Christian music
 

I despise christian music. I don't care about the fact that the lyrics express a religious belief. What makes me despise it so much is the fact that most self-proclaimed "christian" music is so fake. Most christian bands tack on the label just to sell to their target demographic; often just tacking on "we love jesus" once in every song to make it credible as christian.

I also love how a lot of christian metal bands claim to spread the message of god's love, especially in song titles like "death to the heathens" or "burn in hell", etc. Not to mention a lot of them tack on "christian" to their music in a way that screams "we're superior to all other music". Of course, the sound rarely differs from so-called "heathenistic" music, except sometimes it's often softened down into a chewable pop form. Of course, I'm generalizing, though I've yet to meet a christian band that's anything more than a marketing tool.

Yes, kind of like Creed. They suck... >_> Seriously, I know what you're talking about. I also hate the fans of christian music, you know, the ones you see with their hands raised to the air and swaying as if propelled by a religious force?

I do like a Christian rock band. But others call them Christian rock. The lead singer even said once in an interview that he is not a preacher, he's an entertainer. He likes to express his views in his music though.

The Christian factor in music terribly irks me, although my brother is a fan of a few of the bands (i.e P.O.D, Creed). I do think that there are artists who subscribe to the Christian music segment because they truly want to express religion through music; they're just not necessarily as mainstream as the ones who are in it for the money. Then again, that's true with much of the music scene that's developed.

Technically, bands are permitted to make music about whatever they please thanks to the U.S's First Amendment. And, while I don't particularly like Christian music, I try to make peace with it, and, as much as I am reluctant to, realize that there's probably someone out there who feels the same way about the music I listen to.

I am so gunna get flamed for this....but...to be honest, it's not just Christians bands.

You see....Satanic bands do it too, i'm personally not a fan of Christianity or Satanism. Both Christian and Satanic bands are just....hypocritical beyond belief.
I believe if you're gunna say **** religion...then **** them all! They're all basically the same! You can't just condemn one religion then say yours is great, especially when both have a book with set rules and some twat in a robe preaching about how awesome that particular religion is. Satanism is ridiculous, yeah! live life how you want! great! Then why do we need Satanism to exist!? It renders itself pointless....live by these rules....but you can live life how you want!
If you need a book to tell you that you can live life the way you want to, then you're pretty pathetic.

Plus, the reason Satanism exists is because of Christianity. Those two religions basically thrive off of eachother (with Christianity it's probably the fear of Satanism...not Satanism itself) but want rid of eachother.

In general, I just don't like music that attempts to promote a certain religion, there are much more interesting subject matters to explore other than regurgitated lyrics about Satan/God.

Of course, these bands can write what they want, i'm not saying they shouldn't be able to....I just don't bloody like it. :P It really fuels alot of anger in me.

My main problem with it is that it exudes a naïve positivism that just makes me wonder if they're taking a lot of drugs or if they really see the world in such a way?

I guess it's just a different reality for them that they sing about, it's just not mine and I don't understand it.

lol you want get flamed for that, I totally agree.

You definitely have a point. There are a good number of bands out there that use Satanism as a gimmick; a gimmick that attracts people by either shock, or relation. Most of the poseur goth bands today, Manson and HIM especially, use Satanism in their image and their music because it creates controversy.
So I guess both sides are guilty of fakers.

I have yet to hear an original sounding Christian band. It seems to me they rip off whatever genre happens to be popular at the moment, water it down for their target audience, and then claim it's so much better than everything else out there.

Personally, it's not the religious beliefs behind the music (Christian/Satanism etc.) that bother me as much as the fact that the music is for the most part totally uninspired and completely unoriginal. The religion is usually a marketing tool used to sell to a specific audience.

THAT is what bothers me. I have no problem with actual Christian music -- most of the chants and a lot of the old hymns are quite beautiful. And some of the gospel stuff is awesome. What makes me feel like my drawers are full of sand is when musicians write a bunch of fake drivel then put it to a rock/metal/rap soundtrack because it makes them sound "hip."

News flash, people: it doesn't make you sound hip. It makes you sound cheezy. And it doesn't help you "reach your audience" either because most of them are helpless on the ground, laughing.

I have no idea what to say about the arm-waving, because it's frightened the crap out of me since I was a tiny tot in church. I wonder if those people would be so eager to wave their arms if they realized that it's the same behavior engaged in by brainwashed masses during political rallies in such free and democratic places as North Korea.

