Introduction to Heavy Christian Music!

[Requiem]

Here, i'll be sharing with you some of the best christian metal/rock bands and their songs.

Antestor was perhaps the first christian metal band in history: they started the movement with their 1991 album "The Defeat of Satan". The genre is Black Metal, with (obviously!) opposite thematics but the same sounds, and a heavy use of growling and screaming.

Here is their official site and logo: http://www.antestor.net/Home.html

Attachment 86990

One of their signature songs, "Via Dolorosa" ("The Painful Way") from their 2005 album "The Forsaken", that describes the suffering of the man who doesn't know God, and the impossibility of finding ultimate meaning apart from Him. (the title refers to the road traversed by Jesus to reach Mount Calvary. if you like this song, check also "Rites of Death" and "Vale of Tears")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCYNvCjo-0

I realize their sound may be too "raw" for someone (mind you, i don't like it too much either; i prefer softier genres like Gothic or Alternative). But they have cleaner songs too: here's an example, "Raade" (I honestly don't know what that means )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwmv1ow8vrQ

Or this one, it's titled "Jesus, Jesus Ver Du Hjå" and it is apparently a norwegian prayer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cjm5M_TddM

I'll be posting some of those "softier" bands soon. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading (and listening)!

[seanD]

They got nothing on For Today

[Requiem]

*Does a little research on them*



A fairly recent metalcore band. Not bad, i must say!

[Requiem]

Now, on to another band.

Seventh Avenue: they're form Germany, and their genre is a much more melodical heavy/power metal. The classic evangelical anti-intellectualism present in some of their songs (like "One Life Ends") makes me sick, but if you like their kind of music, this band is for you.

Attachment 87033

I'd recommend Wings of Dawn, inspired by Psalm 139:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQNn6xaosm0

Or the one i like the most, Touch of Your Love:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKtoP6zEVPs

Until You Come Again (obviously about the Second Coming) is also good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQEpVMRfLf4

Another one, it's titled "Open your mind".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1DJaxBqDXQ

Attachment 87032

We interviewed them on Whitemetal.it some years ago; here it is: http://www.whitemetal.it/intervista_..._(english).htm

[Dee Dee Warren]

White metal, like that.

[Requiem]

And the best is yet to come!

Virgin Black: it's a christian metal band from Australia, without a doubt my favorite one. Their first two albums, Sombre Romantic" and "Elegant...and Dying", are mostly Gothic and Doom-oriented; "Requiem - Mezzo Forte" belongs definitely to the Doom genre; while "Requiem - Fortissimo" features a darker Funeral Metal with heavy doses of growl. Their new album "Requiem - Pianissimo", forthcoming this winter, will be composed mostly of classical music. Therefore, as you can see, there's something to suit all tastes!

Attachment 87133

The themes of their song are various as well. Obviously i would recommend all of their discography (!), but if you want a place to start, the best one could be "The Kiss of God's Mouth":

(the song begins at 2:55, if you're in a hurry. ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIYejedBITE

Or, "A Poet's Tears of Porcelain", a simple and beautiful worship song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nulzOOQSI-g

As tears again bedew my cheek
To your knees I cling
Oh merciful One
Show me your glory

Was I not bruised?
Have you not healed?
They dance to silence
But your song I hear

Holy Lord, fathomless God
tears flow
But the water is sweet
Holy Lord, fathomless God
I fall as one dead
With quivering lips
Blessed be, priest and friend
All Heavens bow
In admiration
Fathomless depth
Measureless height
Great is your holiness


Attachment 87134

If you like them, try also "Beloved" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxh0eAK6Ll4), "Of Your Beauty" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zkps9qKxxE) and "In Winter's Ash", on the suffering we must endure on this earth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jT8xFNuRQ):

I lie with blackened chest
Tears, dense, welling in swollen eyes
Resplendent in winter´s ash
My God be upheld in our distress
My cries fill the air
Winter envelopes

I lie with blackened chest
Tears, dense, welling in swollen eyes
Resplendent in winter´s ash
Where is my God, in the dull ear of night?
With tuneless voice, a requiem sung
Wailing and breadless, alone
On a flower strewn earth
Where is my God?
Look at me, upon my bruised head
Taste my ruin, my ashen soul
I tread alone
Winter envelopes

Man, the lyrics are just fantastic! As for their site, it unfortunately went defunct, but they still have a Myspace and a Facebook page like many other of these bands. Have a nice day!

[Requiem]

For those who like fantasy and C.S. Lewis, here's Narnia. Epic symphonies and songs reminiscent of Lord of the Rings from this swedish band whose genre is a mix between Prog and Power Metal.

