IS CHRISTIAN METAL DEAD

The first two projects put out by Chaotic Resemblence did have a thinness to their overall sound.  Their full length album that they released this year does not have that thinness.  The problem is in the songwriting area.  They just haven't mastered the power of the big hook.  You've got to have a hook with this type of metal for people to love it.  The hook turns a cool song into a metal anthem.

I will have to check out End Of September.  Sounds a lot like The Letter Black and Eowyn.

As for the state of Christian metal, it isn't dead.  It isn't as popular as it once was.  Many of us are expanding their listening styles.  I am getting into blues more lately than metal and am planning a blues rock album in the future myself.

I think that many people are shifting away from the whole "Christian metal" thing, though.  Many bands are just wanting to make music that isn't offensive to God and can be performed in any kind of venue.  I could see the day that even indie labels won't carry Christian metal and we will be totally underground like we were in its early days.  As sales slump overall, it shows that the demand isn't there as much.  For me, I am getting to the place that I would rather buy 4 or 5 memorable albums a year than dozens that won't get played much.  Perhaps many of us have that same thought as well.

Good thoughts everyone. I think the other thing is that music evolves. I remember a time you could hardly throw a rock without hitting a Christian punk band with it and now, there are far far fewer bands playing punk. Same thing with other styles, and not just  Christian music. Look at jazz. From the late '40's to the late '70's, jazz had thousands of artists and truckloads of releases - many of them groundbreaking in some way. I don't think I could even name 25 artists playing jazz today.

alldatndensum wrote:The first two projects put out by Chaotic Resemblence did have a thinness to their overall sound.  Their full length album that they released this year does not have that thinness.  The problem is in the songwriting area.  They just haven't mastered the power of the big hook.  You've got to have a hook with this type of metal for people to love it.  The hook turns a cool song into a metal anthem.

I will have to check out End Of September.  Sounds a lot like The Letter Black and Eowyn.

As for the state of Christian metal, it isn't dead.  It isn't as popular as it once was.  Many of us are expanding their listening styles.  I am getting into blues more lately than metal and am planning a blues rock album in the future myself.

I think that many people are shifting away from the whole "Christian metal" thing, though.  Many bands are just wanting to make music that isn't offensive to God and can be performed in any kind of venue.  I could see the day that even indie labels won't carry Christian metal and we will be totally underground like we were in its early days.  As sales slump overall, it shows that the demand isn't there as much.  For me, I am getting to the place that I would rather buy 4 or 5 memorable albums a year than dozens that won't get played much.  Perhaps many of us have that same thought as well.

Well said.

Gandalf the White wrote:Good thoughts everyone. I think the other thing is that music evolves. I remember a time you could hardly throw a rock without hitting a Christian punk band with it and now, there are far far fewer bands playing punk. Same thing with other styles, and not just  Christian music. Look at jazz. From the late '40's to the late '70's, jazz had thousands of artists and truckloads of releases - many of them groundbreaking in some way. I don't think I could even name 25 artists playing jazz today.

Jazz is not dead! You're just a hater...


Yeah, you're right.

d@v!d wrote:

Gandalf the White wrote:Good thoughts everyone. I think the other thing is that music evolves. I remember a time you could hardly throw a rock without hitting a Christian punk band with it and now, there are far far fewer bands playing punk. Same thing with other styles, and not just  Christian music. Look at jazz. From the late '40's to the late '70's, jazz had thousands of artists and truckloads of releases - many of them groundbreaking in some way. I don't think I could even name 25 artists playing jazz today.

Jazz is not dead! You're just a hater...


Yeah, you're right.

Lol... I don't think it's dead but I also don't think there's been anything really creative in jazz since Miles' late 70's albums, John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu and that time period. Most modern jazz reuses old phrases and songs and doesn't push boundaries anymore.

^Gonna have to agree with Gandalf at least for straight-up jazz, though I think there are a few interesting fusions that have come out since then (notably with metal like Cynic and Atheist). My friends like the new jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy, but I don't see them doing anything that wasn't already done in the '70s.

A jazz discussion on a metal website?    Maybe Christian metal is dead.  I'm going to go cry now.

eatbugs wrote:A jazz discussion on a metal website?    Maybe Christian metal is dead.  I'm going to go cry now.

No kidding.   A representative of the Metal Union will be along shortly to check the metal cards of a few people here.

i don't like Jazz. When I hear the words "smooth jazz" a little vomit comes up in the back of my mouth.

Friday13th wrote:^Gonna have to agree with Gandalf at least for straight-up jazz, though I think there are a few interesting fusions that have come out since then (notably with metal like Cynic and Atheist). My friends like the new jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy, but I don't see them doing anything that wasn't already done in the '70s.

Cynic and Atheist are good bands.  That being said, I never listen to Cynic anymore.  Would any y'all be interested in buying their albums?

...if there are any christian bands with a sound similar to these secular bands...please share.

