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Any christian bands that RAWK?

neo 7

neo 7

The bass player doesn't get a sandwich
Aug 22, 2011
2,747
3,413
Erie, PA
#1
So I have an audition with a christian band on Saturday. The keyboardist/bandleader was texting me today, setting up a time etc. and he gave me this song that the band wants to play. So I youtube the song.....and I HATE it. That's when it hit me: I find christian bands boring.

I've commited to the audition, but if they play music like this I just won't join. So does anyone know any up-tempo, hard rocking christian bands? I'd like to go in and say "hey, you guys know any songs by (such and such)" and see what happens.
 
#2
As in christian members? Or christian lyrics?

I try really hard to enjoy christian themed music.. it's very hard. Sometimes painful haha, but I do enjoy playing it. Only because my worship director given me the permission to be a cannon with no safety.

I think the only actual christian themed music I enjoy listening to though.. is Demon Hunter.
But I also like Emery.. but they're just 'christian' members.

Demon Hunter is pretty raw. Oh yeah.. Sleeping Giant is pretty cool. But they're more metal type of music. I'm not even sure they're down with that.

Are you allowed to incorporate your own style into their music... or they want you to do exactly as they say? That would get quite dull.
 
#6
BROTHER: "And Saint Atila raised the bass guitar up on high, saying, 'Oh, Lord, bless this thy bass guitar that with it thou mayest play thy bass notes to perfection, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin, and bassists did feast upon the Alembics, and Rickenbackers, and Laklands, and Rob Allens, and Fenders, and Gibsons, and Spectors, and Ritters, and --"

MAYNARD: Skip a bit, Brother.

BROTHER: "And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou tune thy Holy bass. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shalt be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy bass notes towards thou audience, who being Holy in my sight, shall love it.'"

MAYNARD: Amen.
 
#9
neebs said:
As in christian members? Or christian lyrics?

I try really hard to enjoy christian themed music.. it's very hard. Sometimes painful haha, but I do enjoy playing it. Only because my worship director given me the permission to be a cannon with no safety.

I think the only actual christian themed music I enjoy listening to though.. is Demon Hunter.
But I also like Emery.. but they're just 'christian' members.

Demon Hunter is pretty raw. Oh yeah.. Sleeping Giant is pretty cool. But they're more metal type of music. I'm not even sure they're down with that.

Are you allowed to incorporate your own style into their music... or they want you to do exactly as they say? That would get quite dull.
Click to expand...

Demon Hunter is exactly what I was thinking of, thanks.

When I responded to their ad I was thinking along the lines of Hillsong, which probably would have been ok. But the song they gave me (Glorious by Martha Munizzi) is a straight-up R&B/soul tune, and I'm just not down with that (no offensive to R&B fans intended)

Guess I'll just go and see what these guys have in mind.
 
#11
I toured with this band earlier this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbYGT3RMQqE

Not sure that he "rawks" but his music is pretty fun to play.

Back when I played with this band:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkTc4xRpGlQ&feature=related

This band was awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8pGBDH19kw

Looks like they turned into a pop band too.

Well anyway, you weren't asking for this genre at all, but after spending a hefty handful of years in the Christian music circuit, I learned a lot about how it works, just how many bands ARE terrible (and how many aren't. A few.)

And I'll say that the heavy music side of it was never my jam. But there were a few...really really good ones.

The biggest difference between Christian and secular music is Christian bands automatically get a bunch of support. So some pretty terrible bands make it pretty far. Secular music isn't like that. I don't really need to explain that any further :)
 
#14
agent77 said:
Demon Hunter is exactly what I was thinking of, thanks.

When I responded to their ad I was thinking along the lines of Hillsong, which probably would have been ok. But the song they gave me (Glorious by Martha Munizzi) is a straight-up R&B/soul tune, and I'm just not down with that (no offensive to R&B fans intended)

Guess I'll just go and see what these guys have in mind.
Click to expand...
If they sent you Martha Munizzi then they are probably in the same CCM/Gospel crossover genre as her, Champion, Israel & New Breed, Ricardo Sanchez and others. The sound of the mutiethnic mega church. Just a generation ago Motown may have been the secular crossover music that appealed to different communities the R&B/Nasville pop crossover is today's choice to reach the most diverse audience as Hillsongs, while popular would leave out many on one side as much as Bluegrass Gospel, or Christian Rock. Meanwhile Neosoul Urban Gospel or Quartet, a bluesy gospel as opposed to R&B would leave out the other audience
 
#20
lpcarter said:
The biggest difference between Christian and secular music is Christian bands automatically get a bunch of support. So some pretty terrible bands make it pretty far. Secular music isn't like that. I don't really need to explain that any further :)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this. I was in I think JH when Tooth & Nail records came out and looooooottta crappy bands were on that label that otherwise would've never gotten traction from big labels.
 

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