There are definitely exceptions. But this is often true.
I’m an atheist, but Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit In The Sky” is a banger.
Otherwise yeah, this meme nails it.
I also like some religious music, I think the key is that the music needs to be interesting with zero pandering.
At the risk of turning this into a “not religious, but…” music recommendation thread: I’ve enjoyed mewithoutYou for a long time now. They have a subdued art-rock sound, and I even enjoy a lot of their more overtly religious songs like “In a Sweater Poorly Knit” and “The King Beetle On A Coconut Estate.”
Mewithoutyou - “Cattail Down”Creepy though.
When I die and they lay me to rest,
I’m going to go to the place that’s the best.I actually looked up the song after I commented. Apparently Norman is Jewish and wrote the song after watching a gospel performance and said “Hey, I could do that.” He then wrote the lyrics in 15 minutes…
Isn’t Skillet kinda fine?..
Skillet is trash, and the front man is a tool.
the key ingredient is they don’t only sing about Jesus. See also: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Mainstream audiences don’t generally mind christian themes so long as that band is being true to themselves rather than making common denominator slop.
i mean… look at all the music that came from Motown records before 1985. not all of those musicians and acts were devoutly christian, but a lot of them were
You misspelled fire.
Mortification are pretty solid music-wise.
I have a soft spot for Creed sometimes, but it’s not exactly like they disprove this statement.
Edit: huh, apparently they aren’t a Christian rock band. Could’ve fooled me.
Scott Stapp the vocalist and lyricist is a Christian and his solo albums are outrightly spiritual in theme.
Something you would have to grow up in the church to understand is how controversial a lot of “Christian bands” actually were in Christian circles. Like the pushback against music with scream vocals was real.
It was a genuine wedge issue because churches used professional audio/lights to attract members with polished modern rock worship music. Music became so intertwined that it led to all non christian music being labeled “secular”.
Bands like Creed didn’t fit either label but generally was considered acceptable listening material in the church circles I grew up in. Most objections were genre based.
That’s one of those where they became so mainstream that they don’t want to name it, but they definitely make Christian rock.
Apparently, Higher is about lucid dreaming, but he’s also dreaming of biblical Heaven:
Can you take me higher
To a place where blind men see
(Isaiah 29:18-19)
Can you take me higher
To a place with golden streets
(Revelations 21:21)“My Sacrifice” is about Scott’s struggle with alcoholism, but speaks of a person who gave him love and who he implies he repeatedly reunites with “in their mind.” That’s Jesus bro.
“One Last Breath” drops a capital-H “His grace” referring to God, “With Arms Wide Open” mentions praying, “What If” references Matthew 7:16-17, etc.
It seems quite a few of their songs are “actually” about something else, but totally allegorical to Christian belief. And idk what that makes you other than a Christian rock band.
I thought My Sacrifice was about the double standard of being a supposed Christian rockstar but hanging with Kid Rock and getting bjs from the groupies.
“When you are with me, I’m free. I’m careless, I believe. Above all the others, we’ll fly. This brings tears to my eyes. My sacrifice.”
Creed is an honorary Christian rock band, which is 1000x worse than a normal one.
Alter Bridge is better
They are.
It’s already cringe when the youth pastor shows up with his acoustic guitar, and there’s really no need to also bring electricity into this.
The word “intelligence” means nothing when referencing most “AI”, just like the word Christian means nothing when referencing most “church-goers”.
More like K-Pop.
K-pop is actually good, christian rock is just crappy mushed copies of copies of bad rock
Perfectly valid subjective taste. For me personally k-pop looks and sounds like a marketing and dance ai glued together everything that “works” but has no soul or any identifiable bits.
The objective was to try to get religion to appeal to youth. I knew some young 20’s guys in a band who were into it circa 1998.
You mean the goal wasn’t to get rock to appeal to Christians? 😲
I believe you mean “the Devil’s Music”. Getting the kiddos all swinging and gyraten their hips like demons.
some of that evil pelvic sorcery, i hear
I’ve had the misfortune of having my ears raped over and over by Christian rock and metal. Can confirm: it’s horrid, empty, fake,…
Taste is a real talent. Whether it comes to decor, music, apparel, etc it fucking matters. When people have really horrible highlights or facial filler, it matters. Beauty matters. Try living in a beautiful environment and then an ugly one and the ugly one hurts.
I judge people harshly on this matter and I’d be a much happier person if I didn’t. I feel something close to physical pain when something is ugly.
it’s horrid, empty, fake,…
Just like Christianity itself 🙂
There are legitimately good Christians and Christian churches, the problem is they actually practice all the “woke” bits in the new testament. They’re humble, empathetic, and quiet – so they get drown out by the human garbage that also call themselves “Christian”.
There’s a few Unitarian Universalism churches and their offshoots around my city that piss off the “real” Christians by speaking out against fascism and flying pride flags.
It’s like if an Multi level marker made pop music.
I’m also a little irritated that pop music is so formulaic that ai kinda nails the imitation.
Catchy but stupid.
…And not the fun kind of stupid either.
One of the extremely few exceptions is Extol.
That chorus riff is unreal. Killer riffs and drumming all around.
Well yes, but they are THE exception. And by a long shot at that.
There are a few others that are worth mentioning.
But guess what=> the Christians usually don’t go for those because it’s too weird or it doesn’t mention Jesus overtly enough (which obviously means it’s a ploy by Satan).
When I first moved to France, I was surprised by how much English-language rock/pop music was on the radio. I was also suprised that sometimes christian rock would be played between something like Nirvana’s Rape Me and Bloodhound Gang’s The Bad Touch. I mentioned it to my colleagues and they were like, “wtf is Christian rock?”
Despite we having our share of weirdos, most Europeans have no clue as to how mind bogglingly insane religion has become in the US (and how normal most US people think it is).
I’m originally from Canada. Barely any christian rock made it to radio. Probably because they didn’t want to be on the same station as the evil rock bands. I didn’t know it was a thing until university when my neighbour tried to get me to listen to Switchfoot after hearing me listening to Skinny Puppy or something like that.
well so Jars of Clay was weirdly popular for a christian rock group. like i didn’t even think about them as a christian rock group until their second, maybe third album? but they got radio play on mainstream stations.
It’s a similar story with Skillet.
don’t embarrass me by talking about a band i don’t know yet i’m supposed to be the musician. what’s the good album i want to learn them
Honestly, just pull up a smattering of the top songs. I don’t think you need to do a whole album to get the vibe – 2 - 4 songs should do it.
Jesus why don’t you, turn off the light?
Hate AI ‘art’. Love me some Icon For Hire. But they mostly sing about mental illness with pop-metal hooks, and rarely anything spiritual.
I would not call icon for hire christian rock. You can glean they are christian, and you can draw parallels in their messaging, but at the same time it would be easy for a non christian to say and espouse the ideas in their lyrics all the same.
I don’t think I’ve ever considered icon for hire to be Christian rock/metal.
Stryper sounded good and was very popular outside Christian circles. I don’t think most people knew unless they saw them in concert and had a bible tossed at them.
silent planet is the best christian band I’ve ever discovered. they just have incredibly correct takes so idc if they’re religious.
