Crash Church is housed in a sizable garage. It resembles an underground rock concert venue more than a house of worship for Christians. With their dark clothing, tattoos, and body piercings, the “parishioners” have an equally odd appearance. Pastor Antônio Carlos Batista doesn’t dress in any religious attire; instead, he wears sneakers, jeans, and t-shirts. About a dozen piercings and earrings adorn his ears; and his arms are covered in vibrant tattoos that draw inspiration from the Christian faith.

The assembly follows along on their iPhones, on TV screens that display the sections being read. He also uses traditional bibles as he reads the Gospel from behind a gothic looking pulpit. Batista delivers heavy metal songs in between sermons and explains religious scriptures using common terminologies.
Batista is also the main singer of the Christian death metal band Antidemon.

Crash Church believes that part of God’s purpose to cross boundaries and try to reach different parts of society.

Out of what he calls a “divine yearning,” he co-founded the church in 1998. It’s interesting to note that he didn’t like hard metal back then.

He insists that he received the inspiration for Crash Church from a revelation from God requesting his assistance in converting the rockers.
However, becoming a part of a heavy metal church is not the simplest thing in the world. Batista, 49, asserts that his congregants are vulnerable to prejudice from both sides. While some heavy metal bands view them as being too well-behaved, other evangelicals see them as devotees of the devil.

This kind of prejudice can have devastating outcomes. Pastor Antônio Carlos Batista, the man who combined Christianity and heavy metal, was the target of an assassination attempt in 1996 by artist Ana Batista, a member of the “Terorista Punk” movement at the time. She admitted to Templo Metal that she detested religion and wanted to stop his work. But as she prepared her attack, she heard the pastor’s sermon, and an odd thing happened. She quickly joined the parish and was christened at Crush Church four months later. Today, she considers herself a servant of God.
The 200 square meter space’s monthly rent and all other expenses are paid by donations from Crush Church’s parishioners.

Antidemon’s concerts are also supported by churchgoers, and the band has performed in over 30 different nations while sharing the gospel via music.

The post Crash Church uses heavy metal to praise God appeared first on sweetandlynch.com.

But isn’t heavy metal inherently evil?

Many Christians have this opinion. A lot of metal has a really aggressive, angry sound, and it often conjures up sinister images and emotions. It is for that reason that some people question whether it is demonic.

So, how can you blend metal music with Christian hymns? Well, a ccording to the Bible, everything in creation was designed for Jesus (Colossians 1:16).  Thus, music was created specifically for Jesus and it logically follows that heavy metal was created with Jesus in mind.

In contrast to the idea that humans and music were created for Jesus, Genesis 1-2 depicts humans as having being created with a vast array of choices and the capacity to produce art and culture. God’s creatures create music rather than him directly. So, after sin (Genesis 3) is introduced, we start using music in an immoral way. Therefore, is it not possible that the forms of culture and art that sinful humans produce may be wholly sinful and inappropriate for Jesus? How can Christians appropriate heavy metal – a musical style that is (perhaps) inherently non-Christian?

Here are a couple of options in response. First you need to identify what heavy metal music is all about before demonstrating how metal is a part of God’s beautiful creation and suitable for all Christians.

WHAT IS HEAVY METAL MUSIC ABOUT?

There are many different themes in heavy metal music. Although most genres also have prevailing themes, that is true of most of them. Rap deals a lot in lyrics about gang conflict, rock is about intoxication, opera is about murder, country is about everything breaking or becoming lost, and pop music is about love or sex. 

There are some recurring unfavorable themes in heavy metal. A lot it undeniably glorifies Satan for example. There are also different types of metal that talk about brutality and torture.

The fantasy genre, particularly the mythology found in J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings, has, on the other hand, had a significant influence on a lot of metal.

Metal often blends with fantasy themes because of its powerful, epic, and violent themes. 

The associations and pictures can be gruesome sometimes though. Metal frequently incorporates spooky themes like vampires, goblins, skeletons, and the living dead. At first glance  “Eddie,” the mascot of Iron Maiden, looks pretty scary looking.

