Top 10 Christian rock/metal albums?

What are your favourite 10 Christian rock/metal albums of all? And, for bonus points, why are they your favourites?

Mine won't be in order, but here goes…

1. Mastedon - It's A Jungle Out There!: I've praised this album enough already, but it's a fantastic piece of work. It's got a pop/CCM influence, but the songwriting is excellent, and so is the instrumentation. I love this album, period. I'm probably going to wear out the tape before too long.
2. Deliverance - Deliverance: Killer speed/thrash metal. Superb production, with crunchy guitars and aggressive bass and pounding drums. Great riffs too. Heavy lyrics too.
3. Armageddon - The Money Mask: "More Than Conquerors" alone deserves an award. Much like Deliverance, it's got a good thrash production (although it's American power metal, really). Many excellent songs. Sadly, I've overplayed this one and don't listen to it much anymore.
4. Saint - Time's End: '80s metal. Very good sound quality, awesome riffs and vocals and lyrics. Not much more to be said about it, except that it holds up very well. A must have.
5. Goliath - The Gate: For when you want to be crushed under walls of sludgy doom with gruff vocals. I don't think there are too many Christian metal bands with this sound. I have to be in the mood for it, but when I am, duuuuuude does it work!
6. Rev Seven - The Unveiling and Hell And Back (which I sort of consider as one album): The original version of this album has a far different sound from the re-recordings. The sound is somewhat thin, but I love the riffs and Bill's Ozzy-like vocals. Very neat if you can find a tape copy of it.
7. The Seventh Power - Dominion And Power: Somewhat stronger than the first Seventh Power album, with awesome sonics and great songwriting. Clever lyrics, too, and I actually sort of like the vocals. The title track is a masterpiece.
8. Menchen - Red Rock: I promise, this is the last Bill Menchen album . Bill was definitely at his peak when he wrote this and D&P. Absolutely fantastic bass work, too (this album is the one that got me into playing bass, actually).
9. Barnabas - Approaching Light Speed and Feel The Fire (again, I consider these as one album): Some of the best in progressive Christian rock. Analog synthesizers, odd time signatures, screaming vocals (Njo is one of a kind) with very well written lyrics, the works. These guys are like Rush.
10. ApologetiX - Wise Up And Rock: Because who doesn't love '80s hits, particularly when they're written with great Christian lyrics? I've had to force myself to not listen to this one before bed, for fear of the songs becoming stuck in my head and preventing me from falling asleep. Very strong performance from the band, too.

Runners up were:
Rex Carroll Band - That Was Then, This Is Now: Good blues rock, but I have to be in the mood for it, and the production seems a little weak to me.
Stryken - First Strike: They had the potential to make this far, far, far, far better than it turned out, I'm certain. The songs are very good, but the production is certainly lacking.
X-Sinner - Fire It Up: Rock'n'roll, baby! Sadly, I can't actually rate this, since I don't have it, but I've heard some songs from it and they sound killer!
Daniel Band - On Rock: Somewhat important album in the history of Christian music. Although the sonics are a bit weak, the songwriting is overall really good with very bold lyrics. I've overplayed it, though, and there are better albums, IMO, but I very nearly included it.
Fear Not - Fear Not: Groovy metal, slightly similar to early '90s Bride. Were it not for the fact that there are albums I prefer to it, it would've made it.

So that's that. Give 'er!

Great thread, let's try and keep the list to Christian rock/metal artists folks (to keep within the intent of the forum guidelines).

Pathogenic Occular Dissonance-Tourniquet As good as and better then most secular thrash with some intenst lyrics. Theodicy on Trial anyone?
Atomic Arena-Barren Cross   Because, they rock and rock very hard.
Theocracy-Mirror of Souls  Superb songwriting, high quality music, what all christian music should strive to be in artistic representation.
Pillars of Humanity-The Crucified  Because Mark Saloman is a genius lyric writer and the christian hardcore scene needed something that wasn't gimmicky.
Your Dying Day-Haven  Can't think of anything. Because his voice warbles at times?
Intense Defense-Joshua  I'd hold this up to any melodic metal album.
Messiah Prophet Band-Captured the NWOBHM sound superbly here.
Red Sea-Blood  I'm a sucker for blues in my rock and oh man, that voice.
Rez Band-Innocent Blood  Something about blues in my rock.
Saint-Hell Blade  Could almost pick any of their albums but I listen to this one most.

Honorables:
Deliverance-Stay of Exectuion and Weapons
77's Self Titled
Crystavox Both

There's a lot of others I could include.

