The Christian film industry has a new movie targeted at the number one spending market and the group they've had the hardest time reaching--teenagers. Extreme Days features footage from several extreme sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. No matter what happens with the movie, the producers got one thing right for sure: young people do not do anything extreme to Wayne Watson.
The soundtrack to the movie is chock full of artists who fill the extreme/alternative labels quite well. There's two-thirds of dc Talk, Jamie Rowe, Earthsuit, Audio Adrenaline, Fold Zandura and many others. This guest list is one of the most positive things about this album. Even hard rockers P.O.D. make an appearance, which is by far the highlight of the album. Also, I will never have anything bad to say about Audio Adrenaline. Their ministry is one of the most grounded in the industry, and I have immense respect for them as musicians and Christian leaders.
The title track by Toby Mac is passable rap core without the core, and I enjoy remembering his hip-hop roots (see Nu Thang). But if you continue on to track 2 by Jamie Rowe (of Guardian fame), you'll encounter the most schizophrenic, reprehensible excuse for a song I've heard in a long time.
One of the worst things about the CD is the inclusion of the music from the actual movie composed by Klaus Badelt. It sounds like a mid-80s Nintendo game--not what I'd call the fringe of techno.
This album showcases a genre of Christian music that's actually catching up to the secular market. Maybe once teens hear the improvements made by such groups as Fold Zandura, P.O.D., PAX217 and others, they'll ask for more quality music.
