What do people here think of metal?

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 22, 2026

It's always been the most raging question in my mind. I've been worried about metal music creating a dark sonic environment that would damage my connection with God and serve my flesh. Looking forward to discussion.

Chaplain Jim · Apr 22, 2026

christianlloydteegardin said:
It's always been the most raging question in my mind. I've been worried about metal music creating a dark sonic environment that would damage my connection with God and serve my flesh. Looking forward to discussion.

This is an interesting topic. Some metal I've liked over the years. Saw a documentary a few years back on "Death Metal" from Europe. The music was metal but dark in my humble opinion. There were parents and children giving testimonies on how "Death Metal" had drastically changed their lives. Some parents spoke of their children being drawn to the " Death Metal " prior to their children committing suicide. It was a disturbing and interesting documentary.

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 22, 2026

Chaplain Jim said:
This is an interesting topic. Some metal I've liked over the years. Saw a documentary a few years back on "Death Metal" from Europe. The music was metal but dark in my humble opinion. There were parents and children giving testimonies on how "Death Metal" had drastically changed their lives. Some parents spoke of their children being drawn to the " Death Metal " prior to their children committing suicide. It was a disturbing and interesting documentary.

Frankly if death metal is bad, black metal is horrific; at least you can make death metal silly if you really try (e.g. Infectious Jelqing), but black metal is often an oppressive spiritual nadir. (No wonder why Satanism and occultism are arguably the most common subject matter in black metal and Christian bands of the genre are almost nonexistent save for Antestor e.g.)

Frustratingly I really enjoyed the dark musicality of black metal in particular, but I would always have the peculiar urge to turn my Bible upside-down when listening to it, as if I thought it was listening to the music as well and I wanted to shut its ears. It's foolish but it's a pretty good Freudian slip of sorts in that I perceived the music as offensive to God.

I deleted all my metal playlists as they were solely centered on the more extreme areas of metal (black metal, death metal, thrash metal, grindcore, goregrind, gorenoise e.g.) and only the ambient playlist has any valid use. (Meditation on scripture and soothing my nerves.)

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 22, 2026

I'd argue that power metal is the least offensive of the metal subgenres and quite a few Christian bands exist therein.

Chaplain Jim · Apr 22, 2026

Thank you, for sharing your experience with a certain genre of popular music.

Be, Mightily blessed, In Jesus's Name!

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 22, 2026

TY! I need more talk on it for sure.

TGP2025 · Apr 23, 2026

personally, i think it's going to be subjective for the most part, on a Band by Band or even Song by Song kind of Basis. the Genre of Black Metal in of itself is definitely something we Christians should forbid, it's mostly Satanic and when it's not, it represents Rebellion. people who make Black Metal are against anything and everything that suppresses their freedom, not that they all reject God directly, but they see Religion as a method of oppression.

it's unfortunate that an entire Genre of Music has to be blacklisted, but if any of us are serious about having a relationship with God, we cant be listening to that Genre at all.

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 23, 2026

TGP2025 said:
personally, i think it's going to be subjective for the most part, on a Band by Band or even Song by Song kind of Basis. the Genre of Black Metal in of itself is definitely something we Christians should forbid, it's mostly Satanic and when it's not, it represents Rebellion. people who make Black Metal are against anything and everything that suppresses their freedom, not that they all reject God directly, but they see Religion as a method of oppression.

it's unfortunate that an entire Genre of Music has to be blacklisted, but if any of us are serious about having a relationship with God, we cant be listening to that Genre at all.

I'd argue that genres like atmospheric black metal (e.g. Drudkh, Wolves in the Throne Room, Agalloch) and blackgaze (e.g. Deafheaven, Alcest, Harakiri for the Sky) are safer alternatives, but anything that is "trve kvlt" (pure, rebellious, e.g. Mayhem, Darkthrone, Marduk) black metal needs to be rejected.

An example of a band that utilizes black metal influences without espousing the philosophy would be Ne Obliviscaris. (Extreme progressive metal.)

I'd list Weakling's Dead as Dreams as a good example of atmospheric black metal.

I can't recommend any straight-up black metal in good faith. Almost all of it sounds malevolent and/or discordant. I mean you have melodic black metal but I'd argue Satanism is even more rampant there.

AddisonMac06 · Apr 23, 2026

Terrible!!

Michie · Apr 23, 2026

The content of the genre basically speaks for itself. It is the message that matters.

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 23, 2026

Michie said:
The content of the genre basically speaks for itself. It is the message that matters.

I think this is the most settling matter.

WolfGate · Apr 23, 2026

And yet you have Christian metal bands and in the more secular arena metal bands with Christians in them. The Devil Wears Prada is one such band.

