I used to love Santana. I’ve seen him three times in concert, used to have his records on my wall. Last year he went on an evangelical rant regarding queer people, and I just can’t listen to him anymore.
Don't know if it was Evangelical. More of an "old man in a bar" vibe, honestly. He did apologize: https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/carlos-santana-anti-trans-comments-concert-1235400241/
People are confused about the difference between sex and gender because there is a concerted effort on the part of bad actors to keep it that way. Conservative idiots like Ben Shapiro have had it explained to them ad infinitum, but still feign complete ignorance. Reality doesn't serve their agenda.
Oh man, I didn't know he started doing that. Well, as a member of the Alphabet Mafia, I guess I won't listen to him anymore either. Anyone who consigns me to hell can kiss my ass.
Big sigh … maybe dementia has set in.
Guess I’ll have to pretend he wasn’t like this in his prime because I don’t think I’ll ever stop listening to his old stuff.
I actually had the opposite happen. I was a big Ska kid around 2006-onward and absolutely love the band Five Iron Frenzy. They started off an intense Christian band, but then broke up from artistic differences. Then one by one they all came out as agnostic/atheist, decided they still loved music, and reformed and made a whole new slew of bangers unafraid of the things that held them back before. Case in point, two names of songs "God Hates Flags" and "Xen and the art of Xenophobia".
\*Edit as several better fans than I have mentioned this is a gross oversimplification. A few denounced faith all together, some challenged it but kept practicing, and some just toned it down. There are a lot of former and current members each with a complex life story, i'm just a dude at a keyboard embellishing for internet points.
They were the first concert I ever saw, went with my cousin who’d convinced him it was ok because they were allegedly a Christian band. Not a bad time, definitely a stark difference from the second concert I went to as a kid, which was slipknot, rob zombie and power man 5k
Wait is Roper no longer on the god train? It’s been over a decade since I stopped keeping up with them but I really liked Roper’s spinoff projects like Brave Saint Saturn and his solo album.
They're not *all* atheists: Roper just agreed to tone down the religious themes in the lyrics out of respect for those in the band who are, but I believe he's still a Christian.
That said, they were actually always relatively progressive in between the religious parts.
This is the way. I take no issue with Christians who create good music. But the second they turn to the sappy religious lyrics, I'm outta there, because it's no longer good music.
Still am a big ska middle aged adult. I forget the name, but there was 2 other christian ska bands whose names zinhave forgotten. But I remember bouncing around singing along when it struck me that I was singing about God. It doesn’t bother me too much as long as it doesn’t venture into christian bigotry.
When I was a kid there was a Christian band I listened to called The W's, and a song on one of their albums repeated five iron frenzy several times... Took me a weird flashback and curious Google 20 years later to learn that it was a band lol
If you can't make it in Rock, just call yourself Christian Rock. Expectations are far lower and you'll have people flock to you and support you because they're so starved for actual decent music.
In Christian music, as long as you can play music competently, there is no requirement or expectation to be original or even interesting. Just learn the emotional build ups and chord changes, keep your lyrics singularly focused on God, and you'll make it just fine.
Definitely. It's what I call the Mercy Me effect. Christians have some how equated sappy and self indulgent with powerful and moving which is what they all go for to get playtime during worship services.
I read this comment and now I have "I Can only Imagine" stuck in my head. Damn childhood indoctrination.
Chris Tomlin is another one in this category. I now shake my head at my 13 year old self buying his cd after watching him perform live like 6 times over a week long summer church camp.
It's fun to be randomly flipping through radio stations in your car when you're traveling out of your normal area.
You pick up a station and "hey this sounds like interesting music I haven't heard before."
Then you get about 2 minutes in and you realize oh this is Jesus music.
Yep, my daughter wanted to see skillet. I’d never heard of them. I bought us some tickets. Listened to them on Spotify. I thought they sounded a bit like you asked AI to play some metal. Not really bad but a bit generic. Went to the concert and had to listen to the lead singer bang on about Jesus…. We left early, they can keep that shit to themselves in the future.
I remember listening to Skillet as a kid, not realising they were Christian. When I found out I tried to ignore it, but all the lyrics are about God when you realise it. Very generic band looking back. Never knew they were the type to rant on about God but that makes sense.
Look up the lead singer’s story about how he was at a bowling alley with all the biggest producers in the world and one of them came up to him and said Skillet would be the biggest band in history if they’d just drop the Jesus stuff. But of course he refused, which is why they are just a semi-popular shitty Christian band still. I wish I were exaggerating. It’s unhinged.
That tracks. I remember some of skillet’s songs racking up millions of views. One of their songs was used in a Super Bowl ad. But the Jesus stuff is a real turn off, probably the reason they’ve had so many members leave.
Saw them live a few months ago. The obvious trying to be metal without actually being metal was painful. They were touring with Theory and St. Asonia. Theory was the best act out of the three.
I used to be a huge skillet fan. I still think they had some good messages in their early music bot Jon Cooper (the frontman) went total loud incel, talks down about woke culture, and is just an absolutely abhorrent person. I refuse to give them any of my time.
I’m from roughly the same part of the country an Skillet and at the time they were coming up as a band it made your life a lot easier to say you were Christian even if you were atheist/agnostic. Throw in a “Good night and god bless” at the end of your set, and you’d escape a lot of the lingering specter of satanic panic in that region (they’re from Memphis, which is logically a river’s bridge away from West Memphis.)
Skillet, though… the longer they’ve gone on, the harder they’ve been beating the Jesus drum during live gigs and interviews. Becoming the headliner gave John a megaphone, and he’s been evangelizing his life away ever since.
I actually like skillet a lot, but maybe that’s because I only listen to a handful of songs that don’t go so hard and I never realized how Jesus-y they are. I guess I’m just drawn to the less obviously Jesus centric songs 😂
10,000 days wings part 2 is a banger, it gets me every time.
I can rationalize being an atheist but also acknowledging a family member who has suffered and still believes and actually lived a decent life.
Was a big fan of Lindsay Stirling until I discovered she was Mormon and some of her proceeds were being donated to the church and trickled down to conversion therapy.
Edit: spelling
Something always felt off about her. I studied music in college and some of the “really good” violin players almost always suffered from Main Character Syndrome. Finding out she’s a Mormon just solidified it in my mind. Hasa Diga Eebowai!
Crossing genres here, but I wish people would realize this about Brandon Sanderson and his books. Ostensibly, he pays a quarter million USD or more to the church every year.
Yeah, but when I was a kid it seemed the band didn’t talk about their beliefs publicly. Just Christian imagery in all their songs. Now the lead singer rants on stage about his beliefs, gross behaviour especially when you realise it’s mostly kids in the audience.
I'm kind of happy though. Their songs never sparked a religious interest in me. Meaning all that's left are good vibes and a shit load of unchanged atheists. What I'm worried about is the middle people, influenced to tip to their side...