There is a TON of core type bands within the genre of christian metal. There is even a good amount thrash bands as well. But what seems to be lacking is good classic sounding metal. I'm sure there are probably some laying around out there in the underground world, but they usually turn out to be mediocre at best. And it usually means mediocre song writing or songs. Or, they have a very crappy production quality. I know that most of the labels with any type of recording budget are still favoring core type bands, or modern hard rock. And I guess thats still what is selling ? Does anyone see this shifting at all ?

sentient 6 wrote:There is a TON of core type bands within the genre of christian metal. There is even a good amount thrash bands as well. But what seems to be lacking is good classic sounding metal. I'm sure there are probably some laying around out there in the underground world, but they usually turn out to be mediocre at best. And it usually means mediocre song writing or songs. Or, they have a very crappy production quality. I know that most of the labels with any type of recording budget are still favoring core type bands, or modern hard rock. And I guess thats still what is selling ? Does anyone see this shifting at all ?

I don't see it shifting at all. The Christian bands as of late want to appeal to the younger crowd and that crowd are not into what most of us with a taste for the older generation of metal are into. I personally can't stand most new bands because they don't sound like an all age band like Bloodgood, Stryper, Theocracy, etc. do. They sound like they were made to deal with teenage drama and relationships. Stuff that I have been over for the last 8 years and I'm sure stuff some of you have been over for the last 20+ years (old farts ).

eatbugs wrote:A jazz discussion on a metal website?    Maybe Christian metal is dead.  I'm going to go cry now.

Nah, dudes! You guys gotta check out Mahavishnu Orchestra. It's closer to metal than you think 

20 years from now there will be a thread on "Is Christian Metalcore Dead?" and the future 30-somethings will have this same discussion (hopefully without the jazz tangent).

As I look over what I've purchased that has come out in 2014, the vast majority is metalcore, death/unblack, or bands that made their name during the late 80's and early 90's.

Not sure if Christian Metal is dead, but I know that Christian Rock is knocking on deaths door. We need more bands playing straight ahead blues based rock like Mainline Riders, X-Sinner, and Thieves and Liars...

Thieves and Liars are awesome, but their first and best album was a lot more than just blues rock. Too bad the band disappeared

I just stumbled upon this thread.
I've got to wonder if it was inspired by Gene Simmons

Highway Star wrote:Not sure if Christian Metal is dead, but I know that Christian Rock is knocking on deaths door. We need more bands playing straight ahead blues based rock like Mainline Riders, X-Sinner, and Thieves and Liars...

Check out my project Mission Of One at:  www.facebook.com/missionofone


If you enjoy the sound samples, hit me up and I will send you a free download card.

No.

Candlemass wrote:No.

Candlemass beat me to it.

Christian metal or Christian power/thrash metal? I think a lot users here associate the general word "metal" primarily with the heavy metal of old, and since those genres are dying in general, there will of course be less Christian metal bands in that style. But as many others have already pointed out, today's generation of heavy music listeners are heavily focused on the 'core sound, and the amount of Christian bands in that genre are astounding. As for death and black metal, which is more my arena, I'd say they are continuing at a pretty steady pace, especially in countries outside the US.

If I talk about METAL
I think of traditional Metal.

METAL is not dead here in Germany / Europe thousands of people join festivals like Wacken or big arenas where the old school Bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth still have big and great shows in front of thousands of people. Metal is alive and well here.

Christian Metal is alive and well also if you think of Saint, Sacred Warrior, Bloodgood, Rob Rock or Stryper.
I have seen Stryper here in Germany at the bang your head festival and they rocked as 25 years ago. Great show!!!

But my heroes are also and most the thrash bands Deliverance, Vengeance Rising, Betrayal, Believer, Tourniquet, The Crucified and Mortification. None of these bands has reached/gained the level of the glorious days of old.

I would say Christian Thrash is nearly dead.
Hopefully Temple of Blood will keep it alive.

MadKraken wrote:Christian metal or Christian power/thrash metal? I think a lot users here associate the general word "metal" primarily with the heavy metal of old, and since those genres are dying in general, there will of course be less Christian metal bands in that style. But as many others have already pointed out, today's generation of heavy music listeners are heavily focused on the 'core sound, and the amount of Christian bands in that genre are astounding. As for death and black metal, which is more my arena, I'd say they are continuing at a pretty steady pace, especially in countries outside the US.

To expand on this post
genres in todays scene

Core is most of it
Death/Black/Doom has stayed consistent in the "underground"
Thrash/Power has faded out

Glam is making a comeback with old bands like Stryper and Bloodgood coming back
theyre are also tons of newer Glam metal bands helping bring it back including (DARE i SAY IT) Black Veil Brides, Blessed By A Broken Heart, and Steel Panther


(EDIT:Obviously I meant these genres in general not Christian only)

So there arent many good news bands , but ican mention just a few that maybe you remember 

Main Line Riders - very good band with two diferent but good records 
Crosswire- Just one album ,but i like a lot 
Grave Robber- Awesome band punk and metal in the vein of The Misfits 

Also Desyre maybe but i dont like  this band 

And for Chaotic Resemble i need to hear more of this guys 

Thre are a lot of Core and Ppwer metal nowdays, we need more bands with that classic 80 sound.

zelote, check out my "band" Mission Of One.


www.facebook.com/missionofone