Your favorite borderline Christian bands

"Borderline Christian Band": (Noun), 1. Pertaining to bands that have Christian band member(s) but do not belong to a Christian label, nor consider themselves a Christian band.  2. A band that professes Christian beliefs reflected in many lyrics, but do not consider themselves a Christian band, seeking "crossover" hits in both mainstream and Christian camps.

Examples of bands I like that fall into these categories:
Antithesis
Jars of Clay
Kings X
Galactic Cowboys
Vigilantes of Love
Bloodstone
Halcyon Way
Hirax
Nineteen88


ETC......

Howabout you ?

Stryper

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/strypers-michael-sweet-were-a-rock-band-thats-comprised-of-christians/

Ed Kowalczyk (former lead singer of the 90's band Live, apparently now a born again Christian, and solo artists, most of his songs don't seem explicitly Christian or unChristian for that matter)
Seemless (apprantly some member of the band is supposed to be a Christian, I think it might be the singer/lyric writer...idk)
Atkins-May (one Christian band member, the other not).
GX Project (Christians making secular music?)
Mad Max (did a few very Christian albums, but appears they may be back to making secular music?)

Jars of Clay
Five Iron Frenzy (in their first incarnation they were signed to Five Minute Walk, but always wanted to play secular shows so they could minister more. Now totally indie.)
I guess some of Michael Knott/Lifesavers/LSU's material would fit in this category since he's always been on his own label.

Staybrite has mentioned the bands I know.

Good one Ishmael81, Mike Knott would be on my list too.... He's a total trip. Got so many crazy projects...

none.

Skillet

Samson wrote:

Skillet

  ???

I have seen Skillet three times, two of them at a Christian music festival (Hills Alive and Lifelight), and this was actually their second time at Lifelight, making it three out of four concerts promoted by a Christian organization. At each concert that I personally went to John very openly promoted the Gospel, leaving no doubt that he, at least, is Christian, and I believe Korey likely is as well. Their lyrics might be a bit cryptic, but so are Demon Hunter's, TFK's, Pillar's, and many other very openly Christian artists'.

I'll wager that unlike bands like Stryper, Switchfoot, and King's X, you will not find an article, blog, or site in which John or any member of Skillet states "we are not a Christian band."

Creed. Joe- (have one album of theirs, about to get rid of it…)

BearDad wrote:

Samson wrote:

Skillet

  ???

I have seen Skillet three times, two of them at a Christian music festival (Hills Alive and Lifelight), and this was actually their second time at Lifelight, making it three out of four concerts promoted by a Christian organization. At each concert that I personally went to John very openly promoted the Gospel, leaving no doubt that he, at least, is Christian, and I believe Korey likely is as well. Their lyrics might be a bit cryptic, but so are Demon Hunter's, TFK's, Pillar's, and many other very openly Christian artists'.

I'll wager that unlike bands like Stryper, Switchfoot, and King's X, you will not find an article, blog, or site in which John or any member of Skillet states "we are not a Christian band."

 

I admit that it was late when I typed this, and it appears I didn't read the original post thoroughly enough.

As G/F already mentioned,  Galactic Cowboys and Halcyon Way.  Both are bands I listen to frequently.  Another that comes to mind would be Threshold and Shadow Gallery. Threshold is one of my favorite bands and Shadow Gallery is just an awesome display of talent, both musically and vocally. Strangely enough,  I was introduced to all of those bands as Christian.  I guess because they all have Christian members.

Driven wrote:

Creed. Joe- (have one album of theirs, about to get rid of it…)

YOU STOLE MY "JOE- "!!!  

As for Creed, I actually agree with you to some degree. Scott was raised with Christian values and his lyrics showed it, even if his lifestyle did not.  Of course he is openly Christian now.



Alice Cooper
Wasp

(There latest work, of course ... since openly proclaiming their faith)

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Good one Ishmael81, Mike Knott would be on my list too.... He's a total trip. Got so many crazy projects...

Love all his stuff. I have quite a bit of what he's done and it's all good, to varying degrees. My favorite is usually his solo stuff although LSU is great. Aunt Bettys are my least favorite but still better than a lot of other stuff I could listen to. You have much of his stuff?

Quote :

Shadow Gallery

Oh HECK YEH !!!! Love me some Shadow Gallery !

Quote :

You have much of his stuff?

I don't have much of Knott's works physically, but I have tons of stuff people have burned for me, tons of LSU, solo, and the illustrious Aunt Betty's (that's a weird band)

Galactic Cowboys
In-Graved

I'm going to go out on a limb here and mention early Black Sabbath. Some of the lyrics on Master Of Reality could pass as Christian (I except, of course, Sweet Leaf). Grave Robber covered Children Of The Grave and Deliverance covered After Forever (and so did Trog ).

Thoughts?

Driven wrote:

I'm going to go out on a limb here and mention early Black Sabbath. Some of the lyrics on Master Of Reality could pass as Christian (I except, of course, Sweet Leaf). Grave Robber covered Children Of The Grave and Deliverance covered After Forever (and so did Trog ).

Thoughts?

F.O.G. covered AFter Forever as well.  But I have to confess I don't think I have ever heard anyone suggest that anybody in Black Sabbath was "Christian"

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Quote :

Shadow Gallery

Oh HECK YEH !!!! Love me some Shadow Gallery !

Quote :

You have much of his stuff?

I don't have much of Knott's works physically, but I have tons of stuff people have burned for me, tons of LSU, solo, and the illustrious Aunt Betty's (that's a weird band)

Yeah I read somewhere that Mike's goal with Aunt Bettys was to be the most over-the-top, bombastic, loud rock and roll ever created. They're pretty close...

I hate that so much of his stuff is hard to get. Mother Nation, Finding Angel, the All Indie EP and both Tour support cd's are impossible for me to find. Everything else I don't have is in the wish list but some of it is... pricy...

BearDad wrote:

Driven wrote:

Creed. Joe- (have one album of theirs, about to get rid of it…)

YOU STOLE MY "JOE- "!!!  

As for Creed, I actually agree with you to some degree. Scott was raised with Christian values and his lyrics showed it, even if his lifestyle did not.  Of course he is openly Christian now.



Alice Cooper
Wasp

(There latest work, of course ... since openly proclaiming their faith)

Totally forgot about those.  Very much hoping the new WASP album will be just as good as the last.

Kansas when Kerry Livgren just became a Christian.

There are a lot of bands that I like that I would put in that borderline category.  If you can listen to the lyrics and get just as much of a secular meaning out of them as you could Christian, then I would put them there.

Skillet
Red
Scott Stapp
Icon For Hire

I could go on and on.

Darkwater