Why does many Christians bans 'Heavy Metal'?

[AcesHigh]

I am a big fan of Heavy Metal, also I am a Christian and every day I am more and more Christian. I've heard some Christians that say 'For those who listen to Heavy Metal, they're meeting the discover of metal in hell, Lucifer' I don't get this at all, there's of course prejudices of Metal that 'It's making children to serve Satan' As I am a Christian and I love Heavy Metal I am saying that Heavy Metal is not about Satan and the evil forces. What's your opinion? There is also Christian Heavy Metal bands such as Stryper which is one of the famous Christian Metal bands.

Although, there is musicians of Heavy Metal that are Reborn Christians and actually I am very proud and happy for hearing that, I will list few of Reborn Christians that have had very 'outlaw' life.

Dave Mustaine (Megadeth):
Dave was Metallica's solo guitarist back in 1982. Dave created many songs (That Metallica stole and become famous by that) and Dave was also a drug addict and had very bad alcohol problem so he was kicked of Metallica. Dave used all kind of drugs in his 'Golden Ages' and he tried suicide few times, however Dave Mustaine found Jesus in 2002 and had quit drugs and I think alcohol too as he claims he's a Reborn Christian. He still keeps the band going on but in his words, he prays God before he gets on the Stage.

Alice Cooper (Alice Cooper):
People might thought he is a Satanist but he claims himself a Reborn Christian and this words is his famous from Christianity '. Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's rebellion'

Tom Araya (Slayer):
Slayer been one of the 'Scariest' bands in the eighties. The lyrics and the band is knew by pentagrams and songs about religion and stuff. But by Tom Arayas words he says that it's his job.

I don't know much stories of these Heavy Metal celebrities who is Reborn Christian but here's people I know that are Reborn Christians

James Hetfield (Metallica)
Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)
Dave Lombardo (Slayer)

--

Discuss about this!

Thanks,
Ben

 

[Milk-Drops]

I also love a lot of Heavy Metal bands. I didn't understand when I was younger why some Christians detested metal music, but now that I'm older and relflected a lot on what I listen to I understand.


A lot of heavy metal bands focus lyrically on some negative imagery and even some destructive living habbits. Drugs, one night stands/ lots of sex, vanity, death, partying/ drinking, Satan, other Gods, etc.

All of these things are taught against in Christianity. There is also the point that a lot of heavy metal comes from high aggression, anger, and frustration. These can been seen as and usually are negative traits of a destructive personality.


Though I do want to say that this is a reason why some Christians avoid the music. But the true question is what are you getting out of it? If its just an outlet for you to shed some frustration and energy. Good on ya. If its an influence and leads you to negative behavior, you should probably evaluate what the music is doing to your life.

This has been a non Christian perspective. ;) Now to listen to some Slayer myself.

 

[phantom309]

Hey Ben,
Sub already hit on some good points with use of imagery,lyrical and other associated content,etc. so theres no need to reiterate all that.Obviously parents saw their kids getting into alot of bad music written and performed by what were at the time bad people.

I used to listen to alot of the same music,and coincidentally enough by many of the same bands from your list.

Megadeth - I think lyrically most of their stuff was actually more tame than most of the bands from their time,with the exception of examples like the song Liar from So far,so good.Most of their work was more political,or anti-political in nature and they kept a heavy trend of that while still maintaining the aggressive sound.You can really pinpoint in their music where Dave started experiencing some changes such as the cessation of drug use right around the time when symphony was released if I remember right.Alot of it isnt too bad,and still stuff I listen to today.

Metallica - A bit different story.For many years I loved Metallica,particularly their older music,but as I got older and actually connected the dots on the lyrics,they really did have alot of anti-christian sentiment involved.I believe it was James Hetfield that admitted in interviews that in his youth his parents,very gung-ho christians,would try to influence him as much as possible and he always resented that,which later came out in his music.Musically i still love Metallicas music,but I cannot in good conscience out of respect for God listen to alot of the stuff when I know whats being spoken about.You mentioned that James is now a christian..honestly I completely doubted that until I just looked it up,seriously thats a shocker.

Slayer - It was pretty obvious why the parents didnt like these guys.Heavy use of satanic imagery,influences and outright mention of such.Of all the bands I used to listen to,I could only take Slayer in small doses even years ago when morality wasnt much of a concern to me.Even if Tom claims "its his job" concerning his music,its still a pretty distasteful income.

