Tag: 80’s metal

We continue our series in February of focusing on contributions to the Christian independent music scene from our black brothers and sisters for Black History Month. While heavy metal, and especially this form of ‘glam metal’ was dominated by people whose skin color resembles mine, Seventh Seal stood out from the crowd. They were a commercial metal band from Palmdale, California whose 5 members were all African American. Seventh Seal was truly an anomaly in this regard. While there are other heavy metal bands with black members, I can’t think of any others where the entire band was made up of black members *and* who played in this particular style.… Continued →

One of Christian metal’s most prominent acts during the genre’s Golden Period (roughly 1986-1992), Barren Cross rocked a traditional heavy metal sound, managing to stay both heavy and melodic without ever succumbing to glam on the one hand, or thrash on the other. The band released 4 full-length studio albums, a live album and a handful of singles & EPs before calling it quits in the mid-90s. A pair of compilations appeared in 2007 and 2014, respectively. Members (especially vocalist Mike Lee) have been active in a number of other projects including Barebones, Michael D.R.I.V.E.,… Continued →

While German metal band Chryztyne may have formed in 1990, their sound is pure 80s! Traditional heavy metal with touches of glam/melodic metal abound in their material. The band formed in Karlsruhe in SW Germany in 1990, and released a 5-song demo cassette in 1992. Shortly thereafter, they signed with Pila Music, one of the larger Christian music labels from their home country. Their one and only full-length Tales of Paradise released in 1993 on the label, and featured 11 tracks of pure 80s metal. This, of course, proves the rule that although heavy metal had gone by the wayside–in the wake of grunge and alternative rock–in the United States, it was alive and well in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe.… Continued →

This band had the glammy looks and the flashy hooks, but their sound was heavier than the stereotypes led us to believe. Riding the line between glam metal and traditional heavy metal/power metal, the band played loud, melodic tunes with lots and lots of riffs. Hailing from Hollywood, California, the band came by their glam tendencies honestly. But listen to the riffs on “The Killer.” You won’t hear anything that heavy from Poison or Def Leppard. The band released a pair of cassette demos in 1988 and their only full-length album World Requiem in 1990 before calling it quits, with drummer Scott Ernest joining the ranks of another famed Christian melodic metal band, Angelica.… Continued →

Whitecross have returned and with a new full length titled “Fear No Evil”. This follows on the heels of the 3 song EP that dropped back in 2022. You can preorder on CD with Tshirt right here. Listen to the title track below.… Continued →

Today’s song of the day is going back, I mean WAY back into Christian rock past. I’ve always dug the band Whitecross. So much of their music was similar to what was coming out in the 80’s/90’s sound wise but they had their own spin and music chops to back it up. Rex Carroll was a force of nature and Scott’s raw vocal talents cut through the noise and all those sappy moments. They were true innovators in a scene run rampant with drugs, sex, and that whole vulgar image people ate up.… Continued →

If you’ve been following social media regarding the Christian scene at all over the recent weeks/months, you’ll likely be aware of Michael Bloodgood’s recent health issues, culminating in his death last week. Michael was a co-founder, and obviously namesake, of the legendary and seminal Christian metal band Bloodgood. The band has been active since the 1980s, with their first album coming out in 1986. They stood out from the pack in various ways: the theatrical singing and stage antics of lead vocalist Les Carlsen, the top-notch music and writing of the band, and their no-compromise approach to lyrics and music ministry.… Continued →

One of the most beloved and respected bands in the traditional heavy metal scene, Apostle was a slight anomaly in that they never released an album on a record label. Formed in 1983 in Jacksonville, FL, the band released a total of 5 independent full-length albums (not to mention EPs and compilations) all while remaining an unsigned band. Apostle opened for Christian metal stalwarts Whitecross on a national tour, and also had a song featured on East Coast Metal for Regency Records, in 1988, where I first heard the band.… Continued →

Hey, I get it. 80s metal is a love or hate thing. Many IVM readers are fans primarily of pop-punk and related genres. The thought of dudes in make-up, hairspray and spandex just seems like a bad joke. But for those of us who were there, it comes with a heap of nostalgia, and occasionally some good tunes too! It’s a shame, but Watchmen never quite got the level of attention that some of their peers received (Whitecross, Guardian, Holy Soldier), perhaps because of the brevity of their career.… Continued →

Long before Scott Stapp was crooning about going higher and breaking out of his own prison, there was this Creed, a traditional heavy metal band from Germany. The band released only one full-length album through Pias Music in Europe (and Pure Metal in North America), after releasing an obscure EP. The band played an intensely melodic brand of heavy metal without ever crossing into glam. And although a couple of the tracks approached breakneck speeds, they weren’t speed metal either. This style of metal was prominent in continental Europe at the time, but never garnered a major audience in the United States beyond the mid 80s.… Continued →

Glam metal gets a bad rap. Especially in punk/indie/hardcore circles. Except for the occasional semi-ironic nod to the genre, it doesn’t get much love outside of 40- and 50-something dads who like to show off old photos of their teenage mullets. Whether the cheesyness or the sleaziness is to blame, folks seem to have a love-hate relationship with it. Occasionally, however, there are some real gems. Rage of Angels released one fantastic album in 1989 through Regency Records. Shortly thereafter, the Connecticut-based band split up, leaving 2 members to join the newly-formed mainstream pop metal outfit Steelheart, who had huge radio hits with “She’s Gone” and “I’ll Never Let You Go.”… Continued →

The Yellow and Black attack is back. If you understand that statement without any explanation, that may be all you need to go buy this album. If that didn't make sense, read on.