Vengeance Rising vocalist Roger Martinez has passed away

Roger was the vocalist of one of the big 4 of thrash metal in the Christian industry which also included Deliverance, Tourniquet & Believer. Vengeance released 4 albums & this writer unfortunately didn’t hear about them until their last Released Upon the Earth. Pastor Bob Beeman’s hand is on the cover of their S/T debut. If you ever get to meet Pastor Bob, make sure you talk to him. He is a real man of God. Afterwards, Vengeance disbanded & formed several other bands including Die Happy & Once Dead.

Roger’s fiery stage presence helped make the band stand out from the rest of the heavy bands at the time. His vocals just seemed to fit with their genre that also dabbled in death metal. After Vengeance, his changed beliefs turned very controversial. He had sent me a paper many years ago that I read a couple of paragraphs before work and decided not to read the rest. But this is a memorial to the man that helped bring Christian metal to the masses which has helped a lot of people over the years. Hopefully he came back to Jesus before he passed on.

If you want to learn more about the band and their music check out Scott Waters’ No Life Til Metal writeup: https://www.nolifetilmetal.com/vengeance.htm

I still can’t believe I’m writing this after all these years ago when I first heard their praise/worship song Bishop of Souls which was my introduction to the band.  Here is the link for that SOTD: https://www.indievisionmusic.com/articles/song-of-the-day-vengeance-rising-bishop-of-souls/

I think this next song sums up what we as Christians thought process needs to be: Hating the hell out of evil & loving people.

I know it’s forthright, to tell you now this way
Just what the Bible says and leave no shadows gray
For all the time I’m here I will and pull back not a punch
I know that deep inside you, you’ve got this nagging hunch
Whether we’re for real and if we mean what we say
Let me put to rest your wonder, we stand behind the way
And if you don’t believe it, just come talk to us yourself
You ask “just what you doin’?”
Calling you from the fire
The Bible teaches when you’re saved you have new love and hates
If you do not then, you may well not be saved
Cause if you turn to Proverbs, chapter 8 and verse 13
There will be no question here, just as to what I mean
There is a certain notion that soon you will get
Hating the hell out of evil and loving people yet
And when you understand this, you will see what we’re about
About pride and arrogance, soon you will have no doubt
Why I love hating evil
Evil pulls and tugs at you and says if you have more
Then you’ll be satisfied: a lie to the core
It’ll only rip you off then it’ll make you pay
I’ve seen it all before, and man, it’s hurt so any
So if you claim to be a Christian
Show it with your life
And do not advocate
Rebellion, filth, and lies