Metalheads of today can scarcely recall a time before faith-based bands were an integral part of their scene, like August Burns Red, Skillet, Demon Hunter or Norma Jean becoming fixtures within it.
Luttig wears a scapular as he and the band blast through ear-bleeding distortion to provide audiences with catharsis — an invigorating, physical experience of sound.
Neon Cross
Jaime Wyatt’s career had become derailed due to addiction, bad luck and jail time; but she has finally found her footing again and returned to doing what she does best – performing. Her last album Felony Blues explored her painful past without allowing it to haunt her; Neon Cross showcases even more of her talents.
Frontline Life’s debut album is filled with high energy metal that blends a rock feel with positive lyrics, making for a great listening experience. Opening with an incredible guitar intro that nods towards Sacred Warrior and Jacobs Dream, then unleashing full metal potential with speedy riffing and anthemic screaming; they continue this trend throughout their rest of the album with melodic metal that packs plenty of power behind it.
The title track stands out on this album as taking a different tack, with its bluesy vibe and guitar work that recalls early Leon Russell or Elton John but less virtuosic guitar work reminiscent of early Leon Russell or Elton John. This ballad shows Wyatt has more to offer than screaming metal music and still do it well.
Heaven’s Metal Magazine has long been at the forefront of Christian metal music coverage since it first hit stores in 1985. Offering articles, reviews, interviews and features with musicians of various genres; Heaven’s Metal has long been considered an indispensable resource for metal fans worldwide.
Neon Cross was formed by a collective of Southern California melodic metal musicians in the 1990s, playing local clubs during Hollywood’s Sunset Strip scene’s peak years. Soon thereafter, record label Regency Records noticed them and released both an EP called Frontline Life and five-song demo called I’m Not Alone that are considered classics of Christian metal music. Although Neon Cross have gone into hiatus since these releases came out, their legacy still lives on as their music offers a perfect blend of hard rock and melodic death metal that have inspired other bands operating within this genre today.
Demon Hunter
Demon Hunter is an American Christian metal band which has made waves in the music industry for more than 13 years. Combining metalcore and Christianity into their soundscape, their songs send powerful messages about hope, unity and faith’s strength – often touching upon emotions like loneliness and grief within its lyrics – with hopes to help their fans overcome any challenges they are experiencing in life.
Don and Ryan Clark formed the band in 2000. Starting as local performers, they eventually moved to Seattle for recording of their debut album and it has since sold over 5 million copies and gained them an extensive fan base both among heavy metal enthusiasts as well as Christians. The brothers’ hard rock music is respected both within metal circles as well as Christian churches alike.
They possess a distinctive sound and message, drawing praise from critics worldwide. Their music transcends all faiths, comforting those experiencing hard times while sharing an important message of hope and redemption that can transform lives.
Demon Hunter stands as an icon within Christian metal music. They were among the first bands to introduce this subgenre of metal music to mainstream audiences and remain true to their musical roots despite having released 11 studio albums since 2004 and becoming an influential force within this subgenre.
On their latest album release, Songs of Death and Resurrection, the band reimagines some of their signature tracks with acoustic and orchestral arrangements that captures their signature sound perfectly. Furthermore, new material has also been included which extends their discography further.
Though not an incredible feat by Demon Hunter standards, this release still holds up well against other Christian metal albums. While its new material may be more melodic and soft than previous efforts from this band, its uniqueness remains unchanged by this change of sound. Unfortunately, however, not enough new material was created to turn this album into a classic; Freedom Is Dead stands out on this record with its catchy guitar riffs as an outstanding track on this release.
Brutal Death Metal Bands
Brutal Death Metal is one of the most extreme styles of metal. Bands employing this style combine fast riffs, brutal growled vocals and blast beats for some of the most intense music ever heard. If you enjoy classic Death metal bands such as Suffocation and Deeds of Flesh then give these Brutal Death Metal acts a try:
Cannibal Corpse is an iconic death metal band known for combining extreme heaviness with superb songwriting skills. A must listen for any death metal fan. Their songs are intricate yet accessible; guitars ring out razor sharp distorted riffs; the drums thunder loud; while bassist has no trouble keeping pace with everyone in the band; an incredible feat indeed!
Mortician
Mortification offers Christian metal bands or just pure brutal death metal with unique sound and concept, such as overtly anti-human themes which add an edge. Furthermore, Mortification’s music is extremely intense without much of the annoying pig squeal typical in other brutal death metal acts.
Cryptopsy, one of the premier Death metal bands, have been around for quite some time. Their early super-brutality should be on anyone’s listening list while their clean vocal passages provide something truly memorable. While I may not always agree with their overt religious message, their music remains stunning nonetheless.
Explore some of their earlier albums – particularly “Human Taxidermy” for some thrilling mayhem!
Severe Torture are an underrated band from the Netherlands who offer ultra-brutal death metal. Their sound combines elements of both slam and technical death metal for an unforgiving listen.
Hour of Penance, a Swedish band with several solid releases, are an underrated band I enjoy immensely. My personal favorite album from them was 2008’s The Vile Conception which features powerful death metal tunes as well as fantastic cover songs!
The Complete Library of Christian Death Metal
The Complete Library of Christian Death Metal is the first book to fully explore Christian metal music as an artistic movement. This study covers its history, main characteristics and development from its inception in the early 1980s up until today – as well as how its diffusion occurs worldwide and any religious significance that its core members find within its compositions.
Christian heavy metal is a subgenre of rock and metal music which incorporates Christian themes into its songs. The genre has been likened to countercultural Black Metal music; however, its themes tend to be less explicit. Black Metal music often goes too far in its anti-Christian sentiments while Christian metal focuses more on spreading Jesus Christ’s message of salvation and has gained widespread acclaim in metal scenes across the globe. Bands belonging to this subgenre enjoy strong followings within metal scenes worldwide and have received critical acclaim for their works from critics alike.
This list features some of the greatest Christian metal albums. These albums represent some of the most influential Christian metal artists ever; some have even become legends themselves. Even though many are quite old, their music remains powerful and captivating, providing an outstanding example of faith’s impactful potential to transform lives for good.
Noteworthy Christian metal bands include The Irgalom, Irreverent Ascension and Arbiter – these groups focus on biblical lyrics without trying to be provocative or controversial; making them ideal options for anyone wanting an engaging gospel message.
Betraying the Martyrs are another top Christian metal band. Comprised of talented musicians that can play any genre and put on an amazing live show, Betraying the Martyrs also boast some stunning artwork – their latest album “Death Before Dishonor” should not be missed by metal fans!