View Full Version : Just wondering if anyone here listens to Christian Rock?
KeyserCorleone
04-13-22, 01:35 PM
I'm not a religiously preachy guy, but I'm getting through the last of the Petra catalog and I began wondering if anyone listens to Christian rock here. I admit, even if I was an atheist, I'd still check some out since I love music.
Stirchley
04-13-22, 02:01 PM
Church-going Roman Catholic, but, no, I do not listen to Christian rock.
crumbsroom
04-13-22, 02:09 PM
No.
Not that matters of the spirit should be excluded from music. There is piles and piles of great Gospel music. Lots of Country music worth listening to that is rooted in faith. The roots of U2 are essential Christian Rock.
But something seems to happen as soon as a bunch of twits with guitars identify themselves overtly as Christian Rock. And I've never seen it be anything but as performative as the worst kind of religious charlatan. No thanks.
I like some Christian rock. I remember listening to Petra back in the day. I like Jars of Clay, Mercy Me, Third Day. What other Christian rock bands or singers do you like? And how Christian does a band have to be to be considered Christian rock?
John Dumbear
04-13-22, 02:18 PM
No.
Not that matters of the spirit should be excluded from music. There is piles and piles of great Gospel music. Lots of Country music worth listening to that is rooted in faith. The roots of U2 are essential Christian Rock.
But something seems to happen as soon as a bunch of twits with guitars identify themselves overtly as Christian Rock. And I've never seen it be anything but as performative as the worst kind of religious charlatan. No thanks.
So, "Stryper" is definitely out?
crumbsroom
04-13-22, 02:20 PM
So, "Stryper" is definitely out?
Definitely.
Not religiously...
I'll show myself out...
Really though, this tune is awesome...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhRJiiF11vo
Michael Sweet is a great guy, an awesome guitar player, and a solid singer, if you like that big vibrato, choir boy style. I love the riffs and guitar harmonies in that linked track. Heavenly!
Ok, I'll go. ;)
I did when I was younger. If you're a Christian kid in certain communities it's kind of inevitable you get into some of it.
It has the reputation of being horrendous, and that was probably mostly true back in the day, though I think it got a lot better. Occasionally you'll find groups that clearly sustain a following only because of the religious stuff, but at some point I think people just realized they could demand better, because I feel like there was a noticeable uptick in quality from the time I was a preteen to the middle of my teenage years.
Jars of Clay were noteworthy for having a genuine mainstream hit, "Flood," the first song below, which people say got a pass because people thought it was about a woman. But for my money "Liquid," the second, is better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfAhpX_wIBk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJFBu1Kr6HM
Strong recommend for Steve Taylor and the various bands he's been in over the years, too. Some might think "Christian rock firebrand" is an oxymoron, but somehow he manages to be just that, and has been for decades. It kills me to pick just one (or even 10) of his songs for a post like this, but since I'm making a mainstream case I'll go with "Drats," even though it's weird and not representative of his work at all, simply because the album it was on was actually produced by Steve Albini of Nirvana/P.J. Harvey/Pixies fame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH994SV27w0
John McClane
04-13-22, 02:29 PM
Just P.O.D. but I don't think they ever counted/classified as rock.
I did a lot in the 90s. Petra was a staple then, but that was around the transition from pop hair rock of the 80s to more metal and alt rock during the 90s. Our church built a youth building for wednesday night youth group and as a place to hang on weekends. Most weekends we had bands come in from different states in the region.
One band i loved was Sunday Blue. They made one song that i cant find reference to called, "Dark Man," which was classic moody, brooding alt rock stuff. My friends and I got really into the thrash metal band, Vengeance Rising. I had a few of their cassette albums. Released Upon the Earth might have been my favorite.
https://youtu.be/bNqXb7QAP2k
crumbsroom
04-13-22, 02:48 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH994SV27w0
This is good.
This is good.
Yeah, it's probably like my 20th favorite Taylor song but it's inventive and weird and I figure it's a better "gateway drug" than a lot of his other stuff.
The whole EP is available on YouTube (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P_wxUgT8anE&list=PLdNRg9NspQMg_UFVUbdZdsdW_WpGkD4YH) and it's all similarly kooky.