Eddie is actually a very humorous figure, though, as you can see if you attend an Iron Maiden performance. Metal frequently has rather goofy themes and lyrics.  But it’s also easy to understand how metal could degenerate into offensiveness or even openly celebrate evil and death.

If anything in this seems to criticise heavy metal, keep in mind that mainstream music also has different levels of wholesomeness. Pop music does with sex what metal usually deals with death and fantasy ideas. Some of the  album covers and music videos contain graphic sexual imagery and lyrical content. Pop music would probably be the first to go if we were to judge an entire genre by its worst representations.

Alternately, we can just acknowledge that every musical genre has both positive and negative examples. It’s okay if you personally don’t enjoy metal or any other type of music.

METAL IS GOOD BECAUSE CREATION IS GOOD

Let’s go back to the original question. How can we be certain that heavy metal is a fundamentally good form of music suitable for Christians wishing to serve God?

How? Since it’s a component of God’s world. Halloween is another invention of human culture that many Christians at least believe they should reject. Is it inappropriate for Christians to participate in Halloween today because of its historical associations with demonic spirituality? Paul claims in 1 Corinthians 8 that food offered to idols is not spiritually impure.

The food is fine – it has simply been used in an unethical manner. The same holds true for music and Halloween. God has given us many wonderful things, yet we frequently abuse them, such as harvest, festivity, imagination, and music. These things remain beneficial in and of themselves. Everything in creation, good or terrible, contains some positive elements.

God created everything and judged it to be “good.” God’s position on this hasn’t changed. The issue is that people abuse and degrade music by using God’s beautiful creation for sinful purposes. Humanity has always taken that course in every aspect of life ever since Adam and Eve chose to listen to Satan rather than the voice of God. Demon worship is an issue caused by human sin, not by heavy metal.

No Christian doctrine supports a rejection of any musical genre as intrinsically evil. Unavoidably, we will value some music higher than others. 

However no music is as a result of evil. It’s a gift from God that people use to convey a variety of views with differing degrees of proficiency and in accordance with personal preferences.

So come on Christians, let’s use heavy metal to praise God!

The post Can Christians listen to Heavy Metal appeared first on sweetandlynch.com.

Massachusetts people will have the chance to allow resort casinos to establish themselves in the state for the first time. South Carolina is also considering whether to build well-regulated, premium casinos in and near Myrtle Beach. Online casinos are also an option and players who are interested by online slots, roulette or video poker can consult this website.

Catholic voters must make a difficult decision.

Catholics are not forbidden from gambling, but under Pope Francis’s leadership, it has become more and more controversial.

The expanded gambling plan was opposed by the bishops of Massachusetts in 2011. He claimed that it would permit “predatory” actions that might significantly change communities.

However, the bishops confirmed that the Catholic Church did indeed allow “games of chance” in the same letter. After all, by using bingo games to boost parish funding, the Church itself engages in gambling. The letter did add however that they hoped that public would realize the difference between a local fundraiser run by volunteers and a multi-billion dollar industry that preys on helpless members of the community for profit.

The Catholic catechism discusses the Seventh Commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” in further detail. This subject includes gambling. The Catechism makes it clear that games of chance themselves are not contradictory to justice. However it adds the very explicit qualification that gambling only violates morality when it prevents someone from having what is required to provide for his needs and those of others.

Catholicism has some pretty strong teachings on other people’s needs.

Catholic tradition of social thinking makes it clear that we should view the possessions we have as belonging to us and others in common rather than just to ourselves.

This idea has been reiterated by Pope Francis multiple times, most recently when he cited Saint John Chrysostom – Not to share one’s goods with the poor is to steal them and to deprive them of life. We own their possessions rather than our own.

The church has historically had a somewhat ambiguous attitude toward money and gambling. On the one hand, Catholicism has accorded the wealthy the same privileges as any other religion. The wealthy have easier access to influence and power, as well as easier access to annulments.

On the other hand, poverty is one of the main virtues acknowledged within the Catholic faith. One of the vows that members of monastic orders must take, along with chastity and obedience, is poverty. It is commonly stated that the riches of the saints can be discovered in their poverty.

