The Christian Metal Realm is a is a Christian-friendly community of heavy metal fans. Discussion of both Christian and secular heavy metal is found here, and members of several Christian metal bands drop by from time to time as well. We are still, obviously, under MAJOR construction on this page, but please check out our featured CD reviewed below, and visit our message board at one of the following links. You can also check out our MySpace page by clicking that link. Choose the section you would like to start at, or click the Christian Metal Realm Index link to take you to the board's index.
Also be sure to check out The Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of all time as voted on by members of the Christian Metal Realm!
Roxx Records in conjunction with the Christian Metal Realm are set to celebrate the upcoming 25th Anniversary of Christian Metal Thrash Legends ‘DELIVERANCE’ with an upcoming tribute CD along with a few more surprises! Full Details to be released soon!
The release promises to just be the beginning of a grand celebration of the history of Deliverance and we have a few more surprises we will be revealing later this year all in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Deliverance in 2010!
We are currently lining up artists and just by word of mouth we are already getting quite a bit of interest from various artists for this project. If you would like to be immortalized as a part of Deliverance History email Arttie or Bill atDeliverancetribute@yahoo.com
Deliverance formed in 1985 as a speed metal outfit, where the Christian metal community first encountered them on the compilation album California Metal. They put forth their self-titled debut album Deliverance in 1989 with Jimmy P Brown (guitars and lead vocals), Glenn Rogers (lead guitar), Brian Khairullah (bass), and Chris Hyde (drums), but did not make major waves in the Christian metal community until their 1990 release Weapons of Our Warfare. During this time, the band replaced guitarist Glenn Rogers with George Ochoa formerly of Recon, and released a video on MTV for the title track of Weapons of our warfare.
The "Weapons" video made it's first of many appearances on MTV's Headbanger's Ball with Ricky Rachtman calling it a "Great new video." This was a HUGE breakthrough for the world of CCM Speed Metal because, at this point, the only CCM bands to have appeared on MTV were Stryper, Barren Cross, and Petra. First appearing in 1991, it would slowly climb its way to the Top 3 "Triple Thrash Threat" after a few weeks and would remain their for the next few weeks.
While this was a very high point in the history of Deliverance, they would continue on and off over the next twenty five years and even carry on today! Releasing new and re-relasing old albums through the likes of Retroactive Records. “D’ still performs one off shows on occasion upon request. If your lucky enough to catch their live performance don’t miss it as they always put on an amazing live performance!
Static Fuse ~ "Static Fuse"
Copyright Purple Box Records, 2008
It has been quite some time since a female-fronted hard rock band really stepped up in the Christian scene. Sure, there were plenty of lady rockers in the 80's and early 90's, with bands like Arsenal, Scarlet Red, Fighter, and and handful of others, but there has been something of an estrogen dryspell lately. Static Fuse puts an end to that with their debut, self-titled disc. If pushed to describe the band's sound, I would suggest you throw the musical vibe of Badlands or Red Sea into a blender with Arsenal's vocals, toss in a hint of Wendi Kaiser from Rez, and mix it with a raw, unpolished production style. The end result is a potent mixture that while familiar, is completely unique to the current musical scene. What you get here is blues-soaked hard rock with 80's metal-styled guitar solos done with a hint of modern tone, topped with powerful, clean vocals and simple, catchy harmonies.
Static Fuse is the brainchild of Ian Keith Hafner, formerly of the Angry Little Freak project, among others. As the guitar player, bass player, and songwriter for the project, Hafner is felt all over this disc from start to finish. His guitar style is very obviously influenced by the 80's metal sound, while incorporating just enough modern guitar "buzz" and grit to keep the project sounding fresh and new, and not allowing it to wander fully into being nothing more than a rehashed nostalgia trip. Ian has also obviously allowed himself to be immersed in some of the blues-styled hard rock sounds of the late 80's, with the solo in "Dreaming" being a prime example of where Hafner was at in writing this project. However, nothing speaks more to Ian's approach on this disc than the project's closing instrumental "Blues At Dusk" which could not have a more appropriate title, as this track is classic blues-based hard rock, not unlike what you might hear from Kenny Wayne Sheppard or the like.
The other half of this duo is the powerful voice of one "Redd" Sonia Sauruk. While she may be a newcomer to the current Christian metal scene, her voice is familiar and comfortable...you feel certain you have heard her before, but can't remember where. The fact is you have likely not heard Sonia prior to this, but you will definitely want to hear more of her! I would be shocked if the previously mentioned Kaiser was not an influence on Sauruk's style, as there are times that Sonia seems almost to channel the former-Rez singer's approach. That is not to say that Sonia is ripping anyone off, however, as she makes each one of these songs her own, with the album's rocking opener "Stop Throwing Stones" a prime example of this. Sauruk proves she is equally capable of handling the slower numbers as well, evident on the smoldering ballad "Dreaming".
