Audio Adrenaline

Audio Adrenaline

Christian alternative rock group

For the Record…

Leap to Headliner

Censored by Radio

Selected discography

Sources

Audio Adrenaline has created waves in the Christian alternative rock realm, and has seamlessly shifted from funk and rap music to alternative rock without losing equilibrium or devoted fans. The band worked with the mega Christian group D.C. Talk for more than two years on and off the tour circuits, and eventually altered their musical style to create more of a distinct sound separate from D.C. Talk. Aaron Brinley wrote of the band’s music on Squares Music Online, “great alternative rock…that jumps right into your lap with a grunge crispness that revitalizes your soul.” Audio Adrenaline meshes punk, thrash, ballads, and grunge in a fast, high-octane delivery, but they also create easy listening music and thoughtful, sincere ballads. The band consists of vocalist Mark Stuart from Owensboro, KY, guitarist/keyboard player Bob Herdman from Lynchburg, OH, bassist Will McGinniss from Caledonia, OH, drummer Ben Cissell from St. Louis, MO, and guitarist Tyler Burkum, a relative newcomer to the band.

Band members grew up listening to rock and 1970s-funk music. The Nashville-based quartet formed Audio Adrenaline in 1991 while Stuart and McGinniss studied at Kentucky Christian College in Grayson, Kentucky, and played in a local band. They met Herdman there and former band guitarist Barry Blair, who was replaced by Burkum in 1996. Herdman had written the song “DC-10” and he thought the band might want to perform it, which eventually led to his writing the single “My God” and the band’s first record deal. The songs were a cross between speed metal and rap with a bold religious message. The band members were education and religion majors and planning on becoming chemistry teachers. They had no desire to make music for a living—but their musical success led them to believe they were chosen to be musicians.

Their college enlisted their assistance to recruit prospective students at youth conventions across the country, sponsoring the band and giving them equipment and a van in return for saying something positive about the school. They builtup afollowing from this early touring, a loyal grassroots fan base primarily located throughout the Midwest, and also managed to sell a good amount of independent records as well.

In 1991 the band left college to sign with Forefront Records in Tennessee. On Audio Adrenaline’s first major tour, they were teamed with fellow Forefront artists Geoff Moore & The Distance as the opening act. They were also the roadies; Stuart told HotStar magazine, “It was pretty hard but it was a good time because we were just starting off. It was our first time to experience the whole country.”

They released their debut album, Audio Adrenaline, in 1992 but later felt the album didn’t reflect their true musical perspective, citing the fact that their producers molded them into an adrenaline-charged style. Two of the singles from their debut album were in the punk rock vein: “DC-10” and “My God”. The band released Don’t Censor Me shortly after in 1993, which had more of a pop and contemporary music tone than their previous work and sold more than 300, 000 units. The single “Big House” from the album received Dove Award nominations for rock song and video of the year, and a Billboard Music Award nomination for Best Christian Video. The single was also used in youth camps as a praise song and some churches used it in their services.

The band released Live Bootleg in 1995. BloOm was released in 1996, which contained more straight-ahead rock music than their other albums and sometimes bordered on easy-listening, serene music. It was produced by John Hampton, whose resume included production work with the Gin Blossoms. BloOm was an attempt to put religion in the forefront and to minimize their role in their success; the first single on the release was titled, “Never Gonna Be As Big As Jesus”. BloOm produced seven Top five singles, four of them reaching the number one mark.

Some Kind of Zombie was released in 1997. The single “Some Kind of Zombie” is a reference to Colossians

For the Record…

Members include Tyler Burkum , guitar; Ben Cissell (born in St. Louis, MO), durms; Bob Herdman (born in Lynchburg, OH), guitar, keyboard, and vocals; Will McGinniss (born in Caledonia, OH), guitar, keyboard, and vocals; and Mark Stuart (born in Owensboro, KY), bass.