Attachment 87159

Their best album would be "Desert Land" (2001); here's a song from that album, titled Angels are Crying (you may want to check the title track, "Desert Land" and "Trapped in This Age", also on youtube):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qHE1wNqCVQ

This is Another World, from "Enter the Gate" (2006):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o97LHA9oW18

And let's conclude with their most notorious one, the powerful "Long Live the King" (live):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMJ7vwhZXPI

Attachment 87160

Here's their official site: http://www.narniaworld.com/Narnia.html

That's all for today!

[Requiem]

A little-known gem from Poland is the Gothic Metal/Classical Band, Metus. I and the singer are friends on facebook, and his music is great; a peculiar characteristic of this band is that the covers of their albums are abstract paintings done by the lead singer, Marek Juza. They're very beautiful, look at these ones:

Attachment 87193

Beauty (2009)

Attachment 87194

His best one, Deliverance (2008)

Attachment 87195

Out of Time, forthcoming (maybe this fall)

Other paintings are available on his Myspace. As for the songs, i like "Beauty" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2QFxjPrkKw) and "Cold Oblivion" (Wow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eGpybQtsnk) from the 2009 album the most ("Dark Cobalt Sky", "Blindness" and "The Tree of Life" are also very good, but they're unavailable on youtube. You cand find some of them on the Myspace, if you're interested).

Attachment 87196

(This is Marek, their main singer)

Here's the link: http://www.myspace.com/metuspl and their official site, "Echoes of Infinity": http://www.marekjuza.com/?page=metus_marek-juza. Highly recommended!

Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow

[One Bad Pig]

I've been listening to Consecrator lately. I've never been able to get much into Seventh Avenue. I think I have Tales of Tales around somewhere.

The first time I ever heard the term 'white metal' was from an old compilation I have called White Metal Warriors.

[eudyptes]

Forgot about Narnia....need to dig up those old CDs. Remember listening to them and Jerusalem (Swedish?), some Crimson Thorn.....

[Requiem]

A band who made history in the white metal movement is Stryper. They're the most famous christian hard rock/glam metal band, close to such greats as Petra, Relient K, etc. and they're known for their spectacular performances and weird habits such as, well... throwing bibles from the stage and dressing in a very peculiar way (one of their albums is aptly named "the yellow and black attack"):

Attachment 87231

They have lots of great songs, but as usual i will recommend the ones i like the most; this is the official video of "Shining Star":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3xfg3TMUJQ

"Two Time Woman", live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yukAClPoGPM

"Rocking the world for you, Holy Lord; Rocking the world for you, and your Son!":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFTdgtXrV-E

And "Against the Law", from the homonymous album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH3w7QmqezM


Feedback is appreciated! Thanks for the read

[Requiem]

An heavenly hail to everyone! Let's turn again to something "darker". The Awakening is a very original south african Gothic Rock band. The band founder and singer, Ashton Nyte, is known for his peculiar and deep voice.

I'll share with you some of their masterpieces; this is "The Needle and the Gun":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zaGxMrG-s4

"Razor Burn":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AFd409gWKk

"Where the Shadow Goes":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QpwchfA_8o

and my favorite one, "The Maker", on the resurrection (one of their oldest ones):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B61Nw2q_Nwk

Attachment 87332

You can find more pictures of them in the video of Where the Shadow Goes or Vampyre Girl, one of their signature songs.

Good night!

[JAYMZ]

If you like power metal, check out Theocracy Mirror of Souls.

[JAYMZ]

Here, i'll be sharing with you some of the best christian metal/rock bands and their songs.

Antestor was perhaps the first christian metal band in history: they started the movement with their 1991 album "The Defeat of Satan". The genre is Black Metal, with (obviously!) opposite thematics but the same sounds, and a heavy use of growling and screaming.

Here is their official site and logo: http://www.antestor.net/Home.html

Attachment 86990

One of their signature songs, "Via Dolorosa" ("The Painful Way") from their 2005 album "The Forsaken", that describes the suffering of the man who doesn't know God, and the impossibility of finding ultimate meaning apart from Him. (the title refers to the road traversed by Jesus to reach Mount Calvary. if you like this song, check also "Rites of Death" and "Vale of Tears")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCYNvCjo-0

I realize their sound may be too "raw" for someone (mind you, i don't like it too much either; i prefer softier genres like Gothic or Alternative). But they have cleaner songs too: here's an example, "Raade" (I honestly don't know what that means )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwmv1ow8vrQ

Or this one, it's titled "Jesus, Jesus Ver Du Hjå" and it is apparently a norwegian prayer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cjm5M_TddM

I'll be posting some of those "softier" bands soon. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading (and listening)!

Anybody into these guys should like Crimson Moonlight as well.

[Jaltus]

Whitecross with Rex Carroll, guitarist of the decade for the 80s. Nuff said.