The response of the church to casino gambling has typically been to ensure that it doesn’t go too far in terms of public policy. In addressing the issue of riverboat gambling by outlining the standards by which it should be regulated, Pennsylvania’s bishops adopted that stance.

You can gamble, but exercise caution, was the clear message. Do so moderately and within reasonable bounds.

And, in fact, this is the default Catholic attitude. It was revealed that “The Book of Virtues” author and former US education secretary William Bennett was a high roller who reputedly wagered millions of dollars. The reaction was not that he was sinful as a Catholic in and of himself, but rather that his behavior was embarassing for a man of his standing.

Pope Francis is adamant in his stance on our responsibility to help those in need.

It is difficult to comprehend how gambling of any kind can be justified; especially given that the money we could so carelessly wager might not belong to us alone.

But if casino gambling is bad, then parish bingo is as well; especially in light of the Catholic Church’s adamant stance that the poor need justice, not just charity.

The question of whether Catholic values should be incorporated into civil law is at the heart of the debate about Catholics and casinos. The Massachusetts bishops presented the gambling issue in light of Catholic social teaching. But it can also be looked at as a more comprehensive framework that considers the common good of the Commonwealth.

Given the intricacy of the problems at hand this is a reasonable course of action. However, given the divisive discussion that will undoubtedly ensue, it would be appropriate for the Catholic Church to reconsider the message it conveys about gambling, not just in the public square but also in the parish hall.

It’s a very personal decision that depends on a well-formed conscience that answers a number of questions. For Catholic voters who are having trouble balancing the Pope’s advice with the sense of community and charity they experience at bingo (or just plain fun during the occasional casino visit), it’s important to remember that:

What are the requirements of my family or community? What connection may gambling make to such needs? Does winning a wager cost someone else money?

The subject of gambling most fundamentally prompts us to consider our frequently conflicted attitudes toward money and how our belongings could serve the greater good rather than just our own whims and fancies.

The post How does the Church view gambling? appeared first on sweetandlynch.com.

The album “In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy” wasn’t technically heavy metal. However it did have a tracklist full of timeless rock songs. These included the Alice Cooper song that served as the album’s title, Metallica’s Enter Sandman and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.

Boone and his band wanted to try something new. They were enticed to the heavy metal racks in a nearby record store. 

To ensure that the lyrics wouldn’t jeopardize his spotless reputation, Boone first had to carefully check the songs.

He told Fox News that people asked why he was looking at Scorpions and Motorhead records.  Smoke on the Water, he falsely assumed, was about drugs. It wasn’t, though and  The Wind Cries Mary wasn’t about Marijuana either.  

When he heard Jimmy Page sing Stairway to Heaven he assumed he was into witchcraft but couldn’t be sure.  All the odd, cryptic lyrics could have been about anything but there were no direct references. 

The Metallica song Enter Sandman tells of a boogeyman that is going to get the child if he doesn’t stay in bed in an effort to scare him. The tale has a pretty innocuous message yet a foreboding tone.

With his conscience fully at ease, Boone recorded the tracks at Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles. Ritchie Blackmore performed on a bossa nova rendition of Smoke on the Water. Ronnie James Dio also added backing harmonies to a cover of Holy Diver. When the album came out, Boone was scheduled to perform at the American Music Awards; and this is when things started to get a little nightmarish.

Boone arrived at the awards ceremony without a shirt, wearing a vest, leather trousers and donning fake tattoos.

He was also wearing a number of  rings, sunglasses, and a dog collar made of studded leather. Boone accepted Dick Clark’s suggestion to switch Alice Cooper’s and his on-stage personas for the evening, but Cooper backed out at the last minute.

Cooper was on stage to present Metallica with the award for Best Heavy Metal Band. Whilst presenting Cooper announced that he knew all about the history of heavy metal before introducing Pat Boone as the future. 

Despite the fact that it was all just harmless entertainment, it infuriated the Christian television network Trinity Broadcasting Network. They pulled Boone’s monthly Gospel America show after getting thousands of complaints and encouraged its viewers to pray for the singer.

When Trinity questioned its viewers a month later, they received a resounding majority in favor of Boone’s return.