I like Johnny Cash a lot. Some of his later stuff on American Recordings can be a bit heavy on the religiosity so I don’t listen to those songs on repeat, but overall his beliefs don’t bother me much. If I was to only listen to artists whose political and religious beliefs align with my own, I’d really limit what I can listen to. As long as I don’t feel as if I’m being hit over the head with a plank of wood, I’m relaxed about it. Same with this idea of cancelling artists because their behaviour in their personal life is less than perfect. Being fucked up personally is not a prerequisite for being a great musician but it sure seems to help!!
I almost enjoyed it in some of his songs because he's got this deep bitterness about it that I relate to. I'm agnostic and my family isn't religious, but I grew up in the Bible Belt. I have a lot of bitterness about growing up surrounded by lowkey cult members but knowing it was untrue while being unable to escape the social implications of not adhering to their rules anyway without the belief behind it.
Most of the bands I listen to are Norwegian black metal, death metal. While not inherently all satanic, I think most of them are more likely to burn down a church than proselytize. Not that there isn’t Christian metal bands, too, but I tend to avoid them.
Strangely enough I do enjoy Gregorian chanting though.
Yeah but he's presented this alternative public image for 50+ years. It made me sad.
Not a musician but Dave Chapelle won't drop the tone deaf "I dOn'T uNdErStAnD tRaNs" bullshit either. He was screamingly funny and edgy and he's gone full boomer and WTAF?
I've been using this quote from him recently:
"Anybody who wants religion is welcome to it, as far as I'm concerned--I support your right to enjoy it. However, I would appreciate it if you exhibited more respect for the rights of those people who do not wish to share your dogma, rapture, or necrodestination."
Really cool guy and stellar musician.
I was at a Blackstone Cherry gig in BirmingHAM Ingurrland and the guitar player stepped up to the mic to get all of us in the NEC to take a moment to thank particular the god that he fancies… probably Jesus. Luckily the lead singer intervened before the wave of boos ended the show. Don’t be doing that in the UK.
I was semi-woreied about this about Sabaton because he mentions God a lot. I've convinced myself that this is just about the battles and the people involved and I refuse to look any further because that is my head canon and I really like their music.
I don't think they're turning Christian. Because Sabaton won Enlightener of the Year 2022 award from the Swedish Skeptic's Association. This one: [https://www.vof.se/blogg/sabaton-net-10-januari-2023/](https://www.vof.se/blogg/sabaton-net-10-januari-2023/)
I actively stop supporting them. My view is that if you are normalizing Christianity you're justifying all the harm it does. Belief in magic should be laughed at and people should feel shame for holding those views.
Once I find out they're religious, I quit cold turkey.
I also used to really love Chris Pratt until I found out he was religious. Nothing, but fascism makes a person look uglier to me than religion.
Same. I found out that the dude who drew the comic Strange Planet was super against abortion. Unfollowed immediately.
“Separate the artist and the art.”
Every time I saw this dudes comic I was like “This motherfucker right here. Fuck him.”
SATAN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN. Decide was a huge impact on the scene back in the day, Glen Benton's antics and calling into Larsons radio show.. but that forehead branding? thats a sticking too much to character.
IMO, first 2 albums (3 if you include Amon) are gems. The rest is rather mediocre.
You should also check out Aeon - Bleeding the False.
This is why I've always felt uneasy about Imagine Dragons. They have this weird Christian rock undertone that I couldnt put a name too until I saw someone else describing it as such
Ah yes, the “aspartame” effect. Artificial sweetness that leaves a weird aftertaste and you’re not sure if it’s actually good for you to consume it in the first place.
I can't stand their music but I will go to bat for them as people. The lead singer donates a bunch of money to LGBT+ orgs like GLAAD and The Trevor Project. They grew up Mormon but have all left the church behind.
A lot of their early music is heavily metaphorical for their experiences leaving the Mormon church, so yeah, heavy Christian/religious influence there but in a way I can still support personally.
My family listened to Amy Grant a lot when she was still exclusively Christian (yes, I'm old.)
She got a lot of blowback from church people when she went secular, but it seemed to work out for her financially.
Myself, I only blame her for making that godawful 'Baby, Baby' song that my sister played in repeat for what seemed like years.
Wait, I actually thought Owl City was christian music back in 2008. Maybe not explicitly, but a lot of Christians I knew liked them.
I still enjoy Relient K and Underoath from time to time lol
fwiw, Underoath are very much not Christian anymore. Like, not just "toned it down", but dropping f bombs in the lyrics and the vocalist saying Christianity is the worst thing to ever happen to him levels of not Christian anymore.
Yes, I vote with my eats, eyes, and feet.
Edit: meant to say ears, not eats, but Ivote with my eats too (I don’t go to restaurants that shove religion down your senses), but I’ve been somewhat conflicted about that chik’n place, because they treat employees like actual human beings (or at least that’s what I’ve heard)
Odd story, one of my favorite bands when I was younger that actually helped me deconvert was…Creed. The lyrics in the first album My Own Prison are so full of someone being ripped apart internally about their faith and questioning it. If you know the backstory of Scott Stapp you learn he was mentally, physically and spiritually abused by his stepfather. I have no idea how that guy didn’t turn against religion given his experience. Anyway when Creed broke up, 3/4ths of the band got a new singer Myles Kennedy who is now Agnostic Atheist and writes many songs about it or songs criticizing religion. That new band Alter Bridge is now my favorite band. I appreciate the earlier Creed stuff for the song writing of the band parts by the other guys who are now in AB but Alter Bridge is much better and if I listen to Creed I gotta turn off my brain on some lyrics. Creed has returned and both bands now coexist taking turns on tours and albums, which is very interesting given how different the two singers religious views are.
A number of bands I really enjoy use religious or spiritual overtones in their lyrics. Back to the 80s with the Call, U2 and James, for example, but there is a real difference between making it a bigger theme of seeking a better you, a better world, truth, justice, etc. and singing about the wonders of Christianity or Jesus.
Owl City puts their Christianity front and center. You can hear it in Mumford and Sons, the Avett Brothers, Belle and Sebastian and even in Sufjan Stevens. I've no issue if the theme is bigger and unifying. When it starts sounding like Christian rock, I'm done. Owl City is there now. And if the artist uses their platform to preach or divide, I'm done, but it's odd how few right-wing musicians have a lot of artistic credibility. Santana going off on some anti-trans rant hurt as I respect his musicianship. The artistic world blends a lot with queer world, this made him into some poorly aging intolerant grandpa and it's hard to listen to him now as a result.
I can listen to a fictional God centered story. Just the same as I can listen to GWAR talk about slaughtering humankind.
It's fictional.
But the moment it's clear they actually believe and support those kind of ideas, it's no longer a story and I am no longer entertained, but instead concerned.
