ISSUEXXXXXXX 105 Aug/SeptXXXXXXXXXXX 2006 Featured in this issue - Inhale Exhale – A New Breathe Breath of Fresh Air House of Heroes – Nevertheless Their + BecomingxxxxxLeeland & Beyond also and Red and FamlyTransition ForceTurning, FiveThe Family Force 5 New Reviews of of Reviews New Columns include Columns Nobody Cares Nobdyxxxxx by Douglas Auker The Other Invisible Invisblexxxxxxxxx Children STELLAR KART www.awakenmag.com 12 22 28 11 10 24 13 20 Editor/Publisher: Customer Service: Shane Calhoun [email protected] 1.814.285.3236 Contributors: Douglas Auker, Mike D’Ulisse, Nicholas Gaio, Mike Write Us: Gates, Isaac Good, Ali Hadenfeldt, Bryan Kemper, Len E-mails/Letters must include full name and address. Nash, Douglas Shank, Derek Weaver, Eric Whetstone, All submissions become property of Awaken and Wesley Whetstone, Amy Williams, Andrea Wolloff may be edited for publication. Cover Design: Copyright: John Holcomb ISSN: 1559 - 7601 All contents copyright © 2006. Awaken Magazine Website: contents may not be reproduced in any manner, www.awakenmag.com either whole or in part, without prior written www.myspace.com/ammagazine permission. Marketing & Advertising: Distribution: Derek Weaver For more information regarding retail distribution, [email protected] call or e-mail us at: 1.814.330.8311 1-814-285-3236 [email protected] Mailing Address: Awaken Music Magazine Subscription Annual Rates: P.O. Box 398 United States - $15.00 Bedford, PA 15522-0398 Canada/Mexico – US $21.00 International – US $27.00 Columns: Feature Indie: 14 The Other Invisible Children 30 Chimera TWILIGHT 7 Nobody Cares... 6 Extreme Testimony - Featuring Decyfer Down Feature Interview: 16 Stellar Kart Reviews: 10 Feature Reviews The AM Exclusives: 10 Transition 12 The Turning 22 Red 11 Leeland 28 House of Heroes 13 Nevertheless 20 Inhale Exhale 24 Family Force 5 8 Album Reviews 31 Indie Avenue I grew up with my mother always dragging remember saying, “Thank You. Thank You, else so I didn’t have anything left. But, I me to church every Sunday, so I knew a lot Lord!” I knew that I couldn’t get away, get was able to get back that acoustic guitar. I about the Lord. I had lost my father when out of that cop car, or get out of being locked think my mom or somebody else lent me the I was eleven years old. Then, when I got up to get anything. I couldn’t get high if I money to get it, and I just started writing. into my teenage years, I started hanging out wanted to or not. I felt that this was His God was giving me all these songs about with the wrong crowd. They were all friends way of providing an exit point. It was just renewal and His grace towards me and my of mine, and we all went down this path an awesome experience. I was actually only life. These songs ministered to me like I together. I slowly got into drugs, partying, in jail for a couple of days, but while I was knew they would minister to other people. and doing that whole scene. I just ended there, my family brought me my Bible. I had It was just really cool. During that whole up getting into a lot of bad things; I would some time alone with God. I really felt like period in my life, I really felt God’s love and I constantly steal, and I was always in and out He was starting to renew me and give me knew that He was always there. of court. another chance. I was 21 when this all happened, and now I’m When I was about 18, I got a court order After I got out of jail, I did lose some of my 28. This was the start of the band back then. sending me to a Christian rehab facility. I cravings. My cocaine addiction was gone I was writing those songs, and then I got with actually ended up learning a lot there; why instantly, and I needed that so much. God Josh, our drummer. I had the opportunity to I was the way I was, needing to fill the just took it away from me. I actually had a go into prison and share my testimony. That void in my life. I felt like I had made a real stash in my car that I knew was there, and was the first thing I ever did. I saw five or commitment to Christ in that place, but I as soon as I got out of jail, I went and looked six guys in prison rededicate their lives and still wasn’t completely delivered of all the for it. But, it was gone! A friend of mine had give their lives to Christ just from sharing my things that I had been involved with. When actually taken it. I was so glad that it wasn’t story that one time. The doors just began I got out of rehab, I fell right back into the there! I was so sick of always being in trouble to open. People started asking us to come same things. I became severely addicted to and being strung out. I felt like I was at the and play at their youth retreats. They said cocaine and was back to shooting up. I was end of my road. I did struggle with wanting that they had a lot of youth that needed to at a really bad place in my life, even to the to smoke pot, but God just delivered me from hear what we had to say. So I would get with point of pawning and stealing from my own it. I did slip up a couple of times, but it was Josh, and he would come play drums. It was family. Anything that had any value to me, I a growing process. It was Him teaching me. nothing big; we sat on stools and just played. would sell so I could get high that day. When I did slip up, it was miserable. God was At that time, that’s all we did. A lot of kids showing me that this wasn’t me anymore. got hope with what we had shared. Basically one night, I was really strung out It just wasn’t enjoyable anymore. He had on coke, and I was almost in tears because totally taken the enjoyment and hype of it That’s how this whole band got started. We I couldn’t stop doing it. I remember sitting away. I didn’t want anything to do with it just started going anywhere and everywhere at my buddy’s house, in his bedroom, real anymore. I had no desire for it anymore. where someone would open a door. Slowly jacked up, and I just started praying. I we got back into the whole rock thing. That prayed, “Lord, I feel like I’m going to die and I had always played music, so when I got out; was my heart, I always loved rock music. go to Hell. I cannot stop doing this stuff. If I bought back my acoustic guitar that I had We just hit it hard, and any money that God You can hear me, I need help!” Then two pawned. That was the only thing that I could would bless us with, we poured back into the weeks later, I got arrested. It was in the afford to get back! I was actually in a band band. Josh, Caleb, and I had been together back of that police vehicle, in-between the before all of this happened. I pawned my for about 8 years, and then Chris joined us seats, handcuffed, and upside down that I electric guitars, all my amps, and everything about 4 years ago. - Awaken Music Magazine Matthew 27:46 ~ returning home would only feed my feelings to believe this lie. of rejection. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in loud After 12 years of living in sin, I finally voice, “My God, my God, why have you God created us to have a relationship with realized that my life amounted to nothing forsaken me?” Him. At the time when I was going through without the Lord. I was causing hurt in this, I didn’t turn to Him for help. I focused the lives of the ones I loved. I realized on my circumstances instead of going to the His spirit was real and drawing me. At ave you ever felt this way? I have, Father and believing that He had something this time, I rededicated my life to Christ and I would like to share about else better for me. creating a turning point in my life. I began a time in my life when I felt like the process of developing a relationship nobody cared for me. When I graduated In preparation for this article, I asked the with my heavenly Father. He accepted me from high school, I enlisted in the United Lord, “Why did I feel like nobody cared for for who I was… a sinner. Nothing was too States Navy with my two brothers and step- me at that time?” His response was, “I felt big that He couldn’t forgive, and I didn’t brother. Coming from a broken family and that way when I was on the cross! I had even have to clean myself up before He being less than a year apart, my brothers to take on the sins of the world, and I was would accept me. The more I put into the and I were inseparable.