Vengeance Rising was an American Christianthrash metal band from Los Angeles, California.[1] Fronted by vocalist Roger Martinez, they originally formed as Vengeance in 1987, but changed their name in 1989 to avoid conflict with another band from the Netherlands.[2] Band members Larry Farkas, Doug Thieme, Roger Dale Martin, and Glen Mancaruso left following Once Dead and formed the band Die Happy.[3] Roger Martinez stayed on to record two more studio albums, but aside from him, Vengeance Rising's lineup changed for each subsequent album. While the group was a ground breaking Christian metal band, today Vengeance Rising is known for vocalist Martinez's turning from Christianity to Satanism to atheism.[4]AllMusic describes Vengeance Rising's history as "one of the most entertaining and bizarre stories in the realm of heavy metal."[5]
The band was known for its fascination with violent themes, as reflected lyrically in their first two albums.[2] Their first two albums, before the split into Die Happy, are considered their best. Their debut Human Sacrifice was called "the most radical Christian album ever released" by HM Magazine editor Doug Van Pelt.[6] Their penchant for violence extended to the stage, and the band would graphically portray the crucifixionof Christ at their shows.[1] Extreme graphics also appeared in the cover art of the band's albums. Both Human Sacrifice and Once Dead were censored by Christian bookstores at least partially because of their violent graphical content.[7][8] Copies of their third release. Destruction Comes, had a censorship sticker covering the male figure, dubbed "Raegoul", exposing half of his flesh without skin.[citation needed]
A review of Once Dead in CCM found that the cover of that albums depiction of "resurrection from spiritual death" was "grisly".[9] Musically, the album showed an influence of speed metal, with thrash arrangements on some songs, like the cover of Deep Purple's Space Truckin',[9] and "Out of the Will", which reminded one reviewer of One Bad Pig.[10] While the vocals often sounded "like someone gargling razor blades",[10] the lyrics were found to be "very Bible based,"[10] and matched with the scriptural references from which they were drawn.[9]
Frontman Roger Martinez had a background in the PentecostalFoursquare Church, and was baptized there.[2][11] He eventually rose to be pastor of a Hollywood area church, though by Released Upon the Earth he had left to pursue music full-time.[2] While there, he began to look into the practice of faith healing, and he claimed to have found it to be a fraud.[11]
In the mid 1990s, Martinez left the Christian faith, telling HM that he was a committed atheist in 1997.[2] There were rumors at this time that it is possible that he was never a Christian and was putting on a performance.[11] Today, Martinez has obtained rights to the band name for future projects. According to Scott Waters and Steve Rowe, Martinez began to make tapes counteracting the tapes he made during his Christian career. He created a website that renounced his previous output and posted articles portraying Christian leaders in a negative light. Martinez then began making death threats to individuals he claimed "stabbed him in the back", which included friend Steve Rowe of Mortification, a band Martinez helped get their first record contract.
Although he has stated that he was working on an album to be released under the name "Vengeance Rising" with more of an anti-Christian, Satanic Atheism theme,[2][11] the album, reportedly titled Realms of Blasphemy, has never been released.[citation needed] The album had a strong satanic and anti-Christian theme, sporting titles such as: "Synagogues for Satan" and "Blaspheme the Holy Ghost".[citation needed]
Vocalist Scott Waters of Ultimatum and Once Dead stated on his metal music review website that
Allmusic lists two releases ... both of which I doubt ever existed ... Former drummer Shannon Frye claims that Martinez was impossible to work with and could not hold on to members long enough to even record a demo.
He also claims that Martinez only kept the name of Vengeance Rising because of "continued curiosity from metal fans and Christians alike".[citation needed] In 2007, Shannon Frye did an interview where they mentioned his time in Vengeance. He stated
I quit shortly after I joined which was 1998. As far as I know, there was no album recorded. But I don't know much about it if there was, because I just wanted nothing to do with that excuse called a "band" after I quit. I thought it would have been a great opportunity at the time I joined, but that faded quickly. I just don't like to get into this subject. This is one of those things I wish never happened and would love to erase that from any history ever![12]
After the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred, Martinez offered free albums from his website for military personnel to encourage a "holy war against Christians". Former fans and critics believe this to be an attack on former bandmates and Christianity, due to the straining situation of debt that he was left with when band members departed after the "Once Dead Tour".[citation needed] However, the former band members - Farkas, Thieme, Martin and Mancaruso - spoke out against the claims that Martinez put out. Martinez stated that the four of them had stolen from him. Despite this, the four of them stated that they never stole equipment and that he took all responsibility for the debts of Vengeance, which he agreed to. This was covered in an issue of Heaven's Metal Magazine, with Doug Van Pelt interviewing all of them.
Former founding members of Vengeance Rising along with Ultimatum vocalist Scott Waters reformed in 2004 to play a reunion show at a small club called Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California.[13] Since Martinez owns the rights to the name "Vengeance Rising", they used the name Once Dead. They released a DVD of that show called Return with a Vengeance.[citation needed]
On August 6, 2017, it was announced that Human Sacrifice was being reissued and a reunion show, with the band's original lineup, with Jim Settle, vocalist of Hand of Fire, filling-in on vocals for Martinez, would be performed at SoCal Metal Fest 2 on August 12.[14]
Larry Farkas, Doug Thieme, Roger Martin, and Glenn Mancaruso played in Die Happy. All the aforementioned also formed Once Dead with Scott Waters in 2004.
