''Invader Volume 1'' is the fourth extended play from the New Zealand

Christian hip hop Christian hip hop (originally gospel rap, also known as Christian rap, gospel hip hop or holy hip hop) is a subgenre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United S ...

band

Rapture Ruckus Rapture Ruckus was a Christian hip hop and rock band from Wellington, New Zealand signed to BEC Recordings. They have released four albums: ''Rapture Ruckus'' in 2002, ''I Believe'' in 2006, ''Rapture Ruckus Live at World's End'' in 2008, and '' ...

. It released on 25 February 2014 by BEC Recordings. The EP charted at No. 61 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and it was awarded four star ratings from Indie Vision Music, Jesus Freak Hideout and New Release Tuesday, a three-and-a-half star rating from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

and a three star rating from ''

CCM Magazine ''CCM Magazine'' is a twice-monthly online magazine focusing on contemporary Christian music, published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. History ''CCM'' was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has bee ...

''.

Background

The fourth extended play from the New Zealand Christian hip hop group is entitled ''Invader Volume 1'', and it was released by BEC Recordings on 25 February 2014. The EP was primarily written and produced by Brad Dring and longtime collaborator Geoff Duncan, with contributions from other writers and producers as noted below.

Critical reception

''Invader Volume 1'' garnered generally positive reception from the nine

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

to review the album. At ''

'', Matt Conner rated the album three stars out of five, stating that "they hit their exact target." Sarah Fine of New Release Tuesday rated the album four stars out of five, writing that the band "continues to push boundaries" on a release which "is an impressive collection of tunes well worth your time and attention." At Jesus Freak Hideout, John DiBiase rated the album four stars out of five, saying that the release "is a great new entry into the Rapture Ruckus catalog." David Jeffries of

rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, observing how it is "Good times, even if fans expecting the usual Ruckus are bound to be thrown." At Indie Vision Music, Sara Walz rated the album four stars out of five, calling it "A solid release." Bryce Cooley of ChristCore rated the album three stars out of five, remarking that "Even I, in my overall disdain for this album, found my head bobbing almost involuntarily." At CM Addict, David Bunce rated the album four stars out of five, noting that with this release "Rapture Ruckus is beginning to up their game." Angel Journey of Jesus Wired rated the album an eight out of ten stars, stating that "This first EP is anthem heavy, indeed, and does not fail to deliver huge tracks that are sure to get your granny fist pumping." At The Christian Music Review Blog, Dominic Marchica rated the album three stars out of five, observing that this EP "should not go unnoticed."

Commercial performance

For the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' charting week of 22 March 2014, ''Invader Volume 1'' was the No. 61 most sold album in the entirety of the United States via the ''Billboard'' 200 and it was the No. 6 most sold album in the Christian category by the Christian Albums charting. Also, the album was the No. 13 most sold album on the

Top Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

chart, and on the

Alternative Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

chart it was the No. 10 most sold. The album was the No. 11 most sold on the

Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...

Background

Critical reception

Commercial performance

Track listing

Chart performance

References