Men as Trees Walking is Allan Aguirre's newest venture into the music scene. Being a legend in the hardcore Christian punk scene- he was the founder of what's considered the first Christian punk band in America "Scattered Few"- you might be surprised what you hear when you give them a listen. For a guy that cites Bad Brains, X-Ray Spex, David Bowie, Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees as personal musical influences, he's taken his new band in a completely new direction.

Pounding tribal drums, soaring guitars, multi-layered vocals, ambient pseudo jazz and a hint of reggae all used concurrently will really set these guys apart from anything you might have heard lately. Having dabbled in these sounds before, it made Allan want to form an entire musical project devoted to them. It takes quite a few people to make this dream a reality for Allan....8 people to be exact (5 of them are family). And as you may have guessed, that brings along its fair share of challenges. Adorned in a "steam punk" (google it, i didn't make it up) outfit, each member of the band was unique looking.

"We're not like the Walton's or the Cleavers", Allan replies when asked how mixing business with family is. "A lot of type-A personalities, too, so there's always that. Musical direction? Now that's the easy part, since my kids grew up listening to the same music I was into and performing."

But if there's one thing the family believes in, it's keeping busy while performing. Whether it's shaking a tambourine, singing, strumming a guitar, pounding a drum or playing a keyboard; every member always had something to do while on stage. At one point, the female vocal duo encouraged the audience to join in a traditional African dance. Once they hit the stage, the band connected with the audience and kept them captive and filled the room with energy.

"It's not about the music, it's the message. The music is the doorknob to get into the space, or the room. It's just a vehicle." The music, although not traditional worship melodies, did have a positive message throughout. In fact, the band got its name from Scripture- Mark 8:24 to be exact.

All in all, I think that Allan has struck gold here.....pretty much making music that cannot be easily defined or placed into one category. He's definitely an interesting and unique personality, and his new vehicle has let his creativeness shine. Be sure to check these guys out as soon as you can. Oh yeah, be sure to bring a set of earplugs with you unless you want your ears to ring for a couple of days after. The Bible never said that a joyful noise unto the Lord had to be a quiet one!