Out of the clear blue, I get tagged by two great ladies (Hope and Melissa) who happened to be a part of small bunch that got me into blogging and been there since the first time I fired up my website.

Apparently, I am suppose to give seven random facts about myself and then tag them back plus seven more.

Cutting loose and having fun? I am game.

1. (Stealing one from Melissa’s original tagging post) I, too, lack the skills to sing and clap at the same time. Yet, I can play bass guitar and sing. I can keep a beat and sing. I just can’t clap and sing.
2. I am a geek. Through and through. I am more at home with Linux Command Line Interface than Windows or Mac’s Graphical User Interface. Yet, I am trying to retire from doing computers altogether.
3. I love to cook. I have a fridge full of food, full spice cabinets and full pantry to prove it.
4. I have 10015 songs in my iTunes library. (Which roughly translates to nearly 30 days before I will hear a song repeated.)
5. Speaking of music, I use Europe’s “The Final Countdown”, The Roots’ “Act Too (The Love Of My Life)”, John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”, Hillsong United’s “Solution”, The Eagles’ “Take It Easy” and Dire Staits’ “Money For Nothing” for ringtones in order to have an instant idea of who is calling me. (Told ya I was a geek.)
6. I wanted to be a comic book artist when I was younger.
7. It has been 4 weeks since I have stepped out of the house in a t-shirt after wearing t-shirts for most of my adult life.

Taggings going out to…

1. Lori
2. Anne
3. Heidi
4. Kristi
5. Crystal
6. Brad
7. Joshua

What am I doing reviewing a LP that is just over two years old? Nevermind the 2004 EP before it which contained six of those same songs? One rule: good music never gets old.

Since the recent release of the video game, Rock Band, which contains an unlockable track by Flyleaf, I have been running into numerous positive reviews for the band and the newfound fans because of the song on that video game.

My introduction to the album started about a year ago while traveling with some friends to lunch. I considered myself a lover of rock music and was stunned as I sat and just took in what I was listening to. While my colleagues were chatting about something, I thought outloud, “Hey, this band is not half bad. In fact, they don’t suck. Who in the heck is this?”.

Thus my love affair with all things Flyleaf was born.

Here are some of the misconceptions that the music of Flyleaf shattered in my little world:

1. I usually don’t give new bands a worthwhile shot
2. Anything labeled “NuMetal” sucks and sucks big time
3. Contemporary Christian Music (music not Gospel/Worship who will occassionaly mention Jesus) gets no play in my car or iPod

One, these kids have chops. Real chops. For a metalhead such as myself who had grown up on face meltin’ guitar solos, Flyleaf proved to me that not all hard rock/metal/metal-like rock songs needs to have an ear busting five minute wailing solo. Sameer Bhattachary and Jared Hartmann’s incredible riffs on songs like Full Alive and I’m So Sick will forever be recognized within the first second when song plays. Some reason, I am really loving Pat Seals’ bass lines on Sorrow and All Around Me. James Culpepper’s drum work very solid throughout the album but shines on the song Perfect.

The absolute shining tracks where I felt the band all came together to churn out really great rock would have to be So I Thought, Cassie and my absolute personal favorite I’m Sorry. Which if we go listing songs and instruments, how could you forget the lead singer, Lacey Mosley, whose voice is 20 times bigger than her physical self. (After seeing Flyleaf live, I am pretty sure I could put her into my shirt pocket and carry her home.) She delivers raw emotion that is absolutely sincere that always keeps tapping on your heart and soul. To lest you think it is all about placing bets whether or not she could disintegrate her microphone, check out the new released Special Edition CD/DVD combo which features 5 of the tracks done acoustically.

I can say I have been blessed by being introduced to this album and always been in heavy rotation in any of my playlists not “Quiet Storm”-esque (and that exception might be broken with the aforementioned acoustic tracks).

“Blessed” is not entirely inappropriate in this review since all five members of the band of the Christian Faith. While this is quite evident throughout the album (check All Around Me), this album is not a watered-down, non-forward thinking Christian version of insert some other hard rocking album here. This kids have the passion, the talents, the chops to stand toe-to-toe and most of the time, above, most of the other rock bands applying their craft. I love these kids and I can’t wait to hear more from them in the future.

Just one thing:

Some of the evident truths that have settled into my life:

• My portion is Him and all that He provides for me meets my needs perfectly; I want or need for nothing and furthermore, nothing is mine but His - I have taken the prayer for daily bread (provisions, strength, wisdom and whatever else I need) (Luke 11:3) and worrying only about today and not tomorrow (Matthew 6:25-34) quite literally. Once I wrapped my head around the fact that He alone provides for me, it frees me up to do all things that give glory and honour to His name.
• No matter how far God has brought us, we cannot become complacent with where we are at just because we are that much better off than we were six, twelve or even 24 months ago - Which begs the question, “Is it possible to become self-righteous when comparing you to your past self?”. God is faithful to continue the work within us. Therefore we cannot stop believing that He is still doing that same good work within us.
• What matters in this world but the Will of God? Absolutely nothing else. - Career? Shelter? Material Possessions? We should not be concern with where we ought to be at in this stage of our lives but rather be gravely concern if this is where God wants you to be. Let Him move me wherever and I will start to work. It will not be my endurance and strength that will sustain me but His endurance and strength which is sufficient to get the job done.
• I grown weary when I pray for myself and my wants and needs - I get tired of hearing my prayers laced with “I, I, I” and “me, me, me”. I just start praying for other people.