It's really wild how many different kinds of music he's made. "Standard" poppy stuff, classic rock (with Chagall Guevara), and this weird alt-rock stuff, among others. He's done it all.
ueno_station54
04-13-22, 03:11 PM
idc what anyone says Creed have the riffs.
also love me some early Norma Jean
crumbsroom
04-13-22, 03:16 PM
Yeah, it's probably like my 20th favorite Taylor song but it's inventive and weird and I figure it's a better "gateway drug" than a lot of his other stuff.
The whole EP is available on YouTube (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P_wxUgT8anE&list=PLdNRg9NspQMg_UFVUbdZdsdW_WpGkD4YH) and it's all similarly kooky.
It's really wild how many different kinds of music he's made. "Standard" poppy stuff, classic rock (with Chagall Guevara), and this weird alt-rock stuff, among others. He's done it all.
This is exactly my issue with labels like Christian Rock though.
Music with a Christian message. That's one thing. But to start speaking of it as a genre unto itself, generally means something has been codified.
I talked about it being performative, by nature. But this would apply to lots of different styles. If someone asks me if I listen to 'punk rock', my answer would be similarly dubious. Like, yes, but it depends if you mean that shit that is performing as something that sounds like what punk rock is supposed to sound like, then no, I do not listen to punk rock.
It's generally a problem of labels and marketing more than the artists themselves, but when I hear Christian Rock, my brain immediately goes towards a very middle of the road rock sound, and a singer with Jesus complex. Which is in principal very unappetizing to me.
I'll check that EP out though
I talked about it being performative, by nature. But this would apply to lots of different styles. If someone asks me if I listen to 'punk rock', my answer would be similarly dubious. Like, yes, but it depends if you mean that shit that is performing as something that sounds like what punk rock is supposed to sound like, then no, I do not listen to punk rock.
It's generally a problem of labels and marketing more than the artists themselves, but when I hear Christian Rock, my brain immediately goes towards a very middle of the road rock sound, and a singer with Jesus complex. Which is in principal very unappetizing to me.
Right, like with the "punk rock" thing, there's a degree to which someone starts with that and then makes music, as opposed to being a musician and happening to want to write about X or Y, which makes it punk rock or Christian rock. I have a similar distaste for any art form (movies, TV shows, whatever) that I feel starts with some message and tries to craft art around it, though whether my objection is innate to that idea or just the fact that it usually corresponds with things being worse is hard to say.
I'll check that EP out though
Hope you enjoy it.
I'd say "if you like that there's more," but there really isn't. Though if you like it you might find you just like Taylor in general. He's a bit of a chameleon, though, so even if you love this album you may or may not like most of his other stuff. But the fact that I follow him around through so many different types of music (and the fact that he attracts "mainstream" producers) is, at least for me, a testament to his raw talent.
He's a hell of a lyricist, too. No pun intended.
Stirchley
04-13-22, 04:45 PM
He's a hell of a lyricist, too. No pun intended.
Just as I was bailing out of this thread, a touch of humor. :p
ScannerDarkly
04-13-22, 04:50 PM
I was listening to Creed just a few days ago...
Cheesy but i think it sounds good. :D
But nah i dont typically listen to christian rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBBqjGd3fHQ
No, I don't. Unless you count Deicide - most of their songs are about Jesus, God, and Christians anyway :D
MovieGal
04-13-22, 04:56 PM
If you listened to early music by Evanescence then you listened to Christian rock.
Everyone but David Hodges wanted to go mainstream, so he left the band. His solo music is pretty good but not always Christian.
Soul Embraced is a good heavy metal christian rock band. A friend of mine played drums for them at one time.
MovieGal
04-13-22, 05:01 PM
https://youtu.be/saySN4YGLKY
MovieGal
04-13-22, 05:27 PM
One of David Hodges musical projects
https://youtu.be/3HkcsazTJpE
No, but I've been listening to these lately.
Pastor T.L. Barrett & the Youth For Christ Choir - "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuVF8bxAag
The Edwin Hawkins Singers - "Oh Happy Day"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfGDvDGE7zk
crumbsroom
04-13-22, 07:16 PM
Not rock, and I'm not entirely sure if it would be considered Christian, but Sacred Harp recordings are pretty fantastic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWmCplTgflA
KeyserCorleone
04-14-22, 01:19 PM
If you listened to early music by Evanescence then you listened to Christian rock.
