What I've Become

Last updated
What I've Become
WhatIveBecome.jpg
Studio album by
Ashes Remain
ReleasedAugust 23, 2011
Genre Christian rock , Post-Grunge
Length37:34
Label Fair Trade
Producer Rob Hawkins
Ashes Remain chronology
Red Devotion
(2009)		What I've Become
(2011)		Christmas EP
(2012)
Singles from What I've Become
  1. "Come Alive"
    Released: 2011
  2. "Everything Good"
    Released: 2011
  3. "End Of Me"
    Released: 2012
  4. "On My Own"
    Released: 2012
  5. "Keep Me Breathing"
    Released: 2012
  6. "Change My Life"
    Released: 2012
  7. "Unbroken"
    Released: 2012
  8. "Without You"
    Released: 2014

What I've Become is the third studio album by Christian rock band Ashes Remain. The album was released on August 23, 2011 by the label Fair Trade Services. The album has charted on Billboard's Christian and Heatseeker Albums charts at Nos. 25 and 18 respectively. This album was produced by Rob Hawkins.

Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands. Many bands who perform Christian rock have ties to the contemporary Christian music labels, media outlets, and festivals, while other bands are independent.

Ashes Remain is an American Christian rock band, formed in 2001 and based in Baltimore, Maryland. The band was founded by Josh Smith and Ryan Nalepa. While they released two albums in their first six years, the band is popularly known for its third album, What I've Become, which was released in 2011. They have released four albums, Lose the Alibis (2003), Last Day Breathing (2007), What I've Become (2011), and Let the Light In (2017), two EPs, Red Devotion (2009) and Christmas EP (2012) and two non-album singles, "Separated" (2004) and "Here For a Reason" (2014).

Fair Trade Services, formerly known as INO Records, is an American record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee, specializing in Contemporary Christian music (CCM). It is distributed by Sony Music Entertainment and was owned by Integrity Media until June 2011. When Integrity Media sold its assets to David C. Cook, label founder/President Jeff Moseley purchased the label assets and renamed it Fair Trade Services

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Alpha Omega News
(Elise F.)		A [1]
Alternative Addiction
(Mike)		Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Christian Music Zine
(Tyler Hess)		Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Cross Rhythms
(Lins Honeyman)		Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [4]
Jesus Freak Hideout
(Michael Weaver)		Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
New Release Tuesday
(Mary Burklin)		Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]

The album was met with generally positive reviews from critics.

Alpha Omega New's Elise F. said that "What I've Become, the debut album of rock band Ashes Remain, is part Kutless, part Red, a bit Decyfer Down, and overall one of the best rock albums to come out yet this year." [1] In addition, Elise F. wrote that "while Ashes Remain is a band that could come across at times as generic both lyrically and musically, they have surprising talent and a solid sound. I, for one, will definitely be putting this album on repeat while I wait to see what they come up with next." [1]

Kutless band

Kutless is a Christian rock band from Portland, Oregon formed in 2001. Since their formation, they have released multiple studio albums and one live album, Live from Portland. They have sold over 3 million records worldwide.

Red (band) American rock band

Red is an American Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 2002 by brothers guitarist Anthony Armstrong and bassist Randy Armstrong, with lead vocalist Michael Barnes. The band's first lineup also consisted of drummer Andrew Hendrix and guitarist Jasen Rauch. Since 2014, the band's line-up has consisted of the core trio of the Armstrongs and Barnes with current drummer Dan Johnson.

Decyfer Down American band

Decyfer Down is a Christian rock band formed in 1999 and based in Morehead City, North Carolina. Until 2002 – the year that Christopher Clonts joined the band – they went by the moniker Allysonhymn. Decyfer Down is well known in Christian music, but the band is also known for their mainstream success, having toured with bands like Puddle of Mudd and Breaking Benjamin.

Alternative Addiction's Mike said that "Baltimore Christian modern rock outfit Ashes Remain has undoubtedly produced one of the modern rock highlights of 2011. Full of hooks and great songs, 'What I've Become' hits all the right buttons whilst harnessing it to a hard edge that fans of Skillet and Kutless will fully appreciate. Held together by Rob Hawkins (Disciple, Fireflight) uncluttered production this album has the appeal to crossover into the secular market and at the same time be relevant in both the rock and the pop markets." [2] Additionally, Mike wrote "whilst winning no awards for originality whatsoever 'What We've Become' nevertheless deserves high praise for it’s great songs, high quality musicianship and overall consistency making this album one of the surprises of 2011." [2]

Skillet (band) American christian rock band

Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1996. The band currently consists of husband John and wife Korey Cooper along with Jen Ledger and Seth Morrison. The band has released ten albums, with two, Collide and Comatose, receiving Grammy nominations. Two of their albums, Comatose and Awake, are certified Platinum and Double Platinum respectively by the RIAA while Rise and Unleashed are certified Gold as of December 4, 2018.