In no particular order:

1. Rage of Angels, Rage of Angels - Great guitar work, production and just all around butt kickin' rock.

2. Detonation, Bloodgood - This album solidified Bloodgood as part of the brotherhood. Not a bad song on the whole album.

3. Walkin' In Faith, Angelica - Excellent guitar work, prominent bass lines, vocalist has a very high voice but fits the music.

4. Epic Tales of Whoa!, Tony Palacios - I love instrumentals and Tony ranks right up there with the greats!

5. Fire and Love, Guardian - When metal went bluesy, Guardian showed everyone how it's done.  Great album!

6. Snakes in the Playground, Bride - This album won me back over to Bride.  The vocals on Show No Mercy were annoying so I didn't bother with them until Snakes.  Great riffs, lyrics and style.

7. Atomic Arena, Barren Cross - Rock for the King was good, Arena is great!  Excellent riffage!

8. Time's End, Saint - This is one of those albums that has just stuck with me.  When I play it and reach the end I want to play it again.  The lyrics paint cool pictures and I can see the events unfolding.  Good driving music, too!

9. Fear Not, Fear Not - The vocalist has the raw edge to is voice that I like.  Couple that with groovin' riffs and you have a recipe for coolness.

10. Soak Your Brain, Lovewar - This album just grooves.  Good style groovin' that's fun to listen to and I'm sure would be fun to play.

Great picks guys.  I gotta say this was a hard list to come up with (and as always subject to change) but here are my favorites (in no particular order).

1. Red Sea - Blood: With the exception of one brief song on this album there isn't a throwaway track on it.  Robin Kyle is amazing on the mic and the rest of band just blisters through this blues drenched hard rock album.
2. PK Mitchell - All Hail The Power (the first one):  This was one of the first Christian metal albums I ever owned and I was completely bowled over by the 80's hard rock and metal treatment given to these classic Hymns.
3. Sacred Warrior - Obsessions: Reminding me heavily of one of my favorite metal bands (Queensryche) but still retaining enough of their own identity to not sound like a clone, I really dig their sound and style.
4. Guardian - Fire & Love: Totally slick and full of hooks galore what isn't to love about this album.  Hands down my favorite from the band.
5. Saint - In The Battle:  I could have easily picked just about any album from this band as I love pretty much all of their discs.  This was the first one I owned and it holds a special place in my heart.
6. Barren Cross - State of Control: A little slicker than their previous effort and a bit more mature musically.  Just enough gloss, but still a little bit of grit keeps me reaching for this almost every time I want to hear a little BC.
7. Rose - Healing:  A little alternative and whole lotta doom drenched riffage mixed with lamenting vocals make this a must have in my book.  This was certainly the height of Randy's creative effort.
8. Place of Skulls - Love Through Blood:  A few songs that Victor was urged by his record company to leave off his earlier records combined with a fantastic cover the Third Day classic "Consuming Fire" make this little EP the best thing Victor has ever produced.  Not a dud song in the bunch.
9. Rob Rock - Rage of Creation:  Practically the perfect voice for melodic metal.  This was the first Rob Rock album I ever got and it still holds a special place in my heart.  I could listen to it every day and not grow tired of it.
10. Broken Silence - Discerning The Times:  I have no idea who this band is, but they have created one of the best melodic metal albums I have ever heard, great vocals, great guitars, great hooks, whats not to love!

Honorable mentions:
Die Happy Volume II - Another great effort featuring the fantastic vocals of Robin Kyle, it should have been on my list
Liberty N Justice - Independence Day: Fantastic melodic hard rock record just brimming with fantastic tunes.
Day of Fire - Day of Fire:  Hands down my favorite effort from a modern rock band.  So very bummed they called it quits.
Mission of One - Mission of One:  Chris was firing on all 6 cylinders with this one.  So many great songs here.  I usually only grab on to 2 or 3 favorite songs on an album but with this one I had 5 (Surrender, Man Overboard, Are You Listening, The End, I Fall Down) an almost unheard of number for most any album with me.  And the bonus is that the follow-up album "Hostile to the Gospel" was just as good.

Ooh this is a tough one!  Great thread.  Mine's subject to change quite a bit with my mood (especially their order), but these are some of mine that I've continued to keep coming back to.

