Crashing Gates
Kevin Max
View More by this ArtistOpen iTunes to preview, buy, and download songs from Kevin Max
| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Traveler | Kevin Max | 4:34 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 2 | Baby, I'm Your Man | Kevin Max | 3:39 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 3 | The Saint of Lonely Hearts | Kevin Max | 2:07 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 4 | Future Love Song | Kevin Max | 5:51 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 5 | Out of the Wild | Kevin Max | 3:41 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 6 | Crashing Gates and Passing Keepers | Kevin Max | 6:10 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 7 | Your Beautiful Mind 2009 | Kevin Max | 4:13 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| Total: 7 Songs |
iTunes Review
Unpredictable as ever, Kevin Max swims deeply into Britpop waters on his digital-only EP Crashing Gates. As part of DC Talk, Max was always the wild card, skewing the trio’s sound towards the outer banks of mainstream Christian rock. Crashing Gates finds him spinning tales of 21st-century social breakdowns and spiritual rebellions with the air of a fugitive street preacher. His vocals — rising from spoken whispers to an insinuating croon — emphasize the ominous themes in tracks like “Future Love Song” and “Crashing Gates and Passing Keepers.” Max’s past infatuation with the Beatles is echoed in the buoyant sound of “Baby, I’m Your Man,” while “Out of the Wild” marries slamming guitars to a sashaying rhythm in fine glam-rock fashion. The omnipresence of God amidst the conformity and madness of the modern world is a recurring topic here, shining forth most clearly in “Your Beautiful Mind 2009” (a revised version of a previously released tune). Max’s frequent shifts in style have sometimes led to confusion among his fans. Here he emerges as a fully engaged artist with a focused vision and an unyielding grip on his faith.
Recent Customer Reviews
Goodness Gracious Mr. Max!
by animeron17He really never disappoints us. This is another jewel in a long line of perfect projects if you ask me. Thank goodness there is still a good Christian artist out there!
Cosmically Crazy
by LanceboylezFirst of all, like some reviewers here, I don't believe there is such a thing as "Christian music." Possibly, "music from a Christian world view." But KMax continues to knock down stereotypes (BE) and expectations of where other people want his heart, and his musical style, to evolve. Like it or not, it's genuinely him, not some pretense to serve up something we'll all buy. And frankly, I'll take that anyday from any musician, and either choose to engage (listen) or not. Fortunately, for me, this is good stuff. It speaks to the times and our culture, as well as my heart. I appreciate that he doesn't present some candy-coated look at life and faith. Both are Herculean struggles, and if you don't perceive them as such, this probably isn't the artist or the album for you. Maybe the Gaither Homecoming series would be a better choice. But if you like something unique and refreshing that you'll never hear on any radio station, you'll feel you are somehow making a personal connection with the artist and the select others who enjoy this, which is where the real richness of music drives into our souls (and head) like Jael's ancient hammer! Nice work Kevin. Thanks.
"Past the stormtroopers of compromise..."
by otherworldpoetMax yet again manages to surprise and engage his audience with something fresh from the other end of the spectrum of his previous release, The Blood (2007). Crashing Gates & Passing Keepers mixes Kmax's sound of The Imposter and Between the Fence & The Universe, and yet is something else altogether. There's definitely a bit of a Beatles sound ("Baby, I'm Your Man"), and then a mysterious rock thing going on that reminded me of Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited for some reason ("Traveler"). But on the whole, Max draws from his inspirations to create his own unique rock language, opened up in a beautiful anthem that the EP hinges on ("Future Love Song"). Described by the artist as a collection of songs about the Apocalypse, each track dwells in Kevin Max's frustrations with the Christian music market ("Traveler"), his own uniqueness ("The Saint of Lonely Hearts"), and the dark path he sees the human race treading ("Out of the Wild" "Crashing Gates and Passing Keepers"). Max revives his spoken word art, experimenting with mixing rock with it, which I was very happy to hear, sorely missing the days when spoken word was a regular thing for him on Stereotype Be and Raven Songs 101, as well as the bit he did in dc Talk.
I could write so much more on this--go read some of the official critics' reviews, but you will not be disappointed at all with Crashing Gates. Listening through apocalyptic warnings, love songs, otherworld ramblings, the waxing poetic, and the beautiful and hopeful acoustic rendition of previoulsy released "Your Beautiful Mind", I was engaged every inch by Crashing Gates & Passing Keepers, and have found myself listening to it continually in my music stack.
Biography
Genre: Christian & Gospel
Years Active: '00s
Top Albums and Songs by Kevin Max
| Name | Album | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Cross (feat. DC Talk) | The Blood | 3:22 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 2 | People Get Ready (feat. Erica Campbell of Mary Mary) | The Blood | 4:14 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 3 | Run On for a Long Time (feat. Chris Sligh) | The Blood | 3:13 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 4 | Up Above My Head I Hear Music In the Air (feat. Amy Grant & Vince Gill) | The Blood | 2:54 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 5 | Existence | Stereotype Be | 4:13 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
