Tag: Christian metal

The long running classic hardcore/punk/thrash band - The Blamed, just dropped some of the most amazing sounding covers of The Crucified these ears have ever heard. The band have without a doubt paid proper tribute to one of the greatest thrash-metal-punk bands to have emerged from the Christian music underground in the past 40 years a truly pioneering band that has spawned countless side projects and inspired younger generations to pick up their instruments and proudly proclaim the gospel in the decades that have followed. That band is of course The Crucified and another classic band The Blamed which actually features the drummer from The Crucified, Jim Chaffin, who continues to play with The Blamed to this very day and has picked up double duty in playing the classic beats but with a new take. These 4 songs are just the perfect presentation of a covers release done right. They take these older songs, add new flavors done only in the vibe The Blamed knows how to do while keeping the sound somewhat the same if that makes sense. The guts of these originals is there but the guitars and bass have that sound only The Blamed know how to do. It's like Frail, Again, and The Church is Hurting People meets The Pillars of Humanity (album) and Self Titled (The Crucified). The buddy experience gone wild! I love this ep and even the guitar solos are fast and furious and well placed. I love a good guitar solo and they sound incredible here. Let's talk about the vocals for a second. I haven't heard a more "Frail" esque sound in years but they've brought it back on this ep. "The Church is Hurting People" had slightly classic vocals but here is where it shines and they've come into their own while sharing that classic take. It makes sense really because you can tell how much The Crucified influenced the sound of The Blamed and as a result only The Blamed could have paid such careful attention to detail while going off on these 4 songs and paying such beautiful tribute. Now I'm a The Crucified fan, I'm a Stavesacre fan but we wouldn't have the latter without the former. The Crucified and Mark, Greg, Jeff, and Jim in particular deserve a hefty award for the years of influence on our music scene at large and for drawing together believers and unbelievers alike. I imagine an Olympic hand shaking between countries while making the analogy with the sacred and secular combining together in holy matrimony (if only it were that simple). When I was in high school, I was at the tail end of the band's final run as a band when I discovered Pillars and Self Titled. I loved them a lot and their music spoke to me in ways that other bands in the metal realm couldn't. I even decorated my school binder with Crucified logo and graphics and had a custom tshirt made at a print shop with the self titled album cover on front to profess my undying devotion to the Lord and the music of The Crucifed (weren't the 90's great?). What the "Christian" scene and sub culture doesn't do right (among other things) is pay tribute to the classics that have come before and paved the way for future generations. We have the rock n roll hall of fame for all mainstream popular rock, rap, etc artists to receive their credit but in Christian circles especially the Nashville machine, many are forgotten once their light fades and the bulbs burn out. It's a travesty and one that needs to be rectified. Thankfully a band like The Blamed have done an enormous amount of justice in giving credit where credit is due and embracing a classic band and really all of us as well. Thank you to The Blamed and thank you most of all to The Crucified for over 40 years of influencing countless generations of young people (and us old fogies as well) including myself. Hifives and hugs all around. Thank you Thumper Punk Records as well and David in particular for throwing your weight behind this project, you did an amazing job! You can find The Blamed "What If" Ep (make more please!) on all digital networks and streaming sites including at the Thumper Punk Records bandcamp: https://thumperpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/what-if

Australian band Metanoia (not to be confused with the punk band from Chile) was active from about 1994 to 1999. In that short span of time, they made quite an impact on the Christian metal scene. They played traditional death metal, but as has been pointed out by Scott Waters at nolifetilmetal.com, they also infused melodic and groovy parts from time to time, especially on their earlier material. The band recorded a couple of demos, and was also included on a number of compilations, many of which featured Australian bands exclusively.… Continued →

Death/grind heavyweights Mangled Carpenter have tackled the task of paying homage to their heroes. Australia’s Mortification are usually credited as the first Christian death metal band and have influenced countless others to follow in their path. US-based Mangled Carpenter have made some hefty strides in their own right, and have released their cover of “Terminate Damnation” as the lead single to their new album. Between Bloodshed and Silence will be released on July 17th. The album will be a co-release with Rottweiler Records and Broken Curfew Records.… Continued →

Mikee Bridges who is the founder of the popular west coast classic Christian alternative music festival of the 90’s and early 00’s called “TOM FEST“, is back in full force with the first ever Tom Convention which in it’s most purest form will be the go to convention for all things Christian underground and alternative punk of the 80’s through 90’s and beyond, for hopefully many years to come. Mikee Bridges has a long personal history of music involvement beyond just the Tom Fest circuit, fronting, singing, playing guitar in bands like Sometime Sunday, Tragedy Ann, Twin Sister, and much more.… Continued →

In celebration of these incredible what we now term as “Classic” alternative, rock, (or whatever you want to call it) releases, I am reposting this article in celebration of 30 years of wonderful music that originated out of the Christian music scene. Let’s take a look back and maybe find a new favorite that’ll keep you comforted during these current turbulent times we live in. I have updated the article to include 30 Releases (instead of the original 25 from 5 years ago in celebration of 30 years).… Continued →