Everyone but David Hodges wanted to go mainstream, so he left the band. His solo music is pretty good but not always Christian.
Soul Embraced is a good heavy metal christian rock band. A friend of mine played drums for them at one time.
To be honest, it's easier to be a mainstream Christian act than it looks. U2 proved it with The Joshua Tree, their only "Christian" album and their most famous. It's really "preachy" lyrics that's the problem. Otherwise, finding a way to talk about Christianity through the crypticism and symbolism many lyricists love to use may take practice, but it's a clear-cut way to be a mainstream Christian act. Creed also did it, even though they're not as good as U2 (but I never got the hate).
On that note, I can't stand it when people say they hate "What If" for saying "What if" constantly and then turn around and say they like Nirvana's Breed. Take it from a guy who hates repetitive lyrics and writes poetry and songs: "What If" has better lyrics.
Captain Terror
04-14-22, 02:02 PM
This is exactly my issue with labels like Christian Rock though.
Music with a Christian message. That's one thing. But to start speaking of it as a genre unto itself, generally means something has been codified.
I talked about it being performative, by nature. But this would apply to lots of different styles. If someone asks me if I listen to 'punk rock', my answer would be similarly dubious. Like, yes, but it depends if you mean that shit that is performing as something that sounds like what punk rock is supposed to sound like, then no, I do not listen to punk rock.
It's generally a problem of labels and marketing more than the artists themselves, but when I hear Christian Rock, my brain immediately goes towards a very middle of the road rock sound, and a singer with Jesus complex. Which is in principal very unappetizing to me.
Here's my interpretation of the Christian rock "problem". If a band like Zeppelin occasionally references Tolkien in their songs, it's a little bit dorky but also kind of cool, so whatever.
But then there's the prog-metal band that ONLY sings about Tolkien, and the members (unironically) dress like orcs and the singer has elf ears and whatnot. That is beyond dorky and has crossed a line I'm not willing to cross. Substitute "Jesus" for "Tolkien" and that's it in a nutshell for me.
So, Marvin Gaye or the Stanley Brothers occasionally singing a Christian-themed song? Fine.
Christian Rock band that ONLY sings about Jesus? Weird.
It would be like if Kiss or Van Halen declared themselves to be Sex Rock. Yeah, that's what most of their songs are about, but giving it a name is just weird.
Captain Terror
04-14-22, 02:09 PM
I'm a fan of the songwriter Mindy Smith. She's openly Christian and there's usually a Christian-themed song or two on every album, but she sings about other stuff too, so she's usually put into the "Americana" category. Anyway, I like her voice because it makes me cry.
https://youtu.be/khlPIcC53vI
crumbsroom
04-14-22, 02:24 PM
But then there's the prog-metal band that ONLY sings about Tolkien, and the members (unironically) dress like orcs and the singer has elf ears and whatnot.
This sounds like a condemnation of Stunt Rock.
Do you have a problem with Sorcery?????
Stanley Brother
I literally just got an album by them. A complete blind buy. Just saw the description of 'high and lonesome sound' and that it was from the 1940s and I was on board.
Captain Terror
04-14-22, 02:43 PM
This sounds like a condemnation of Stunt Rock.
Do you have a problem with Sorcery?????
LOL, I actually own the Sorcery CD! So yeah, I'm a hypocrite. Everybody just ignore my previous post.
I literally just got an album by them. A complete blind buy. Just saw the description of 'high and lonesome sound' and that it was from the 1940s and I was on board.
Out of the "Big 3" bluegrass acts, the Stanleys are the ones that sound the most unpolished to my ears, and therefore they are probably my favorite. Which album did you get?
I'm not a religiously preachy guy, but I'm getting through the last of the Petra catalog and I began wondering if anyone listens to Christian rock here. I admit, even if I was an atheist, I'd still check some out since I love music.
Huge fan of Petra. Arguably on my Top 3/Top 5 favorite bands. I listen to a lot of other Christian bands also.
