Now you can listen to all of the radio stations of TheBlast.FM on its own Amazon Fire app.

TheBlast.FM Amazon Fire app works on Amazon Fire phones and Amazon Fire tablets.

It also works on newer Blackberry phones.

You can download the free TheBlast.FM Amazon Fire app here:

https://smile.amazon.com/Invubu-Solutions-TheBlast-FM/dp/B079KHLSSM/ref=sr_1_493?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1518033618&sr=1-493&refinements=p_n_date%3A2479571011

TheBlast.FM group of stations is comprised of:

The Blast (Christian Rock/Alternative/Metal): https://TheBlast.FM

The Blast Blender (Christian Hot CHR/progressive pop):  https://Blender.TheBlast.FM

The Implosion (Christian Metal/Hardcore/Metalcore):  https://Implosion.TheBlast.FM

The Blastozoic Era (Classic Christian Rock/Alternative/Metal):  https://Blastozoic.TheBlast.FM

Our HTML5 players on our home page should work for most listeners on most browsers in most environments.  These streams are on ports that are not typically blocked by networks. But if you are having trouble listening, copy and paste this stream address into  your Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, Opera, or Safari browser (if it doesn’t open there by clicking on the hyperlink below):

http://184.154.255.68:80/stream

The first one of our apps that includes all four of our radio stations is our latest app, TheBlast.FM Alexa Skills, which includes The Blast (Christian Rock/Alternative/Metal); The Blast Blender (progressive Christian Pop); The Implosion (Christian Metal/Hardcore/Metalcore) and The Blastozoic Era (Classic Christian Rock, Alternative and Metal).

TheBlast.FM Alexa Skills are free to enable to your Amazon Echo and Alexa devices.  

Head here to enable it on yours:

https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Gonzales-TheBlast-FM/dp/B078JYKTF5/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-skills&ie=UTF8&qid=1515288587&sr=1-1&keywords=theblast.fm

You can now Implode inside TheBlast.FM Roku app!   Yep, now, all three of our radio stations can be listened to in the app:  The Blast (Christian Rock); The Blast Blender (Christian Pop); and The Implosion (Christian Metal).    You can get the updated TheBlast.FM app by by visiting the Roku Channel Store or by using this code: theblastfm .

The Implosion can also be heard in TheBlast.FM apps for iOS, Android, and Windows devices.  Full stories on these are in our news archives.

 

The Implosion has finally made it into TheBlast.FM app for Android and iOS phones and tablets.  TheBlast.FM is the search term, and the app is free.  TheBlast.FM app includes our Christian rock station (The Blast); our progressive Christian pop station (The Blast Blender) and now our Christian metal station (The Implosion), which Blasted off on January 1, 2017.  This news comes a week after the new TheBlast.FM app came out for Windows devices:  https://www.theblast.fm/home/2017/03/16/theblast-fm-windows-app-adds-the-implosion-now-available-on-wide-variety-of-devices/  The Implosion will also soon be added to TheBlast.FM Roku app.  In addition to all of this, we’d like to secure listener donations to create even more apps on more devices.    You can donate to the cause here:  https://www.theblast.fm/home/donations/

The Implosion is now available for Imploding in TheBlast.FM Windows app, available on:

Windows Phone 8, 8.1, 10
Windows Desktop/RT 10
Xbox One
Hololens
Surface Hub !

It is also coming soon to TheBlast.FM Android, iOS, and Roku TV apps.

Since when does the Deluxe Edition of a CD come out on the album’s original release date?  Since March 31, 2017, that’s when…Demon Hunter’s Outlive album comes out…and the Deluxe edition will include a 28-inch fold-out poster, a 28-page large format booklet with lyric explanations from lead singer Ryan Clark, a DVD featuring the Outlive documentary and a music video for the song “Died In My Sleep”, an Outlive bandanna, a 5-piece art card printed with metallic gold ink on black stock, a certificate of authenticity signed by the band, an Outlive commemorative ring in a white satin bag, and a 10 by 6 drawer style box with metallic gold foil.  

It’s All Streams Go on our HTML5 streams.  Get the Fully Imploded Experience, complete with lyrics and a chance for you to rate and favorite songs as they Implode, using these players.

THE IMPLOSION is our brand new Christian metal and hardcore radio station, Blasting off at Midnight (USA/Canadian Central Time) on January 1, 2017!

The station is birthed out of our Blastmetal show which had a 6 year run on The Blast, from 2010 to 2016. The Blastmetal show is now retired, but it, and its name, live on…on The Implosion!

Christian metal and hardcore have the most in your face Christian lyrics of any genre of music. This is face-melting stuff, not for the faint of heart!

by Colin Cruz, Program Director of The Blast and The Blast Blender.

