Check out the new concept album from Rusty Shipp!
Check out the new concept album from Rusty Shipp!

JFH Music Review


The Great Commission, And Every Knee Shall Bow
The Great Commission
And Every Knee Shall Bow



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 10 tracks: 39 minutes, 27 seconds
Street Date: February 17, 2009


Several new artists have made their way onto the Facedown Records line-up. Call To Preserve, My Epic and Hands, just to name a few. In addition, 2009 comes with the release of another debut album from Facedown, that of thrashers The Great Commission. Their album, And Every Knee Shall Bow, is a perfect fit with the rest of the Facedown family.

The album opens with a track appropriately titled "(Declaration) of War," as it actually is a declaration, the gist of which is basically summed up in these lines: "We will be a culture that is not imprisoned by four walls of a church or any religious doctrine. But we will stand with the authority of the Kingdom, walk in the authority of the Spirit." It's backed by some guitars and drums that fit very well, given that they sound like the opening riffs you would hear from a band gearing up for their set at a live show. It flows seamlessly into the first song, "Every Knee Shall Bow," where the listener discovers that it's nothing short of standard Facedown material: great guitar riffs and flawless drums (as in "A New Hope," which also contains another shorter declaration of sorts, and "In A Time Where Hope Was Lost," which features some very skilled drumming about halfway through the song, as well as at the end of it), some gang vocals here and there, and vocal growling -- the kind that sound like the vocalist is screaming from his stomach. The one exception on the entire album is the chorus of the album closer "Dawning of a New Day," where the line "Heed these words, it's the dawning of a new day, heed these words, it's the dawning of a new age" is actually sung, with some very nice harmony. One thing that The Great Commission does feature, and something that is quite a rarity nowadays (though not totally extinct) is that there are some female screams thrown in the mix. But unlike the late Still Breathing, the female vocals are not the dominant vocals. However, neither scream is too appealing unless you're an avid underground hardcore fan.

The positives on And Every Knee Shall Bow come within the lyrics. Most hardcore usually stays away from the poetic style of lyric-writing and focuses more on just saying what they want to say and belting out the words in an aggressive manner. With The Great Commission, the lyrics stay focused on God, redemption and forgiveness, and faith. The six and a half minute-long "Let Your Kingdom Come" takes a page from the hymnals and screams, "What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood." And Justin Singh makes a statement in "Iron Sharpens Iron" when he says, "To live is to die, to die is to gain, the calling of my life to bring glory to Your name." TGC isn't fooling around. They know who they live for and they do it, and aren't afraid to tell others about it.

Facedown Records has a knack for finding fresh talent in the Christian hardcore scene. While the vocals sometimes aren't very quality, the music is usually hard to compete with. Though And Every Knee Shall Bow has its share of times where the music just seems to drag on slightly, for the most part it's very well written and performed. Again, it's the vocals (all of them, not just the leads) that mainly bring this album down. Still, this wouldn't be a bad choice of album for everyone. Fans of xDEATHSTARx, For Today or Sleeping Giant will be very pleased with the outcome of And Every Knee Shall Bow. But fans of heavy music who don't usually enjoy Facedown albums might not want to venture this way.

- Review date: 2/11/09, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

 

. Record Label: Facedown Records
. Album length: 10 tracks: 39 minutes, 27 seconds
. Street Date: February 17, 2009
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. (Declaration) of War (0:36)
  2. Every Knee Shall Bow (2:52)
  3. I Dub City (5:29)
  4. A New Hope (4:52)
  5. Let Your Kingdom Come (6:21)
  6. Iron Sharpens Iron (4:49)
  7. The Road Less Traveled (Conviction) (4:36)
  8. The Way The Truth The Life (0:47)
  9. In A Time Where Hope Was Lost (4:14)
  10. Dawning of a New Day (4:55)

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

Search JFH



This Friday, June 27, 2025
ALBUMS
7eventh Time Down We Praise You [BEC]
The Browns 25th Anniversary: Better Days Ahead [StowTown]
Franni Cash Wild Child - EP [Capitol CMG]
Matt Crocker interlude [Anotherland]
Jimmy Fortune Songs of an American Dreamer [Gaither]
Roxanne Grace Road Trip - EP [DREAM]
JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise The Live Reunion: Washington, DC [James Town]
Kutless The Seventh Seal - EP [BEC]
Evvie McKinney It Ain't Over - EP (independent)
Rusty Shipp Capsized Empire (independent)
SEU Worship A Forgiving God [Provident]
The Shimmering Carnelians The Doorway (Version 2.0) (independent)
We Are Messengers A Thousand Times - EP [Curb]

SINGLES
Anchor & Braille Rattlesnake - Single [Equal Vision]
ANTHNY imposter syndrome - Single [Provident]
Blanca Right On Time - Single [Curb]
Landry Cantrell & Elenee sunshine & rainbows - Single [DREAM]
Eddie Clark Never Content - Single [Syntax]
Colony House Atomic - Single [Roon]
Megan Danielle Preachin' To The Choir - Single [Provident]
Drea LP & OnBeatMusic Don't Try Me (DTM) - Single [Syntax]
Joseph Habedank Running to Me - Single [Daywind]
Lonnie Hunter Flow (Like A River) - Single [Uncle G]
Kashh Kade HELP - Single [Syntax]
KB x KEANU Keanu's Song - Single [Provident]
Tasha Layton Singing In the Dark - Single [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard The Hand That Keeps Holding - Single [Motown Gospel]
Tim Lovelace Celebration of America Medley (feat. Charlie McCoy) - Single [StowTown]
Lecrae Tell No Lie (feat. Jackie Hill Perry) - Single [Reach]
LO Worship The Perfect Love of Jesus - Single [Integrity]
Patrick Mayberry Thank The Lord - Single [Provident]
Michael Monroe John The Baptist (feat. Chris Renzema) - Single [Provident]
Alexander Pappas A Great Awakening / Un Nuevo Despertar - Single [Integrity]
PEABOD Summer in Seattle - Single [RMG Amplify]
Rave Jesus Walk On The Water Remix (From The Chosen) - Single [Provident]
The Rocky Valentines Nat Song - Single [Velvet Blue]
Saints In Exile & Cutright My Dead End (ft. Jeannie Ortega, Luc DiMarzio, Jericko) - Single [Syntax]
Emilie Weiss Take Care (Studio Sessions) - Single [BEC]

DVD
Jimmy Fortune Songs Of An American Dreamer DVD [Gaither]

Next Friday, July 4, 2025
ALBUMS
Chad Cory America [DREAM]
Tenielle Neda The Way Of Love [Wings]

SINGLES
Christian Back Now - Single [DREAM]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Check out depositphotos for royalty free images