It’s Holy Week, the most important season in the church calendar, so it’s important to celebrate everything Jesus did for us, displaying his love through the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. When it comes to music, it seems that the metal bands give us the most material when to comes to focusing on the passion events.
Sacrament was a super-heavy thrash metal band from Pennsylvania. They formed in 1989, and played a style of thrash that was at times much closer to death metal. One could almost argue they were the first Christian band playing in the death metal style, and they wouldn’t be too far off. They recorded a demo in 1989 (Presumed Dead) and subsequently released their stellar debut Testimony of Apocalypse via R.E.X. in 1990. Another album followed in 1992 (Haunts of Violence), but it featured a different vocalist and a slight change in style. While it was still in the thrash subgenre, the death metal influence was gone in favor of a more technical brand of thrash. The band broke up not longer after with some members starting a progressive rock/metal band called Fountain of Tears. Decades later, some original members returned to a thrash project, bearing the name Testimony of Apocalypse, in honor of the debut album from Sacrament.
“The Risen” is a fitting choice for our feature song today as it focuses on Jesus and what He accomplished:
Nails through His wrists, bled for sinners’ sake
God in human form: He died for you
Lamb of God, sacrificed on the cross
The third day, He rose from the dead
Pain and all His suffering
Bled to wash away your sin
Tempted, but would not give in
He is blameless
Crown of thorns in His head
Spear pierced through His side
They crucified the Son of Man
He sacrificed His precious life for us
He died, giving all there was to give
He paid the price so all sinners could be free
Hе lives, never will Hе ever die
Living in the hearts of all the children of God
Fear not: He is the living one
He rose from death and He wants you to accept Him
Knees fall, pray to the Son of God
Reigning in His kingdom sheds His light upon the world
He is risen!