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Album Reviews

The Existence EP showcases a talented up-and-coming band named Forever Changed thanks to the talent of producer James Paul Wisner (Dashboard Confessional, UnderOATH) . Winser found driving rock undertones, classic guitar to accent the music, and Dan Cole's magnificently beautiful vocals. The sound of the band brings forward an intense flavor of driving rock with melody. On this EP are three songs: "Identical," talking about two church leaders fighting against each other but being identical, "Alone," telling of circumstances where his friend lifts his head and asks, "Where can I go, when I'm so alone?" and "Encounter," which tells how we encounter war in our lives. FC drives home the guitars and drums and provides a background of solid bass, with Dan Cole's vocals, and classic guitars to accent the songs at times. The Existence EP takes people on a journey, tells a story, and will impact whoever listens to it. A beautiful CD that one should seek out and find, before FC's full-length comes out in March of 2005 on Floodgate Records.

~ Len

This is the independent version of The Existence EP which I am reviewing. For a 3-song EP, The Existence has amazing production. Let's face it, Forever Changed had to get signed sooner or later. This is obviously the disc that got them signed with Floodgate Records. The combination of their great songs and great production propel them into the modern world of catchy emo-rock. Obviously knowing their instruments well enough to play something that makes so much sense and sounds so good, Forever Changed is a band that will be gain much attention. This style of music is not super-unique, progressive or pretentious in any way. But then again, FC have focused on good songs with an unwavering and compelling spiritual message. A nice thing about this EP is the packaging. It's minimal, and obviously home-made, but the white digipack is hand-splattered with different colors of paint. The best part is that there is more to come. But for now, Forever Changed will just keep rocking the stage around the country.
Rating: 4.5/5

~ Espy

Forever Changed is a traditional Christian emo/indie rock band, but they encompass this sound without being formulaic. They borrow a little bit of Thrice’s musical stylings while incorporating a flair for fluidity which is all their own.

One thing that Forever Changed does well is annunciate clearly. For the most part, the listener does not need a lyric sheet to hear what is being said, which is proactive to both conveying their message and drawing in the listener. Their lyrics often capture Christian themes without being preachy, which helps communicate a message that can be personally interpreted by both a Christian listener and a non Christian listener.

Musically, no two songs sound the same on this EP. “Encounter” is a strong, hard hitting song with intense vocals, “Alone” is a slow, emotive song, and “Identical” combines musical melodies with strong vocal harmonies.

~ independentclauses