Frontline Records was a dynamic and progressive Christian record label founded in 1985 by James Kempner. Kempner had a background in concert promotion and was the primary Saturday night concert evangelist at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in the late 1970s. Frontline Records became an important label in the development of the West Coast Christian alternative music scene. Their roster included what 7ball magazine would later refer to as "truly classic alternative, rap, metal, and rock music†and HM editor Doug Van Pelt would call "the lion's share" of classic hard Christian music.
The label officially took flight by the signing of local bands from the Orange County California area. In that first year Frontline released 16 records. In 1986 the company signed a distribution deal with Nashville based Benson Records to tap into their extensive sales force and distribution through Zondervan Music. Frontline Records soon transitioned to Frontline Music Group (FMG) allowing the company to create different sub-labels to promote their growing and diverse roster of alternative, punk, dance, pop, rock, gospel, metal, rap and hip-hop artists.
Frontline handled mainstream pop and rock artists such as Crystal Lewis, Idle Cure, Jon Gibson, Altar Boys, Shout and Rick Elias. Alarma Records was created to feature alternative music acts like Mad At The World, Jacob’s Trouble, The Swirling Eddies and Poor Old Lu. It’s sister label, Alarma World, was home to international-based acts like Edin-Adahl and Walk On Water. Intense Records housed metal based stalwarts Tourniquet, Bloodgood, Sacred Warrior and Deliverance. Myx Records was a dance/hip hop label headed by former New York club DJ Scott Blackwell and represented many of Blackwell’s own creations and other rap/hip hop artists like the Gospel Gangstaz, P.I.D. and D-Boy.
Frontline saw massive growth from 1986-1991 where the company especially dominated Christian media outlets and radio airwaves. In 1992 Kempner and his executive staff decided not to renew its distribution deal with Benson and instead, hired its own sales force and signed an independent distribution deal to garner more control over its own brands. Initially the move seemed to be working but soon FMG started showing signs of losing its momentum. The financial requirements to sustain itself were greater than expected. Even though some new artists were signed, most notably Angie and Debbie Winans, Gary V and Carole Huston, the label spiraled down until it could no longer keep itself afloat and by the mid-90s closed its doors.
FMG and all of its assets were acquired by Nashville based record producer and publisher, William “Buddy†Killen, under Killen Music Group in 1998. KMG released double CDs to infuse the marketplace with the top-selling Frontline artists. Things went well until 2002 when Diamante, the distributor for KMG Records, folded and the label went down with it. Buddy passed away in Novemer 2006 of cancer. In 2010 Carolyn Killen, Executrix of his Estate, sold the Frontline publishing catalog to Meis Music Group; and in 2011, the KMG, Frontline and Damascus Road Records master recordings.
Meis Music Group was founded by president, Adel Meisenheimer, music publishing and record label administration specialist since 1979. Back in 1998 Buddy contracted Adel to manage licensing and royalties for KMG records and its publishing affiliates when he purchsed FMG assets. Meis Music Group serves over 100 artists who recorded approximately 300 albums.
1. | The First Noel / Scott Blackwell |
2. | It's Not About Santa / Scott Blackwell |
3. | Angels We Have Heard On High / Adam Again |
4. | O Come All Ye Faithful / Undercover |
5. | Room In Your Heart / Bunch Of Believers |
6. | Snowball Fight / Bunch Of Believers |
7. | I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day / Lanny Cordola |
8. | Christmas Lullaby / Lanny Cordola |
9. | Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming / Hymmersion |
10. | Angels From The Realm Of Glory / Hymmersion |
Frontline & Friends Christmas Sampler
Originally Released: 2011
1. | Attitude Of Gratitude / Mark Farner |
2. | Gratitude / U.C.L.A Gospel Choir |
3. | I Give This Life to You / David Za!ro |
4. | You Amaze Me / Rhonda Gunn |
5. | Born To Praise Him / Debbie McClendon |
6. | Happy To Know Jesus / Jon Gibson |
7. | All For You / Jacob's Trouble |
8. | Only Your Love / Rick Elias |
