A few years ago, I came across a collection of Larry Norman Christmas songs, called Christmastime. I would have never pegged Norman as the type to do a Christmas album, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the record. I kept that experience in mind when it was announced that Stryper was releasing their first-ever Christmas album. The Greatest Gift of All is a 10-track offering with half of the tracks being traditional classics (like "Silent Night" or "Little Drummer Boy"), and the other half being original seasonal tunes (along with a remake of their '80s track, "Reason for the Season"). The result is a yuletide soundtrack blasting in hair metal glory. Like Norman before them, can Stryper pull off a rock version of Christmas?...

Smalltown Poets are legacy band at this point, releasing their debut album back in 1997 -- the original band, Villanelle, released their album in 1995. While the Poets are no longer a full-time band, split between Washington, Georgia, and Florida respectively, the guys do continue to make music together and play some shows. Their last album, NWxSE (northwest by southeast) released back in 2021, but the Duluth, Georgia boys dropped a teaser for the song "Florida Man" back in April. St. Augustine, an EP-sized self-proclaimed "album," is their newest release and it's so nice to still be getting new music from the Poets in 2025...

No one carries Rich Mullins' tattered banner quite like Andrew Peterson. Both are poets of the thin place variety, where earth and eternity brush close. Each of them craft songs that ache for transcendence over the glossy churn of CCM. Peterson's 2017 live recording at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium -- A Liturgy, A Legacy, & the Songs of Rich Mullins -- isn't just a tribute to Mullins' 1993 opus; it's a communal revelation. Split into two parts, spanning 31 tracks and over two hours, this album could tempt a critic to ramble as long as its runtime. But, like Mullins' songs, it's better experienced than over-explained, so I'll aim for brevity...