In short,just pay attention to what youre listening to and determine whether or not its a good influence.Parents never had anything against the aggressive use of a guitar,but we can all clearly see that if the guys wielding them roll onto stage with a needle in their arm and start singing about questionable topics,of course no parent with good sense wants that pumped into their kids ear..and for good reason.

Even now,I pay attention to what I listen to,and if it starts getting too questionable I wont have anything to do with it.I figure with everything God has done for us,the least I can do is respect Him enough not to throw money at some band that disrespects God directly or just isnt a good influence.

 

[Tina]

I'm also a big fan of Christian rock and metal music .... but heavy and hardcore metal, not sure ......

But I'd say go for it as long as the LYRICS are not even remotely ungodly or satanic.

 

[AcesHigh]

Metallica - A bit different story.For many years I loved Metallica,particularly their older music,but as I got older and actually connected the dots on the lyrics,they really did have alot of anti-christian sentiment involved.I believe it was James Hetfield that admitted in interviews that in his youth his parents,very gung-ho christians,would try to influence him as much as possible and he always resented that,which later came out in his music.Musically i still love Metallicas music,but I cannot in good conscience out of respect for God listen to alot of the stuff when I know whats being spoken about.You mentioned that James is now a christian..honestly I completely doubted that until I just looked it up,seriously thats a shocker.

Actually I can not see Anti Christian lyrical themes in Metallica's old stuff. Name me 3 of songs that are anti-christian lyrically

 

[phantom309]

Easy enough.

Just out of curiosity,why 3?

Ill start with the Black album,"The God That Failed".The title alone should suffice,but a cursory examination of the lyrics will net what youre looking for.

Next up,Master of Puppets.To begin with the album cover depicts a pair of hands extending from the sky with marionette strings attached to those entombed below.Perhaps not incriminating until we examine the cover song,Master of Puppets.The lyrics are a bit obscure and perhaps more open to interpretation,but the song coupled with the lyrics paints a picture of christians basically being puppets on a string,slave to a sadistic deity.

Also on the same album,Leper Messiah.This one is perhaps the most difficult to dodge,and to highlight why,Ill paste the first 3 verses.

Spineless from the start, sucked into the part
circus comes to town, you play the lead clown
Please, please
spreading his disease, living by his story
Knees, knees
falling to your knees, suffer for his glory
You will

Time for lust, time for lie
time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
and you'll get a better seat
Bow to Leper Messiah

Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix
blind devotion came, rotting your brain
Chain, chain
Join the endless chain
Fame, Fame
Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power
We see

So here we have Hetfield displaying his resent as discussed earlier,but being far more upfront about it.Here christians are being called spineless clowns,and Jesus' teachings being referred to as a disease.Comments are offered mocking the evangelists by saying who drops the most cash gets the better seat in heaven.The miracles of Christ are mocked,as well as any faith in Him.

Need I say more?

Of course there are songs that step away from christian mockery and talk about other things..some dark,some relatively harmless.On Ride the Lightning we see a biblical story used as a source for a song,and on the Black album is where we find my favorite song,Dont Tread On Me,which is based on the Revolutionary War sentiments that led to the creation of the Gadsden flag.

Anyway,as I stated before once I started looking at the songs in question as well as some of the other darker songs I just started breaking away from Metallica.Periodically Ill listen to a couple of the older tunes at a friends house which sparks a pretty heavy dose of nostalgia.

 

[AcesHigh]

Easy enough.

Just out of curiosity,why 3?

Ill start with the Black album,"The God That Failed".The title alone should suffice,but a cursory examination of the lyrics will net what youre looking for.

Next up,Master of Puppets.To begin with the album cover depicts a pair of hands extending from the sky with marionette strings attached to those entombed below.Perhaps not incriminating until we examine the cover song,Master of Puppets.The lyrics are a bit obscure and perhaps more open to interpretation,but the song coupled with the lyrics paints a picture of christians basically being puppets on a string,slave to a sadistic deity.

Also on the same album,Leper Messiah.This one is perhaps the most difficult to dodge,and to highlight why,Ill paste the first 3 verses.

Spineless from the start, sucked into the part
circus comes to town, you play the lead clown
Please, please
spreading his disease, living by his story
Knees, knees
falling to your knees, suffer for his glory
You will

Time for lust, time for lie
time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
and you'll get a better seat
Bow to Leper Messiah

Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix
blind devotion came, rotting your brain
Chain, chain
Join the endless chain
Fame, Fame
Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power
We see

So here we have Hetfield displaying his resent as discussed earlier,but being far more upfront about it.Here christians are being called spineless clowns,and Jesus' teachings being referred to as a disease.Comments are offered mocking the evangelists by saying who drops the most cash gets the better seat in heaven.The miracles of Christ are mocked,as well as any faith in Him.