I go to church.
and on Thursday im travelling to Sheffield just to see a christian band, that arent metal, more 'cheesy rock' of the sort.
but i dont think christian bands arer about the music.
Christian Metal is about getting the word of christanity to people that listen to Metal to knwo that Metal isnt all about Satanism, Anti-War, Anti- christianity and Blashphemic Lyrics.

Christian bands dont try and make themselves superior, its just that they are noticed and christianity is such a big religion itself, looks superior.
if you get what i mean.
x

I was into a Christian rock band a few years back called Delirious. They were pretty good.

There's no such thing as Satanic rock.
As Drac said, the bands just use Satanism as a gimmick.
But I sort of get your drift, only we have to modify some things.
Christian rock (not all, though) is hypocritical.
'Satanic' bands are not hypocritical, but they're nothing than geek dipshits that want to feel badass.

What I do have to point out is this:
You can't just condemn one religion
Yes they can. They're 'satanic' wannabes, not anti-theists.
Plus, the reason Satanism exists is because of Christianity
Not really. The only thing that would have been different is the name. You're thinking of devil-worshipping, not satanism. Although as we're talking about bands, those 'satanic' bands do get closer to devil-worshipping than to real satanism.

I'm gonna start a toaster worshipping death metal band, with hits such as "I Burn Yr Fuckin' Bread!!!" and "Stick A Fork In It!!!"

I'd buy a CD. :D

I find lots of lyrics in Cruxshadows songs to be highly spiritual and have Christian undertones in them to an extent. Well, in a way, they talk about the same kinds of virtues without tacking the name Jesus or the word Christian in it.

My two absolute favorite bands-- 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand-- are led by the same devout Christian man. I would mistake neither for generic "Christian rock," however-- both are darker and deeper than most bands could ever be. Look for 16 Horsepower on Youtube, if you wish to see.

If they are going to condemn a religion, then they shouldn't pretend to be part of another, it's just as bad if you're pretending, if not worse.
Exalting a religion you don't believe in is even more ridiculous than if you actually believed in it. Infact, I've had this argument with a particularly difficult band member who wanted me to write satanic lyrics despite the fact none of us are satanists. I flat out refuse to write lyrics about bloody satan! *wants to scream* (sorry had to get that bit off of my chest)

I know the difference between devil worship and satanism. These morons probably don't know what they believe though...at the end of the day, you're right, they're just morons that drink beer, PRA1ZE SAITAN!, have sex and like tits.

An example of 16HP lyrics-- these are more overtly religious than usual. Note the Abel/able homonym usage...

Black Soul Choir by 16 Horsepower

Ain't none ever seen the face of his foe, no
He ain't made of flesh & bone
He's the one who sits up close beside you
And when he's there you are alone

Every man is evil, yes, and every man a liar
And unashamed with the wicked tongues sing
In the black soul choir

Yes and no man ever seen the face of my lord no
Not since he left his skin
He's the one you keep cold on the outside, girl
He's at your door let him in

O I will forgive your wrongs
Yes I am Abel
And for my own I feel great shame
I would offer up a brick to the back of your head boy
If I were Cain

Link to song: http://youtube.com/watch?v=HO9My5_H6dg or http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bcg5WnShwHQ (solo live)

I like Extol. Awesome, powerful metal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extol

I find the biggest problem with Christian Rock is that it comes from a particular expression of Christianity that I don't identify with.

I am not a big U2 fan, but I find they way they explore issues of faith and justice more helpful than the average American Evangelical Teenager's.

Instead of just hating Christian music, why not hate the Christian music that uses it as a gimmick?
But...how do you know if it's a gimmick or not? That's not your call to make. You can say you don't like the sound of it, but once again, why generalize?

Besides, every genre of music has bands that ruin their reputation for the rest of them. Cinema Strange for example. That's a terrible fucking band, but I'm not going to hate all music flavored with goth or deathrock.

I like Anberlin.

They're not exactly metal, they're more like rock/alternative. But they're still labeled Christian (although they don't call themselves that.)

I am not a fan of christian music. However, there are some Christian metal bands like "As I lay Dying" that I find to be very good. Some christian bands do not exactly give religious messages in their songs, some just express that the members are christian.

How are Christian bands "ram-rodding" anything down everyone's throats? It's not like they're even in the spotlight much, and if you don't like them, you don't have to have anything to do with it.