There is no true weak song on this effort, and each track is varied enough to keep the listener interested throughout. A song such as "Faded Glass" has an almost praise-like quality to it, while "...Stones" and "Faith Hope and Love" are hook-based rockers. "Not Forsaken, Not Forgotten" and "Dreaming" are the ballads of the project, while "A Better Life" is a much more mid-paced rocker. The lyrics are easily understood and each song speaks of Christian faith and values, leaving no doubt where Sonia is coming from, but also never beating the listener over the head with "chapter-and-verse" styled-writing.
Is this to say there are no negatives on this album? No, but there are no major flaws that distract from enjoying this effort. Certainly it would be nice to hear some more advanced drum fills here and there, but overall the project is not lacking from the absence of a human behind the kit, as the songs are more about "Redd" Sonia's vocals and Hafner's bluesy style than they are about huge, pounding drums or a thunderous double-bass. Hafner's bass work keeps things tied together nicely, and the disc doesn't stray in tempo because of the drum machine.
As one would expect of an indy product, the production is not major studio quality. The mix is solid to these ears, and the overall feel isn't muddy or muffled, but there is definitely a do-it-yourself quality to the production which can be best described as raw and unpolished. Again, perhaps this is the project's benefit, and not its detriment, as it is the performers on the songs that you are hearing, not the wizardry of some knob-turner in a studio. By not slopping on coats of gloss and sheen, Hafner's smokey, bluesy guitars and Sonia's equally soulful yet gritty vocals are allowed to be the main focus here...as they should be!
As far as packaging goes, again, this is obviously a small budget indy project. The front insert is a simple front/back card with very basic credits and thank-you's from both performers, along with a single black-and-white photo of each. The CD is printed in full color, which is a cool touch that is often overlooked on smaller projects. The tray card is also full color, again with little more than the basic tracklisting and the Purple Box Records info. It would be nice to have the lyrics included, and a brief bio of the band would be a plus, but those are minor wants.
To hear music samples, to read the band's bio, or to get ordering information, check out www.StaticFuse.com
Static Fuse is also featured on the Christian Metal Realm III BONUS CD!
"This album may be the most amazing Christian power/prog metal disc of all time! Sweeping, epic songs with huge harmonies, powerful vocals, and screaming solos fill this disc from start to finish! The blistering "Laying The Demon To Rest" will suck you in, "Bethlehem" will have you hooked, and then "Absolution Day" and the monstrous title track will blow you away! If you thought the first album was good, you will not believe the incredible leaps taken by the now three-piece band on this 2008 follow-up! Fans of Narnia, Rob Rock, Impellitteri, and the like need to hear Theocracy! Simply a must-have for fans of the genre, Christian or not!"
Comparisons to current chart dominators like Disturbed, Godsmack, or possibly even Trapt and Saliva are going to abound, but there is one key element that sets Stricken completely apart....this band is totally sold out to God! Bottom heavy crunch, solid leads, and aggressive vocals set the tone for this new California band! "Awakened", "Gethsemane", "Vicious Cycle", and "Fallen Land" are not to be missed!
"Despite changing lead singers, Letter 7 returns with an incredible release that surpasses their outstanding debut effort in nearly every way! On "Follow The Light", the band explores their musical range even further, adding a strong dose of Sacred Warrior/Queensryche/Haven-inspired metal to their already solid melodic hard rock sound, delivered with uncompromising, Christ-centered lyrics! The result? Quite possibly the best new release of 2008! While there are no weak tracks here, Nail In The Cross, Prayer Warriors, and My Destiny are instant must-add songs for any iPod, mp3 player, or home-burned compilation CD!!"
"Shredded Sweet"
"When speaking of "shredders" in the guitar world, many names come to mind...Malmsteen, Vai, Friedman, Satriani. All possess incredible talent, speed, accuracy, and a certain sense of rhythm and melody that many other players only strive for. And while not a name most would commonly see alongside these legends of the axe, Pastor Brad has shown on this, his latest effort, that he is certainly up to the task of joining these guitar heroes, if not in name recognition, then, at the least, in level of respect."
"...a crunchy, power-thrash disc from one of the best of the genre! "Deathwish", "One For All", the remake of "Blink", and the cover of Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild" are worth the price of admission!"
"...an excellent collection from start to finish, with no filler and no fluff to these ears. Justin Murr has once again proven that he is one of the best currently writing this style of melodic, yet hard music, regardless of if he is in full rocking mode...or laying back a bit on one of the included acoustic rockers... New fans and die-hard followers of the band will all find something to enjoy on this collection."
If you have any questions or comments about the Christian Metal Realm or any of these bands, contact me at arttieTHE1manparty@yahoo.com
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