Tag: Glam Metal

October 29, 2024

April 26, 2024

Song of the Day: Leviticus - The Winner

Truth be told, heavy metal was my entry point into any kind of independent Christian music. I mean, I started out on Petra, Amy Grant, and Russ Taff as a young teenager, but it wasn’t long before Jerusalem, Whitecross, and Sacred Warrior were taking up my listening space. One of the pioneers of Christian metal was Swedish band Leviticus. The band formed in 1981 in the town of Skövde. They recorded 4 albums, plus an alternative/Swedish language version of their debut, before breaking up in the early 90s.… Continued →

March 17, 2024

RIP Ezekiel Vade of Stryken

It’s been a rough week for Christian rock fans. Not only did we lose Michael Knott, but also Ezekiel Vade, bassist for glam metal band Stryken. Ezekiel died on Monday, March 11th. He had been the bassist for the Paul Q-Pek Band (pre-One Bad Pig), Stryken, and later The Cry (not to be confused with Canadian band The Kry), known for their two songs featured on Light from the Underground Volume Two, on Ocean Records.… Continued →

March 1, 2024

Song of the Day: Chryztyne - For You

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 →

September 15, 2023

Song of the Day: Eternal Ryte - The Killer

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 →

September 14, 2022

May 20, 2022

Song of the Day: Stryper - Calling on You

For some of you, this SOTD will stretch the limits of what “Indie Vision Music” should cover. Glam metal was at the height of the commercialization of rock and roll in the late 80s, thus rendering Stryper’s inclusion here as suspect. But here are a few reasons why they absolutely deserve to be here: 1. They were, and possibly are still, the most important and/or influential Christian rock/metal band of all time. Yes, it’s true. With number one singles, album sales that rivaled their secular peers, and heavy rotation on MTV (when it still stood for “Music Television”), their impact is still felt far and wide.… Continued →

January 14, 2022

Song of the Day: David Zaffiro - Diversity

When Bloodgood’s lead guitarist left the band to go solo, fans of the 80s metal stalwarts weren’t entirely sure what to expect. We probably assumed more heavy metal–at least that’s what I expected. And while there is certainly some hard rock (almost glam metal) at times, The Other Side was much broader in scope. The album showcased Zaffiro’s excellent guitar work, as we’d already become familiar with through three albums with Bloodgood: Bloodgood (1986), Detonation (1987, often hailed as the band’s finest effort), and Rock in a Hard Place (1988).… Continued →

September 10, 2021

Song of the Day: Watchmen - Stand Strong

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 →

January 18, 2021

Song of the Day: Chaotic Resemblance - Sound Of The Saints

Oklahoma’s Chaotic Resemblance plays music reminiscent of 80s hard rock/glam metal. This review is in high expectations of their upcoming release which will probably sport their most current single Unto The Lamb which features Stryper’s very own Oz Fox who has undergone some health issues recently but is recovering. Plus, they just have a cool name & my buddy Kelly & I got the chance to see them live a couple years back before this whole Covid hit. They have new pretty cool t-shirts as well on their site: https://chaoticresemblance.com/collections/all… Continued →

January 8, 2021

Song of the Day: Rage of Angels - Don't Give Up

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 →

May 31, 2012

January 17, 2012