Christmas Rock Night 2011 is still fresh in our memory [read our review], or the first band for the 2012 edition is already known. Knoxville [USA] based rock.metal band Disciple. These men are no stranger on this German festival.
Christmas Rocknight 2012 will be held December 7 & 8. The two day winter-festival Christmas Rock Night in Ennepetal (Germany) has been very well known for many years in Europe, due to the unprecedented strong rock/metal-programming. A rising number of Dutchmen find their way to the festival. Ennepetal is located in the Ruhrgebied, two hours from Utrecht and about one hour of the border and so it is good to reach with the car.
Disciple was formed in 1992 by high school friends Kevin Young, Brad Noah, and Tim Barrett. The band released their first CD, What Was I Thinking in 1995. Disciple was signed by Warner Resound, who produced Disciple‘s following release.
In 1997, Disciple released the five-song EP, My Daddy Can Whip Your Daddy. In 1999, they were signed by Rugged Records with whom they released their second full-length album, This Might Sting a Little. This album garnered them two GMA Dove Award nominations and two #1 Christian rock hit songs.
In 2000, the band released their third studio album titled By God which went on to win the Inspirational Life Award in 2001. By God earned them two number one christian rock hits, and two Dove Awards nominations.
After leaving Rugged Records, Disciple established their own label [Slain Records], and released Back Again in 2003, which earned two number one Christian rock hits. In October 2003 Disciple added bassist Joey Fife to the trio.
Disciple signed with Christian rock label SRE Recordings and released their fifth recording, self-titled Disciple in 2005. This album featured three number one christian rock hits, and two Dove Awards nominations.
Their sixth full-length album, Scars Remain, was released on November 7, 2006. The song “After the World” was the eighth most played song on Christian Hit Radio stations in 2007. Scars Remain, the album, has so far earned one number one Christian rock hit and two Dove Awards nominations.
On January 8, 2008, Kevin announced in a “Disciple: The Alliance” email that Brad and Joey were stepping down as band members. However, Kevin said that Brad “has decided to still be a part of the songwriting process and even play on the recordings.” He also mentioned that “the songs that has been writing for the new Disciple project are somewhere between hard rock and southern rock.” Also in that announcement was the addition of two new band members, Andrew Welch on guitar, and Israel Beachy on bass. With a new line-up, Disciple set off on the Cross the Line Tour with Superchick in March 2008. In April 2008, the band also announced the addition of Micah Sannan on guitar as well.
In fall 2008 Disciple played with the up and coming band Inherit the Fall. Their seventh studio album, Southern Hospitality was released on October 21, 2008.
Their latest album is Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, was released on September 14, 2010 via INO Records.
Disciple is:
Kevin Young – Vocals
Israel Beachy – Bass
Andrew Welch – Guitar
Micah Sannan – Guitar
Trent Reiff- Drums
*****
Christmas Rock Night is a Christian music festival held annually during December in Ennepetal, Germany. The festival does not focus on particular styles of Christian music, but leans toward harder forms including metal and alternative.
Founded in 1980, the first festival drew only three bands. Since then it has expanded to a two-three day event which regularly draws international artists such as POD, Disciple, Saviour Machine, Petra, Bride, and Split Level.
The festival has spawned a few spinoff festivals. Fishcore, a one-off festival, was held in 1999. It featured european bands such as Noise Toys, Lightmare, and Sacrificium in competition with each other.
Legends Of Rock (same organizers) is a best-of festival held closer to Spring in 2007, 2008 and 2009. This festival features international bands such as Bloodgood, Tourniquet, Whitecross, The Electrics, Glenn Kaiser Band, & Rex Carroll, sometimes for reunion events.
In 2007 the festival, under the leadership of Detlev and Martina Westermann, took the German Promikon Award in the category “Best Christian organizers.”