rage of angels

So I did a search and couldn't find a thread on rage of angels. I have their album on cd and the heavens metal issue with them on the cover and the main story. Discuss...

Great "one-off" album. I really wish they would have stuck around and put out a second one.

I like this album, but it almost feels like I'm listening to a secular record because of how the guys' actions after this went. The lead singer went on to Pyn Siren, a profanity-laced metal band. Two other members went on to Steelheart, a band with some sexual content. I can't know their hearts, but it's almost like they weren't Christians, and RoA was just a gimmick to get out into the crowded hair metal market in the late 80s.

I love the album and kind of wish they carried on a bit more. Trouble is the christian metal market has always been littered with problems all the way through, and ROA just happened to end up in one of those problems. The interview in HM double album with the ROA guys was interesting, and quite sad. Whilst I wish they'd have done more I am just so pleased they managed to get out an album as good as their S/T one.
It's never been in my top ten, but I think they could have had a good career in the Christian metal world if they'd have come in with a different approach. If you expect to get nothing in return (moneywise) from all your hard work then if somehow you actually do get a bit of cash then it's a good thing. If you expect to get money then it's generally gonna end badly!

Still, great album and one I'm happy to own.

Fundy

I don't know that we'll ever know the whole story on this band, but it is a great album.

I really like the rage of angels album. I like the Steelheart and Pyn Siren albums as well. I thought the saddest part of the rage of angels story is the way the Christian record industry treated them. I see this all the time with Christian labels. I think the label gave them no support or money. Personally I would not even consider a Christian label or really want to be in a "Christian" band..I would rather be in a positive secular band where my Christian values could shine. I also thought the article in HM was slanted and that Doug was way out of line and judgmental when he interviewed them. (Sometimes when Doug interviews artist he comes across as very legalistic to me. Just because he may have a different theological view than the artist doesn't mean they are not saved. My view is way different than some of yours but we are all still brothers and sisters.) I actually think the steelheart albums are better than the rage of angels album...but I enjoy secular music.
It would have been interesting to see what Rage of Angels would have come up with if they would have been on a major label with good backing and $.

I think the same thing happened with them that happened to a lot of "Christian" bands back in the day. They were baby christians, with little depth or spiritual grounding, not being held accountable by someone in pastoral leadership, and simply could not maintain their spiritual focus through all the pressures and trials of being in a band, especially a band that everyone had such high expectations of.

That's why baby Christians should not be thrust into ministry. I think the Bible says something like that...

Tall Tyrion wrote:

That's why baby Christians should not be thrust into ministry. I think the Bible says something like that...

I agree completely! I have seen too many new Christians, on fire with zeal and enthusiasm, burn out within months because they were pushed into ministry positions they were not ready for. Many walk away from God entirely, discouraged and defeated.

I thought ROA was the best Christian metal band of its style of the time, even better than Stryper.

messiaen77 wrote:

I thought ROA was the best Christian metal band of its style of the time, even better than Stryper.

I agree, Stryper didn't have the chops to keep up with ROA, those guys were all top-notch.

bassdude wrote:

messiaen77 wrote:

I thought ROA was the best Christian metal band of its style of the time, even better than Stryper.

I agree, Stryper didn't have the chops to keep up with ROA, those guys were all top-notch.

You're being sarcastic, right? You have to be high to truly believe this.

Follower of Jesus wrote:

bassdude wrote:

messiaen77 wrote:

I thought ROA was the best Christian metal band of its style of the time, even better than Stryper.

I agree, Stryper didn't have the chops to keep up with ROA, those guys were all top-notch.

You're being sarcastic, right? You have to be high to truly believe this.

No, I'm serious. When I bought Stryper albums back in the day, I could have all the bass, guitar rhythms and solos, and all the backing vox learned with 2 weeks.........ROA took me a lot longer, much more difficult music IMO.

Never heard it but would love to. There's a bunch of hype about them and after hearing bassdude's opinion, I'm even more interested. Stryper always bored me.

Wow not a lot of love for Stryper in this thread. While I admit that the ROA album was good, I dont think it eclipsed Strypers better work.

Quote :

While I admit that the ROA album was good, I dont think it eclipsed Strypers better work.

I agree...but I do think some of Whitecross's albums did eclipse stryper. The thing with stryper , for me, is I never saw them as a "Christian" band. I saw them as just another metal band...where the members were Christians and that effected their lyrics. (thats also how I have always viewed Barren Cross) I never saw them as a "ministry" band like I did whitecross, petra, rez and the Daniel band...
Actually those are the only Christian bands I had ever heard of till the 90s. I always preferred secular bands when I was a teen and a young adult. I only heard of and bought Rage Of Angels about 3 years ago.

Staybrite wrote:

Wow not a lot of love for Stryper in this thread. While I admit that the ROA album was good, I dont think it eclipsed Strypers better work.

I'm not saying Stryper is bad........just that they write simple music. I love Stryper as much as anyone who was into Christian metal in the early days.

bassdude wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

Wow not a lot of love for Stryper in this thread. While I admit that the ROA album was good, I dont think it eclipsed Strypers better work.

I'm not saying Stryper is bad........just that they write simple music. I love Stryper as much as anyone who was into Christian metal in the early days.

I cut my metal teeth on Stryper as a kid, along with Tourniquet. But as I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate other artists more and don't even really listen to those two that much anymore.

So I listened to some youtube videos and this album does sound great. I then went to Amazon and the cheapest CD copy is $82.

Nevermind.

I still have my original cassette that I bought back in the day, but I've never upgraded to cd for that reason. No album is worth that kind of cash to me.

Tall Tyrion wrote:

I still have my original cassette that I bought back in the day, but I've never upgraded to cd for that reason. No album is worth that kind of cash to me.

This.

There's not much that I'd drop 82 bucks on.

Agreed. I think I spent like $25 bucks for a used copy (several years ago) and that was pretty much my limit. But I wouldn't have even done that if I had a cassette copy.

82 bucks for the Rage Of Angels CD.
Now that's expensive.

The highest I have ever spent on a CD was $35 and I won't do that ever again.