One of my fave indie metal bands from years ago have returned! MSNGRS (Messengers) a band from Texas that play heavy, sludgy, thrash type metal, have emerged from the depths of retirement hiatus to blast our eardrums into oblivion once again and rule the scene! The band has some new merch, a new website, and are working on new tunes. They are celebrating 15 years of “Anthems” and 13 years of “silence” (since their last recorded music). Check them out at their socials and visit 13yearsofsilence.com… Continued →

***April Fools Joke*** In a brazen twist of fate and a battle of industry heavyweights, fast rising media company KingdomCore has acquired long running metal site, LambGoat. The new media empire will be rebranded as “KingdomLambCore” or KLC for short. New merch is quickly being created in time for Furnace Fest this fall including shirts, hoodies, patches, brass knuckles, nunchucks, lightsabers, as well as a festival exclusive 7″ of Beloved covering Advent covering Norma Jean covering The Chariot with the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba, titled “There is a Party With God in My Tummy”.… Continued →

James Franchise of the band This Surrender is a digital content creator and songwriter who has a super powerful voice and music to match it. He is releasing his passionate debut “Kinetic” EP on December 16th and you can pre-order it over on his website here. Picke up a CD and pick up a shirt or hat while you’re at it. *The EP just released on digital networks at the time of this post so check it out*. Check out “A Thousand Generations” below.… Continued →

The “Christian Metal Group” (aptly named) on Facebook is one of the largest social media groups dedicated to the promotion and discussion of Christian heavy metal. The page is taking its support to a new level by sponsoring its first compilation. Full track list was announced this morning, and the compilation (vol. 1) drops next Saturday, September 14th. For more information, check out the page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564859173268 1. Scapegoat – Stand Your Ground 2. Testimony Of Apocalypse – The Time Has Come 3. Every Thought Captive – Punishment 4.… Continued →

Today I am going to spotlight a killer new post-hardcore/post-metal heavy yet melodic band called “Descriptor“. They recently released a new song titled “Deathwork” and it is beautifully heavy, really great and hits me in all the right places. The vocalist can sing with the best of them and whoever is doing the screamed parts does it to the best of his abilities. Very passionate, hopeful, and heart piercing stuff. Imagine HANDS meets Least of These meets My Epic meets La Dispute meets Touche Amore.… Continued →

Powersaint are a Christian Thrash/Speed/Power Metal act out of Washington D.C. FFO: The Moshketeers, Theocracy, Diviner, and Golden Resurrection.

The first time I heard this band, I was completely blown away. The year was 1988. I was about 14 years old, and I had just started getting into Christian metal via bands like Jerusalem, Whitecross, and Barren Cross. Sacred Warrior was probably the heaviest I’d heard at the time. Then one night I was listening to KOKF 91FM out of Oklahoma City, a Christian radio station that had a late night metal show. I heard the most intense, loud, gnarly thing I’d ever heard in my life.… Continued →

This band seems to hearken from Newark, Ohio & this song was from their last release Ascension. They seem to have a post hardcore sound along w/ maybe nu-metal as you can hear some scratching. This is the only song that I know of that found its way onto indie “Christian” radio as I saw on a online chart a few times. hope y’all dig it.   … Continued →

Testimony of Apocalypse are an insane new metal band featuring members of classic Thrash Metal band, Sacrament. While members of Sacrament await their potential reunion in the future, a couple members got together and have pursued this really great new project called Testimony of Apocalypse, which is actually named after the Sacrament album of the same name. Check out the DEMO of a new track titled “Redemption”, below. The band plan to release their debut full length in the spring of 2022 via a label on the rise, The Charon Collective.… Continued →

Hey, I get it. 80s metal is a love or hate thing. Many IVM readers are fans primarily of pop-punk and related genres. The thought of dudes in make-up, hairspray and spandex just seems like a bad joke. But for those of us who were there, it comes with a heap of nostalgia, and occasionally some good tunes too! It’s a shame, but Watchmen never quite got the level of attention that some of their peers received (Whitecross, Guardian, Holy Soldier), perhaps because of the brevity of their career.… Continued →

Facedown Records has just released the brand new single from War of Ages upcoming EP, “Rhema“, due out this fall. The song is titled “No Altars” and it is an absolute powerhouse of a song. Check out the track below and on all digital networks now.… Continued →

The online, quarantine-like “Fest” featuring a ton of great Christian rock, metal, punk, Post Hardcore, Indie, etc. bands, is now archived online via YouTube. You can watch Day 1 and Day 2 right here at IVM, below. This epic event is almost 10 hours total worth of engaging new music. Powerful stuff and unique for this music scene. Check it out below. Oh and our buddy Nate Parrish is one of the performing artists on Day 1. What did you think and did you have any favorite artists who performed?… Continued →