He said he was deeply sorry if anyone was hurt in any way on the network’s main program, Praise adding that it was never his aim to cause offense.

He had never imagined it would be taken seriously by the media or Christians.

Boone was genuinely surprised that thousands of Christians would assume that suddenly he had just completely altered his priorities and attitude and wanted to become a heavy metal artist.

He reassured people that he was not a fundamentally different person just because he wore some leather leggings, false tattoos and earrings.

Life resumed normality when lessons were learned. And five years later, the compilation album The Osbourne Family Album came out. Boone’s version of Crazy Train was one of the featured songs. Jack Osbourne also mentioned Boone as a good neighbor during an episode of the show.

Despite the briefness of Boone’s heavy metal idol career, In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy set the standard for others to follow. This included fellow singer and Christian Paul Anka, who recorded Rock Swings in 2005. Rock classics like It’s My Life by Bon Jovi, Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, and Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana were featured.

The post When Pat Boone went heavy metal appeared first on sweetandlynch.com.

British sentiments about Eurovision have fluctuated over decades between snobbishness, victimization, and shame. Two years of consecutive losses, including last year’s utterly merited “nul points,” were a low point that necessitated a response.

Sam Ryder restored dignity when he finished second to the Ukrainian act Kalush Orchestra this year. He also informed the country that it was a purposeful effort to raise the bar for entrants.

Many Christian ears perked up when he later admitted to Radio 4 he was sat there in the green room and utterly enveloped in the energy of that arena.

He likened it to being in a church because there was so much joy.  Making that analogy is not typical – was this statement referencing his Christian faith? 

Everyone wants a piece of Sam Ryder after his triumph. Second place was comendable when you consider it was Ukraine who won. He started making TikTok videos during lockdown; recreating songs by artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Adele and from there was where his story began. 

Ryder, though, did not become famous immediately. He has performed in bands on both sides of the Atlantic playing guitar and singing. Notably both bands were Christian. 

There is a lack of material on Ryder’s beliefs, and most of the evidence is circumstantial. Don’t make too much of the way he ends interviews by saying Bless you or how he refers to himself as blessed. However, being Christian does appear to be a big part of life for Sam Ryder.

Between 2002 and 2007, he may have learned some of his lyrics in a Catholic school where he was already honing his showmanship.

A trip to watch the relatively demonic Sum 41 with buddies from year seven changed their lives. The group of friends came up with a ten-step strategy to get signed after the concert. After seeing Lordi’s 2006 Eurovision triumph, “Hard Rock Hallelujah,” with the band sporting horror prosthetics and wings, Ryder was motivated to learn how to play the guitar.

He started a small band called The Morning After that performed heavy metal with an 80s vibe. Ryder penned the majority of the songs, but there aren’t many hints of his Christian faith; especially considering that parts of the words were loaded with obscenities. The opening song describes how twenty six hundred years ago on an old island, people lived in fear of a vicious satanic beast, who fed on human flesh every nine years. This appears to have been influenced by the Lordi performance. Other themes include defending one’s homeland and enduring “the worst period of man.”

“I’ve got more faith than you could believe” is a lyric from the band’s Def Leppard-inspired second album. However the setting was fantasy, horror, and dystopian landscapes. The song “I’ve got a life worth living” is also about a girl.

In one review, the group was compared to the the Canadian band Blessed by a Broken Heart. When they switched labels to Tooth & Nail Records for their subsequent record, Ryder joined them and ended up playing guitar for them on their European tour.

The ties to faith become more apparent at this point. At HeavenFest, a Christian music festival that has featured Switchfoot, Phil Keaggy, and Lauren Daigle, Blessed by a Broken Heart wrapped up their previous tour. Christian music is primarily associated with Tooth & Nail Records.

In the song “Skate or Die” Ryder sings “Lord God, my part is to seek your kingdom.”

When asked about being called a “Christian band” by Christian metal magazine HM in 2010, Blessed’s frontman Tony Gambino replied, “We have done our utmost not to advertise ourselves as a Christian band, simply because it will limit the amount of people you reach with your music. Everyone should hear our message, which is positive.

