Tag: JPUSA

Hot take: Crashdog was the most punk band the Christian scene ever produced. In fact, there are only a handful that would rival them for the title. But when we factor in a number of elements: sound, lyrical focus, longevity and impact, they come out as the clear winner. There are at least two different iterations of the band. The first one featured Spike Nard (actually Tim Davis) on vocals, Andrew Mandell on guitar, Brian Grover on bass, and Greg Jacques on drums. This version recorded the band’s first two albums Humane Society and The Pursuit of Happiness, until Greg Murphy took over on drums for Mud Angels.… Continued →

The Remnants (not to be confused with Remnant, The Remnant, nor Remnant Militia) was a punk band originally formed in Alabama in the late 90s, but then transplanted to Chicago sometime in the 2000s, where they had a connection to JPUSA and Grrrr Records. The band was a part of a sort of hardcore punk revival that was taking place in the late 90s/early 00s, a movement that included bands like Headnoise, The Discarded, Combat Junkies and a handful of others. The band’s early material featured tried and true punk sounds (no pop-punk here) mixed with a raw rock and roll influence, drawing influences from the L.A.… Continued →

What does a Christ-oriented gothic band do during a global pandemic? I had a lengthy conversation with Skot Shaw to find out. We talked about tours in Mexico, how he came to be part of Jesus People USA, and the goodness of God. IVM: Why don’t you start by giving IVM readers an introduction to the band. How did you get into doing goth music or death rock? Why does Leper exist as a band? Skot: Can open. Worms everywhere! I’ll tell ya . . .… Continued →

Depending on how you define the term, Resurrection Band was arguably the first Christian heavy metal band. While their debut album was released in 1978, their earliest demo recordings date back to as early as 1973. While many fans and critics will argue, “they’re not heavy metal, just hard rock,” this outlook unfortunately judges the past by current standards. Metal has moved on and splintered into a hundred different and more extreme subgenres. However, in the 1970s, their brand of bluesy hard rock would definitely have been considered heavy metal at the time–just as bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, Kiss and others were.… Continued →