I’ve reviewed 3 different releases from Shadow Puncher (for 2 different publications), and one of the things I’ve noticed is the diversity of sounds and influences on each project. While the one-man band from Norway functions within the death metal genre, each release has a different feel. The earliest material had a strong thrash influence, then moved into a djent-heavy sound. This EP is the first to utilise keyboards in a prominent way, thus adding a progressive element. After a 1-minute ambient keyboard intro, “One End of Heaven” rips into the speakers with brutal rhythms, blastbeats and plenty of time changes.… Continued →

The first teaser for the “30 Years of Sacrifice” documentary film on the life and enduring legacy of one of the most beloved Christian metal bands of all time, Living Sacrifice, can be seen below. You can see the documentary live and in person on March 28th in Little Rock, AR. by purchasing your tickets right here. There is also some great LS merch up on that page.… Continued →

I woke up this morning with this song in my head, so it clearly has the be the Song of the Day. Classic metal. You either love it, or just don’t really get the appeal. It’s 1986, and the only Christian metal that most people are aware of is Stryper. But hairspray and over-the-top production was not all that Christian metal had to offer in ’86. The same year the glam kings released To Hell with the Devil, Saint was dishing out their best album, Time’s End (in fact, it’s in the top 5 Christian metal albums of all time, IMO).… Continued →

While this is being described by the label as “Norwegian death metal”, honestly that is a bit misleading.  To my ears, what we have here is a hybrid form of extreme metal.  For instance, you have some down-tuned nu metal rhythms, but they’re heavier than most.  The drum machine lends itself to an almost industrial-meets-groove-metal feel.  Think somewhere between Lucid and Malformed Earthborn, but lighter on the glitches and samples.  Genre-wise this is either really heavy nu-metal or generically “extreme metal.” The first song (if we don’t include the spoken opening track) has a really annoying “bree bree bree” section that I really hope is a poor attempt at humor, as it really seems to serve no other purpose. … Continued →

Black metal band Proven Existence have just issued the following press statement: The new black metal project Proven Existence has inked a deal with the up and coming label, The Bearded Dragon Productions. Proven Existence released their track, “No Light, No Compassion”, and immediately received feedback. The project’s founder, Nocturnal Servant, has been a prominent supporter in the underground unblack metal scene, citing himself as a fan of Symphony of Heaven, Children of Wrath, Frost Like Ashes, and many more. “I’ve been friends with the brainchild behind Proven Existence and really hoped he would do something, eventually.… Continued →

Mexican melodic death metal band Lament have been churning out metal for the masses since the 1990s. They have recently announced the issuing of a new album, The Ancient Battle of the Saints, to be released sometime this year. They are also featuring a lyric video from the album’s lead single, Apostle of Hypocrisy. So far, it sounds like a foray into straight-forward old school death metal, having played with some more melodic and slower styles across their existence.… Continued →

Please support my friends Tim Hopkins and Chris Kuhner in getting the incredible independent Christian alt-rock station BrokenFM back up on the air. I absolutely love this station and support their efforts at putting positive, hopeful music out there in the world. BrokenFM lost their transmitting towers/equipment. BrokenFM has been kind to IVM recently in playing tracks from some of our artists both on air and through internet streaming. It’s a tragedy what happened back a month or two ago with those fires up North.… Continued →

The metalcore band The Worshiper joined the indie/alternative label Raging Storm Records. Combining influences of past heavy hitters like As I Lay Dying and For Today, with their own powerful breakdowns and sing-along choruses; The Worshiper creates relatable anthems for everyday life. Their faith is forefront in their music as they spread a message of hope and love. Bassist Chris Mersch, shares the bands excitement to be joining the label, stating: “In the short time we’ve been with them we’ve seen nothing but hard work and dedication towards making dreams a reality.… Continued →

Check out this review of Fleshkiller's debut album, "Awaken"

Times of Grace, the metalcore side project of Killswitch Engage, have begun working on their sophomore album. Jesse Leach, the vocalist of the project, has begun demoing vocals out for their next endeavor. Many people thought of Killswitch Engage as a Christian act, which it is not, but if fans of that band are looking for a more faith centered project, Times of Grace is your band. Go check out “Strength In Numbers” and the rest of the previous album, released through Roadrunner Records. https://www.instagram.com/p/BWs1HoTADAQ/… Continued →

Sanctuary International has dubbed “The Top 10 Christian Metal Drummers of All Time” list which was voted on by their readers. Watch the video below and see some of these legendary musicians in action. Was your favorite drummer listed? Do you agree with the ranking? … Continued →

Hard rock act, Tetelestai has released a brand new music video for their song “Out of This Alive”. The band brings an intensity with music, yet a melody with the vocals. This song rocks hard! Check it out! … Continued →

Symphony of Heaven, the symphonic death metal project from Owensville, IN, has a new lyric video up for their song “Stratagem”. The project started earlier this year, and has released two songs, with an EP coming soon. I recently did an interview with the brainchild of the project, Logan Thompson. The EP will be titled Of Scar and Soil, and if you want some details behind it, go read the interview. He released “Stratagem” a few months ago, but recently released the lyrics for it.… Continued →