Ryan Clark

As always we will be giving away some free music this week, so sign up the E-Newsletter, if you haven’t already, for you chance at one of several copies of The World Is A Thorn, by Demon Hunter.

Also, a big congrats to Flyleaf on winning the FAN FAVORITE POLL last week. Make sure you cast your vote to help decide not only who is the FAN FAVORITE, but also who will make it into the top 20 this week. Last week, Thousand Foot Krutch’s Fire It Up was number one over all in the countdown, but you will have to tune in to see if they can make it to number one again this week.

Atlantic/Ardent/INO’s Artist and Group of the Year Dove-nominated recording group Skillet has announced details of their upcoming headline tour. The “Awake & Alive Tour” begins April 15th at Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Scranton Cultural Center and then continues through late May (see itinerary below or click here). Joining the Grammy-nominated rock outfit on the trek will be fellow nominees RED, whose most recent effort, “Innocence & Instinct,” climbed its way to the Top 5 on iTunes Top Albums chart. Also joining the tour will be hard rock outfit, The Letter Black.

One of America’s hardest working live acts, Skillet - who spent the first part of 2010 touring alongside Atlantic labelmates Shinedown - is currently co-headlining the “Awake Tonight” tour with TobyMac, which kicked off to several sold out shows last week, and will also be headlining a number of upcoming summer festivals.

The “Awake & Alive Tour” celebrates the continuing success of Skillet’s acclaimed new album, Awake which reached the #1 spot on the iTunes Store’s “Top Albums” chart within 24 hours of its release last summer. The album also made a blockbuster debut on the SoundScan/Billboard 200, entering the chart at #2. The album continues to reign as a favorite, ascending the upper half of the Billboard 200.

Produced by Howard Benson (Three Days Grace, Daughtry, Flyleaf), “AWAKE” is highlighted by the electrifying single, “Monster.” The track is currently a top 5 smash at Active Rock outlets nationwide, while also scoring top 20 airplay at Mainstream Rock.

What’s more, “Hero” - the second mainstream single from “AWAKE” - has been featured in an array of high-profile promotional campaigns, including WWE’s annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view and is set to arrive at Active Rock outlets this week. Likewise, “Hero” has already hit the top spot on the Christian CHR and Rock charts, and now, after being the most-added it’s first week out, the second Christian radio single “Awake & Alive,” is already Top 10 at Christian rock and Top 15 at CHR.

Founded in 1996, Skillet has earned rapturous praise for their inspirational and intense approach to hard-edged alternative rock. Continually gaining praise in the Christian market, the mainstream is following suit, with Hit Parader celebrating Skillet for “(bringing) to mind the kind of slick, studio-savvy work that made vintage Aerosmith and Bon Jovi so much fun to listen to.” “Skillet…continually push their musical muscle with soaring guitar work interspersed with their take on 80’s hair-metal ballads,” declared Mix.

In addition to cumulative album sales in excess of 1.6 million, Skillet has racked up a wide range of honors throughout their extraordinary career. Frontman John Cooper and producer Brian Howes recently collected two BMI Music Awards for “The Last Night” and “The Older I Get,” both featured on 2006’s Grammy Award-nominated “COMATOSE.” That album proved Skillet’s most popular work to date, achieving RIAA gold certification. “COMATOSE” followed the band’s 2003 label debut, “COLLIDE,” which launched Skillet into the mainstream while also garnering their first Grammy Award nomination. For up-to-the-minute news and information, visit www.skillet.com or www.myspace.com/skilletmusic.

SKILLET AWAKE & ALIVE TOUR w/ RED and The Letter Black
(all dates subject to change)

APRIL
15 Scranton, PA Scranton Cultural Center
18 Charlotte, NC Bojangles Coliseum
22 Raleigh, NC TBA
23 Savannah, GA TBA
24 Aiken, SC USC Aiken Convocation Center
25 Pensacola, FL Saenger Theater
29 Lafayette, LA Cajundome Convention Center

MAY
2 Jonesboro, AR ASU Convocation Center
4 Ft. Smith, AR Ft. Smith Convention Center
6 Park City, KS Hartman Arena
7 Dodge City, KS Dodge City Civic Center
9 Topeka, KS Kansas Expocentre
11 Bismarck, ND Bismarck Civic Center
13 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
15 Fargo, ND Urban Plains Center
20 Saginaw, MI Dow Event Center (Theater)
21 East Lansing, MI Michigan State Univ. Concert Auditorium

Courtesy of : The M Collective

New releases for March 9, 2010 in the Christian Rock/Hip-Hop/Hard Music genres.