I like my Christian music honest. Heh.

Seriously, Woven Hand and 16 Horsepower are the best bands in the universe.

I've heard that some Christian radio stations actually count how many times a song or band uses the word "Jesus" in order to decide whether or not they're Christian enough.

How can you generalise a whole music scene when you can't have heard all the bands inside that movement. Some Christian rock bands are bound to be good.

Some probably are, but it would be damn near impossible to listen to every band in music scene and what the vast majority of them seem to offer is a "safer alternative" to musical genres I'm not particularly wild about already. It seems like for every genre of music that becomes popular for a while, there is an influx of Christian bands following the trend. It seems like a money-making scheme to me.
I'm sure all Christian bands aren't necessarily like that, but in general, that is something I've noticed.

The only Christian band worth listening to is Christian Death. :-p

!!!
Something inside me just felt like if a puppy was thrown into a river. =[

My sentiments exactly. :(

I got my feelin's hurt.

They're fucking horrible. HORRIBLE. I mean, sometimes they're ok, but I have to be in a damn good mood.

Every time you say Cinema Strange suck, god kills a kitten!

All contrived music sucks. Whether it be “christian”, “satanic”, “gothic”, “punk” or whatever. Music has become so genre focused that it’s quite easy to come up with a song and then apply a simple formula to it and change it to fit whatever genre you want. The great bands defy categories and genres.

There are many similarities to a drowning puppy and the yelping Cinema Strange.

I think quite a few gothy type bands fit that description. I'll name a few when I can think of them later. :p

Yeah, Rogue can be quite a touchy fellow. A little too much for me. They're about the corniest band I've ever listened to.

I don't mean that anyone HAS to listen to it, just that if you do, it is like having something jammed down your throat ten different ways. Not all of it is that way, but enough to make me avoid it unless I have a specific recommendation from someone.

Ok, you might feel that way, but if you're listening to it, you're asking for it.

And that's why I don't! ;)

I would never think someone could feel so strongly about a crappy genre like Christian music which you don't hear much about in pop culture. I could understand overrated top forty music with all the wussy white boy bands and rappers with an IQ of 0. Or other annoying kinds of music that have a strong cult following like heavy metal.

I've heard some Christian music and seriously those people don't sound like they read the bible. It just sounds like boring inspirational music. Of all the ways to express your religious convictions, music is not a good choice.

I'd always been suspicious of religious music until I discovered The Gouranga Powered Band *hides under a rock in advance*

As for specifically Christian music, the only problem I'd have is capatalising on other's faith. If you're not using religion as a tool with which to sell records then do as you will.

... so long as I'm not forced to listen...

For you I understand. But my post was in response to Drac who's agnostic so it shouldn't bother him.

Well, how would you like it represented?

I feel like there are a lot of factors in the current Christian media that lead me to dislike it, but I'll explain some of the most pertinent ones regarding music;

The actual quality of the music is often absolutely terrible. As has been said, it often sounds like someone took a specific popular style/band, ripped it off, performed it on a really bad keyboard, shoved a speaker up their ass, played the song back through the speaker, and re-recorded it.
I understand small budgets are somewhat to blame for this, but much more creative and listenable things have been done on even less. It's like the people don't actually want to create music for the love of music, but just for the sake of making CHRISTIAN music.

The lyrics are frequently banal and amount to as much as; "Jesus died for me, and God is really cool". What I want to hear is WHY the writer believes that, and how it makes them feel. I want to see how they percieve God personally and how their life is really affected by what they believe in. I want to hear the gamut of normal human emotions and not just constant gleefulness. Which leads me to...

Most of all, I wish they'd lay off the saccharine and get honest. Life, quite frequently, sucks. Prayers go unanswered. Christianity has been the root cause of many terrible things in the world. Modern Christianity is plagued with bigotry towards all kinds of groups. I don't hear anyone making any meaningful discourse about these things, but I do hear lots of brooms trying to sweep it all under the rug..

Ultimately, I don't even like the concept of a band being focused solely on religion, but I feel that if they must be that way then they should try not to make Christianity look like a religion full of perpetually-perky, boring, mindless dolts who have nothing to say. This is where misrepresentation comes in.
I am sure someone will come along and say "But it IS a religion full of morons, HURRHURR" and that absolutely proves my point.

Let me say it again: listen to 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand or I will kill you with my bare hands.