Disciple (band) Christian metal band from the USA

Disciple is a Christian metal and rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee, formed in 1992.

Christian Music Zine's Tyler Hess said that "the genre itself tends to lead to cookie-cutter albums, but even though Ashes Remain follows a pattern set forth by many bands before them in their debut, What I’ve Become, they do it with a fairly polished sound and by consistently mixing things up with different approaches it makes for a solid release." [3]

Cross Rhythms' Lins Honeyman said that "this is a stunning release from a band set on communicating God's love in a real, relevant and electrifying way." [4]

Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources on contemporary Christian music.

Jesus Freak Hideout's Michael Weaver said that "if you are a fan of the everyday average modern rock played in constant rotation on radio stations these days, Ashes Remain are right up your alley. They bring just enough on the side of catchy hooks with What I've Become to be interesting. If you are looking for something new and exciting, you should probably stay far away. Given the state of affairs in the music industry today, I can see Ashes Remain having some success with their accessible sound. Though their debut isn't particularly impressive, they do show enough chops in the style they play to be a band to look at in the future. Hopefully these guys can add some originality and creativity into their fairly polished sound." [5]

New Release Tuesday's Mary Burklin said that "although there's not a whole lot of new ground broken lyrically and instrumentally in this album, it's a formula that works. Ashes Remain certainly adds its own unique flavor to the formula, and What I've Become is a solid addition to any collection. One of the elements that sets them apart is their use of intricate, guitar-focused bridges in almost every track. Another element that gives them strength is their ability to meld acoustic and grittier elements flawlessly in the same song. Overall, it is a raw album that sheds some light amidst dark themes." [6] Lastly, Burklin wrote that "the album walks through hard places while still fixed on hope through the grace of Christ." [6]

Track listing

What I've Become
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Keep Me Breathing"Benjamin Kirk, Joe Pangallo, Jonathan Hively, Joshua Smith, Robert Tahan, Ryan Nalepa2:58
2."On My Own"Kirk, Hively, Smith, Tahan, Nalepa, Seth Mosley2:53
3."Everything Good"Kirk, Hively, Smith, Paul Alan, Tahan, Nalepa3:40
4."Without You"Kirk, Hively, Smith, Alan, Tahan, Nalepa3:49
5."Come Alive"Kirk, Hively, Smith, Robert Graves, Tahan, Nalepa3:41
6."Unbroken"Kirk, Chuck Butler, Hively, Smith, Tahan, Nalepa3:07
7."End of Me"Kirk, Brian Hitt, Hively, Smith, Tahan, Nalepa2:50
8."Right Here"Kirk, Hitt, Hively, Smith, Tahan, Nalepa2:51
9."Change My Life"Kirk, James Rueger, Hively, Smith, Tahan, Nalepa2:59
10."Take It Away"Kirk, Hively, Smith, Tahan, Nalepa2:40
11."Inside of Me"Kirk, Hively, Smith, Tahan, Nalepa2:50
12."I Won't Run Away"Kirk, Butler, Hively, Smith, Tahan, Nalepa3:20
Total length:37:34

Personnel

Charts

Album

Chart (2011–12)Peak position
US Christian Albums (Billboard) [7] 25
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [8] 18

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Elise F. (September 3, 2011). "Ashes Remain – What I've Become". Alpha Omega News. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Mike (February 5, 2012). "What I: Ashes Remain". Alternative Addiction. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Hess, Tyler (August 25, 2011). "Review: Ashes Remain – What I've Become". Christian Music Zine. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Honeyman, Lins (September 24, 2011). "Ashes Remain - What I've Become". Cross Rhythms . Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Weaver, Michael (July 19, 2011). "Ashes Remain, "What I've Become" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Burklin, Mary (August 29, 2011). "Ashes Remain: Through the Fire". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Ashes Remain Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard.
  8. ↑ "Ashes Remain Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
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