	Adie Just You & Me {BEC}
	Before Their Eyes Untouchable {Rise}
	Crystavox The Twenty Year Mix {Roxx}
	Demon Hunter The World Is A Thorn {Solid State}
	Demon Hunter The World Is A Thorn (Deluxe Edition) {Solid State}
	Sanctus Real Pieces Of A Real Heart {Sparrow}
	Stellar Kart Everything Is Different Now {INO}
	Sanctus Real Pieces Of A Real Heart {Sparrow}

Click here if you want it!

Also, If you are one of the first 100 people to e-mail in the name of all 3 band members from Me In Motion, you could win the full-length CD to add to your collection.

To enter, send in an e-mail to contest@thechristianrock20.com with the subject Me In Motion, then list the band members’ names in the body. It is that easy!

Solid State

The World Is A Thorn marks the entry of 2 new members in the Demon Hunter camp and the exit of 2 others. Ryan Helm, of The Ascendicate, replaced Don Clark on Guitar and Patrick Judge, who was already a touring guitarist and now, is a full-time member. Even though Demon Hunter has already had a myriad of players come and go, there is always trepidation when new members come into the mix, especially right before a new album.

But my fears have been laid to rest, with lethal shot to the ears.

Demon Hunter is better than ever.

WIAT showcases all things Demon Hunter and does it well. The writing, the grit, the singing, the shredding, the screaming, and the growling are perfect.

I don’t mean to fawn, but seriously, it is as good as it gets. Not only are the songs great, they work together to make a fantastic album listening experience.

“Just Breath” is brutal, brutal, brutal. I can already see a huge circle pit at Cornerstone this year coming as a result of this track. The vocals on this one have some of the best variation of any DH song to date with growls, gang shouts, clean vocals and some of the best metal agro growls ever.

“Blood In The Tears,” gives us the slowed dirg-ish goodness that practically takes your lighter/cell phone out for you and makes it hover above your head. Although, the vocal processing toward the end may come as a shock for some DH fans it is still one of their better slow/gothy tracks.

“Collapsing,” although not the best track on the album, is probably one of the best singles they have ever released. It is a good blend of the not-as-heavy but yet still-heavy elements that will allow it to do well on Christian Rock stations across the country.

“Tie This Around Your Neck” has a great metal grove to it that makes you want to do windmills till you need a neck brace.

I will admit, after Storm The Gates of Hell, I didn’t know if this one grab me, but it did, and now it won’t let go.

This is the best Demon Hunter album to date, The Tryptic has been bested.

~Paul Gibson

Favorite Tracks:

Tie This Around Your Neck

LifeWar

Just Breath

The World Is A Thorn

Tooth And Nail

The newest kids on the Tooth & Nail block are a hit and date night just found a soundtrack. Poema, fronted by two sisters from Albuquerque, New Mexico, offer a harmonious blend of acoustic pop and melodic romantic tones. Their name, appropriately meaning beautiful masterpiece, sums up the feel of the new EP, Sing It Now.

Reminiscent of Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, and Colbie Caillat, Elle, 17, plays guitar and sings lead vocals alongside her sister Shaeleen, 19, who plays piano and sings harmony. Inspired by Pride & Prejudice and their personal life, these two are definitely stars in the making. The lyrics are sure to touch your heart with their expressions of the desire to love and be loved. I cannot wait to see these two in concert at Cornerstone.

Produced by Aaron Sprinkle (Anberlin, The Almost, Copeland), this EP is a steal at $5 to pre-order. The EP drops March 23, 2010.

~Sarah Gibson

Favorite Tracks:
Feel the Same Way
City Boy

Andrew Schwab, front man for Project 86, will be calling into the show this weekend! We’re going to talk about the upcoming video for destroyer, their upcoming tour(s), new music, what makes an album great and much more! Also, you know you are going to hear the biggest songs in Christian Rock, New music, and much more. Tune in on the web or on your local FM affiliate, if your local FM station doesn’t have the show, call them and ask them why not!

Also, sign up for the E-Newsletter for your chance at a FREE copy of Picket Fence Cartel, the latest album from Project 86, featuring “Dark Angel Dragnet,” “The Butcher,” and “Destroyer!”

For a full list of stations click Here.

New releases for March 2, 2010 in the Christian Rock/Hip-Hop/Hard Music genres.

	Family Force 5 Topsy Turvy (only on Hot Topic version of Almost Alice) {Disney}
	Lifehouse Smoke And Mirrors {Geffen}
	Satellites And Sirens S/T {Word}

This just in from Tim Skipper of House of Heroes.