1. Virgin Black - Requiem Mezzo Forte - So beautiful, tragic, and emotionally hard-hitting.  I never tire of this album.

2. My Silent Wake - Shadow Of Sorrow - Not a "Christian band" [anymore], but this album the lyrics read like the Psalms so I'll include it.  Fabulous album from start to end
3. Place Of Skulls - Love Through Blood - What Staybrite said   

4. Paramaecium - Within The Ancient Forest - Doom/death at its finest!

5. Theocracy - Mirror Of Souls - I don't listen to much power metal these days, but this album I just never tire of!

6. Aletheian - Dying Vine - My first Christian metal album so it'll always have a special place in my heart.      Brutal, melodic, and some of my favorite lyrics!

7. Place Of Skulls - As A Dog Returns - my intro to Place Of Skulls, super solid album

8. Vials Of Wrath - Seeking Refuge - Melodic and thought-provoking black metal with heart and great lyrics!

9. Visionaire - Within The Arcanum Hall - Relaxing, intelligent, and thoughtful gothic metal

10. Forsaken - Dominaeon - epic DOOOOOOOM!

I'm going to read others lists and go: oh man, how'd I leave that off?

I support you picking Cash.

Glad to hear it. My wife says she doesn't like him because he's a punk/metalhead that played country. I told her that may be why I love his music so much.

Definitely not in any order:

Saint - Time's End  This really defines the 80's metal sound for me.
Stryper - To Hell With The Devil  Fantastic songs and musicianship.  Plus ya gotta love a Christian album with controversial covers
Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice  One of the finest thrash/extreme albums
Place of Skulls - Love Through Blood  What everyone has about this album who picked it is true.  A classic
Nomad Son - The Darkening  Speed DOOOOOOOOOOOOOM at its finest
Sacred Warrior - Rebellion  Our first introduction to Rey and the boys.  Solid music.  Black Metal is a great tune.
Sacrament - Haunts of Violence  Stinkin' heavy and fast.
Feast Eternal - With Fire  Just a brutal album that doesn't let up.
Bloodgood - Detonation  While their first album is great, they just kicked into high gear with this one.
Mortification - Scrolls of the Megilloth  Morty's greatest release

My first posting   :

1. Steel Prophet - Inner Ascendance (it is White Metal in my opinion)
2. Veni Domine - Material Sanctuary
3. Veni Domine - Fall Babylon Fall
4. Saviour Machine - Legend Part III:I
5. Recon - Behind Enemy Lines
6. Sacred Warrior - Wicked Generation
7. Sanctum - Believers
8. Soldier - The Definitive Collection 1985-1989
9. Faith Factor - Against A Darkened Sky
10. Griftegård - Solemn - Sacred - Severe

Welcome to the board Acurus.

Thanks! I love White Metal! And I hope, european catholics are accepted here  

We don't tend to push people away over denominations/doctrinal issues here. And we already have a few Europeans, so you should fit right in.   

Thanks. I hoped and thought this, before I registered myself. My question was not meant 100 % seriously. The biggest problem could be, that english is not my native language ...

Welcome, Acurus_. We don't usually talk about doctrine much here, so don't worry about being Catholic. I think/hope you'll find this to be a great board.

Where in Europe are you from?

Acurus_ wrote:

Thanks. I hoped and thought this, before I registered myself. My question was not meant 100 % seriously. The biggest problem could be, that english is not my native language ...

Well your English seems quite understandable to me.   

You're better then Driven already. He is a Canuck and says hoser all the time.

Thanks again!

@Driven:  I am from Germany.

I do say "hoser" a lot, like "The car's pretty muddy. Hoser down."

@Acurus_: then Willkommen! (That's about as much German as I know. I hope to learn German someday. )

kerrick wrote:

1. Virgin Black - Requiem Mezzo Forte - So beautiful, tragic, and emotionally hard-hitting.  I never tire of this album.

Wow! That one is so different to anything I know. By happenstance I stumbled over this australian masterpice some weeks ago. From the first second on I loved it.

You cannot compare it directly, but you should try Griftegard.

Right on! Yeah that Virgin Black album is FANTASTIC. All their music is great, though that's my favorite. Definitely check out their other material. Each album is very different from the others.

I've heard of Griftegard though haven't looked into them too much. Are they Christian? Their lyrics are definitely very spiritual though some of it strikes me as a bit odd. I'll have to look into them more. Any particular song you think would be a good one to sample?

After listening to this Virgin Black album I looked out for all the others   So I knew them all, now. There shall be another one, which has never been released. It has classical instruments, only.

In Europe we call Griftegard a Christian band, but more a light one. They have only one album and some singles out. On the album is no weak song. Try this one: