Christian Metal

[Ovedya]

Hi Ovedya, I have one question for you - what music is acceptable to sing to the Lord?

Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, according to Eph. 5:9

Thanks Ovedya. But what I mean is - what style is acceptable? Take the following song, for example - HERE. You can click the "Play" button below the lyrics for the song. This is stylistically typical pop-music. Would you think this is an unacceptable song for Christians to listen to? Why or why not?

I think that you misunderstand. It's not my job to decide whether a certain type of music is acceptable to the Lord. My experience and my estimation is that "Christian...." music - much of it - contains a mixture of worldly element. As in the example I gave just now, it is a lot like the denominations we have today. Were it not for the works of the flesh there would be no denominations which divide us. So you may as well ask me, "Which denomination is most pleasing or acceptable to the Lord?" My answer would be, "none of them are pleasing to the Lord." Yes, certainly faith is there. Certainly God's people are worshiping Him, and He receives that worship. Yet I do not believe that He approves of division, and I do not believe that He approves of the various mixtures of the world in His Body.

[Guest]

Here's A Song I'm Starting To Sing (Again!) Today

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalms 139:23-24

And This One Runs The Base All The Time

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Jeremiah 15:16

And Another One That Bubbles Up

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Psalms 103:1

Because I Know He Loves Me

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3

The Bible Tells Me So

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 John 4:8

All The Time

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

1 John 4:16

Love, Your Brother Joe

[Iryssa]

Ironic that what you are describing are genres of music. Genres of music are man invented, just as the denominations are man invented. There really is not difference, their source is the same. A spiritual song is a spiritual song and a psalm is a psalm. We only define them in terms of genre, culture, denomination, etc. etc.

That's what I've been saying. And that includes Metal. A spiritual song is a spiritual song, even if it's Metal. So why should it not be a part of a Christian's life?

Dove awards? Seems pretty petty strange to me...

You've never heard of the Dove awards? That's the Contemporary Christian Music and Gospel awards night. Here.

[ParanoidAndroid]

I think that you misunderstand. It's not my job to decide whether a certain type of music is acceptable to the Lord. My experience and my estimation is that "Christian...." music - much of it - contains a mixture of worldly element. As in the example I gave just now, it is a lot like the denominations we have today. Were it not for the works of the flesh there would be no denominations which divide us. So you may as well ask me, "Which denomination is most pleasing or acceptable to the Lord?" My answer would be, "none of them are pleasing to the Lord." Yes, certainly faith is there. Certainly God's people are worshiping Him, and He receives that worship. Yet I do not believe that He approves of division, and I do not believe that He approves of the various mixtures of the world in His Body.

Yes, I certainly see what you are trying to say. And from the division of denominations I can certainly understand - we are all one body in Chrsit Jesus. But for the music, I don't see how this is the same analogy. With all due respect, I am a High School Music Teacher (albeit, one who has only just graduated university), and I see the stylistic conventions of music and how they impact the way we worship today. The majority of churches (regardless of denomination) have the standard pop/rock instrumentation of Guitar/Bass Guitar/keyboard/drums/vocals. As I said right at the beginning of this thread, unless you plan on arguing that we should go right back to traditional hymns sung to a pipe-organ in four-part harmony (Soprano, Tenor, Alto, Bass) then to single out Heavy Metal as somehow different to music in general is just plain wrong. And though I cannot say for certain, judging by the other conventions of early Church history, I would not at all be surprised to see that even the four-part harmony of hymns was.... appropriated... by the Church from earlier Pagan beliefs.

To clarify what you are saying though, are you suggesting that God is not happy with any of the music we sing to Him in the modern day???? You mentioned earlier that singing the Psalms is good, but what if a person used those exact same lyrics that you find in the Psalms, but put them to a Heavy Metal riff, praising God all the while - that is.... wrong? Displeasing to the Lord? I'm just trying to see where you are coming from in this point of view. All the best,

~ PA

[Ovedya]

That's what I've been saying. And that includes Metal. A spiritual song is a spiritual song, even if it's Metal. So why should it not be a part of a Christian's life?

Well it's really not my job to judge what should and should not be in any Christian's life. I have just experienced that Christian music, regardless of genre, can be just as worldly as secular music. Again, it's not just about the lyrics.

You've never heard of the Dove awards? That's the Contemporary Christian Music and Gospel awards night. Here.

