Did you know that Skillet has never released an EP before? Sure, if you want to get technical, they've released a few extended singles and a few EP-length collections of remixes, but 2026's After the Storm represents the band's very first foray into releasing brand new music in the EP format. This move also sees the band returning with new music relatively quickly; the band has spent the past 25 years dependably releasing a new album every three-ish years, whereas After the Storm arrives less than two years after the band's first fully independent album, 2024's Revolution. In some ways, this EP feels like a very wise act of course-correction for the 30-year-old band, since Revolution was widely considered to be one of the band's worst projects. (Revolution has its strengths and its highlights, to be sure, but it was doomed from the start when the album's worst song was released as its lead single; like it or not, it was not a confident first step into the band's independent era.) Simultaneously, crafting a short, concise EP would seem like another sharp decision by the band, since even the best of their recent albums (such as Victorious and Dominion) suffer from being front-loaded while feeling bloated in the back half. By all accounts, After the Storm successfully accomplishes these goals, proving that indie Skillet can make music that sounds just as good, and hits just as hard, as the greatest hits from their Atlantic Records tenure...

Oftentimes, an artist develops a certain sound or style as they progress into their career, and that is how they come to be known. While Mat Kearney certainly has some trademark characteristics, it's probably safe to say that, throughout his career, each of Kearney's now eight main LPs each carry their own unique, distinct feel. In other words, he never has made the same album twice, and that is something few musicians who have been in the business as long as he has are able to say. While beautiful, it also means that sometimes it may take a few listens to adjust to what Kearney is doing on a release. Hanging by a Heartstring is not nearly the left turn that a project like the electronic CRAZYTALK was when it came out, but the style does shift slightly, enough for the longtime audience to see that this album, too, will vary from his previous seven...

In 2024, Matthew West released Don't Stop Praying with an accompanying devotional book. I can't speak for the book, but the album felt like a lackluster offering from the veteran CCM artist. I'm happy to report, however, that West's latest album, Jesus is King, is a welcome return to form. While the music still feels restrained at times, West comes back to the blend of lyrical content that makes his albums enjoyable. Worshipful, radio-ready tunes mix with songs of encouragement directed at the listener. It's the winning combination that West excels at and that was missing from his last record...

It has been two years since Stryper's last studio album of all-original material, When We Were Kings (with the Christmas album The Greatest Gift of All coming out last year), so that means it's time for a new Stryper record. Throne of Thorns is the 18th album from the legendary Christian metal group, touting 11 strong tracks ready to rock your speakers. While some of the more recent records felt like copy-and-pasted versions of each other, their latest feels like lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Michael Sweet is pushing the band in a slightly different direction. Some of the elements that were beginning to feel tropey are done away with, and the music, while still familiar, has a tweaked sound and approach to it that gives Throne of Thorns a fresh approach...