Need I say more?

Of course there are songs that step away from christian mockery and talk about other things..some dark,some relatively harmless.On Ride the Lightning we see a biblical story used as a source for a song,and on the Black album is where we find my favorite song,Dont Tread On Me,which is based on the Revolutionary War sentiments that led to the creation of the Gadsden flag.

Anyway,as I stated before once I started looking at the songs in question as well as some of the other darker songs I just started breaking away from Metallica.Periodically Ill listen to a couple of the older tunes at a friends house which sparks a pretty heavy dose of nostalgia.

The God that Failed is song about James thoughts in the 90's. James did not want to attack the religion, however he was struggling with his faith because his mother died by religion. His mother was truly a Christian but also very sick by a cancer. However she didn't want to take the medicine or a surgery which would have saved her, she said she believes that God will heal her. So she died in few weeks and the lyrics are meaning the pain of that James had at the moment and the title is 'The God that Failed' that couldn't heal his mother who believed that would.

Master of Puppets honestly this is my favorite part! Master of Puppets usually wrongly analyzed! Read the lyrics and spend time and analyze them. The song is about human's relationship with drugs. The album cover is the hands that is referred as drug that moves the person who's in the other side. Master = Drug, Puppets = Human. I will give some lyrics here.

Taste me you will see (Drug)
More is all you need (Drug)
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you (Drugs kill)

Come crawling faster (Addiction)
Obey your master (Obey your drug that controls you)
Your life burns faster (Drugs kill)
Obey your master
Master

Master of puppets (Humans drugs)
I'm pulling your strings (Controlling you)
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams

And my favorite part

Needlework the way (Vein injecting)
Never you betray (Seems to the user that it's your cure)
Life of death becoming clearer (You think that you lost all your worries)

Pain monopoly (It's about pain)
Ritual misery
Chop your breakfast on a mirror (Cocaine from your mirror table on the morning to open your day, like in the movies, i.e. hangover 2)


so Master of Puppets are only analyzed wrongly. As Metallica say's it's about the addiction of drugs, however James said in his book that he has never do drugs but the song was about his alcohol problem too.

Leper Messiah, it's about priests that are lying. 'Fake Priests' who are stealing citizen money and teaching lies to the citizen. It's more like a song about how it was in the past in 1800 when there were those. Also it's kind of a warning of those fake priests that you don't need them to believe in God.

And I wanted 3 because I don't believe that Metallica meant to destroy Christianity. it's all about how do you analyze the songs

 

[phantom309]

Well noone ever said they were out to destroy christianity,thats a bit of a stretch from what we were discussing.

As fas as the anti-christian comments,James can claim all day long he isnt attacking anything,but I disagree.Either way,now were down to arguing technicalities and perspective,which usually ends up nowhere good.

At either angle,its still music that as a parent I wouldnt want my kid listening to.

 

[Arye]

I think its easy to point this finger at Metal and Rock and roll. The lyrics are often subtextual. Smooth Jazz that doesn't uplift God is no different than something by Dimmu Borgir right?

Also it's easy to point the finger at Metal since it attracts the youth instead of the seniors.


Your music either worships God or it doesn't there is no in between. I do think its perfectly acceptable for Christians to listen to Metal bands with positive messages, such as As I Lady Dying, UnderOath, Norma Jean, Skillet, etc etc.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I heard that Psalm 150 supports heavy metal, because of the instruments it talks about. The instruments used in heavy metal are modern versions of the ones it mentions.

I've heard lots of arguments against heavy metal, but none of them ultimately make sense to me.
The only concrete argument I've been told is that the beat and the way the music appeals to your flesh rather go against actually worshipping God, so that you're concentrating on the beat rather than praising God.

I've had some wonderful worshipping times with Christian rock, though. I think it depends upon the condition of your heart.
That said, I've really listened to heavy metal. Unless Skillet counts, but I think they'd be classified as hard rock.

 

[BobE]

I've listened to, read and talked with some of the most vehement and well-known critics of rock and heavy metal.

Generally the criticism comes in various forms:

-the lyrics
-the beat
-the life-style
-the symbolism
-the "spirit" of the music, regardless of lyrical content.

