“I didn’t know Christian Metal could be so heavy…

That was my first thought when I first experienced Christian metal as a Christian AND as a metalhead.

About a year or so after I was saved, I was introduced to Haste The Day, and I was absolutely blown away.

That was definitely an “a-ha” moment for me, but I digress…

I need to go further back.

My very first experience with Christian metal isn’t technically metal I suppose. But it is definitely considered an experience, and one that is paramount to my journey through the landscape of heavy music.

In the mid 80’s, my mother took my younger brother and I to see a band called Powerhouse. They were a Christian rock band. It was one of the first concerts I’ve ever attended. My brother and I listened to Guns and Roses, Bon Jovi, Ratt, Cinderella and other bands like that, courtesy of my much older brothers. So this was a little bit softer than we were used to. My brother and I began mocking the music from Powerhouse, because it seemed “cringey” to us, as the kids today might say. Keep in mind, we were both not saved at this time. My brother started doing a funny dance as we were laughing and cutting up over the music, not in a flattering way. Looking back, I do appreciate my mom taking us and exposing us to the message of the Gospel from Powerhouse’s set, but at the time I was not very receptive.

In the mid 90’s, I was well versed in the metal scene, and I had been playing guitar for around 4 years. I may talk about my full conversion to heavy metal in another article, but for now I’ll just say that Metallica’s “Black Album” in 1991 pushed me over the edge. Another one of my favorite bands during this time was Cannibal Corpse. There was a buzz that Chris Barnes had left CC to start his own band called Six Feet Under. Once I heard that the rumor was true and SFU had already released an album, I had to get my hands on it. I traipsed down to Camelot Records (in this era, you had to commit to buying a CD to know if you liked it or not. You had to take a chance, as YouTube and Spotify didn’t exist yet) and picked up a copy of Six Feet Deep’s album. I popped it into my CD player, cranked up the sound, and was somewhat bamboozled. The singer didn’t have the signature Chris Barnes growl. The music was good, but it didn’t have the extreme heaviness I anticipated. I looked through the album art, perused the lyrics and realized I bought the wrong CD. Did you catch what I wrote? I actually bought a band called Six Feet Deep, not Six Feet Under! The lyrics denoted that the band was a Christian metal band. UGH! I reeled in disgust, a more abrasive reaction than I previously had to Powerhouse’s music. I promptly returned the CD to Camelot and asked for my money back. In no way did I want to own Christian anything.

In the mid 2000’s, I dabbled in the world of online radio stations and I was also an online DJ for a metal radio station. I used to spin anything and everything metal, the more brutal the better. One of my favorites was Impending Doom, the album “Nailed.Dead. Risen.” was on constant rotation in my collection. It was just so heavy, and Brook Reeves’ vocals were just top tier. At the time I had no idea they were a Christian metal band.

In the late 2000’s, I was converted to Christianity. My outlook on life and music changed completely. I had numerous CD’s in my collection, and because my convictions were so strong, I actually destroyed all of my CD’s. I mainly consumed Contemporary Christian and Worship Music after becoming a Christian. In 2010, I enrolled in college courses and acquired a job as a student worker administrative assistant. One of the college counselors I was working for was a Christian and a metalhead. He suggested an online radio station called The Blast, which primarily played Christian rock and metal. One of the first songs I heard was “White As Snow” by Haste The Day. I was enthralled. It was such a moving piece of music, it reminded me of Deftones in a way, melodic and haunting, but with a better message in my opinion. I researched their catalog and they became an instant favorite of mine. I can safely say that Haste The Day was my gateway into the fullness of Christian metal. The reason is because this was the first metal band I had heard after salvation. They hit hard because I was now a Christian and understood the viewpoint. I could appreciate it much more due to the fact that Christianity and metal were now combined in my mind. They led me to discover other bands like For Today, The Great Commission, and a few others that I hold in high regard. I didn’t know Christian metal could be so heavy. Not just sonically, but spiritually.

Today, there are so many great Christian metal bands out there, with some of my favorites being Cultist, With Blood Comes Cleansing, GRATITUDE TX, Bloodlines, and Convictions, to name a few. Christian metal has truly grown and flourished in the musical atmosphere, and in my heart. My first experience in the 80’s may not have been the greatest, but it was essential in my appreciation for the genre.

What’s your first experience with Christian Metal?