Candy Canes

Another year has come and it's time to brush of the dust on our boots and face the adventures ahead. I can enjoy the holidays as much as the next person, but I'll admit I'm glad they're done. Now let me enter my little rant:
Many claim it's the best time of the year, but I would beg to differ. Though I enjoy celebrating Jesus' birth and chillin with family it's a relief reaching the holiday finish line. Call me a humbug, but the chaos of the season tends to damper my festive spirit.
Now let me shift gears and reflect a sec on what 2011 has meant to me. I am grateful. This past year has treated me well, in fact, it may have been the best time of my life. The beautiful people I've met and places I've seen I count all a joy. I have learned to love deeper. walk slower, and cherish more all the good in this world. I begin to tear up thinking of the grace I've received, all the love I have felt, and I pray 2012 will be even better.
So! With a new year comes a lot more new bands to shout out for!
First off I have to mention a group I heard about several months ago called Hope for the Dying. These guys are a beautiful blend of progressive, shred, and metalcore with a few drops of death and a melodic twist. They are a good and true representation of what Christian metal should be. Caught a month ago and was impressed by their live performance. With piercing lyrics and incredible guitars singing I hope these fellas really make a name for themselves!

My next shout out goes to the legendary band In Flames. Lately this group has really gotten under my skin. They made a stir in Europe when they came out as being one of the best extreme Swedish metal bands around. Starting their work in the early 90's their art has changed over the years, but all still remains a masterpiece. I adore bands that carry their melody in the guitar. It takes a true proficient and Björn Gelotte is master of his gift. With a variety of sounds and influences In Flames stands out to me being bold, slightly whimsical, and potent in their deliverance. I hope to catch them in Chicago next month and I look forward to catching their perfected art up close!

One of my goals for 2012 is to read all the books from BBC's The Big Read list. It's their top 100 books one should devour and I've already tackled a lot (considering I was a literature major in college) and I'm excited to meet this goal! First up, To Kill a Mockingbird. Classic, raw, and beautiful. A treasure among literature I tip my hat off to Ms. Lee. So happy Friday dear ones!