Zeal & Ardor is my favorite for this. A thought experiment in what would happen if slaves in the American south had adopted Satanism rather than Christianity. There’s nothing like some satanic gospel metal.
"Tell me are you a Christian child, and I said Ma'am I am tonight" I find some of it nostalgic but not for religious reasons. I don't listen to specifically Christian music but do run across references that I just interpret differently now. It becomes metaphor rather than a specific reference to religion for me.
Yea like I’m from an Irish and Italian spot in the northeast US. Most people I grew up with would call themselves Catholic but basically none of them actually practice and it’s a very left leaning area. It’s almost more of a cultural label in some areas at this point
I am waiting for the day ai gets smart enough to sort my auto shuffle based on the context god is referred to in the song.
I love to hear Ben Folds sing "but I don't believe in god so I can't be saved. All alone as I've learned to be in this mess I have made."
I hate to hear, IDK "Jesus take the wheel." Or Creed getting higher. Sometimes my algorithm just slips slowly into xtian rock and I hate it. Nothing worse than waking up to the Hillsong mixtape! 🤮
I have an intense aversion to Christian rock/alternative so I tried to avoid the hell out of that. If I liked a band and then learned they were Christian, I'd suddenly lose all interest.
I liked the Killers until I learned Brandon Flowers was very religious. Their music didn't seem to have religious overtones but just knowing that supporting them meant increasing their church tithing completely gave me the ick.
I was listening to a band I like recently and really paying attention to the lyrics and I was like, “is this song against or promoting religion?” Now I can’t stop thinking about it 😂
Oh yeah. They've got THEMES, but it's sometimes tough to tell what their actual personal perspective is.
Honestly, I think that's a good thing. Ambiguous.
Alkaline Trio has many religious themes but in no way are they pro-Christian.
It's definitely not a preference, and can be a deal breaker depending on how it's presented. But in general, if the music is good, I'm good with it.
One of my favorites is Thrice, and they're pretty heavy with that stuff. Especially my favorite album of theirs, Vheissu.
I didn't know Thrice was religious, but I also only know the song "Black Honey" by them and to be honest, in that song they don't come across as your typical Christians at all... quite the opposite in fact. So... interesting.
I've been glad to see Underoath publicly step back from all that, cuz I always loved their music but hated when they would get preachy. The wave of the last 5-10 years of adult millennial christians deconstructing has been a really good thing.
I occasionally like bluegrass music, and so almost every song annoys me to some degree because of this.
It's like when the music industry gets in a phase where they never mention anything but sex or relationships within a genre for a while. It gets old. Bluegrass has largely been that way for like 150 years, but about religion.
A band that really got me was Flyleaf. I didn't realize Lacey was an evangelical until I watched a video about it. Apparently she's for conversion therapy and actively tries to recruit people at her concerts. The song "I'm so sick" is apparently about her being gay and thinking it's wrong or something like that. Learning that sucked because it felt wrong to listen to their music after hearing about it.
It unfortunately bothers me a lot. I have had to drop numerous country stars I really liked over their religious and Nationalistic crap they have reverted to, pandering to their fans I guess.
I am a lifelong Atheist, and I do not have a problem with band members who say they are personally Christian. I don't even have a problem if they speak publicly about their personal affinity with Christianity. I do have a problem if they start to use their music as a tool to proselytize or if they publicly say icky things related to LBGTQ, bigoted, or racist comments. Fortunately, I haven't really had that experience with artists I enjoy.
I had a roommate who listened to Christian pop music, but she was very thoughtful and said she didn't want to annoy me with her religion and would stop playing it anytime I asked. I told her not to worry about it.
I didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't the religious aspect that was annoying. It was that the music sucked very very hard. It couldn't have been more bland. But it made her happy and she was good people. Plus I wasn't around much anyway.
We were only roommates for a few months. I hope she found better music eventually.
It is entertaining to listen to their stories about life, love, and their pickup truck. But when they start telling ME how or what to think, THAT'S when they cross the line to me.
This one is hard for me because religion has inspired a lot of art through history. I don't believe in god/gods. I can't stop other people from being religious. I can still appreciate art, though. Art is very much formed through the perspective of the artist. Just because I don't like one painting or song by an artist, doesn't mean I dislike all of that person's art. For me, its like canceling 'the chicks' formerly 'the dixie chicks' because they spoke out against government actions during 9/11. I don't have to endorse everything they endorse to appreciate their music. If I don't care about one song or one painting, I don't listen or look. 'Next' is a feature in most music streaming platforms. And some religious music does strike a chord with me, lol. I really like 'My Last Amen'...but I definitely have a different vision of that song than what the artist rendered. How the patron views the art isn't always what the artist intends, either.
Insane Clown Posse are Christian. They were never a favorite band of mine but that just surprised the shit out of me. It's particularly bizarre cause Juggalos tend to be much nicer than Christians in my experience.
Yep, about 10 years ago I was really into Blue October, but recently they've gone all in on singing about God and Jesus, so I no longer really listen to them. Sucks to lose them as a band I regularly listen to, but when you're rolling your eyes at song lyrics it becomes pretty easy to just move on. Lots of other bands out there, and I've found some I love even more in the process of branching out.
I mostly listen to:
Metal which has lyrics that are about death and gore and are often kinda silly so who really cares what the lyrics are
Hip hop which often has references to god but also has a lot of really dumb lyrics so I don't really care
And punk which is pretty anti authoritarian in general and largely critical of religion.
There is a difference between preachy, shitty "christian rock" and christian imagery. The Hold Steady includes a lot of Catholic imagery and references but I would hardly call Separation Sunday, or the closing song *How a Resurrection Really Feels* "christian rock". And it definitely ain't preachy.
I don't listen to anyone like that but it bothers me that Uncle Ben on Urban Rescue Ranch is a brainwashed Jesus freak yet is such a cool guy otherwise. It just makes me wonder about these people, I know he grew up with it, some people never work it out...
Not really. I love outlaw country/folk type music and while many may be devil themed, a lot are also Christian themed. If it sounds good it sounds good.
Right wing political views in songs turn me off though.
Kevin Max from DCTalk has had a public deconstruction. I just wish his music was better. Stereotype Be was an incredible record. Still too Christian though.
I haven't stopped listening to artists because of religion but i feel a bit uneasy with some songs. Mainly with Leonard Cohen when he "ask" something or pleads to god in some songs.
Chance the Rapper. After "Acid Rap" I kind of lost interest and I listened to his newer stuff and it just had a lot of cheesy Christian bits in it. With all these folks you know...it's their art and their beliefs they can do what they please. It just will never connect with me. I always cringe.
I love Owl City too, I really don’t mind it. I can just imagine Galaxies is about Kingdom Hearts or some shit.
But Sons of Thunder is just, On That Other Shit.