My thoughts on these criticisms are usually something like:

-Many lyrics now are openly Christian.

-The Bible doesn't talk about "beat" of any kind being evil; I think this is a human notion, not God's.

-Many Christian metal artists model their life-style after Jesus, they are openly opposed to drug-abuse, sexual immorality, satanism and the like. These include rockers like Alice Cooper, and Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P.

-Re. symbolism, critics often impose their own mistaken meanings on them. For example, W.A.S.P. is said, by critics, to mean "we are sexual perverts." In an interview, Blackie said it means "we aren't sure pal." The band also explained that one member simply saw an actual wasp (insect) and thought that would be a cool name for a band. They added the dots between the letters simply to create discussion/publicity, and it has. Amy Grant was said to have a six pointed star on her hands in a video. Critics wrongly concluded that this is a "hexagram" and that she is therefore a witch. Perhaps they forgot that the Star of David is also a six pointed star, and that our Saviour is from the house of David.

-By "spirit" critics often seem to mean "emotion" or feeling. Negative feelings like sadness and anger are demonized, literally. Well, Jesus and David were more accepting of and open with their feelings, including anger and sadness. I like to follow their example and pour my feelings out to God,and then wait on him for his comfort and counsel. Some critics say that they saw demons at a rock concert. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. I know someone who saw angels dancing at a Skillet concert. I don't think these subjective reports carry divine authority, though I identify more with the angel vision . Skillet surely does move me to worship God.

 

[BobE]

I heard that Psalm 150 supports heavy metal, because of the instruments it talks about. The instruments used in heavy metal are modern versions of the ones it mentions.

I've heard lots of arguments against heavy metal, but none of them ultimately make sense to me.
The only concrete argument I've been told is that the beat and the way the music appeals to your flesh rather go against actually worshipping God, so that you're concentrating on the beat rather than praising God.

I've had some wonderful worshipping times with Christian rock, though. I think it depends upon the condition of your heart.
That said, I've really listened to heavy metal. Unless Skillet counts, but I think they'd be classified as hard rock.

When the term "heavy metal" began being used (yeah lol, I still remember), it was synonymous with hard rock. It has morphed quite a bit over the years/decades, but I still think of it this way. Black Sabbath are credited for creating the genre, and they called their music "hard rock."

Btw, Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath did a fantastic gospel album with Glen Hughes from Deep Purple called "Fused." I picked it up from itunes. Fantastic recording. My favourite tracks are "Grace" "Resolution Song" and "Savior of the Real." I thank God for Glen; he has been a wonderful example of Jesus' love in the hard rock/heavy metal community.

 

[Stan53]

Hi Ben,

I don't think the actual Heavy metal music is the issue. It's probably more the lyrics and the culture. Let's face it...the genre doesn't convey the most Jesus like atmosphere. I remember Stryper from my early days being saved, but that's about it. I've never been into Heavy Metal, even in my adolescent drug hazed youth. However that is a personal choice, not an indictment of the music. When I was saved back in 1971, rock music wasn't acceptable in the church either. Lots of Christian Rocks Pioneers paved the way and I had a lot of their music.
The issue is not the type of music you listen, and who does or doesn't like it. The issue just for you, is the message the songs contain and whether it goes against the teachings of the Bible or not.
Enjoy!

 

[Dirt]

I'll add some input to this as I was a guitarist in rock/metal bands all through my 20's. With any kind of "rocker" life comes a great temptation for sin. That goes for any kind of music. Plenty of folk scenes have are riddled with drugs, sex, believing in yourself rather than God (Satanism) and the like, but are not on target with the religious right or Christians in general, they focus on rock and metal.
Metal is different. Metal is made to provoke feelings that you may not know you had. These feelings aren't for everyone, so even if the metal is straight-up Christian, there are people that will not like it because they don't like the feelings they experience. I argue that in Psalm 33, where it talks about praising God LOUDLY and SKILLFULLY with stringed instruments, this supports hard music that may induce adrenaline..I remember the first time I heard Sepultura..it scared me, but for some reason, I loved it.
Metal is not for everyone, and was never meant to be. I believe God hears our words, and praise is the highest form of worship. We as Christians need to be mindful of what we are desensitizing ourselves to, no matter what form it takes :music, tv, games, etc... I had to stop listening to several bands I loved, only because I felt myself being desensitized to Satanism and darkness. Being a Christian ain't easy..