From: Phil.Powell@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Phil Powell)
Subject: Re: Christian Metal ???
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 03:32:22 GMT

In article <1a686bINNf15@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> maf10@po.CWRU.Edu (Moses A. Fridman) writes:
>
>
>
>I haven't seen a discussion on alt.rock-n-roll.metal.heavy yet about
>Christian metal bands, so I will start one.

You haven't read my "Intermosh" columns? It's all about Christian bands!

>
>	What do you think about "Christian" metal bands?
>
>	
>
>	I have only heard one Christian band that sounded somewhat
>interesting, but the limited subjects of the songs bored me shitless
>(White Cross). That is not really the biggest problem with the genre
>though; the term 

Geez, what an example.. I could give you references ranging from Siloam
(pop rock/metal) to Royal Anguish (grindcore)...

>"Christian metal" is an oxymoron.  Heavy metal in its various forms
>preachesfreedom -- freedom from oppression, freedom from reality, freedom
>from authority, freedom from what ever you want to be free from.  Wether it's 
>political commentary or just lust, metal is a primarily negative form.  We
>love Metallica and Iron Maiden for their brooding darkness, for their 
>mirror of our own darker thoughts and feelings.  Maybe that's why a true
>metal band doesn't usually deal in soupy ballads, because it violates the
>form.  Christian rock is a positive idea, one that tries to spread faith
>and the love of a deity.  But metal is not to tell the fans how to live,
>itisn't to spread some message that would take away from the free feeling
>that the music symbolizes.  I could never mosh or just have a good time at
>some party that blared "In God We Trust"; the stuff is preachy and boring.
>I feel the same way about satanic metal bands, though for different
>reasons.The truly satanic bands, not ones that chase the evil image, a.k.a.
>recordsales, are also boring as shit.  They sound dark and scary, but they
>arealso preaching, and what they preach sounds pretty stupid.  How many
>humansacrifices can you listen to?  The Christian bands rebel against evil
>andtemptation, and the satanic ones boast of it.  Big deal.
>
Actually, you're over generalizing the intent of the Christian bands.. by
saying that they convey a solely "positive" message is to ignore that fact
that they do address social issues as well and, unlike most bands, offer a
solution, whenever there is one to offer... however, mind you that it's
not just Christian bands "waking up" the general public to the reality of
today's society - in the recent issue of Parade Magazine, Metallica was
interviewed and Kirk Hammett (I believe it was him) said that Metallica's
"mission" now is to educate their fans to what's going on around them and
to try to offer some positive solution... 



>	An example of truly religious music, though you don't have to be a 
>Christian to feel it, is Bach.  If you listen to his pipe organ pieces,
>meantto be played at church, or anything else for that matter, the sheer
>beautyand symmetry of it seems to polish the soul.  It is freedom and faith
>allin one.
>
>                                              Moses
>
>
> 
>-- 
> | |^\   /\   \   |   \   |   /| | |\   +--- \   | "Ask for thyself another
> | | / /    \ | \ |   | \/|  X | | | \  |--  | \ |  kindom, for that which
> | | \ \____/ |  \|   |   | / \| | |__/ \___ |  \|  I leave is too small 
>      \           |       |                      |  for thee"


And it's not just Christian bands portraying the Christian message:
Trouble, Black Sabbath ("After Forever"), Metallica, ("Creeping Death"),
Tyton, and apparently Extreme have all added "positive solution" lyrics to
their music, which the majority is dark...

Phil

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