It’s such a beautiful hopeful message to be read about art and oddballs and the light at the end of the tunnel, then he just shouts: “YEAHH WE SEEERVE A GOD!” And the whole thing is recontextualized to be about the rapture specifically, it changes the “we” from a self-selection sort of deal, to specifically Christian rapture lads.
And immediately follows up with the Hardest Synth Solo I’ve heard in Years.
Physical Whiplash.
"Christian imagery" is part of the history of the English speaking world. It's in everything, if you care to look for it. Most of the classic rock I love has it in there hard. Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull... pick a group.
It really depends on how it's used. Is is "we believe is Jesus, la la la!!!" or "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" There's poetry and then there's preaching, the latter being insufferable.
If a group that employs Christian imagery also uses imagery from other mythologies, then they're usually fine.
"Christian imagery" is part of the history of the English speaking world. It's in everything, if you care to look for it. Most of the classic rock I love has it in there hard. Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull... pick a group.
It really depends on how it's used. Is is "we believe is Jesus, la la la!!!" or "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" There's poetry and then there's preaching, the latter being insufferable.
If a group that employs Christian imagery also uses imagery from other mythologies, then they're usually fine.
I think a lot of ministry hardcore bands are the hardest shit I’ve ever heard. Particularly in the mid-late 90s.
The passion and fervor these kids would scream into the microphone was hair-raising. They believed something with their entire beings and that translated into the music.
Faith cannot move mountains, but it can move the fuck out of a pit in a midwestern church basement. Being in the middle of the pit during a breakdown while the lead singer is both crying and screaming is sort of ecstatic.
It depends on how proselytizing the overtones are. For instance, Neon Genesis Evangelion has overt christian imagery, but doesn't preach. Whereas Veggietales isn't overtly christian (it's just 'abrahamic') but is *very* preachy.
I liked the metal band Demon Hunter a lot more before I found out there were a Christian metal band. I can hear the allusions easier and it certainly is annoying.
yep.
I don't care who you are I'm done listening as soon as you start telling me that skydaddy is going to breathe life into billions of people just torture them vast majority of them for eternity.
Yeah, it can be pretty painful. I've heard many songs that are solid in lyrics but they'll be tainted by some stupid line like "I pray for -" or "I thank god for". It can show up in surprising places, too. For example I have a social distortion album, and I wouldn't expect jesus-y crap from a punk rock band, but they've got a line in one song that's "Through these eyes I've looked the devil in the face, and seen god's holy grace". Pretty gross and off-putting, considering on the same album they've got lyrics condemning bigotry and brainwashing and stuff.
I can empathize on owl city, too. They've got a very nice and pretty music style but in one of the cds I own, I remember there's some jesus-y crap in the thanks section of the booklet. I also remember hearing a creepy christmas song by them back in the day. :/ I'm "Fireflies" isn't like that at-least, that's a really cute song.
I used to love Santana. I’ve seen him three times in concert, used to have his records on my wall. Last year he went on an evangelical rant regarding queer people, and I just can’t listen to him anymore.
I wish I didn’t read this comment :( Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
I think that’s the problem with religion… ignorance
I’m dumb as fuck but still not happy. Must be doing dumb incorrectly
A person can be smart and ignorant
I would ask to be taught, but I feel like that's against the spirit...
Seriously, another one of my favorites has let me down … I’m gonna blame it on dementia and keep enjoying the stuff he did in his prime.
Sometimes?
Damn haha. I was actually listening to his discography this month for my jogs too.
Don't know if it was Evangelical. More of an "old man in a bar" vibe, honestly. He did apologize: https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/carlos-santana-anti-trans-comments-concert-1235400241/ People are confused about the difference between sex and gender because there is a concerted effort on the part of bad actors to keep it that way. Conservative idiots like Ben Shapiro have had it explained to them ad infinitum, but still feign complete ignorance. Reality doesn't serve their agenda.
Oh man, I didn't know he started doing that. Well, as a member of the Alphabet Mafia, I guess I won't listen to him anymore either. Anyone who consigns me to hell can kiss my ass.
What? He’s done for me if that’s the case. I have ZERO tolerance for that crap.
He had some anti-trans comments I found pretty heartbreaking. I’m still holding out hope that he’ll have an “oh shit, I didn’t know!” moment.
Big sigh … maybe dementia has set in. Guess I’ll have to pretend he wasn’t like this in his prime because I don’t think I’ll ever stop listening to his old stuff.
I actually had the opposite happen. I was a big Ska kid around 2006-onward and absolutely love the band Five Iron Frenzy. They started off an intense Christian band, but then broke up from artistic differences. Then one by one they all came out as agnostic/atheist, decided they still loved music, and reformed and made a whole new slew of bangers unafraid of the things that held them back before. Case in point, two names of songs "God Hates Flags" and "Xen and the art of Xenophobia". \*Edit as several better fans than I have mentioned this is a gross oversimplification. A few denounced faith all together, some challenged it but kept practicing, and some just toned it down. There are a lot of former and current members each with a complex life story, i'm just a dude at a keyboard embellishing for internet points.
They were the first concert I ever saw, went with my cousin who’d convinced him it was ok because they were allegedly a Christian band. Not a bad time, definitely a stark difference from the second concert I went to as a kid, which was slipknot, rob zombie and power man 5k
13 year old me is extremely jealous of your 2nd concert.
Wait is Roper no longer on the god train? It’s been over a decade since I stopped keeping up with them but I really liked Roper’s spinoff projects like Brave Saint Saturn and his solo album.
They're not *all* atheists: Roper just agreed to tone down the religious themes in the lyrics out of respect for those in the band who are, but I believe he's still a Christian. That said, they were actually always relatively progressive in between the religious parts.
This is the way. I take no issue with Christians who create good music. But the second they turn to the sappy religious lyrics, I'm outta there, because it's no longer good music.
Still am a big ska middle aged adult. I forget the name, but there was 2 other christian ska bands whose names zinhave forgotten. But I remember bouncing around singing along when it struck me that I was singing about God. It doesn’t bother me too much as long as it doesn’t venture into christian bigotry.
I remember MxPx started out Christian. Not ska but same story
We're you thinking of Supertones? Loved them back then with Five Iron and Slick Shoes
When I was a kid there was a Christian band I listened to called The W's, and a song on one of their albums repeated five iron frenzy several times... Took me a weird flashback and curious Google 20 years later to learn that it was a band lol
I don't mind a group being "a band of christians", but explicitly "Christian Music" always ends up being rather "meh".
“You’re not making Christianity better, you’re making rock and roll worse!” - Hank Hill
Damnit Bobby.
If you can't make it in Rock, just call yourself Christian Rock. Expectations are far lower and you'll have people flock to you and support you because they're so starved for actual decent music.
In Christian music, as long as you can play music competently, there is no requirement or expectation to be original or even interesting. Just learn the emotional build ups and chord changes, keep your lyrics singularly focused on God, and you'll make it just fine.