Hey guys. Tim here. I’ve been meaning to start writing these little note things a bit more often. Just keep you guys in the loop a bit better, but I’ve been slacking. Hopefully myself and Jared can start giving things a bit more of a personal touch as far as keeping you updated.

First things first. I’m extremely bummed to announce that our drummer, Mr. Colin Rigsby will not be joining us on this upcoming tour. He’s reached a point where he just can’t make the sacrifice of being away from his family anymore. With a 3 year old son and a pregnant wife in her 3rd trimester, Colin had to make the very difficult decision to sit this tour out and be the husband and father he knows he needs to be. The rest of us fully support this decision as family ALWAYS comes before rock n’ roll. We’re not entirely sure what the future holds as far as Colin’s involvement with House of Heroes, but as of right now he will no longer be playing shows with us.

Our friend and fellow Columbus native, Mr. Josh Dun will be filling in for Colin on the Awake Tonight Tour starting on Thursday. Josh is a highly skilled and passionate drummer who came recommended by Colin himself. So far, rehearsals have gone amazing and we’re very confident that we’ll still be able to deliver the same quality live show that you’ve (hopefully) come to expect from us.

I know we never really updated the AJ situation, but a lot of you noticed in the fall that long time bassist AJ Babcock was no longer touring with us. Our good buddy Eric Newcomer stepped up and did and AMAZING job in his stead. Again, family must come first, and AJ felt like he needed to be with his wife more which is something we fully support. So, for those of you keeping score at home, the band that you will be seeing on this tour coming up will be as follows:

Tim Skipper: Vox, Guitar
Jared Rigsby: Guitar, Vox
Eric Newcomer: Bass, Vox
Josh Dun: Drums

I’m not gonna lie guys, these past few months have been pretty crazy and unstable. It’s been a tough time for House of Heroes. We’ve all been trying to slow down, get some perspective, and figure out our place in this band while at the same time writing and recording a new album and getting ready for this tour. I really believe we’re making/have made a freakin KILLER album and I can’t wait to finish it up and let you guys hear it! It’s going to probably be 11 or 12 songs (which means we’ll have some b-sides as well !!!) and I think we have a title for it, but we’re not 100% just yet. So HOLD YOUR HORSES! Our good friend Isaac Deitz filmed a lot of it and we did a lot of really candid interviews with him about how difficult this time of transition and uncertainty has been for us as a band. Hopefully that will come out in some form sooner than later so you guys can understand a bit better where we’re coming from.

OK, time to go rehearse again for the tour! I know myself and the other guys are REALLY excited to get out on the road again playin some sweet jams and hangin with you guys! If you have any questions or concerns about what I’ve just updated you on please don’t hesitate to speak up. I know we’re not the biggest band in the world, but the fans that we do have are TRUE and AWESOME, and we definitely value your thoughts and opinions. I’ll try to keep you updated with a bit more of a personal touch in the future and I’ll encourage the other guys to do the same. Thanks and blessings to all of you! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks as we rock this tour and finish up the new record!

Here are the dates for the Awake Tonight Tour with Toby Mac and Skillet:

AWAKE TONIGHT TOUR (ALL DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE):

3/4 Aurora, IL ACS Gymnasium
3/5 West Lafayette, IN Elliot Hall of Music University of Perdue
3/6 Valparaiso, IN ARC at Valparaiso University
3/7 Murray, KY RSEC at Murray State University
3/11 Champaign, IL at Assembly Hall
3/12 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium
3/13 Bristol, TN Viking Hall
3/18 Hershey, PA Giant Center
3/19 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
3/20 Johnstown, PA War Memorial Auditorium
3/21 Toledo, OH Lucas County Arena
3/25 Tallahassee, FL Civic Center
3/26 Ft. Meyers, FL Germain Arena
3/27 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheater
3/28 HOUSE OF HEROES WILL NOT BE ON THIS SHOW - Auburn, AL
4/1 New Orleans, LA UNO Lakefront Arena
4/2 Tyler, TX Oil Place
4/3 Jackson, MS Mississippi Col
4/8 Norfolk, VA at Norfolk Scope Arena
4/9 Huntington, WV Big Sandy Superstore Arena
4/10 Lynchburg, VA Liberty University
4/11 Asheville, NC Civic Center

http://www.tobymac.com/awaketonight for more info

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@houseofheroes
@timhoh
@jaredhoh
@ericnuke
@joshuadun