Metal and God

[bps916]

I was wondering if anyone else is going through this-since being saved I have stopped listening to all music that dis-honors Christ.Before,I listened to Cradle Of Filth,Dimmu Borgir,Vader and similar bands.Now I find that all that just does not sit well with me.One one hand,I believe it is wrong to make any music that does not honor God and on the other hand I feel that some secular music is OK as long as it is not dis-respectful.My friend was listening to Black Sabbath the other day,and it just sounded different to me.Its hard to explain...I guess I just have to decide for myself what I expose myself to.I have found some really great bands like Antestor and Frost Like Ashes that are not satanic even if some consider them controversial(did I spell that right?).So instead of reviving an old thread I thought I would start a new one because I know I cant be the only one experiencing this.I just cant listen to Deicide and Dimmu Borgir anymore and feel good about it.I know that even if I was not a satanist(which I never was) its not Christian like to have these things in my life.Thanks for listening Im sure this question has been asked before

 

[WandererOfTheWastes]

I think half this forum is about them!

I've always been wary of what I listen to within metal, although recently a friend (an atheist who has a habit of making me more christian, haha!) called me up on a bit of stuff; I was definitely making some weak excuses ("Yes, it's fairly anti christian, but the lyrics are in NORWEGIAN!" hahaha

Having said that I seem to listen to a fair bit more bands then you do. Drawing the line is a pretty subjective thing and a personal thing.

Incidentally, read the lyrics to Black Sabbath's "After Forever", you will be very surprised

 

[UtopiaMoon]

I was wondering if anyone else is going through this-since being saved I have stopped listening to all music that dis-honors Christ.Before,I listened to Cradle Of Filth,Dimmu Borgir,Vader and similar bands.Now I find that all that just does not sit well with me.One one hand,I believe it is wrong to make any music that does not honor God and on the other hand I feel that some secular music is OK as long as it is not dis-respectful.My friend was listening to Black Sabbath the other day,and it just sounded different to me.Its hard to explain...I guess I just have to decide for myself what I expose myself to.I have found some really great bands like Antestor and Frost Like Ashes that are not satanic even if some consider them controversial(did I spell that right?).So instead of reviving an old thread I thought I would start a new one because I know I cant be the only one experiencing this.I just cant listen to Deicide and Dimmu Borgir anymore and feel good about it.I know that even if I was not a satanist(which I never was) its not Christian like to have these things in my life.Thanks for listening Im sure this question has been asked before

i agree with you. as a christian, i try to listen to more christ like bands like red, disciple, skillet, etc etc. but i still enjoy listening to non christian bands like within temptation, nightwish, lacuna coil, and many others. to my surprise there are metal bands i didn't know were christian still recently like the devil wears prada, flyleaf, the letter black, etc. so whatever works for you is between you and God. personally i don't think music is that big of a deal as long as you don't get too much into the bands and have them above the Holy Spirit. thats just my opinion and thanks for posting this thread

 

[mbuc556]

I struggle with this at times as well. As a musician myself (a guitarist, specifically), there's no way to ignore the influence of bands like Slayer and Pantera on the entire metal genre, even though these artists and many others have recorded music that is militantly anti-Christian at times. The way I see it, studying instrumental styles and techniques and sympathizing with the message of the lyrics are two very different things, but that's only my opinion.

to my surprise there are metal bands i didn't know were christian still recently

I agree. I'm constantly discovering new acts that I didn't know were Christian-oriented, and it's an encouraging sign for the entire music industry that these bands are receiving some exposure.

 

[Christian Worship Songs]

As a professional guitarist I am finally decided to stop playing rock metal guitar in Jan 2010....since then I have been recording only on acoustic guitar.
It's funny though because on Dec 15 2009 going into 2010 I just released another album and it has electric guitar on it.
I have on that album several top songs now aired on radio with , Electric Rock Guitarist - Rock N Country Blues Guitar - Rock N The Blues Electric Style....all 3 of those songs are aired on radio today and becoming quit well known.
I am really an acoustic guitarist and always have been, but I gained national attention on electric guitar a few years ago.
I have always mixed my gospel music with secular....but I now feel like this is all wrong for me to do.
I can't compromise God with the world.....I still get pastors telling me not to give up the electric guitar....truth is I can bring in a huge crowd of people doing this...but that is all wrong....I feel let the Lord call them into His house and not my guitar playing.

I still will play at a very high level on acoustic guitar and I think people will come.
But I feel sound effects and distortion warps the music the Lord gave me....the acoustic guitar doesn't do that.
I don't want to mislead people....the Lord is far more important than my music!!
Anyways that's how I feel.

Thanks GW Williams

 

[bps916]

I played a lot of black/symphonic metal before,but now I am settling down in a new church and hoping to get involved in the music ministry there.I rarely listen to metal anymore,and I am careful about what I listen to.I used to be "all metal,all the time",now my heart is opening up to many different styles of music.I haven't touched a guitar for weeks,but am hoping to be re-energized to play music that praises God.

 

[dana3262]

I listen to any music I like, except, if the people in the band are theistic satanists like Glen Benton from Deicide.

If they are Atheists, Agnostics, Atheistic Satanists ("satanic" for an image) it doesn't bother me.

I do listen to a couple of Bands where the people happen to be Christians but I wouldn't specifically call them "Christian Bands". They aren't metal though.

Music and politics and music and religion don't mix in my opinion (except for praise music specifically of course, which I hate incidentally). I'm a musician and I have written a couple of songs specifically for God but only I know they are for God as they aren't preachy, they hint at my praise for God but that's it. I like to leave some mystery in my music, let the people work it out for themselves rather than be given a hand drawn diagram about it.
All my other songs, well over 100 of them, aren't religious in any sense of the word.

When I write a song for God its between me and God and its for God, if people pickup on that then thats cool, if not that's fine too.

 

[TobyMoore]

I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer when the question arises of whether or not it's ok for a believer to listen to metal. Some may be highly susceptible to letting secular media influence them in a negative way. I don't place myself in that category, but I think it's perfectly alright if one would rather not take the chance.

I'm willing to bet most fans of metal don't listen to it for the message, anyway. And why should they? For me, it's a bit like watching a horror film. Yes, let's resurrect a corpse and cast a silly spell, if anything, for a cheap thrill and a good laugh. And like horror films, sometimes metal bands can take it a little too far. Groups like Behemoth, Deicide, Akercocke, etc. can take the anti-Christian rhetoric to a point where it's just not fun to listen to anymore.

But if I had to compress my argument, I guess I'd say it ain't what goes into you that defiles you, it's what comes out. And if listening to metal can't be a purely subjective and entertaining experience to be had for the sole purpose of enjoying some great music, then maybe it isn't for you.

 

[Fangtastic]

Metal rules.

My thoughts only.

 

[The Fourth Horseman]

I'm not a Satanist but I listen to many bands that would be considered satanic or are openly satanic and I'm hardly a satanist. I've been doing that for years. Besides I have no idea what they are saying most of the time so the lyrics really don't matter to much to me and I don't bother to look them up rather I just enjoy the music.

 

[Non.Denom.Jesus-Freak]

Metal rules.

My thoughts only.

\m/