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Rhap Session: Underoath

Debuting once again on the top 10 of the Billboard 200 with Lost in the Sound of Separation, Christian metal trailblazers Underoath have expanded upon their foundation and waged a sonic war on the lyrical search for self. With a darker, heavier record, the Adam D./Matt Goldman-produced album is a stylistic shift for the once-dubbed-screamo  Florida sextet. Rhapsody checked in with bassist Grant Brandell to learn about what went into the new record, and where these lost twentysomethings find themselves as a band in 2008.

 

Rhap Session: Norma Jean

by Jen Guyre

For Christian metalcore mainstays Norma Jean (vocalist Cory Brandan, guitarists Scottie Henry and Chris Day, bassist Jake Schultz and drummer Chris Raines), reinvention is not so much a planned process as it is a spontaneous one -- and some would say the key to survival in a scene currently overrun with mimicry. Their latest effort The Anti-Mother, featuring production by Ross Robinson  [Korn, Blood Brothers, At the Drive-In], songwriting by Chino Moreno of the Deftones, guest vocals from Cover Reber of Saosin and a collaboration with Page Hamilton of Helmet, shows the Atlanta-based band moving toward a mature sound and experimental vibe.

"We never really want to set a sound for ourselves [because] we never know what it’s gonna be like until we’re done – it just sort of happens," says Henry. Rhapsody caught up with Henry on the Warped Tour to find out more about what went into the making of the new album.

Playlist: Jamie Hector from "The Wire"

By Toshitaka Kondo

It takes grindin' to be king in the streets. That and a ruthless demeanor, top-notch instincts and zero qualms about using violence to get the job done. On HBO's "The Wire," Jamie Hector's deadly character Marlo Stanfield, the king of Baltimore's most dangerous drug cartel, possesses all of these traits. And while running the streets usually leads to jail time or an early grave, one gets the feeling this gangsta won't die -- he'll just move to Miami. Hector, a twenty-something Brooklyn native, had small roles in Clockers, Paid in Full and He Got Game before locking down the block as Marlo on "The Wire." He picked a playlist fit for the streets and Sunday service.

Best of 2007: Christian/Gospel

Rhapsody's 2007: The Year in Christian Music playlist headlined that CCM had grown three sizes this year. Now we bring you the rest of that story: an American "Idol"'s gospel debut, Christian acts rocking "Grey's Anatomy" and the House of Blues, plus heaps more. Read on for the top 10 moments in Christian/gospel music of 2007.