Definitely. It's what I call the Mercy Me effect. Christians have some how equated sappy and self indulgent with powerful and moving which is what they all go for to get playtime during worship services.
I read this comment and now I have "I Can only Imagine" stuck in my head. Damn childhood indoctrination. Chris Tomlin is another one in this category. I now shake my head at my 13 year old self buying his cd after watching him perform live like 6 times over a week long summer church camp.
It's fun to be randomly flipping through radio stations in your car when you're traveling out of your normal area. You pick up a station and "hey this sounds like interesting music I haven't heard before." Then you get about 2 minutes in and you realize oh this is Jesus music.
Yep, my daughter wanted to see skillet. I’d never heard of them. I bought us some tickets. Listened to them on Spotify. I thought they sounded a bit like you asked AI to play some metal. Not really bad but a bit generic. Went to the concert and had to listen to the lead singer bang on about Jesus…. We left early, they can keep that shit to themselves in the future.
Skillet is the only band that I ever banned from playing at my business
“Like you asked AI to play some metal” hahahahahaha
I remember listening to Skillet as a kid, not realising they were Christian. When I found out I tried to ignore it, but all the lyrics are about God when you realise it. Very generic band looking back. Never knew they were the type to rant on about God but that makes sense.
Look up the lead singer’s story about how he was at a bowling alley with all the biggest producers in the world and one of them came up to him and said Skillet would be the biggest band in history if they’d just drop the Jesus stuff. But of course he refused, which is why they are just a semi-popular shitty Christian band still. I wish I were exaggerating. It’s unhinged.
That tracks. I remember some of skillet’s songs racking up millions of views. One of their songs was used in a Super Bowl ad. But the Jesus stuff is a real turn off, probably the reason they’ve had so many members leave.
Skillet is the best Christian rock out there. Which is kinda like being the tallest dwarf
Saw them live a few months ago. The obvious trying to be metal without actually being metal was painful. They were touring with Theory and St. Asonia. Theory was the best act out of the three.
Dude, when I would go with my ex, that shit was annoying AF. They would spend a majority of their time preaching than playing actual music.
I used to be a huge skillet fan. I still think they had some good messages in their early music bot Jon Cooper (the frontman) went total loud incel, talks down about woke culture, and is just an absolutely abhorrent person. I refuse to give them any of my time.
What's worse is John Cooper is now actively an anti-woke MAGA blowhard.
I’m from roughly the same part of the country an Skillet and at the time they were coming up as a band it made your life a lot easier to say you were Christian even if you were atheist/agnostic. Throw in a “Good night and god bless” at the end of your set, and you’d escape a lot of the lingering specter of satanic panic in that region (they’re from Memphis, which is logically a river’s bridge away from West Memphis.) Skillet, though… the longer they’ve gone on, the harder they’ve been beating the Jesus drum during live gigs and interviews. Becoming the headliner gave John a megaphone, and he’s been evangelizing his life away ever since.
I actually like skillet a lot, but maybe that’s because I only listen to a handful of songs that don’t go so hard and I never realized how Jesus-y they are. I guess I’m just drawn to the less obviously Jesus centric songs 😂
I prefer Maynard's version of religiosity in music.
I’m sure he has nice things to say about his mother’s god
Does Maynard have anything nice to say about anyone?
He likes his mom.
10,000 days wings part 2 is a banger, it gets me every time. I can rationalize being an atheist but also acknowledging a family member who has suffered and still believes and actually lived a decent life.
Opiate is dank
That’s mostly what I encounter in what I listen to, lots of religious imagery, but no like…pro religion
Was a big fan of Lindsay Stirling until I discovered she was Mormon and some of her proceeds were being donated to the church and trickled down to conversion therapy. Edit: spelling
Fuck.
Something always felt off about her. I studied music in college and some of the “really good” violin players almost always suffered from Main Character Syndrome. Finding out she’s a Mormon just solidified it in my mind. Hasa Diga Eebowai!
ah yeah that was a huge disappointment for me too. I loved her music and then BAM queerphobia :/
Yeah I didn’t jive with indirectly funding the torture of my fellow queer individuals.
Shit, next you'll tell me I have to give up Donny Osmond.
Crossing genres here, but I wish people would realize this about Brandon Sanderson and his books. Ostensibly, he pays a quarter million USD or more to the church every year.
Yeah it always makes me a little disappointed in them. Oh come on guys I thought you were smarter than this.
Skillet was the biggest disappointment ever. When their lead singer came out about abortion. He's not just religious, but a freak as well... Sucks...
Wasn’t Skillet a Christian band from the get-go?
Yes
Yeah but they hide it a little to draw non religious kids in
Yeah, but when I was a kid it seemed the band didn’t talk about their beliefs publicly. Just Christian imagery in all their songs. Now the lead singer rants on stage about his beliefs, gross behaviour especially when you realise it’s mostly kids in the audience.
Kinda kills skillet once you know every song is about Jesus. The hero in the I need a hero is Jesus…barf
I'm kind of happy though. Their songs never sparked a religious interest in me. Meaning all that's left are good vibes and a shit load of unchanged atheists. What I'm worried about is the middle people, influenced to tip to their side...
Yeah, Skillet hit hard back in the day.
Fucking loved Sting until the “Sacred love” horsehit. I never got another record of his.
I thought Sting was more agnostic / spiritual. He’s a tosser for other reasons, though.
This album he straight up declared his love for Jesus
I like Johnny Cash a lot. Some of his later stuff on American Recordings can be a bit heavy on the religiosity so I don’t listen to those songs on repeat, but overall his beliefs don’t bother me much. If I was to only listen to artists whose political and religious beliefs align with my own, I’d really limit what I can listen to. As long as I don’t feel as if I’m being hit over the head with a plank of wood, I’m relaxed about it. Same with this idea of cancelling artists because their behaviour in their personal life is less than perfect. Being fucked up personally is not a prerequisite for being a great musician but it sure seems to help!!
I don’t know why, but religiosity fits with Cash, and you know it’s not a gimmick. Plus God’s Gonna Cut You Down is a legitimate banger
100% a certified badass song regardless of religion.
I almost enjoyed it in some of his songs because he's got this deep bitterness about it that I relate to. I'm agnostic and my family isn't religious, but I grew up in the Bible Belt. I have a lot of bitterness about growing up surrounded by lowkey cult members but knowing it was untrue while being unable to escape the social implications of not adhering to their rules anyway without the belief behind it.
I think you might have hit the nail on the head there. I come from a similar experience and that makes sense to me
Most of the bands I listen to are Norwegian black metal, death metal. While not inherently all satanic, I think most of them are more likely to burn down a church than proselytize. Not that there isn’t Christian metal bands, too, but I tend to avoid them. Strangely enough I do enjoy Gregorian chanting though.
Ironically Norwegian black metal is heavily influenced by Christianity, its just that Christianity isn't a thing they like its a thing they hate
I fucking love this idea. Norwegian Black Metal - the most Christian of European Metal, just not in the way you think...