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Roger Martinez produced a demo for the band Ritual in 1991.
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One Bad Pig is a Christian punk and metal crossover band from Austin, Texas, which formed in 1985. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as "quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the Christian music scene." They were known for their mischief and irreverence on stage, as reflected even in their reunion at Cornerstone in 2000.
Holy Soldier was a Christian glam metal band from Los Angeles formed in 1985.
Frontline Records was a Christian rock record label, founded in 1986 by James Kempner in Santa Ana, California. The label focused primarily on modern rock, rap, dance-pop and hip-hop. The label closed in the early 1990s, and then resurfaced in 2010 to digitally re-release its music catalog.
Intense Records was an independent record label whose releases were mostly in the metal genre. Intense was bought out in 1989 by Frontline Records and became an imprint of that company. The bands in their roster were some of the premiere Christian metal bands of the 1990s.
Die Happy was an American Christian rock band. The group was formed in 1990 when Vengeance Rising members Larry Farkas, Doug Thieme, Glen Mancaruso, and Roger Dale Martin split the band, citing unrest with that band's front man and vocalist, Roger Martinez. They hired Robyn Kyle Basauri, formerly of Jaguar, as a vocalist and he officially joined the band after the release of their eponymous debut.
Sacred Warrior is a Christian heavy metal band formed in 1988 and based in Chicago, Illinois. Their music is often compared to that of Queensrÿche or Iron Maiden.
Mortal was a Christian industrial/dance band fronted by Jerome Fontamillas and Jyro Xhan. Both members went on to found the alternative rock group Fold Zandura, and for a time were members of both bands simultaneously. The band is known for its lyrical intelligence, incorporating advanced theology with what has been billed as "Industrial Praise and Worship." According to CCM Magazine "Mortal has had a much greater influence... on industrial music than its modest output would suggest."
Human Sacrifice is the first studio album by the Christian death and thrash metal band Vengeance Rising. It is the first full-length Christian thrash metal album as it was released in 1988. Though controversial, Human Sacrifice and the following album, Once Dead were huge successes in the world of Christian music, making Vengeance Rising one of the few bands in the genre to cross over into the secular music scene. Dave Caughney of Cross Rhythms magazine wrote in 1990 that this "legendary classic debut [...] breathed much needed freshness into the somewhat stale white metal scene". HM Magazine editor Doug Van Pelt called Human Sacrifice "the most radical Christian album ever released". In 2010, HM ranked Human Sacrifice the best Christian metal album of all time on its Top 100 list because it "tilted the Christian metal world on its ear".
Once Dead is a Christian metal band that originated in Los Angeles, California. The band has played at Festivals such as Up From The Ashes, Elements of Rock Festival and Nordic Fest.
Lust Control is a Christian thrash punk band, originally formed in 1988. They are known for their explicit lyrical content, which is devoted to matters of sexual purity and sin, including abstinence, masturbation, pornography, sex ed, and related topics. For their unwavering views on sexual purity, CCM magazine has called Lust Control "the Josh McDowell of the Christian rock world." Musically they have been likened to The Ramones or The Dead Milkmen. The band formed as a joke and was not meant for long term exposure, which has led some to refer to it as a Christian version of Spinal Tap. Lust Control received the title of "The Worst Christian Band of the Decade" for the 1990s from HM.
Once Dead is the second studio album by Christian death and thrash metal band Vengeance Rising, released in 1990 on Intense Records and re-released in November 2010 on Intense Millennium Records.
Jim Chaffin is an American musician. He is the original drummer for the Crucified and Fasedown and has played with many other acts, such as Deliverance, the Blamed and Left Out.
Recon was an American Christian metal band that originated in California in 1987.
Destruction Comes is the third album by Vengeance Rising released in 1991. The album was the first album to not feature any members of the original members other than Vocalist Roger Martinez, who recorded Bass and Rhythm Guitar. The other members that were on the album were Derek Sean, who recorded Guitars on Mortification's self titled album, and Chris Hyde, former drummer of Deliverance and Holy Soldier. The album was re-released on Intense Millennium Records in 2011.
Larry Farkas is an American guitarist who primarily performs thrash metal. He was a member of Christian bands Vengeance Rising, Deliverance, Holy Soldier, and Once Dead, many of which he started.
Glenn Rogers is an American guitarist who performs mainly thrash metal. He has most notably performed with Hirax, Deliverance, Vengeance Rising and Once Dead.
Released Upon the Earth is the fourth album of the thrash metal band, Vengeance Rising. The album was later re-released in 2015, remastered and expanded. The only official members of the band at this point were founder Roger Martinez and new drummer Johnny Vasquez, who would later play with Mortification, when they first came to America, Tooth n’ Nail recording artists The Blamed, and Time Spent Burning Alongside Vasquez, on this album, Steve Rowe performed guest vocals on the track "Tion"
George Ochoa is an American guitarist that started being active in 1987.
Roger Dale Martin, or more commonly known as Roger Dale, is a heavy metal musician who has performed with several acts including Vengeance Rising and Once Dead.
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