Ryder supplied lyrics to this band, and once again, Christianity remained much in the background. It only became apparent in an unusually religious song (“Skate or Die”) about skating. He also sings that the open road is his ticket to freedom in addition to the lyric, “God bless you and your home.”

Ryder echoed Gambino’s response when he said, “Not important, We are not a religious group. We play heavy metal and have a few Christians in the group.” to the question posed by a Spanish rock website, “How significant is Christianity at the time of writing the songs?” 

Ryder, whose full name used to be Sam Ryder Robinson, joined Close Your Eyes for their 2013 album Line in the Sand.

Sam added a tremendous singing gift to the band, said their guitarist Brett Calloway in an interview. He also said that he was undoubtedly the most gifted vocalist he had ever encountered and it was good that he shared their interests and convictions.

It’s unclear exactly what such views are or how they might affect Ryder’s nearly certain future success. Christian fans however will no doubt be keeping an eye on the future career of Sam Ryder.

The post Is Sam Ryder from Eurovision a Christian? appeared first on sweetandlynch.com.

While they attending the University of Florida at Miami, Isaac and four of his college friends started the band. Despite producing decent music they never achieved great popularity. The Blinking Underdogs opened for bands like Green Day and performed at the Warped Tour festival. Unfortunately most video evidence has vanished from the Internet.

Isaac stated he was actually a member of several bands during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel.

These included Closeted Heterosexuals, Petrified Frogs and the Worms. The Blinking Underdogs, however, were his final and most successful endeavor. 

Isaac’s presence and voice would almost certainly draw you in to the music, whether or not ska bands are your thing. According to Isaac, his experience in the Blinking Underdogs exposed him to a variety of musical genres.

They essentially began as a punk band but as they  went along they made an effort to try out various types and styles. They can’t play as frequently as they would have like because all the guys live in different states, so it’s currently in a transitional stage. His recent writing has been a little more folky and unusual and stylistically all over the place according to Isaac. He played in a few other bands in high school, but this one began in Miami after he graduated. They even performed at the Viper Room in Los Angeles in May 2021 after touring the East Coast. They haven’t played since but have a full-length record coming out as well as a six-song EP.

In a GQ interview, Oscar Isaac, recalled attending the Christian music event Cornerstone. He described as a Christian Woodstock even akin to a Christian Coachella.

They had Christian hardcore bands and Christian metal bands in addition to various tents and other things. 

Floyd Kelley, a boyhood friend of Isaac’s, stated in an interview with The Sun that he might easily have been a punk icon. Not like John Lydon because he’s a little too in your face but more like Joe Strummer type or Bob Dylan.

She said that Oscar was a poet, though it sounds corny. He was unquestionably a talent seemingly from another era but lacked the ego necessary for today’s music business.

Isaac departed the band despite their modest success in order to enroll at Juilliard. We can only hope that the Blinking Underdogs will soon reunite since he thankfully still seems to think fondly of his ska days. 

The post Oscar Isaac and his Christian Ska Band appeared first on sweetandlynch.com.

Stryper

Stryper Stryper are known by many as the quintessential Christian metal band. They are probably the first band that springs to mind when somebody mentions Christian heavy metal or White metal. Stryper stand out from the majority of the bands on this list because they were very outspoken Christians who frequently distributed Bibles to the crowd during live performances. The band have made platinum and gold records several times. They split up in 1992 but got back together in 2003. In 2018, Frontiers Records released their most recent album, “God Damn Evil.”

August Burns Red

American metalcore band August Burns Red started in 2003 and has since received many Grammy nominations. While attempting to avoid becoming overly religious, the band members identify as Christians and allow their faith shine through in their music. Furthermore, despite their insistence that they are not a Christian heavy metal band, their lyrics clearly have a Christian theme.

Narnia

This Swedish power metal band takes the name of the make-believe continent of Narnia from the “Chronicles of Narnia” book series. The band’s music has several neoclassical elements as well as other common power metal components. Its lyrics combine Christian glorification with stories from The Chronicles of Narnia. After splitting up in 2010, the band got back together in 2014.

Believer

Their songs are heavily influenced by Christian Faith and the Bible. However they are another band on the list that does not identify as Christian Metal. Early works by the band combined death and thrash metal, similar to bands like Death or  Pestilence. Subsequent works include numerous experimental and classical influences.

