infectious melody, a pounding bassline that drives the song forward, and a pre-chorus that culminates in a cathartic, passionate chorus. The instrumental guitar breakdown is pure ear candy, adding the perfect touch to this three-and-a-half-minute track...

I decided to get off my high horse and give Kevin Michael McKeehan (aka TobyMac) the flowers he deserves. Why? Because being a fan is more fun, and the dude turns sixty-one this year. There aren't many men in their sixties doing what he does, and that's worth celebrating. Now, in year twenty-four of his solo career, and with album number ten, he's back with more of his signature "gumbo" of hip-hop, pop, funk, and soul. After facing significant personal loss in recent years, listeners will find Toby reflecting once again on the afterlife, aptly titling his latest release Heaven on My Mind. Just like with his iconic trio in the '90s, each new solo album has been an event I've eagerly anticipated. Even though he's moved away from the rock-driven sound of his earlier years (and with it, my fandom has waxed and waned), he still manages to release a handful of songs on every album that find their way onto my playlists...