The criteria used to be a lot easier to be met:

Back in the days when most Christian record labels were Christian-owned (late 1990’s, early 2000’s), it was easy.

If the band was on a Christian label, the assumption was that this was a real Christian band, as most Christian record labels were apparently vetting the artists they signed.

As a music director in FM Christian radio, I could hear the hearts of bands at Gospel Music Week.

The Blast has never had it in the budget for us to go to that event.

It is more difficult now, as some bands don’t like the Christian labeling so as to not be stereotyped and instantly dismissed by the masses. And, some Christian labels don’t vet very well.

Plus, I am programming radio that is more cutting edge than I have ever been allowed to program elsewhere, so less artist accountability tends to come with the territory.

As to criteria for even being CONSIDERED for airplay as a band:

1.  Being on a Christian label helps a lot, but it is not necessary, nor is it a guarantee that we will play a band.  Solid State has had some bands we will not play anymore due to things we have learned about those bands. We generally give the band and the Christian label the benefit of the doubt that the label has vetted the band for their Christianity.

2.  A band can be on a secular label if they are stated to be a Christian band and their lyrics match what they say they are and their lives and words don’t disprove their lyrics.

3.  A band can be an independent band and be considered if they are declared to be a Christian band.

4.  A band could possibly be considered for airplay even if they don’t consider themselves a Christian band, but all band members are known to be born again believers.

An example of a band we turned away comes to mind:  Thrice, after a decade of success as a secular rock band, suddenly started promoting themselves to the Christian Rock market a few years ago.  I asked their management, label, promoter if the guys in the band were all Christians and were told that only 1 or 2 of the band members were Christian.  We passed.

I am old school.  I was listening to Christian Rock and Christian Metal before the debate about “Christian band or not a Christian band” started.  I grew up on bands that had lyrics that were spewing forth direct invitations to receive Christ (packaged in heavy metal like Barren Cross) or spewing forth Scripture in their lyrics or at least having Scripture references listed next to every song like Petra.

Here is my scale:

Satanic Bands-Secular Bands-Spiritual Bands-Christian Entertainment Bands-Christian Ministry Bands

The vast majority of the world’s bands and artists fall under the header “Secular Bands”.

Overt Satanists with overtly Satanic lyrics (or bands that have Satanic lyrics as part of their act) are Satanic Bands.

Christian Ministry Bands:  examples would be Sleeping Giant, who stops in the middle of the song to pray over and prophesy over someone.  Skillet and Disciple and a whole host of other bands minister to the audience through spoken word during their shows and/or in prayer and/or discussion time after their shows.  Their lyrics are strongly Christian (sometimes in more subtle or more overt ways, but unmistakable to the learned ear).

Christian Entertainment Bands:   We have a lot less emphasis on bands who are perceived to be Christian Entertainment bands.  These kinds of bands encourage the church but may not necessarily win a lot of converts if they aren’t doing any hardcore ministry.  Fortunately, this is rarely, if ever a problem when it comes to Christian metal, hardcore and metal bands!

Spiritual Bands:  Creed comes to mind.  As one former traveling speaker (Phil Chalmers) who used to deeply study the lyrics, public words and lifestyles of mainstream musicians (and point people to Christian alternatives) used to say…if Creed would listen to their own albums, they would probably get saved.

Christian Ministry Bands Who Swear On an Album:  I think P.O.D. created its own category here.  Our board decided to pull all their music after they dropped an F-bomb on a recent album.   That, or they fall in to the Spiritual or Christian Entertainment band categories.

The Blast and The Blast Blender aim to focus heavily on Christian Ministry bands.  Ministry is why we do what we do.  There is a tolerance and promotion of Christian Entertainment bands, as their lyrics agree with Scripture and they are professing Christians.  Spiritual bands: we may inadvertently play some of these, but not on purpose.  It is a benefit of the doubt thing with regards to their label or their marketing declaring them to be a Christian band.

One thing we don’t do is…go out of the way to play Spiritual bands and hope they are a Christian band.

There a bunch of bands on the bubble that don’t want to show their cards…they like the promotion they get from some Christian radio outlets, but they don’t want to be tarred-and-feathered as a Christian band.

If success is more important to a band than naming the name of Christ, then the band probably isn’t a Christian band and the band might as well not wear that label.

The only counterpoint to that that I can think of is…if you are called to be stealth about it…to build a platform within secular circles and include a Christian message in your songs (without declaring that you are a Christian band) and build relationships and be a witness to kids after shows…I don’t know:  I guess that is between the band and God.

As to criteria for a song: it has to be high quality music, it must fit the format, and the message has to agree with Scripture.  And that is on a case-by-case basis, song-by-song basis for every band we play.