Christ Core Feature
Christian Metal Core
Feature by Brendan Monteiro with Ivan Ferriera, Aaron Gillespie and Cory Brandan
If you had to look back, say 10 years ago, had you heard of a Christian metal or Christ-core band? Chances are you probably would have laughed at the idea. For most people the concept would have been unthinkable, visions of a church band chanting hymns of praise coupled with axe-hammering metal riffs wouldn’t have helped either. However, in a day and age where we can plainly see anything is possible, the Christian scene is blowing up. Record labels are buying up every Christian metal-core band (even if they suck), making the scene bigger than anyone could ever cared to envisage 10 years ago. Not only is this causing a stir in the music scene; the Christian world has also seemed to be in a spin about it, and not in a good way. Many pious Christians labelling these bands as sacrilegious, blasphemous and unchristian. Who could really blame them?
For instance, listen to the new The Devil Wears Prada album (no this is not a Meryll Streep tribute band), with lead vocalist Mike Hranica belching out verses that sound like he’s been set alight and put out with a bicycle chain, who would blame them for thinking that?
For a while I liked the idea of a Christian metal band, not that I’m in any way really religious, I just felt what better way to let the word of God reach the kids of metal than to actually perform it. I’m sure none of them would bother listening to a pop-Christian band. I also felt that a lot of the bands like Underoath, The Almost, blindside, P.O.D and Norma Jean aren’t really preaching like a traditional church band would. It’s more just an expression of what they believe in.
Recently having a chat with a friend, Ivan Ferreira, former singer of the UK’s The Casino Brawl and of South African Christian band 5star Society. I found myself caught between views. Ivan is ‘straight edge’ (Straight edge refers to a lifestyle and scene within the hardcore punk subculture whose adherents abstain from alcohol, tobacco smoking and other recreational drug use). I asked him what his views were on the Christian metal-core scene and his first response was ‘I myself would not play in a Christian band again’. He went on to say that the Christian scene is huge at the moment and that his views are that some of these bands are just using God in order to make money and
what he says seems true to an extent. The fact is, a fulltime band is a business, and a business’s goal is to make money. They make money by selling records, shirts and their live shows. He went on to say he doesn’t like it when people start up christian bands , “praise Jesus”, release an album or two, break up and then proclaim that they are not christians anymore. He felt it is wrong that for the last couple of years “God” put food on their table and paid their bills…but now that its over, and they dont want anything to do with it!’ Music aside, I was pretty sure that somewhere in ‘the good book’ it says that making money through that manner was a certain no no.
With this idea in mind one would think that a true Christian band wouldn’t be selling off their name to the highest bidding Label, or at least maybe pay some sort of royalties to the Vatican (and I’m sure they would be much obliged to accept). Then again I’m also not the Pope of Rome so who am I to talk?
With all the confusion, I decided to ask some of the key bands in the scene such as Aaron Gillespie of Underoath/the Almost and Cory Brandan of Norma Jean. These are their views:
You have been labelled as a Christian band and the Christian metal scene has come under a lot of criticism. What are your views?
Aaron: I don’t know. I think if you respect anyone and you give them an open ear and you’re honest with them, no matter what your belief or who you are you will get respect back. I think as Christians as a whole, we dig ourselves a hole. We tell people that we are perfect and we don’t show our faults. I Think as Christians if we get out there in the world an say look we’re just like you but we just have Christ to redeem that. We’re just as messy as you and do the things you do. Then people will begin to respect it a bit. Every pastor or man of faith that has eye’s has looked at a women in the incorrect way while he has been in service, and I firmly believe that. The bottom line is that we hide that, and that is what makes us look better than a non-Christian. Which I think is wrong! I think it’s important for us to talk about our faults. To talk about the dirty things we do. So that we can say, “hey I am just like you, I have the same thoughts as you have. I don’t always act on them, but I have those same thoughts and I just want to let you know that I am just like you”. We all need to be honest and open at all times, otherwise it doesn’t work in my opinion.
Cory: Wow. We are all Christian yeah, Christian band…(long pause) I don’t even really know what that mean but I don’t really oppose that label. It doesn’t really matter to us. We’re in a band cos we love music. That’s why we do what we do, not for any other reason. As far as what we sing about and what we believe, in essence we kind of feel no different from our peers. All the bands that I listen to sing about what they believe in. Some of them I might disagree with but I still like their music. With us it’s the same thing, we sing about what we believe in., we don’t expect everyone to agree with that but we don’t really give a crap. If you don’t like our music, don’t listen to it. That’s how I feel anyway.
So what would you say to devout Christians who say your music is not Christian and is polluting the youth and degrading society?
Aaron: I don’t know what to say to them cos I know what I believe. If they think it’s wrong that’s cool too. I’ll listen to what they have to say, I’m not close minded. I can’t force someone to like what I like and hear what I hear. The world doesn’t work that way. I think band’s in church are doing a cool thing and that’s great but this is what we believe in and what we want to be and what we want to do. If that helps somebody out then I’m stoked.
Cory: Which I have heard before (ha ha). What I would say to someone? I don’t know. I mean I totally disagree with that because it doesn’t really make sense. The thing is about music is that music can’t have a belief. A sound, whether it be from a guitar or if I clap my hands or if I yell or sing really pretty or if I play the piano, that sound can’t have a belief. So if I play really super heavy music that just sounds pissed off, it doesn’t mean what’s behind isn’t something really good. like I said, if I clap my hands you can’t tell me that it sounds evil.
Do you think it is wrong to apply the Christian label to a band, especially when Christian music is doing so well in the mainstream. A friend and I were discussing and he felt like it was making money off God’s name.
Aaron: I hear what he’s saying. It is running a business a lot of the time. For me it’s not about that. Whatever I do I want to do it through the Lord. It’s not about making money off of God. You can’t survive without getting paid. A pastor gets paid for his services, or else he wouldn’t be able to feed himself or his family. He’s doing the work of God as well. I’m not saying “if you’re a missionary you should always get paid”.
Cory: Everything we do has to be balanced. Obviously we have to be honest in our music. We can’t allow whether someone’s Christian or non-Christian to affect what we do musically. If we don’t do what we feel like we need to do and want to do then our music is going to be fake. It’s not going to do anything for us or anyone else and when it comes to the business side of our band we have to run a good business. Running a good business is actually very biblical. Taking care of your money and paying your taxes, all those things are biblical. When it comes to what we believe in, there has to be a balance. That comes out in our songs, it comes out in our lives. We don’t think we are perfect gentlemen, we don’t have all the answers. We definitely try as hard as we can and I think that is what matters.
Do you think tattoo’s are wrong in the eye’s of God? (just put forward to Aaron)
Aaron: No not at all.
What about in the bible, don’t they say “your body is a temple”?
Aaron: Have you ever been in a temple before? The way I look at it is this; A temple has a lot of paintings, a lot of decorations and yes your body is a temple, but it doesn’t say you cant decorate your temple.
I don’t think it does.
Aaron: There you go. I feel no wrong about having tattoo’s.
What I took from my time with Aaron and Cory is that they are just like you and I. They believe in living the right way and doing what feels right to them. Which is something I guess everyone could start doing to an extent. It definitely opened my mind to very different and creative ways of looking at things, you learn something new every day. I once read an interview on MXPX and looking back now I guess they put it best. They said, “We’re not a Christian band, just a band of Christian’s”. I guess in the end It all boils down to what you believe in. So if it sounds good to you, listen on and rock out!
November 6th, 2009
cos ≠ because