9. | See Me Fall / Life Savers |
10. | Thank You Lord / Lanny Cordola |
11. | Praise Him If You Love Him / Sanctuary Praise |
Frontline Gratitude
Originally Released: 2012
1. | If God Be For Us / Ucla Gospel Choir |
2. | Oh Jesus Loves Me / Nicole C. Mullen |
3. | Amazing Grace / Bernard Wright |
4. | Love Stays / Angie Winans & Debbie Winans |
5. | Arms Still Open / Nicole C. Mullen |
6. | Glory To His Name / Bernard Wright |
7. | Why Won't You Let Me Love You / Angie Winans & Debbie Winans |
8. | Wanna Be Ready / Washington |
9. | Backslider / Gospel Gangstaz |
10. | Long As I Live / UCLA Gospel Choir (Feat. Gospel Gangstaz) |
Frontline Gospel
Originally Released: 2012
1. | Door Into Summer - Jacob's Trouble |
2. | Pay for Surf - Daniel Amos |
3. | Ed Takes a Vacation (A Suite) - Swirling Eddies |
4. | Scenic Routes - Lost Dogs |
5. | A Good Sailor Knows - Insyderz |
6. | Hello Sunny Weather - Poor Old Lu |
7. | Sail Away - Angelica |
8. | The Net - Lost Dogs |
9. | We Live for the Son - Life Savers |
10. | Summer Children - Crumbacher-Duke |
11. | Wind and Wave - Jacob's Trouble |
Frontline Rockin' Summer
Originally Released: 2012
1. | America - Bloodgood |
2. | A Freedom’s Worth Fighting For - Mike Stand |
3. | For The Love Of My Country - Poor Old Lu |
4. | American Made - American Made |
5. | American Standard - Every Day Life |
6. | U.S.A. - Dead Artist Syndrome |
7. | Red, White And Blue - The Lost Dogs |
8. | Pray In The USA - Morgan Cryar |
9. | Memorial Song - The Insyderz |
10. | Lay Our Weapons Down - Liaison |
Frontline America Rocks
Originally Released: 2012
1. | Holy, Holy, Holy - Sacred Warrior |
2. | He Died - Sacred Warrior |
3. | Holy Fire - Bloodgood |
4. | Holy Mountain - Idle Cure |
5. | Glorify The Lamb - Rhonda Gunn |
6. | Alive! - Recon |
7. | He Lives - Liaison |
8. | The Cross Was His Own - Veil of Ashes |
9. | The Messiah - Bloodgood |
10. | The 10th Song (I Remember You) - Adam Again |
Frontline Risen
Originally Released: 2012
1. | Silent Night / Altar Boys |
2. | Everybody Sing A Christmas Song / Jon Gibson |
3. | Lay Our Weapons Down / Liaison |
4. | Mary's Eyes / Street Called Straight |
5. | Theme For A Child / Bill Baumgart |
6. | Blues For The Child / Blues For The Child |
7. | The First Noel / Adam Again |
8. | Angels We Have Heard On High / Blues For The Child |
9. | O Come, O Come Immanuel / Adam Again |
10. | Wexford Carol / Blues For The Child |
11. | Emmanuel / Carson Cole |
12. | Christmas / Dead Artist Syndrome |
13. | Silent Night / Deliverance |
14. | Hark The Herald Angels Sing / Ojo Taylor |
15. | What A Wonderful Night / Street Called Straight |
Frontline Presents... Christmas
Originally Released: 2013
1. | Fall / Mortal |
2. | Stand And Fall / Mike Stand |
3. | Fall 4 / Echoing Green |
4. | My World Falls Down / Poor Old Lu |
5. | Falling Forward / The Straw Theory |
6. | See The Man Fall / My Little Dog China |
7. | You Can Fall In Love / Adam Again |
8. | Falling / Dead Artist Syndrome |
9. | Fallen / Randy Rose |
10. | Why Buildings Fall Down / Chaos Is the Poetry |
11. | Before The Fall / Rick Elias |
12. | Watch Me Fall / Kevin Clay |
13. | Aubrey's Fall / Rainy Days |
14. | Fallen World / Altar Boys |
15. | See Me Fall / LifeSavers |
Frontline Presents: FALL
Originally Released: 2013
1. | Eat the Flesh - Bloodgood |
2. | Crucify - Bloodgood |
3. | Blood Sacrifice - Mortification |
4. | Human Sacrifice - Vengeance Rising |
5. | Fill This Place with Blood - Vengeance Rising |
6. | Flesh and Blood - Deliverance |
7. | Sacrificium - Randy Rose |
8. | Bathed in Blood - Mortification |
9. | All over Me - Die Happy |
10. | The Messiah - Bloodgood |
11. | From the Dead - Vengeance Rising |
12. | Victory - Deliverance |
13. | Live Wire - Bloodgood |
14. | There's Only One Hero - Angelica |
15. | Alive! - Recon |
Frontline Presents: The Passion
Originally Released: 2014
Love Found
Originally Released: 2015
1. | Friend In You - Jon Gibson |
2. | Love All The Hurt Away - Tim Miner |
3. | Love Stays - Angie & Debbie Winans |
4. | Need Somebody - Angie Alan |
5. | Too Bad She Didn't Want Me - Benny Hester |
6. | I Wait Alone - David Zaffiro |
7. | Who Can Heal The Pain - Liaison |
8. | When You Lose Someone You Love - Rick Elias |
Love Actually
Originally Released: 2015
Christian Music's #1 Charting Rock Hits Volume One
Originally Released: 2020
Christian Music's #1 Charting Rock Hits Volume Two
Originally Released: 2020