Christian Rock Going Mainstream?
A recent report has been released about the current state of the music industry, and among the list of subgenres to look out for was Christian Rock.
The New York Times compiled the list, which included the "most promising options" for someone looking to escape regular "Top 40" music, and engage in a micro-genre of new music.
The article credited Christian hard rock band Skillet's, Awake, as being the longest running album on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart at 121 weeks.
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Other Christian releases they tote are Sleeping Giant's, Kingdom Days in an Evil Age and Seventh Day Slumber's, The Anthem of Angels.
Christian Rock has come a long way and has encompassed every foreseeable genre of music from hardcore to gangster rap.
Some of the biggest bands of the early 90s were semi-Christian bands like Creed, Evanescence, and Lifehouse each scoring huge hits individually.
Semi-Christian puts the band in a category that promotes the music as for everyone, but suggests Christian and positive elements as some or most of the members are Christians.
Band's that are around now that fall in this category are: Paramore, Flyleaf, Thrice, and Family Force 5.
Sarah Baldini, an avid music fan, says she enjoys Christian music but also sees why some may stay away from it.
"Christian music has a tendency to be cheesy and simply unappealing to the secular audience and often even the Christian audience," she said. "I know that I have had periods of time where I would listen to only z100 [New York Radio Station] simply because of the variety in style of music. There are amazing Christian artists out there but there are certainly not as many options as there are in the secular genre. "
Mike McNichol knows that some of the bands out there sneak in references about God that can be left up to the listener. Referring to the band Thrice, he said, "Although he discusses themes he makes an effort to be vague about it so anybody can interpret his songs without needing religion.
He continued, "My favorite song [In Exile] is most likely about going to heaven but I pretend it means something else."
Recommended Christian Hard Rock Bands:
UnderOath (Melodic Metal/Screamo/Hardcore)
MxPx (Punk Rock)
Project 86 (Nu Metal)
Haste the Day (Hardcore)
Blindside (Nu Metal/Post Rock)
Comeback Kid (Hardcore Punk)
Thousand Foot Krutch (Rock/Punk)
Recommended Christian Hip-Hop
TobyMac (Rap/Reggae/Pop)
Manafest (Rap/Punk)
KJ-52 (Rap/Hip-Hop)
Freestyle Fam (Lyrical Hip-Hop/Underground Rap)
Playdough (Underground Rap)
T-Bone (West Coast Hip-Hop/Mainstream Rap)
Lecrae (Southern Rap/Underground hip-Hop)
