No woman will have him
No man calls him friend
No woman will have him
Exiled and outlawed
By his only kin

Through twilit skies he rides
Searching the darkened side of the world
Into the night
Never knowing he has been lead astray

White whale
Holy grail

Split your lungs with blood and thunder
When you see the white whale
Break your backs and crack your oars, men
If you wish to prevail
This ivory leg is what propels me
Harpoons thrust in the sky
Aim directly for his crooked brow
And look him straight in the eye

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
Gird up now thy loins like a man;
for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if thou hast understanding.
Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?
Or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?
Or who laid the corner stone thereof;
(Job 38 2:6)

I’ve been a fan of heavy metal since I was a teenager. I’m pretty sure it was the Christmas of 7th grade when I got my first guitar. My friend James and I bonded over heavy metal, specifically Metallica. He played guitar and was already really good. By the time I befriended him, he was able to play every Metallica guitar solo. The rest is history, I’ve been a metal fan ever since. But only recently has my faith in Christ returned. And this has left me slightly conflicted over the music that I listen to.

Some bands were easy to ditch. For a minute, I was into guitar tone and catchy riffs of Ghost. But once I examined the lyrics and the band itself a bit closer, I came to realize it was irredeemable trash and I haven’t listened since. Even Slayer has some redeeming qualities to it if you interpret the music from a Christian angle, and Tom Araya is a church-going Catholic. The band Ghost, on the other hand, is explicitly homosexual, satanic, and anti-Catholic. So it was pretty quick and easy for me to ditch that band.

For most of my other favorite metal bands, the distinction can’t be made so quickly or clearly. The music of Opeth is darkly beautiful and I love it. The lyrics can be gross and gory but they are not necessarily satanic. Mastodon doesn’t write around religious themes so much, either pro or anti-Christian. The Sword is another one of my favorites that isn’t explicitly anti-Catholic but does have quite a few songs about witches. I don’t hate the songs, nor am I afraid of witches. But at times it makes me question whether it is good for my soul that I listen to this music.

I first started the draft of this post back in February 2023, and I was asking myself back then “is there any good Christian metal?” Metal music, especially the progressive corner, is often epic and intense, dark and profound. Songs about triumph over evil or persevering through trials are common in metal and in the Bible. So why can’t I name any good music in this genre that is unabashedly Christian? My question was unexpectedly answered today when I started watching the latest episode of Pints With Aquinas.

The episode featured Shayne Smith, a comedian. I’ve actually seen a few clips of his jokes on YouTube shorts, which were pretty funny. But I never looked into him further because judging by his appearance, I assumed he was a progressive libtard. Imagine my surprise as I recognize his tattooed face on Pints and find out not only is his Christian but he is in the process of becoming Catholic! Much like myself Matt Fradd is a 90’s Metallica fan and the two discussed metal and hardcore music for a while. They first discuss it while Shayne explains to Matt what straight-edge hardcore is at time 52:43.

Shayne dropped the names of a few Christian metal and hardcore bands. I’ve had a listen to most of them. I can’t say it’s all in my bag but most of it ain’t bad, and some of it’s great! Here’s some more embedded videos from the bands mentioned.

Sleeping Giant - Tithemi⌗

I really liked this one. A thrashy hardcore groove.

Impending Doom - Murderer⌗

Blastbeats and bone-crushing guitar riffs. This band and this song reminds me of Amon Amarth but with Our Lord as its focus instead of Thor.

Holy Name - Fall On Your Knees⌗

I’m not a huge fan of the guitar work here. I’m more a fan of the faster or more complex stuff guitar-wise. However, this song definitely has a vibe and I can dig it.

For Today - Fearless⌗

My wife personally endorses this one. It reminds her of her days in the Boston hardcore music scene.

Have Heart - Armed With A Mind⌗

Although not explicitly Christian, my wife suggested I also include this local Boston band. My wife attended the same college as the front man of this band, and recalls him being a very sweet and devout young man.