Christian Metal - Controversy

Controversy

Certain Christian groups, most notably those in some King James Only denominations, consider all types of rock and metal music to be opposition to their faith, regardless of lyrical content or the lifestyles of the band members. However, fans and artists see metal as another genre of music, parallel to such genres as blues, classical, jazz, punk, and hip-hop. Bands such as Showbread and Antestor believe that the instrumentation of the music is simply a medium of art, while the person creating the music as well as the lyrics being presented provide the message. Therefore, Christian metal is created when Christians compose metal music in a way that reflects their faith in Christ.

Keith Kahn-Harris states in the book Extreme Metal that sometimes fans of metal consider Christian faith and adherence in Church a membership of an established authority, and therefore Christian metal bands are seen as "posers" and the use of Christian lyrics to be opposed to the "true" purpose of metal. If any ideology can be linked to metal music, it is individualism. Their attitudes range from ignoring the opinions or rejection of religion, though some will admit that Christian metal can contain enjoyable bands like non-Christian metal. Kerry King of Slayer was asked in New York magazine, March 2009, "What's popular in metal right now that you wish would die?" and King replied Christian metal: "It's enough of a distaste to me that I don't even want to hear it."

During the 1980s and 1990s, the Christian metal movement was criticized for lack of originality by both Christian and non-Christian groups. In an interview with Mean Magazine, Kris Klingesmith of Barnabas stated that "If you want to know what Christian music will be doing tomorrow, all you need to do is see what the secular guys are doing today." Michael Sweet of Stryper discussed in Christianity Today magazine in 1985 why the band succeeded to sell albums to the unchurched unlike previous Christian rock and metal bands, and he implied that Christian rock and metal musicians' problem is that their theology is stronger than their music: "If you're out there in the secular world and you don't have Christ, you're not going to see a group because they talk about Christ. You're going to go hear a band because they're good, and because they have a good stage show." Pastor Bob Beeman of Sanctuary International stated in a 2000 interview that while the issue of Christian bands copying mainstream bands may be seen as ripping off, it can also be seen as a compliment for the non-Christian bands: "This allowed the Christian bands to cross over. People would be able to listen to the Christian bands and not feel like they were giving up the style of music they loved. Then after you listen to the Christian bands more closely, you realize they are not just alike. But I think it is ultimately a good thing." Non-Christian audiences tend to accept Christian bands that are particularly musically creative, in spite of being widely known as Christian bands.

Some groups within the Christian metal movement have criticized bands within the industry for isolating the genre from general industry too avidly. For example, Christer Espevoll of Extol stated in 2003: "I wish the scenes were more together. For a long time there has been a huge — and still growing — distance between Christian and secular music industries. This is the situation peculiarly in the US but also in Scandinavia. In my opinion this kind of polarization is not a good thing. Music is first and foremost about music so why should every band or artist that represents a religion or lack of it have its own industry? Music has no religious borders." However, most Christian bands today oppose to being isolated in the Christian music industry and have become mainstream successes, such as Virgin Black.