Unorthodox Christian Metal Opinions

Constantine wrote:
Stop The Bleeding = Best Tourniquet album

I thought everyone knew this!

I also think IGWT > THWTD

I like Atomic Arena and State of Control about the same. Although, that could be because I despise Heaven or Nothing.

I don’t know that I’d put Wicked Generation as the best SW album (Obsessions is probably my favorite), but I agree that Rebellion is the weakest of the first four (and I would say their whole catalogue). I don’t think they have a bad album, though.

Holy Soldier’s first two albums have some awesome tunes as well as some I don’t care for. So I’ve never found those albums as consistently great as many seem to. Great band, of course.

Pethead wrote:I like Atomic Arena and State of Control about the same. 

I would say I also like them both the same even though they are different.  They would be my favorites of the B.C. catalog because they both have an abundance of those ringing, distortion-laden chords which I like to hear.   I like that sound much better than the generally more staccato riffs of "Rattle Your Cage."

Black Rider wrote:You guys are crazy thinking IGWT is better then THWTD but I do think Against the Law is as good as THWTD. 
Also, Dale Thompson's voice is shot and he's been living off the past.

Agreed on Stryper comments. ATL is as good as THWTD but in a different way, I guess.

I know I am probably going to be fired of this community for these comments, but still:

Stryper's MBP > Stryper's NMHTP
Stryper's Reborn > Stryper's GDE

Stryper's Fallen Album is their best of the entire decade by a far cry.

You crazy, MBp I'd nowhere close to NMHTP which is the best they've done the last decade.

Michael Sweet's Ten is better than the recent Stryper albums.

I’d rank them:
NMHtP
GDE
Fallen
EtDB
MbP

They all range from good to fantastic.

Blackball > Precious Death

Stavesacre > The Crucified

Aside from the rap part in "A Little Slumber," River Disturbance is nearly a flawless album.

Avian is the best thing Lance King ever did.

I think River Deliverance (along with Camelot in Smithereens) is very underrated. However, I’m not a fan of Map on RD.

River Disturbance is good but not as good as Stay. I like Stavesacre, a lot, but if The Crucified had done more like the Pillars album, it'd be no contest.

River Disturbance is pretty good and I don't mind the rap song at all.  But I find Camelot In Smithereens to be as dull as dishwater except for maybe 2 songs.

Stavesacre VS. Crucified?   They are both so different.   That said I would rather listen to Stavesacre on an average day.

NMHTP, Fallen, GDE, and "Ten" are great albums.  MBP and Reborn are very weak albums, IMO.

I used to like Sacrament's "Testimony" better than "Haunts," but now I think "Haunts" is brilliant while "Testimony" is just very good.

Philadelphia's "Warlord" is a really good record and unfortunately doesn't seem to get much if any appreciation.

Constantine wrote: I think "Haunts" is brilliant while "Testimony" is just very good.

Absolutely! Haunts is a masterpiece!

I cant stand early Stryper, I really only like the last 3 albums.

Never could get into Tourniquet due to the vocal deliveries by both Guy and Gary (sorry guys)

Still dont understand new Living Sacrifice being labeled as Metalcore (went back and listened to Non Existent and if you put Bruce on vocals it could have been a later album)

mothy wrote:I cant stand early Stryper, I really only like the last 3 albums.

Never could get into Tourniquet due to the vocal deliveries by both Guy and Gary (sorry guys)

Still dont understand new Living Sacrifice being labeled as Metalcore (went back and listened to Non Existent and if you put Bruce on vocals it could have been a later album)

I have a good friend who loves thrash but is not a fan of Guy’s vocals. As such, he pretty much just likes the Luke stuff, specifically Where Moth and Rust Destroy. I myself prefer Luke’s vocals, especially when he’s doing clean singing (his work on Vanishing Lessons is awesome), but I don’t mind Guy and Gary. Plus I think the music on the first three is incredible.

Pethead wrote:

mothy wrote:I cant stand early Stryper, I really only like the last 3 albums.

Never could get into Tourniquet due to the vocal deliveries by both Guy and Gary (sorry guys)

Still dont understand new Living Sacrifice being labeled as Metalcore (went back and listened to Non Existent and if you put Bruce on vocals it could have been a later album)

I have a good friend who loves thrash but is not a fan of Guy’s vocals. As such, he pretty much just likes the Luke stuff, specifically Where Moth and Rust Destroy. I myself prefer Luke’s vocals, especially when he’s doing clean singing (his work on Vanishing Lessons is awesome), but I don’t mind Guy and Gary. Plus I think the music on the first three is incredible.

