What's new
By:
Filters
Christian Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

GOOD music

C

ClaireL

Guest
I just had a thought looking at the title "Are there any GOOD Christian heavy metal bands"

I know very little about popular music in both secular and Christian bands. So, I just had this thought and want to toss it out there, see if any of you think there could be some truth to it.

I've heard a lot of complaining about certain styles of Christian music not being as good as the secular stuff of the same style. I wonder, is that like saying you can't find a good sugar-free ice cream? Of course it's no good! The 'sugar' or ungodly stuff is what makes it so good, and if you take that out but put in all the other ingredients of that style, it just isn't very good! Or if you try to substitute with Splenda or something it still isn't the same.

I don't know enough about it to test this theory. What is it specifically that is lacking in the Christian bands? So, I'd be interested to hear your comments. It's such a controversial issue - contemporary Christian music.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying ice cream is bad either!! I love it a lot! :bday: I just know some people who try to cut back on the carbs by eating sugar-free ice cream, and I know that it's not the same!
 
Here is one very good Christian band:

http://www.mutemath.com/epsite/

The fourth song, "Reset," is very good and there is a video of song that is not on the EP. One of the guys (the singer) is from the now defunct Earthsuit, which still remains a favorite. I think that Delirious? is also one of the best Christian bands around.

So, to answer your question "What is it specifically that is lacking in the Christian bands?," I would have to say originality. Growing up, Christian music was notorious for being at least 5 years behind the secular scene. However, in the last few years, the gap has lessened substantially to maybe a year or even less.

The main problem is that many Christian bands, like Kutless and Pillar to name a couple of popular ones, copy the music styles of secular bands, even down to the sound of the vocals. This I find quite annoying. There is, and always has been, a lack of orginality in Christian music. It mainly comes down to what the world at large determines to be good music, which the Christian industry then tries to emulate, sometimes poorly but sometimes quite well.

This is why I posted the link to Mutemath and mentioned Earthsuit and Delirious? (the "?" is actually a part of their name). Earthsuit is/was the most original Christian band I have heard, and it comes through in Mutemath as well. And amazing music and lyrics to go along with originality. I know of no secular band that sounds like them. Of course, I will admit that I don't listen to secular music (although I used to) other than when I have no choice, like at the gym.

Delirious? is arguably the most talented band in Christian music and more talented than most secular bands. By talented I also mean they don't just stick to one sound but evolve with each CD. Their style is much like U2 or Radiohead, yet they maintain their own sound. From what I have read they are the only band in the world to sellout Wimbeldon.

Here is Delirious?'s site:

http://www.delirious.co.uk/

So, to make a long story somewhat longer (sorry for the rambling), certain styles of Christian music are somewhat less than their secular counterparts, mostly because it is just copying the style, but sometimes it is because musically it just isn't up to par. They are the Splenda of the music industry - close to the original, but there is just something different.

However, Christian music has come a long way in the last few years and some bands are as good as secular music, and some are better. At least for any given style of music there are good alternatives to secular music.
 
I'd like to hear Christian rock bands that were as honest and in tune with certain realities that are portrayed in some hard rock bands. Like Social Code, or Evenessence.
Anyone know any parallel bands?
 
bands

Check out Gretchen, out of Bristol, Tennessee. They're like a harder-edged version of No Doubt. Their latest CD, "In the Mean Time," has distinct shades of Evanescence therein. They can be found at http://www.gretchenland.net .

Check that--the site appears to be offline at the moment, but it may be up and running later.
 
i know of a band called vengeance rising
i think they have split now but their lyrics are very positive if one can get past the stereotypes placed on this genre of music :lol:
 
vr

I can vouch for what Jessica said, as I used to be into VR, back in the day.

Another band to check out is Tourniquet. They're progressive technical speed metal. You can find them at http://www.tourniquetdz.net . Their drummer, Ted Kirkpatrick, is right up there with Neil Peart or Lars Ulrich in my opinion. He does some things with a drum kit that will simply make your jaw drop. 8-)
 
thanks for supportig me most people think any thing heavy is from satan
and cant get past the idea of that.
 
Okay, I see. So it's basically lack of creativity and originality that everyone's complaining about.

Thanks for your input.
 
I think nearly all contemporary music is cliched and sounds too much alike. I can't listen to pop radio. The best bands Christian or mainstream are undergound.
 
I mostly agree, Scott. When I turn on the radio today, all I hear is static. No one seems to be trying anything original nowadays. When I feel the urge to turn on my radio, I primarily listen to NPR and Pacifa (that's 89.3 for all you Washingtonians. They also have stations elsewhere: http://pacifica.org/stations/), the latter of which plays a lot of jazz and has a lot of liberal news shows. While there are a lot of good bands in my area and probably a lot of other thriving local scenes, I feel the Slackers are the only really genuinely great band extant in the United States. They are a model example of breaking new ground, delivering a good message, and creating seriously moving music in a genre that is typically viewed as hackneyed.
 
honestly, i find it's mostly my non-christian friends who use the argument that christian music is lacking compared to secular music, and that's usually (i suspect) because they have an aversion to anything that has a christian outlook or slant to it. while it may have been true at one stage that a lot of christian music was inferior to its secular counterpart because of a lack of originality, talent and skill, i don't think it's entirely true any more. nowadays, you have a lot of christian bands and artists out there in the secular marketplace (where they should be instead of wallowing in the insular world of "christian music") that are doing stuff that not only competes but also surpasses anything the secular artists are doing, both musically and (most important of all) lyrically. for instance, one only has to look at the metal scene to see how true that is... pod and tourniquet have already been mentioned. add to that list saviour machine, paramaecium, antestor, slechtvalk, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top