Never heard of 'em. But I don't understand why there would be such awards. Is the goal of Christian music to get awards or is it to glorify God?

[Jonny_NZ]

I don't know why anyone would use as a reason for viewing Christian metal negatively the fact that it bears musically stylistic resemblance to non-Christian metal. After all, that has been the case with Christian vs Secular music for centuries.

If anything, I think we should be seeking Christian excellence in the arts just as churches in the past fostered musical - not to mention educational - excellence.

Just as I'll listen to a CD of Academy of St Martin in the Fields orchestra and choir, I'll also happily listen to Christian rock or metal (though it's not so much part of my tastes in recent times).

We shouldn't forget that Christians have been musically excellent through the last few centuries. We'd be without Handel's Messiah oratorio if we insisted our music should have nothing in common with secular music.

Just as an aside, Bachelor of Music here, btw. Hence my references to the history of music...

[Jonny_NZ]

Well it's really not my job to judge what should and should not be in any Christian's life. I have just experienced that Christian music, regardless of genre, can be just as worldly as secular music. Again, it's not just about the lyrics.

Sure you're not possibly getting things around the wrong way there by accident?

God gives us the ability to create music, something that is really beautiful. However, he didn't limit this gift solely to Christians - hence secular music will share musical characteristics with Christian music just as much as the other way round.

Again, I'm particularly curious regarding your comment in that area - "Again, it's not just about the lyrics."

Is it the musical style - like the resemblance between sacred Baroque and Vivaldi's secular works?

[Joshua-777]

I did a search and I could not find anything on this topic. Sorry if this has been discussed before

I know some like metal music and some don't so if we can all please leave our personal taste in music at the door. Please just explain if it should be in a believers life or not.

With bands like

Demon Hunter

Vengeance Rising

Believer

Deliverance

Seventh Angel

Barren Cross

Who really pack a punch in Christian metal

Do you think Christian Metal should be apart of a believers life? If you could also please elaborate on why you feel it's okay or why it's not okay? Thank you

Nice band list, I'm not too much of a fan of Demon hunter based off an interview I saw of them. For me, Christian metal helps me stay focused, Take Zao for example, not their new stuff, but their first and second album, the lyrics are extremely inspirational, and have an adrenaline rush too it, same with Officer Negative, strong Christian lyrics. One thing I have noticed is that alot of Christian metal bands sing nothing relating to Christianity, yet claim their a Christian band. So remember Christian Band = "a band dedicated to Jesus Christ" Check the lyrics!!! There are alot of Good Christian metal bands who use that genre of music to witness to that generation, but there are alot of wolves in sheeps clothing too.

A few of my fav metal/punk bands

Officer negative

The Showdown

Old Zao

Crashdog

War Of Ages

Living Sacrifice,

90lb wuss

Progect 86

[Iryssa]

That's what I've been saying. And that includes Metal. A spiritual song is a spiritual song, even if it's Metal. So why should it not be a part of a Christian's life?

Well it's really not my job to judge what should and should not be in any Christian's life. I have just experienced that Christian music, regardless of genre, can be just as worldly as secular music. Again, it's not just about the lyrics.

I agree, it's about the spirit behind it. Lyrics CAN be (aren't always) a good indicator of what spirit is behind it, particularly if the band or singer is the type that writes their own music and lyrics. But I think that there are those with the right spirit behind the music and lyrics no matter what the genre (within the Christian music world...thought there are those outside of Christian lables too for whom that could be said, I think they're a bit of a rarer breed). There are those without the right spirit, too, but that's no reason to discount a whole genre, even if it's Metal.

You've never heard of the Dove awards? That's the Contemporary Christian Music and Gospel awards night. Here.

Never heard of 'em. But I don't understand why there would be such awards. Is the goal of Christian music to get awards or is it to glorify God?

I don't think that the goal becomes the awards by virtue of the awards' existence. I think there are a lot of artists out there who truly desire to worship God with their music and to lead others to do the same, and I see nothing wrong with rewarding them for being good at their jobs.

[JesusIsLord777]

Christian Metal is awesome! A lot of people love metal, and Christian Metal gives them their music preference with the right message

Here are some of my favorites (In order) if you want to check them out:

1.Whitecross - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEKqahP22NM

2.Stryper - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIkchk19GV8...feature=related

3. Holy Soldier - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEZFRib-ykQ...feature=related

4.Bloodgood -

5.Narnia -

6.Deliverance -

7.Divinefire -