MovieGal
04-14-22, 02:48 PM
To be honest, it's easier to be a mainstream Christian act than it looks. U2 proved it with The Joshua Tree, their only "Christian" album and their most famous. It's really "preachy" lyrics that's the problem. Otherwise, finding a way to talk about Christianity through the crypticism and symbolism many lyricists love to use may take practice, but it's a clear-cut way to be a mainstream Christian act. Creed also did it, even though they're not as good as U2 (but I never got the hate).
On that note, I can't stand it when people say they hate "What If" for saying "What if" constantly and then turn around and say they like Nirvana's Breed. Take it from a guy who hates repetitive lyrics and writes poetry and songs: "What If" has better lyrics.
They weren't going mainstream Christian rock. They were going mainstream rock. That's where David had the issue and left.
Funny thing, claim to be Christian but he tapped Kelly Clarkson's a$$.
David has a great voice but still doesn't hold to Christian values.
My preferences have varied a bit ever since I got into "Christian rock" in the 90s, but these are some of my favorite "Christian" (and adjacent) bands and artists...
Stryper
Petra
White Heart
Jars of Clay
Third Day
dc Talk
Audio Adrenaline
The O.C. Supertones
Steven Curtis Chapman
Geoff Moore & The Distance
Creed
P.O.D.
Disciple
Skillet
Impellitteri
Balance of Power
Those are the ones that come to mind right now.
I'm a longtime fan of King's X, a band that has Christian overtones to their music and have been labeled as a Christian rock band, but they deny it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2SYPzKzD94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0cEtyQjz7g
I've also liked all of the few songs I've heard from the Christian metal band Theocracy. This is from their most popular album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3TsVaFR870
Captain Terror
04-14-22, 03:05 PM
I'm a longtime fan of King's X, a band that has Christian overtones to their music and have been labeled as a Christian rock band, but they deny it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2SYPzKzD94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0cEtyQjz7g
I've also liked all of the few songs I've heard from the Christian metal band Theocracy. This is from their most popular album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3TsVaFR870
Isn't Trouble considered a Christian band as well? I've liked some of their stuff.
I'm a longtime fan of King's X, a band that has Christian overtones to their music and have been labeled as a Christian rock band, but they deny it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2SYPzKzD94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0cEtyQjz7g
I've also liked all of the few songs I've heard from the Christian metal band Theocracy. This is from their most popular album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3TsVaFR870
Yeah, great band as well. I haven't listened to all of their stuff, but what I've listened, I like.
Isn't Trouble considered a Christian band as well? I've liked some of their stuff.I don't know them, but they look right up my alley, so I'll check them out. Looks like they're in the same quasi state as King's X.
Captain Terror
04-14-22, 03:12 PM
I don't know them, but they look right up my alley, so I'll check them out. Looks like they're in the same quasi state as King's X.
check out "The Tempter"
Isn't Trouble considered a Christian band as well? I've liked some of their stuff.
I don't know. Lots of doom metal bands draw inspiration from biblical stories. I've never considered any of them Christian per se but just using familiar tales and imagery as a source. I don't think Trouble's later shift towards psychedelia and drugs would really suggest any deeper religious meaning with the band.
The early Trouble albums are really good, though.
KeyserCorleone
04-15-22, 12:02 AM
They weren't going mainstream Christian rock. They were going mainstream rock. That's where David had the issue and left.
Funny thing, claim to be Christian but he tapped Kelly Clarkson's a$$.
David has a great voice but still doesn't hold to Christian values.
I never actually said they went mainstream Christian rock. I'm just addressing that the bridge between mainstream and Christianity shouldn't look so hard.
crumbsroom
04-15-22, 12:57 AM
Out of the "Big 3" bluegrass acts, the Stanleys are the ones that sound the most unpolished to my ears, and therefore they are probably my favorite. Which album did you get?
Doesn't really have a title. Is a collection of their 45's I believe. But looks like this:
https://i.postimg.cc/GpnQpXxk/stanley.jpg
Captain Terror
04-15-22, 01:12 AM
Doesn't really have a title. Is a collection of their 45's I believe. But looks like this:
https://i.postimg.cc/GpnQpXxk/stanley.jpg
Nice, that's the one I was going to recommend. Those are their earliest recordings, 78s I think. (The Revenant label was founded by John Fahey)
crumbsroom
04-15-22, 01:16 AM
78s I think.
That makes more sense.
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