Tooth & Nail Records Film 'No New Kinda Story' Documents Christian Rock's Humble & Miraculous Origins [REVIEW]

Tooth & Nail Records

The Tooth & Nail Records documentary 'No New Story' takes viewers on a trip back to the early '90s to see how one man's pipe dream became a miracle that changed the Christian music industry forever.

The film documents the creation of the label from the mind of founder Brandon Ebel. The figurehead behind one of music's most well known label's was given a $60,000 loan from his grandfather to launch his company in his tiny apartment.

After failing several times to merge with a label he was currently working for, Ebel began masquerading as a legitimate label to entice local bands to sign with him. He wanted to be the "IT" spot for all the misfit Christian rock groups who did not have a voice among all the CCM and sequel alternative.

Ebel toiled for a few years with bands such as Wish for Eden, Plankeye, and Starflyer 59, but it was not until the signing of punk rock group MxPx that the label took off.

Mxpx
(Photo : Facebook: Mxpx)

From there the documentary focuses on their rapidly growing fan base, selling hundreds of thousands of records, and the eventual dilemma of bands moving on to major labels.

In the late '90s to early 2000s the label became a hit making factory picking up contributions from UnderOath, Emery, P.O.D., O.C. Supertones, Project 86, and many more bands and artists.

To see the humble beginnings of Ebel and some of Christian music's most beloved bands is incredible. The story is truly a rags to riches story that wound up creating an outlet for believers who had nowhere to turn with their musical tastes.

Tooth & Nail represents the edgy, tough, and dark side of music for people not into bubblegum pop, gospel, and contemporary. It allows Christians to yell, get a bit angsty, and be truly emotional just like everyone else.

This movie is an absolute must for anyone heavily invested in Christian rock. The list of bands spoken about or shown is endless: The Crucified, Living Sacrifice, Thousand Foot Krutch, Frodus, and countless others.

Watch the trailer below:

"It was a lot of fun going down memory lane, reuniting with old friends, and talking about how it all started," shares Tooth & Nail Records' founder and President Brandon Ebel in a press release. "'No New Kinda Story' encapsulates the spirit of Tooth & Nail at its core, and I'm honored we were able to immortalize the beginnings of the label in film. It's been a blessing to work with so many artists and put out albums that truly impacted people, and I'm honored to have been a part of it."

The movie is available now, and came out in October and helps celebrate 20 years of Tooth & Nail. Purchase the documentary at the label's merch store here.