Band formed in 1991 while Stuart and McGinniss were studying at Kentucky Christian College in Grayson, KY, and playing in a local band; in 1991 the band left college to sign with Forefront Records; toured with D.C. Talk and Geoff Moore & The Distance as the opening act; released Audio Adrenaline, in 1992; Don’t Censor Me, 1993; Live Bootleg, in 1995; BloOm, 1996, Some Kind of Zombie, 1997; published the book, Some Kind of Journey: On the Road with Audio Adrenaline —7 Days, 7issues, 7 Souls, by Standard Publishing on AVCD in 1997.

Address: Record company —Forefront Records, 201 Seaboard Lane, Franklin, TN 37067; (615) 771–-2900. Online —www.forefrontrecords.com

Chapter 3, where a life is given over to God. The material was inspired by lead singer Mark Stuart’s experiences living with his missionary parents in Haiti—where voodoo was conceived—the message being that you can be dead to your old self after becoming a new person through religion. Some Kind of Zombie utilized new sounds for the band: horns, strings, synthesizers, samples, and loops, and broadened their musical base.

Leap to Headliner

After the release of Some Kind of Zombie, Mark Rider—president of Nashville-based Just Radio, a production and programming company—told Billboard ’s Deborah Evans Price, “I think this is the best rock record out right now…. It’s a real departure from their previous sound, more raw, and kids love it.” Evans Price wrote, “Audio Adrenaline is poised to take the leap from promising new act to headliner with the release of Some Kind of Zombie.”

The album was slated to be released simultaneously with the book, Some Kind of Journey: On the Road with Audio Adrenaline—7 Days, 7 issues, 7 Souls, published by Standard Publishing. The book chronicles the experiences of seven young people who journeyed seven days with the band and discussed pertinent cultural issues along the way. It is a cross between MTV’s “Real Life” and “Road Rules”. Topics covered include struggling through pain, marriage and sexuality, and life in the church. It was intended to be a tool for youth pastors to guide those who have been sheltered from the real world. The book and album were released on enhanced CD format (AVCD), featuring four audio tracks, two videos, interviews, and devotional segments.

The possibility of mainstream success doesn’t spur band members on to greater glory, as they remain devoted to their original ideal of serving God and recruiting new Christians, particularly the young. Herd-man told Contemporary Christian Music’s Brian Quincy Newcomb, “When we first started the band, the goal was ministry first, music second. We put on a killer show, so when we say music is second, it’s not that we don’t take it seriously. But we take ministry more seriously. Our number one goal is to spread the gospel.”

Censored by Radio

The band intends to start their own label in the future. They play primarily at churches and county or state fairs when touring, which serves to keep them out of the mainstream venues. Stuart told J. Warner Soditus of The Lighthouse, “The Christian groups that are really selling well would be on the Top-40 Billboard but they don’t recognize the Christian bookstores…. I think that’s censorship. Another way we’re being censored is radio stations and MTV won’t play music or videos that are created by Christian labels. They’re afraid of Christianity.” Stuart continued to say that he felt Christianity was a generation away from extinction, which is the most compelling reason for the band to take their ministry to heart. He told Soditus, “We like to say, ‘We’re all Gods’ kids.’ We try not to have any barriers in our music. It’s a lot of fun.” Forefront Records’ Ron Griffin described Audio Adrenaline to Soditus as, “The heart of a pastor with the energy of a sixteen year old.”

Selected discography

Audio Adrenaline, Forefront, 1992.

Don’t Censor Me, Forefront, 1993.

Live Bootleg, Forefront, 1995.

BloOm, forefront, 1996.

Some Kind of Zombie (AVCD single), Forefront, 1997.

Some Kind of Zombie, Forefront, 1997.

Sources

Periodicals

Billboard, November 15, 1997.

Contemporary Christian Music Magazine, February 1998.

HotStar, April 27, 1998.

Iowa State Daily, May 3, 1996.

The Lighthouse, July/August, 1993.

Online

http://www.audioa.com

http://www.forefrontrecords.com

http://www.iias.com/melanie/aa.html (Mel’s Music)

http://205.186.189.2/cg/amg.exe‘sql=2P_IDP

—B. Kimberly Taylor