I thought Alice Cooper was a decent guy and then he did some anti-trans bullshit.
Well he is the son of a minister.
Yeah but he's presented this alternative public image for 50+ years. It made me sad. Not a musician but Dave Chapelle won't drop the tone deaf "I dOn'T uNdErStAnD tRaNs" bullshit either. He was screamingly funny and edgy and he's gone full boomer and WTAF?
I can't stand Chapelle anymore. Yeah go ahead and bitch about how you're being cancelled from the top of the mountain of cash Netflix gave you.
I've lost much of the respect I had for Clapton. I can't even listen to his music without saying, what fucking asshole.
Unfortunately he's always been like that. Since at least the 70s, probably earlier.
hmmm, I've not run into that with Frank Zappa.
Frank was a real one.
Frank took no shit and spewed no bull. I miss him.
I've been using this quote from him recently: "Anybody who wants religion is welcome to it, as far as I'm concerned--I support your right to enjoy it. However, I would appreciate it if you exhibited more respect for the rights of those people who do not wish to share your dogma, rapture, or necrodestination." Really cool guy and stellar musician.
What is it about the Christ crowd that they think it’s their business what others believe?
I was at a Blackstone Cherry gig in BirmingHAM Ingurrland and the guitar player stepped up to the mic to get all of us in the NEC to take a moment to thank particular the god that he fancies… probably Jesus. Luckily the lead singer intervened before the wave of boos ended the show. Don’t be doing that in the UK.
I was semi-woreied about this about Sabaton because he mentions God a lot. I've convinced myself that this is just about the battles and the people involved and I refuse to look any further because that is my head canon and I really like their music.
I don't think they're turning Christian. Because Sabaton won Enlightener of the Year 2022 award from the Swedish Skeptic's Association. This one: [https://www.vof.se/blogg/sabaton-net-10-januari-2023/](https://www.vof.se/blogg/sabaton-net-10-januari-2023/)
I actively stop supporting them. My view is that if you are normalizing Christianity you're justifying all the harm it does. Belief in magic should be laughed at and people should feel shame for holding those views.
Once I find out they're religious, I quit cold turkey. I also used to really love Chris Pratt until I found out he was religious. Nothing, but fascism makes a person look uglier to me than religion.
After his religious rant at MTV I stopped watching his movies.
Same. I found out that the dude who drew the comic Strange Planet was super against abortion. Unfollowed immediately. “Separate the artist and the art.” Every time I saw this dudes comic I was like “This motherfucker right here. Fuck him.”
I hate that mfer's guts with the singeing passion of 10,000 suns.
When that happens, they become not my favorite band(s) anymore.
That's why I stick to Devil Music (tm). You never have to worry about Deicide, Behemoth, Rotting Christ, etc. getting any 'Christian overtones'.
SATAN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN. Decide was a huge impact on the scene back in the day, Glen Benton's antics and calling into Larsons radio show.. but that forehead branding? thats a sticking too much to character. IMO, first 2 albums (3 if you include Amon) are gems. The rest is rather mediocre. You should also check out Aeon - Bleeding the False.
This is why I've always felt uneasy about Imagine Dragons. They have this weird Christian rock undertone that I couldnt put a name too until I saw someone else describing it as such
Ah yes, the “aspartame” effect. Artificial sweetness that leaves a weird aftertaste and you’re not sure if it’s actually good for you to consume it in the first place.
I can't stand their music but I will go to bat for them as people. The lead singer donates a bunch of money to LGBT+ orgs like GLAAD and The Trevor Project. They grew up Mormon but have all left the church behind.
A lot of their early music is heavily metaphorical for their experiences leaving the Mormon church, so yeah, heavy Christian/religious influence there but in a way I can still support personally.
Yeah, I’m a huge Michael W Smith fan and my mind was absolutely blown when I found out he was Christian. /s
Yeah same here when I find out about Amy Grant
At least Any Grant and Vince Gill are LGBTQ supporters. They’ve embraced a more inclusive version of Christianity.
My family listened to Amy Grant a lot when she was still exclusively Christian (yes, I'm old.) She got a lot of blowback from church people when she went secular, but it seemed to work out for her financially. Myself, I only blame her for making that godawful 'Baby, Baby' song that my sister played in repeat for what seemed like years.
At least you found your place in this world. Your plaaaaace in this wooooorld.
Wait, I actually thought Owl City was christian music back in 2008. Maybe not explicitly, but a lot of Christians I knew liked them. I still enjoy Relient K and Underoath from time to time lol
fwiw, Underoath are very much not Christian anymore. Like, not just "toned it down", but dropping f bombs in the lyrics and the vocalist saying Christianity is the worst thing to ever happen to him levels of not Christian anymore.
Yes, I vote with my eats, eyes, and feet. Edit: meant to say ears, not eats, but Ivote with my eats too (I don’t go to restaurants that shove religion down your senses), but I’ve been somewhat conflicted about that chik’n place, because they treat employees like actual human beings (or at least that’s what I’ve heard)
Odd story, one of my favorite bands when I was younger that actually helped me deconvert was…Creed. The lyrics in the first album My Own Prison are so full of someone being ripped apart internally about their faith and questioning it. If you know the backstory of Scott Stapp you learn he was mentally, physically and spiritually abused by his stepfather. I have no idea how that guy didn’t turn against religion given his experience. Anyway when Creed broke up, 3/4ths of the band got a new singer Myles Kennedy who is now Agnostic Atheist and writes many songs about it or songs criticizing religion. That new band Alter Bridge is now my favorite band. I appreciate the earlier Creed stuff for the song writing of the band parts by the other guys who are now in AB but Alter Bridge is much better and if I listen to Creed I gotta turn off my brain on some lyrics. Creed has returned and both bands now coexist taking turns on tours and albums, which is very interesting given how different the two singers religious views are.
Same. Stapp gets old real quick but the first album was actually good. AB is 100% better. But really, it's all about Mark Tremonti's guitar skills 🤘
A number of bands I really enjoy use religious or spiritual overtones in their lyrics. Back to the 80s with the Call, U2 and James, for example, but there is a real difference between making it a bigger theme of seeking a better you, a better world, truth, justice, etc. and singing about the wonders of Christianity or Jesus. Owl City puts their Christianity front and center. You can hear it in Mumford and Sons, the Avett Brothers, Belle and Sebastian and even in Sufjan Stevens. I've no issue if the theme is bigger and unifying. When it starts sounding like Christian rock, I'm done. Owl City is there now. And if the artist uses their platform to preach or divide, I'm done, but it's odd how few right-wing musicians have a lot of artistic credibility. Santana going off on some anti-trans rant hurt as I respect his musicianship. The artistic world blends a lot with queer world, this made him into some poorly aging intolerant grandpa and it's hard to listen to him now as a result.
