This Christian singer/songwriter has challenged himself creatively since parting company with his fellow DC Talk partners more than a decade ago. Released with an accompanying graphic novel, Fiefdom of Angels: Side One further extends his limits by radically reworking four cover tunes (and one original) into a soundtrack project with an overarching spiritual theme. Brooding strings and rumbling percussion lift Real Life’s “Send Me an Angel” and Joy Division’s “Shadow Play” out of their ‘80s techno-rock contexts into symphonic realms, while Queen’s “Dragon Attack” loses its funky groove in favor of something more ominous and exalted. Max stretches his vocal talents in these tracks, turning in a particularly strong performance on a Middle Eastern treatment of his song “End of the Beginning.” The EP reaches a crescendo with a bold take on Muse’s “Take a Bow,” transformed into a fiery sermon infused with layered vocals and rippling synths. Fiefdom of Angels: Side One’s imaginative sweep takes you on an exalted and often scary ride, leaving you eager for Side Two.