Anyone who is familiar with this Newsletter knows that I have a soft spot for Metalcore, Deathcore and other sounds within the hardcore space. I’ve created a playlist with predominantly these songs and written an article about songs in these genres.
However, it would be a miss to limit Christian metal to bands that create “core” alone. For that reason, I thought I’d share some cool albums that break out of this bracket and would appeal to lovers of other genres of metal.
Okay, that’s enough talk. Let’s get into it.
Forest of Iniquity by Within Thy Wounds (2020)
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Black Metal is often associated with satanic or demonic worship and influences. For this reason, many Christian bands who create this sound tend to call their music ‘white’ or ‘unblack’ metal. In terms of sound, it’s basically the same as black metal but the message makes it stand out.
Within Thy Wounds is a band from Texas, United States that was formed in 2019. The band’s brand of atmospheric black metal blends blackgaze and post-metal to create satisfying ambient and emotionally jarring sounds.
Check out the album here:
The Season of Death by Symphony Of Heaven (2017)
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Beginning as a solo project by Logan Thompson in 2017; Symphony Of Heaven has grown into a four-piece band adding David Napier, Mason Beard and Eero Tertsunen to their ranks. With two full-length albums under their belt, their blend of black and death metal is a breath of free air and I look forward to hearing more from them in the coming years.
Check out the album here:
One Voice For The Kingdom by Golden Resurrection (2013)
Genre: Power Metal/Neo-Classical Metal
Formed in 2008 by Per Christian Liljegren, this Power Metal band is one of many projects I could have named by Swedish musician Liljegren who is the frontman of other bands like Narnia, AudioVision, and Divinefire. I chose to speak about Golden Resurrection because it’s his most expressive of his Christian faith in terms of lyrical content.
Check out the album here:
In Memoriam by Crowned In Sorrow (2021)
Genre: Melodic Death/Doom Metal
Derek Corzine is not a newcomer to the metal scene, but this project takes a special place because of its inspiration. Loss in any area of life comes with its emotional consequences, but the loss of loved ones weighs even heavier on the soul.
Inspired by the death of his father and sister, this project/album is one that reflects both sorrow and hope. It’s beautifully composed and carefully constructed and I will recommend it for all fans of this genre.
Check out the album here:
Incarnate by Pantokrator (2014)
Genre: Progressive Death Metal/Melodic Death Metal
Pantokrator is the oldest band on this list. These Swedish powerhouses have been consistently dishing out great albums that focus on biblical characters, theology, history and other Christian themes since 1996. In many ways, this list would not be complete without the works of Johnathan Jansson, Jonas Wallinder, Matthias Johansson, Rickard Gustafsson, and Karl Walfridsson.
Check out the album here:
Frozen Inside by HB (2008)
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Commonly interpreted as holy bible; HB was a symphonic metal band that disbanded in 2016. From their Christ-centered lyrics to Johanna Kultalahti’s powerful vocals, this Finnish band gave me memories that I won’t forget easily during my formative years. They were one of the first bands that proved to me that Christians can do metal, and for that, I’m quite grateful.
Check out the album here:
That’s it for today.
Until next time.
Keep listening!