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada is an Ohio-based band established in 2005. T he band’s name is frequently associated with the Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway film; however it really makes reference to the title of the 2003 novel that served as its inspiration. It also expresses the band’s theological and anti-materialistic viewpoints; asserting that when the Last Judgement occurs, we will all stand before God on an equal footing.

Mortification

You could easily mistake Mortification’s lyrics for the traditional war and violence clichés utilized by equally vicious bands like Grave or Carcass. However the songs are all written from a personal, religious perspective. There is an underlying strong Christian message. The fact that they have fourteen albums to their credit does not lessen how brutal they are, and they are still going strong.

Extol

Extol, a 1993-founded band from Norway that is also from the Scandinavian region. The group has a distinctive fusion of thrash, death, progressive, and black metal genres. Together with lyrics that express thei religious convictions, they forge their own recognisable path. The group is now on hiatus but have sold over 500,000 albums globally to date.

Tourniquet

This legendary heavy metal band, who started in Los Angeles, California, in 1989, has a diverse musical background. It includes flamenco, thrash metal, and neoclassical elements. After the departure of singer Luke Easter, they currently go by the name The Tourniquet Ark and have released eight albums.

Antestor / Horde

The earliest Christian metal bands in the then-expanding black metal scene can be attributed to these two bands. The title “Horde” is a play on words alluding to the phrase Darkthrone play unholy black metal. They altered it to holy unblack (translated as Hellig Usvart, in Norwegian which is the name of Horde’s debut. Horde is largely regarded as the pioneer of unblack metal.

Jayson Sherlock, the band’s sole member, asserts that despite their debut leaning closer toward doom metal, Antestor should be regarded as the first unblack metal band. 

Theocracy

This is different from some of the black metal bands in the list. It is more akin to upbeat power metal realms, the perfect setting for inspirational Christian songs. Theocracy stands out among other bands playing traditional European power metal. This style of music is not nearly as common in the US as it is elsewhere in the world. What began as Matt Smith’s solo endeavor and resulted in four CDs eventually became a band. The beautiful lyrics of Theocracy expertly incorporate their Christian values. You need look no further than “I Am” to see proof.

Since the Death

One of the more intriguing musicians on this list might be this one. The Death, also known as Oscar Rask, has released three recordings since starting the group in late 2016. The most recent album, The Black Must Come Out, was released during the pandemic. The stylistic inclinations are difficult to pin down, and the lack of direct comparisons is perhaps a compliment. Imagine a mixture of black metal, punk rock, doom metal, and death metal. 

Moonlight in Crimson

Little explanation is necessary if you have been a fan of Christian black metal for the previous twenty years. Consider them to be Horde’s legitimate heirs—the pioneers of Jesus black metal. This is harsh black metal, much like Skald in Veum. They are vital listening for their pulsating, ominous, and gripping black metal.

Daygraves

A new icon for black metal/blackgaze is on the rise. The sub-subgenre may have been established by Deafheaven, but Daygraves is honing it despite being Daygraves is a relative newcomer to since forming in 2020. The five-track EP Silver, the single “The Final Empire,” the crossover album Nocturns with Within Thy Wounds, and other releases by Daygraves give an incredible initial impression;  atmospheric, melancholic, and introspective.

Skald in Veum

The most recent album, Stridslysten, is filled with speed and fury. It’s a blend of extreme black metal reminiscent of Crimson Moonlight. The Swedish band, which describes itself as Scandinavian black metal, has released two albums. This band is possibly the most eerie and dark in this list; fans of the genre will experience a spiritual uplift as a result of the band’s outspoken evangelistic stance and Christian background.

A Hill to Die Upon

One of the most renowned bands is another seasoned black metal act that also draws inspiration from their Christian religion.  If there is such a thing as genuine black metal, AHTDU fits the criteria. Their most recent album, Via Artis Via Mortis, came out in 2017 and their skill is unmatched, blending orchestral metal and a splash of doom.

The post 15 Best Christian Heavy Metal Bands appeared first on sweetandlynch.com.