From "John, What's Your Name Again"
I'm going to hope for you
I'm going to pray for you amongst the wreckless and the black
Salvation lies within
I'm going to hope for you
I'm going to pray for you amongst the wreckless and the black
My time is yours my friend
We all find ourselves so horribly weak
(Oh God)
Where's an offering

From "Assistant to the Regional Manager"
These writings are to those who have weeped
These writings are to those who haven't looked
Deeply enough into the correct resolution
Wrong, wrong again but stronger now
We can face this
FIght life with life
All glory to the One in existence
Bring upon your name, your grace, your every thing

From "Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over"
Lawlessness stains black on white washed tombs
We're too strong to compromise
Don't be ashamed of your faith
Dear Lord, deliver me
From hypocrisy and surcease.

Michie is right that it's the message that matters. A musical style isn't more or less appropriate for Christians. (For worhip in church, yes, that's different). I can take any music style and find examples of content that is focused on serving our flesh.

My wife works at a local venue that books national recording acts from many genres, rock, country, pop, oldies, rap, etc. Security's favorite genre of show to work is the metal shows. They have fewer problems there than most other genres with drunks and arguments and so forth. They say fans of metal are there to listen to the music and they look out for each other.

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 23, 2026

WolfGate said:
And yet you have Christian metal bands and in the more secular arena metal bands with Christians in them. The Devil Wears Prada is one such band.

From "John, What's Your Name Again"
I'm going to hope for you
I'm going to pray for you amongst the wreckless and the black
Salvation lies within
I'm going to hope for you
I'm going to pray for you amongst the wreckless and the black
My time is yours my friend
We all find ourselves so horribly weak
(Oh God)
Where's an offering

From "Assistant to the Regional Manager"
These writings are to those who have weeped
These writings are to those who haven't looked
Deeply enough into the correct resolution
Wrong, wrong again but stronger now
We can face this
FIght life with life
All glory to the One in existence
Bring upon your name, your grace, your every thing

From "Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over"
Lawlessness stains black on white washed tombs
We're too strong to compromise
Don't be ashamed of your faith
Dear Lord, deliver me
From hypocrisy and surcease.

Michie is right that it's the message that matters. A musical style isn't more or less appropriate for Christians. (For worhip in church, yes, that's different). I can take any music style and find examples of content that is focused on serving our flesh.

My wife works at a local venue that books national recording acts from many genres, rock, country, pop, oldies, rap, etc. Security's favorite genre of show to work is the metal shows. They have fewer problems there than most other genres with drunks and arguments and so forth. They say fans of metal are there to listen to the music and they look out for each other.

The Devil Wears Prada forsook the faith, unfortunately.

Windows95 · Apr 24, 2026

From what little I know of black metal, it's generally awful, but I'm not convinced that the genre as a whole is necessarily evil or even rebellious. I listened today to the first few songs off of Panegyrist's "Hierurgy" album (they're a Christian black metal band, one of the main artists is Orthodox and it shows very, very plainly in the lyrics of the songs) and it was really good as far as I can tell, both spiritually and musically. The only thing that annoyed me is that the use of Latin and Greek obscures the meaning of some of the lyrics, and some of the words they use are very obscure, but that seems to be part of the point.

Metal in general I find to be highly beneficial spiritually, at least for me. That being said, I do not (and do not intend to) listen to secular metal bands. The bands I listen to are all Christian, and use the intensity of the metal genre to convey biblical, Christ-centered messages very forcefully (in a good way). Wolves at the Gate, Disciple, Red, Spoken, Theocracy, Becoming the Archetype, Decyfer Down, Kutless (more hard rock than metal , and only in their early and most recent stuff, but hard rock can be good for the same reasons), etc. are generally what I listen to all day.

Conversely, music outside of the metal genre can also be extremely damaging. I think it's far healthier to listen to someone shouting at maximum volume as they praise God than it is to listen to someone sounding calm and happy while talking about sin.

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 24, 2026

Based take.

WolfGate · Apr 24, 2026

christianlloydteegardin said:
The Devil Wears Prada forsook the faith, unfortunately.

They definitely changed from being a Christian metal band to a band that likely has some Christians in it. I wouldn't say they abandoned the faith. Some of them have questioned their faith, or perhaps the way it was taught to them. Their harsh vocalist has discussed struggling with his faith. The others have been more silent and personal. While the songs they write now are not openly Christian like before, they also don't fall close to being "anti-religion". Their content covers issues that people deal with, whether Christians or not - things like mental health, fears, feeling isolated in today's world

I choose them and the songs I referenced for a reason. They still play those openly Christian songs in concert; they are on their current tour setlist. So even though they don't openly present themselves as a Christian metal band, they also haven't forsaken their Christian songs and they still present them to a mainly secular audience.

christianlloydteegardin · Apr 24, 2026

True. They didn't pull an Underoath to say the least.

What do people here think of metal?

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