Christian metal, also known as white metal, Jesus metal or heavenly metal, is heavy metal music distinguished by its Christian themed song lyrics and the dedication of the band members to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by professed Christians, principally for Christians and is often produced and distributed through various Christian networks.
Whitecross is an American Christian metal band from Illinois, formed in 1985 by singer Scott Wenzel and guitarist Rex Carroll, and re-formed in 2000. The band won three Dove Awards in the 1990s.
To Hell with the Devil is the third studio album by the Christian metal band Stryper, released in 1986. It was the first Christian metal album to achieve platinum status, selling over one million copies. It remained the best-selling Christian metal album until P.O.D.'s Satellite in 2001.
Psycho Surgery is the second studio album by the American Christian metal band Tourniquet. It was originally released on Intense Records and Metal Blade Records in 1991. A remastered version was released on Pathogenic Records in 2001 as Psychosurgery and includes revised artwork, an expanded album booklet, and bonus tracks that include live versions of songs featuring then-lead vocalist Luke Easter as well as demos; the title was changed since co-founder and drummer Ted Kirkpatrick always felt that it should have been just one. Retroactive Records released a Collector's Edition remaster on June 26, 2020, retaining the original album title and including an extended booklet as well as different bonus tracks. Considered by critics to be Tourniquet's most balanced of the band's first three albums, Heaven's Metal fanzine ranked Psycho Surgery Christian metal's second-best album of all time.
Guardian is an American Christian hard rock and metal band. The band has released seven studio albums, three additional albums in Spanish, and toured extensively worldwide. There are also numerous compilations, independent releases, live records and bootlegs available.
King James is a heavy metal supergroup formed in 1993 with guitarist Rex Carroll (Whitecross) and frontman Jimi Bennett. Some time later, they recruited Tim Gaines and Robert Sweet of Stryper, and released their first album in 1994. The band supported the album with a tour without Gaines, who declined to join after the recording. Sweet toured with the band into 1996, but did not participate in their second release. Carroll and Bennett remained together and released a second album, The Fall, in 1997.
Saint is an American Christian metal band, first active in the mid-1980s, releasing their first album Warriors of the Son in 1984. Common themes of Saint's music include hell, evil, and apocalyptic themes such as the End times. In 2010, HM magazine ranked the band's albums Time's End and Hell Blade among Top 100 Christian metal albums of all-time list on No. 67 and No. 46 respectively.
Bloodgood was an American Christian metal band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1983. By 1988, Bloodgood represented one of the four largest Christian metal bands alongside Barren Cross, Leviticus, and Whitecross.
Rex Carroll is an American guitarist known for his work in the Christian metal band Whitecross. He is also the leader and guitarist of other bands including Fierce Heart, King James and the Rex Carroll Band. He also filled in and did all the guitar work on Eden's 1994 album Fan The Flame.
Deliverance is the 1989 debut album by the Christian speed/thrash metal band Deliverance. The original Intense Records pressing is now considered a valuable collectable. It was reissued, minus 2 songs in 1998 on KMG Records as a two-disc set along with the 1990 album Weapons of Our Warfare. It was officially re-released late 2008 with two bonus tracks on Retroactive Records. The album was ranked at No. 44 on Metal Hammer's top 50 thrash metal albums of all-time list. In 2010, HM Magazine listed Deliverance No. 31 on its Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time list stating that "'If You Will' into 'The Call' is almost as good as metal gets " and that "this record would forever change and impact me and the Christian metal music scene as we knew it!"(-Bill Balford). Heaven's Metal fanzine ranked it No. 3 on its Top 100 Christian metal albums of all-time list. About.com writer Dan Marsicano wrote "Metal with a religious concept is not for everybody, and Deliverance doesn’t try to pander to the secular crowd. So, if you don’t mind a little preaching, their music is straight-to-the-gut thrash metal at a time where the genre was getting more expansive with its themes and sound. For giving Christian metal a thrash hero to rally behind, Deliverance gets the nod for this week’s Retro Recommendation."
Sanity Obscure is the second studio album by the American Christian thrash metal band Believer. It was initially released in 1990 on R.E.X. and later in 1991 on Roadrunner, marking the band's label debut for Roadrunner. Several mainstream magazines praised the album.
Undeceived is the second LP and third studio release by Norwegian Christian metal band Extol. It was released in 2000 on Solid State Records and re-released in 2002 on Century Media; all releases of the album other than the Solid State version switch the two opening tracks, such that "Undeceived" is the first track on the album.
Snakes in the Playground is the fifth album by the band Bride. Seen by critics as the best release of Bride's hard rock era, Snakes in the Playground is commonly known as the breakthrough album in the band's career. This album would produce for the band more touring, press appeal, and two GMA Dove Awards for best song.
Extraction from Mortality, also known as Extraction, is the debut studio album by the American Christian thrash metal band Believer. It was released on R.E.X. Records in 1989. In 2010, HM Magazine ranked it #33 on the Top 100 Christian metal albums of all-time list.
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".
Hammer & Nail is the second album by Christian metal band Whitecross, released on May 23, 1988. It reached No. 15 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Christian Albums chart. A review in CCM magazine stated that the album "wages war against mediocrity" so often found in Christian metal.
Triumphant Return is the third album from the Christian metal band Whitecross, released on January 31, 1989. It reached No. 13 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Christian Albums chart. The album won the 1990 Dove Award for Hard Music Album of the Year.
Mirror of Souls is the second album by Christian progressive/power metal band Theocracy. It was released by Ulterium Records on November 21, 2008 in Europe, November 26 in Japan, and December 9 in North America. It is Theocracy's first album as a full band, as their self-titled debut album was a one-man project by current lead vocalist Matt Smith. In Finland it was album of the week at Imperiumi.net website which called the album "clearly one of the best melodic power metal albums of the year". In 2010, HM Magazine ranked it #16 on the Top 100 Christian metal albums of all time list.
Ultimatum is an American thrash metal band from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Lovewar was an American technical hard rock band. They released just one album titled Soak Your Brain, which was published in 1993 before disbanding a few years later. It was produced by the siblings John Elefante and Dino Elefante. In 2019, they released a self-titled album featuring all 3 members.