Agreed the music on the 1st 3 is top notch but the vocals just put me of too much to listen very often which makes me sad.

For me it takes them out of the Christian Thrash "Big" 4

Detritus, Sacrament, Vengeance Rising, Believer probably in that order for me.

I guess another one I have is

Believers best album is Dimensions.

mothy wrote:I guess another one I have is

Believers best album is Dimensions.

I have a hard time deciding between Sanity Obscure and Dimensions. Both are awesome.

Pethead wrote:

mothy wrote:I guess another one I have is

Believers best album is Dimensions.

I have a hard time deciding between Sanity Obscure and Dimensions. Both are awesome.

For me its the complexity of Dimensions that just grabs me from the start.

Pethead wrote:I think River Deliverance (along with Camelot in Smithereens) is very underrated. However, I’m not a fan of Map on RD.

Yeah, Map is not a song I seek out individually to listen to, but it fits in the scheme of the album and I get a chuckle out of it.  I think Jimmy was going for a Rage for Order type of thing with River where every song is different and he does a lot of experimentation.  Like Rage it starts with a rocker then goes into all kinds of interesting directions and Map fits into that vision.  Jimmy does a lot of vocal stylistics on River and Map is another venture into vocal sounds where it gets a little goofy, but I'm cracking up by the end of the song and am entertained with his indulgence in an experiment gone wild.  The album in itself is production perfection with a beautifully crisp drum and bass sound.

I can see that (about Map). 

I don’t know how controversial this is, but Silence Screams is Rez’s best album.

Now this one is controversial: Hostage>Awaiting Your Reply.

I have a hard time picking a favorite Rez, DMZ or Civil Rites depending on the mood but Silence Screams is also great as well as Mommy Don't Love Daddy. 
You are super wrong on thinking Hostage is better but I'll let it slide.

Pethead wrote:

mothy wrote:I cant stand early Stryper, I really only like the last 3 albums.

Never could get into Tourniquet due to the vocal deliveries by both Guy and Gary (sorry guys)

Still dont understand new Living Sacrifice being labeled as Metalcore (went back and listened to Non Existent and if you put Bruce on vocals it could have been a later album)

I have a good friend who loves thrash but is not a fan of Guy’s vocals. As such, he pretty much just likes the Luke stuff, specifically Where Moth and Rust Destroy. I myself prefer Luke’s vocals, especially when he’s doing clean singing (his work on Vanishing Lessons is awesome), but I don’t mind Guy and Gary. Plus I think the music on the first three is incredible.

Guy has a unique voice. That’s probably why most fans like him. He could shriek like a banshee, sing melodic in the middle or use a low voice. He’s very diverse. But for some, I guess he’s like Blitz from Overkill or Zetro from Exodus. You either love them or the opposite...

Pethead wrote:

I have a hard time deciding between Sanity Obscure and Dimensions. Both are awesome.

Tough pick, but I give the edge to Sanity Obscure.  I like the guitar tones better, the riffs are a bit more straight-forward and Nonpoint and Dies Irae are awesome.

mothy wrote:Never could get into Tourniquet due to the vocal deliveries by both Guy and Gary (sorry guys)

I have a really hard time with Luke's vocals.  I just struggle to  be able to listen to them for more than a few minutes.
I don't know what it is, but they grate on me for some reason.  Really liked Guy Ritter though.

Constantine wrote:

Pethead wrote:

I have a hard time deciding between Sanity Obscure and Dimensions. Both are awesome.

Tough pick, but I give the edge to Sanity Obscure.  I like the guitar tones better, the riffs are a bit more straight-forward and Nonpoint and Dies Irae are awesome.

mothy wrote:Never could get into Tourniquet due to the vocal deliveries by both Guy and Gary (sorry guys)

I have a really hard time with Luke's vocals.  I just struggle to  be able to listen to them for more than a few minutes.
I don't know what it is, but they grate on me for some reason.  Really liked Guy Ritter though.

Luke's performance on Vanishing Lessons was awesome. I wish he had been "allowed" to sing that way on subsequent albums, instead of the "shouting" style he mainly used. His vocals also sounded really thin and dry in the mix on the releases following VL. It was a little better on WMARD though. I like Luke's vocals, I just think his talent was misused in Tourniquet.