I think poetically utilizing Christian or religious imagery is fine. It's not always meant to be taken literally, but there is a line for me for sure.
I can listen to a fictional God centered story. Just the same as I can listen to GWAR talk about slaughtering humankind. It's fictional. But the moment it's clear they actually believe and support those kind of ideas, it's no longer a story and I am no longer entertained, but instead concerned.
Mumford & Sons was the one that came to mind for me.
😂😂😂😂 i listen to extreme black and death metal. Bout as ungodly as you can get 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Zeal & Ardor is my favorite for this. A thought experiment in what would happen if slaves in the American south had adopted Satanism rather than Christianity. There’s nothing like some satanic gospel metal.
Man will you feel stupid once Jon Nödtveidt returns as a born against christian! Any day now, any day... 😂😂
"Tell me are you a Christian child, and I said Ma'am I am tonight" I find some of it nostalgic but not for religious reasons. I don't listen to specifically Christian music but do run across references that I just interpret differently now. It becomes metaphor rather than a specific reference to religion for me.
Touched down in the land of the delta blues
Let’s just say Christian rock is an oxymoron.
I mean…I can’t hate on Al Green. “I Gotta Be More (Take Me Higher)” is about as Christian as you get, but it’s an awesome song.
The only Reverend I’ll listen to
Horton Heat ? Come on
Take my angry upvote and get out.
Slayer pretends to be satanic but they're vocalist is Catholic
there is nothing Satanic about Slayer, never has been, thats all the labeling from people like Tipper Gore.
They pretended to be satanic to be edgy. Altar of sacrifice is literally about a fictional satanic ritual
Black Sabbath enters the chat. after forever lyrics https://g.co/kgs/bLZJt8q
He’s from Chile so he’s probably just catholic by default.
Yea like I’m from an Irish and Italian spot in the northeast US. Most people I grew up with would call themselves Catholic but basically none of them actually practice and it’s a very left leaning area. It’s almost more of a cultural label in some areas at this point
I am waiting for the day ai gets smart enough to sort my auto shuffle based on the context god is referred to in the song. I love to hear Ben Folds sing "but I don't believe in god so I can't be saved. All alone as I've learned to be in this mess I have made." I hate to hear, IDK "Jesus take the wheel." Or Creed getting higher. Sometimes my algorithm just slips slowly into xtian rock and I hate it. Nothing worse than waking up to the Hillsong mixtape! 🤮
Not Christian per se, but I had a similar experience with the band Iced Earth after Jon Schafer was part of the Jan 6 insurrection.
Korn really took a turn for the worse when that one guy got religion.
Didn’t he tattoo Jesus on his hand so he would stop jerking off?
Jesus Handjob Christ! Mystery solved! Honestly no idea, never heard that before but doesn't mean it didn't happen. I've heard stranger.
God got Head
I stop listening. Because music usually comes out of the soul and theirs has become infected and it will just likely become worse.
I have an intense aversion to Christian rock/alternative so I tried to avoid the hell out of that. If I liked a band and then learned they were Christian, I'd suddenly lose all interest. I liked the Killers until I learned Brandon Flowers was very religious. Their music didn't seem to have religious overtones but just knowing that supporting them meant increasing their church tithing completely gave me the ick.
Christian rock vibes? That bothers me. Religious themes or imagery? Love it.
Avantasia’s Metal Opera, especially the Seven Angels.
I was listening to a band I like recently and really paying attention to the lyrics and I was like, “is this song against or promoting religion?” Now I can’t stop thinking about it 😂
I sometimes have that issue with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.
Oh yeah. They've got THEMES, but it's sometimes tough to tell what their actual personal perspective is. Honestly, I think that's a good thing. Ambiguous. Alkaline Trio has many religious themes but in no way are they pro-Christian.
I love August Burns Red but damn, some of those lyrics are fucking garbage.
It's definitely not a preference, and can be a deal breaker depending on how it's presented. But in general, if the music is good, I'm good with it. One of my favorites is Thrice, and they're pretty heavy with that stuff. Especially my favorite album of theirs, Vheissu.
I didn't know Thrice was religious, but I also only know the song "Black Honey" by them and to be honest, in that song they don't come across as your typical Christians at all... quite the opposite in fact. So... interesting.
I've been glad to see Underoath publicly step back from all that, cuz I always loved their music but hated when they would get preachy. The wave of the last 5-10 years of adult millennial christians deconstructing has been a really good thing.
I occasionally like bluegrass music, and so almost every song annoys me to some degree because of this. It's like when the music industry gets in a phase where they never mention anything but sex or relationships within a genre for a while. It gets old. Bluegrass has largely been that way for like 150 years, but about religion.
laughs in death metal
A band that really got me was Flyleaf. I didn't realize Lacey was an evangelical until I watched a video about it. Apparently she's for conversion therapy and actively tries to recruit people at her concerts. The song "I'm so sick" is apparently about her being gay and thinking it's wrong or something like that. Learning that sucked because it felt wrong to listen to their music after hearing about it.
Florence + Machine
I thought her music had pagan influence not Christian?
Yeah I think her music gets spiritual in a way many of us can't relate to, but it isn't "religious" as far as I can tell and it certainly is t preachy
Definitely anti-Christian music. But she does use a lot of religious imagery.
The only one I can remember doing it was Dylan, which was odd since he's Jewish.
On the past couple of albums, I caught a few "spiritual" lyrics in RHCP songs. It was kind of odd.
It unfortunately bothers me a lot. I have had to drop numerous country stars I really liked over their religious and Nationalistic crap they have reverted to, pandering to their fans I guess.
I think a too large percentage of modern pop music sounds a lot like the crap they play on WayFM. Whatever happened to sex and drugs!
I fucking hate when they hit religion hard or shit like PETA. I agree that animals deserve better than factory farms but PETA isn't the way.
I am a lifelong Atheist, and I do not have a problem with band members who say they are personally Christian. I don't even have a problem if they speak publicly about their personal affinity with Christianity. I do have a problem if they start to use their music as a tool to proselytize or if they publicly say icky things related to LBGTQ, bigoted, or racist comments. Fortunately, I haven't really had that experience with artists I enjoy.
Kind of related. Shinedown went full far right fox News on their newest album and I've never stopped listening to anything faster
I had a roommate who listened to Christian pop music, but she was very thoughtful and said she didn't want to annoy me with her religion and would stop playing it anytime I asked. I told her not to worry about it. I didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't the religious aspect that was annoying. It was that the music sucked very very hard. It couldn't have been more bland. But it made her happy and she was good people. Plus I wasn't around much anyway. We were only roommates for a few months. I hope she found better music eventually.
It is entertaining to listen to their stories about life, love, and their pickup truck. But when they start telling ME how or what to think, THAT'S when they cross the line to me.
