The message in disguise.

[and-justice-for-all]

I am a connoisseur of hard rock and metal music, also industrial too. So I am always looking for new bands, it is not too hard to find them once you know where to look.

What does this have to do with atheism you ask? Well, the metal scene is being infiltrated by bands that are not as obvious to point out as being xtian bands. Bands like: AS I LAY DYING, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, THE SHOWDOWN and many others have done well to disguise their xtianity and they have all made on to major tours with rather popular bands. These bands are not Styper, Bride and Petra, but otherwise selling the same thing.

I seem to run into this more and more often and if you do not look, they are not going to tell you that they are. It is a sneaky Little game that the xtian community is pulling on the rest of us and it is not obvious. Now, I did back in the day listen to xtian metal bands, simply because they were good and their 'message' never set in on me, I just liked their sound and there were some good ones too. However, I refuse to support any such thing and have no for many years. I can not bare the thought of what they are doing with that money and I can not support xtianity at all.

What brought this up was a video I just watched on uvtv.info; I saw the bands CD at the local record store in the metal section and was curious as to what they sounded like. They sound good, but after looking them up in a google search, it turns out that it is just another xtian metal band. One disguised as a 'regualar' hard rock/metal band. Right under their website is none other that a link to 'xtianity to day'. BARF!

I am just getting a little pissed off about this 'white lie' that these bands are using in order to get to people. See where I am coming from here? they are not completely open about their religious position, then people who do not realize what the band is about start liking them and only later learn that the band is a xtian band and continue to support them any way...see where its going here.

This recon mission by these bands is bad news and I think if it as also being dishonest, mainly to an otherwise unaware audience.

[Joe the Liberal]

1. I'll admit I'm part of that "otherwise unaware audience".........

When I listen to music the last I'm thinking about is whether or not the band is christian. I just listen to them because I like the music/sound but so long as they aren't trying to shove their religion down my throat via their lyrics then I'm fine. I would never stop being an atheist just because some band I listen to is christian.

[and-justice-for-all]

2. I guess I just do not like th sly way they are doing it...

If I hear it and I like, fine, but I am not giving then any of my money.

[cosmik debris]

3. Push back.

Contact everyone from the store manager to the corporate office asking either of two questions.

1. Why can't I find my favorite xtian rock band without having to dig through all the "evil" rock albums?

or

2. Why are you combining xtian rock with the "real" rock music?

The xtian rock promoters are trying to get their music into the main stream by convincing the sellers that it belongs in a mainstream category. You have to fight that perception where it lives--in the minds of the sellers.

[and-justice-for-all]

7. That what I am sayin'...

"The xtian rock promoters are trying to get their music into the main stream by convincing the sellers that it belongs in a mainstream category."

[immoderate]

4. A gray area.

Is it a metal band that has songs that are Christian? Or is it a Christian band that affects a metal style? What if their music is about Satan? Pro Satan is OK, but anti-Satan is deceptive.

In the arts I tend to give religion a pass. A lot of classical music is inspired by religion, or by the money of religious patrons. If the music is good, then the band is OK. I tend to ignore most rock and roll lyrics anyway. It's hard to imagine anyone being indoctrinated into religion by a metal band. Interesting that after listening to a band, you had to look them up to find out they were Christian. I love the irony that once all rock music was universally condemned by Christian groups. Who's being indoctrinated?

--imm

[Sin]

5. Yea its out there

Been there for a while its not only Metal, seems New Punk and a other genres are hit up as well. A lot of it is preaching to the choir but there is a fair bunch of them trying to single out the loaner group in there and trying to convert them, they also use the other people don't understand you but we do angle. I don't think there going for the mass conversion thing. instead It's the if we can save only one of them we're doing gods work crap.
Also work with a(who knows what the hell denomination he is) Skater for Jesus and scary doesn't quite do him justice.
But yea there just trying to trojan horse a bunch of people to get there msg across I'm sure we will se a guitar hero version of it sooner or later.

[immoderate]

6. Well, god bless 'em.

This is nothing new, and I think their pickings will be small. I don't think this will affect the overall balance of things.

Skater for Jesus does sound scary :scared:

--imm

[and-justice-for-all]

9. I agree with ya there...nt

[and-justice-for-all]

8. I am not much for lyrics either...

I used to be a huge Stryper fan back in the day, it obviously had not effect on me because I still chose reason over fantasy. But for some people, they are much more vulnerable and easily swayed and when these bands sneak into realm of metal and hard rock, they are trying to get to whomever they can.

I have always listened to metal and hard rock for the sound of the music, non of which had any influence on my behavior or for being an Atheist.

I just fine this trend by the these xtian bands to be dishonest and not open about their religion, unlike that of the black metal scene who never hold about as to where they stand.

"Interesting that after listening to a band, you had to look them up to find out they were Christian." That's what I am saying, the video is on uvtv.info. The only reason I even watched it was because I say their CD in the Metal section at the record store, so I gave it a listen. Then I googled them only to uncover what they were about, it just irks me a bit.

[rrneck]

10. Just more marketing I think. I don't follow

music much, but isn't the entire rock genere devoted to the expression of rebellion and the questioning of authority? There may be outliers, but surrender to the will of Jesus doesn't seem to fit into the Heavy Metal mindset.

Xians, Nike, Kellogs Rasin Bran, all same same.

[cynatnite]

11. Didn't Creed do something like this?

Deny they're a Christian band, but give backhanded wink and a nod to the Christian crowd they were trying to spread the message.

[and-justice-for-all]

12. Yeah....they did and so does Evanesence...

lame. Creed broke up because Scott Stapp got the Rock Star ego disease.