Is Christian Rock Dead???

The question was posed over at CMR about whether Christian rock/metal was dead.  The reasoning behind the topic is this:


Is rock dead? Now I'm beginning to wonder. New releases use to be just that. But in the past couple years re-issues are out numbering all new material. Perhaps fodder for a new thread. https://www.angelicwarlord.com/release%20dates/releasedates.html


While new albums do surface, is this a dying art form?  Oh, I know that classic metal is slowly dying as the audience shrinks in both Christian and secular markets each year.  Less people are getting into our style of music as the radio (Christian or otherwise) doesn't play rock much anymore unless it is the classic rock stations that don't play much more than just whatever used to be a hit song.

Even modern rock is slacking now.  In Christian circles, I could name dozens of active bands.  Sure they were all starting to sound alike and needed thinning, but a lot of those bands are either gone or have changed formats. To continue, many have started self-producing their albums.  Seventh Day Slumber took it upon themselves to keep rock alive by starting their own Rockfest Records that is helping to keep some rock available for kids who like that kind of stuff.  However, when you go to the City Rockfest tours, most of the people are between 35-50 with few teens there even with such low ticket prices.

Is Christian rock dead, dying, or are we just standing on the edge of a soon to come revival?

I think rock & metal is dying out here is the U.S. as more people gravitate towards the garbage that get's played on the radio (secular and Christian).

However, in Europe I think rock and metal is alive and well.  Just listened to an interview with two of the guys from the secular band Accept and they say that there is still a big metal and hardrock culture in much of Europe.

When I can't seem to find new music that I like I just make my own

But rock in general, in the USA has been dying. Maybe it just takes one band to change things though.  These days the buzz is all about Greta Van Fleet. Maybe we'll see a bunch of bands both secular and Christian copy their 'sound' and the classic rock style will be re-born?

Then again maybe there is a better chance of disco making a comeback

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siS6zpqzTT0

I don't think Christian Rock is dead.  There are too many choices now.  Technology has made it so that everybody can tailor their listening to themselves.  Kids don't gather to hang out in bedrooms to listen to the latest release of whomever.  The release comes out, and it's available to everyone immediately.

Likewise, who needs radio when I can create my own playlist and have it with me wherever I go?  People are no longer sharing the experience but are lost in their own private entertainment.  Even on our own forums, a release comes out, there's about 10 seconds of hoopla, then it's off to the next release.

With all of the crap to weed through these days, it's really hard, at least for me, to find anything I really like any more.

Hey y'all. Happy New Year.
Rock is definitely not dead in New Zealand. I just got back from a camping trip up north and the predominant music playing around the camp ground was rock or metal (I even heard a Christian metal band in there too). If you look at the millions of views that some rock bands get internationally, I think the answer is a definite no. Not dead. Dying? Maybe. But I know so many people (young people) who prefer a good rock number to any hip hop repetitiveness. I think the scene is just morphing into something different. It will never be what y'all remember from your childhoods, but I don't think it's going anywhere.
Xid, the search term is "bands that sound like..." and you might find what you're looking for...lists like this one https://www.80schristianmetal.com/ are a great place to start. They're hardly definitive, but what is really?
J

Definitely on a down ebb in the states but I think it will swing back around.

I bought practically no new music in 2018, or 2017 for that matter. Nothing seems to interest me much anymore...

Driven wrote:

I bought practically no new music in 2018, or 2017 for that matter. Nothing seems to interest me much anymore...

I'm in the same situation. I have been going back and discovering music that I missed the first time through.
Look at as an opportunity to discover and enjoy classics from the past, or bands who influenced your favorite artist.