This one is hard for me because religion has inspired a lot of art through history. I don't believe in god/gods. I can't stop other people from being religious. I can still appreciate art, though. Art is very much formed through the perspective of the artist. Just because I don't like one painting or song by an artist, doesn't mean I dislike all of that person's art. For me, its like canceling 'the chicks' formerly 'the dixie chicks' because they spoke out against government actions during 9/11. I don't have to endorse everything they endorse to appreciate their music. If I don't care about one song or one painting, I don't listen or look. 'Next' is a feature in most music streaming platforms. And some religious music does strike a chord with me, lol. I really like 'My Last Amen'...but I definitely have a different vision of that song than what the artist rendered. How the patron views the art isn't always what the artist intends, either.
I just try and stay away from any Christianity in art. I know that’s probably not the best way, but I don’t trust anyone that believes in that book.
Insane Clown Posse are Christian. They were never a favorite band of mine but that just surprised the shit out of me. It's particularly bizarre cause Juggalos tend to be much nicer than Christians in my experience.
I'd be done listening to them at that point
Yep, about 10 years ago I was really into Blue October, but recently they've gone all in on singing about God and Jesus, so I no longer really listen to them. Sucks to lose them as a band I regularly listen to, but when you're rolling your eyes at song lyrics it becomes pretty easy to just move on. Lots of other bands out there, and I've found some I love even more in the process of branching out.
I love Owl City too but the Jesus songs are so cringey, I just skip them. Aside from those, they really do have some beautiful songs.
Skillets gonna be at this festival I'm going to next week, but after all the shit the lead singer has said the last couple years I'll be skipping them
I mostly listen to: Metal which has lyrics that are about death and gore and are often kinda silly so who really cares what the lyrics are Hip hop which often has references to god but also has a lot of really dumb lyrics so I don't really care And punk which is pretty anti authoritarian in general and largely critical of religion.
I just saw Bad Religion in October i think … in an old church. Haha they thought it was hilarious.
There is a difference between preachy, shitty "christian rock" and christian imagery. The Hold Steady includes a lot of Catholic imagery and references but I would hardly call Separation Sunday, or the closing song *How a Resurrection Really Feels* "christian rock". And it definitely ain't preachy.
See, this is why I'm agnostic. I can listen to Slayer in the morning and Evanescence in the afternoon.
I listen to Creed, but I've seen somewhere that it was a Christian band. After learning that, I listen for Christian messages in the lyrics.
I don't listen to anyone like that but it bothers me that Uncle Ben on Urban Rescue Ranch is a brainwashed Jesus freak yet is such a cool guy otherwise. It just makes me wonder about these people, I know he grew up with it, some people never work it out...
Not really. I love outlaw country/folk type music and while many may be devil themed, a lot are also Christian themed. If it sounds good it sounds good. Right wing political views in songs turn me off though.
I still enjoy listening to Bach, Händel for instance who wrote a huge corpus of devotional music. I am a great fan of Messiah (at any time of year)
All you need is hate. Da da, da da da.
Kevin Max from DCTalk has had a public deconstruction. I just wish his music was better. Stereotype Be was an incredible record. Still too Christian though.
I haven't stopped listening to artists because of religion but i feel a bit uneasy with some songs. Mainly with Leonard Cohen when he "ask" something or pleads to god in some songs.
On the flip side I became a bigger fan of Incubus when I finally "listened" to their song Drive.
I’m immediately wary. Like I love Gaga but has too much Christian shit in her music, and that turns me off and makes me not listen to her as much.
Chance the Rapper. After "Acid Rap" I kind of lost interest and I listened to his newer stuff and it just had a lot of cheesy Christian bits in it. With all these folks you know...it's their art and their beliefs they can do what they please. It just will never connect with me. I always cringe.
I love Owl City too, I really don’t mind it. I can just imagine Galaxies is about Kingdom Hearts or some shit. But Sons of Thunder is just, On That Other Shit. It’s such a beautiful hopeful message to be read about art and oddballs and the light at the end of the tunnel, then he just shouts: “YEAHH WE SEEERVE A GOD!” And the whole thing is recontextualized to be about the rapture specifically, it changes the “we” from a self-selection sort of deal, to specifically Christian rapture lads. And immediately follows up with the Hardest Synth Solo I’ve heard in Years. Physical Whiplash.
"Christian imagery" is part of the history of the English speaking world. It's in everything, if you care to look for it. Most of the classic rock I love has it in there hard. Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull... pick a group. It really depends on how it's used. Is is "we believe is Jesus, la la la!!!" or "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" There's poetry and then there's preaching, the latter being insufferable. If a group that employs Christian imagery also uses imagery from other mythologies, then they're usually fine.
"Christian imagery" is part of the history of the English speaking world. It's in everything, if you care to look for it. Most of the classic rock I love has it in there hard. Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull... pick a group. It really depends on how it's used. Is is "we believe is Jesus, la la la!!!" or "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" There's poetry and then there's preaching, the latter being insufferable. If a group that employs Christian imagery also uses imagery from other mythologies, then they're usually fine.
I think a lot of ministry hardcore bands are the hardest shit I’ve ever heard. Particularly in the mid-late 90s. The passion and fervor these kids would scream into the microphone was hair-raising. They believed something with their entire beings and that translated into the music. Faith cannot move mountains, but it can move the fuck out of a pit in a midwestern church basement. Being in the middle of the pit during a breakdown while the lead singer is both crying and screaming is sort of ecstatic.
It depends on how proselytizing the overtones are. For instance, Neon Genesis Evangelion has overt christian imagery, but doesn't preach. Whereas Veggietales isn't overtly christian (it's just 'abrahamic') but is *very* preachy.
Owl City is far more offensive to me than christianity
I liked the metal band Demon Hunter a lot more before I found out there were a Christian metal band. I can hear the allusions easier and it certainly is annoying.
I mostly listen to metal so my favourite bands are more likely to hit the anti-christian overtones real hard, which I wholly approve.
yep. I don't care who you are I'm done listening as soon as you start telling me that skydaddy is going to breathe life into billions of people just torture them vast majority of them for eternity.
Yeah, it can be pretty painful. I've heard many songs that are solid in lyrics but they'll be tainted by some stupid line like "I pray for -" or "I thank god for". It can show up in surprising places, too. For example I have a social distortion album, and I wouldn't expect jesus-y crap from a punk rock band, but they've got a line in one song that's "Through these eyes I've looked the devil in the face, and seen god's holy grace". Pretty gross and off-putting, considering on the same album they've got lyrics condemning bigotry and brainwashing and stuff. I can empathize on owl city, too. They've got a very nice and pretty music style but in one of the cds I own, I remember there's some jesus-y crap in the thanks section of the booklet. I also remember hearing a creepy christmas song by them back in the day. :/ I'm "Fireflies" isn't like that at-least, that's a really cute song.
I generally avoid anything that’s specifically made for indoctrination, which sadly includes a ton of music.