Bands Misclassified as Christian (like MASS & Trouble)

In the 80's, Christian metal fans were constantly trying to find any reason to claim a secular band as being Christian. A couple of pro Christian or Bible based lyrics here and there, and BAM....they classified them as a Christian band. Heck, even today, they get listed on Christian websites, and their music has been released/reissued on Christian labels.

The most famous of these, and also the most understandable misclassification, is MASS. 

Here's a band that had an EP (Take You Home) with a huge cross on it.
A full length album titled "New Birth" (which actually had nothing to do with the Christian term New Birth).
The lead singer, Louis St. August, became close and personal friends with Michael Sweet.
Michael Sweet produced Voices In The Night, which also had some Christian overtones.


With all that being said, Louis St. August has stated numerous times that they are not, and never were, a Christian band. I even saw him one time in a video interview, when asked about Christian metal fans saying they are a Christian band, laugh it off and say he they weren't, but that he didn't mind if they thought that because it would sell more records.

In later interviews, he would say they were a group of Catholics, and they believed in God and Jesus (again, Catholic) but that the songs were just written to be upbeat and positive. He did say he sprinkled in his beliefs here and there over the years.

I know on Take You Home, he has a song that could definitely be classified as Christian (Holy One), but the title track is about trying to take a girl he loves home..lol.

And I've seen him say that MASS is not from the Catholic service, it is from the old style of state abbreviations and that was how MASS was done. I actually remember those days when states were abbreviated like that (my state was DEL)..

Anyway, so maybe Christian friendly at times (there are songs that drop some foul language now and then if that stuff bothers you), but definitely not a Christian band and not Christian music.

Another band was Trouble.

They have a song (and album) I absolutely love called Run To The Light...which talks about the afterlife and walking into the light, but never classifies the light as God or Jesus or Heaven. According to No Life Til Metal, MetalBlade Records promoted them as White Metal (and their first album, which became known as Psalm 9, had titles that would lead you to think that). Apparently, Ted Kirkpatrick played with them briefly. 

They also dropped the F bomb in songs, and NLTM says "While their lyrics were sometimes based on the Bible, or religious ideals, many times they were just spiritual psycho-babble that were based more on their heavy drug use than anything else."


Their first 2 albums are fantastic IMO, but not Christian.

Read all of that here on NLTM:

https://www.nolifetilmetal.com/trouble.htm 


I have seen another band, Chastain, listed as Christian also. I don't have any reason why....can anyone give me a reason why anyone would have even REMOTELY thought this was a Christian band???? I mean, I've seen nudity on their covers, and songs that are clearly against anything a Christian would believe..lol.


Anyway, so what other bands were there?

Early to mid 90's King's X

Samson wrote:

Early to mid 90's King's X

Yes absolutely. I never understood that one either.

Impellitteri isn't really a Christian band.  They have some Christian based tunes because of Rob Rock, but they have as many songs that aren't really about anything of the Christian beliefs.  We still like them, though!

Mad Max is another.  While they did two albums that were advertised as "white metal", they ditched that and went back to their secular roots.

alldatndensum wrote:

Impellitteri isn't really a Christian band.  They have some Christian based tunes because of Rob Rock, but they have as many songs that aren't really about anything of the Christian beliefs.  We still like them, though!

Mad Max is another.  While they did two albums that were advertised as "white metal", they ditched that and went back to their secular roots.

I consider the Rob Rock version of Impelliteri to be similar to Kanas when Kerry and John were there, but Impelliteri"s lyrics were much more obviously Christian during that era.

Chris Impelliteri is a Christian too 


I always forget about Mad Max. I've actually still never heard anything by them

Stryper is the obvious pick, as they don't consider themselves a "Christian band."  

On a serious note, power metal bands Diviner and InnerWish are often labeled as Christian due to being on Ulterium Records though their lyrics have nothing to do with Christianity, and even some that I find a bit troubling.

Tyrant had some Christian-ish lyrics but IIRC they have stiff-armed that label and their current vocalist I'm pretty sure is anti-Christian (per some of his lyrics in other bands).

There is also a handful of extreme metal bands that very commonly get wrongly categorized as Christian.  My Silent Wake started out as Christian but now to my knowledge none of their members consider themselves believers anymore.  Someone labeled Far Beyond's lyrical themes as "Christianity" on the Metal Archives and now everyone thinks they are.  Then there's the infamous Batushka.

Chastain is NOT a Christian band, I have no idea why anyone would even think that.
It seems like Mad Max flirted with Christian themes on a few albums (I think one or two of the band member's might have gotten saved), but in general the music I've heard outside those 2 (or possibly 3) albums didn't have any Christian leanings in the lyrics.

I know that recently some have tried to claim LEAH as a "Christian" artist.  She is an indie singer that does a lot of sword and sorcery/Celtic influenced light power/prog type stuff.  I don't dislike her music, and I think she claims to be a Christian, but I don't know that she claims her music as "Christian"

I have seen her claim to be a Christian on FB, but yeah I don't think her faith comes through in her lyrics much.  Not really my style so I haven't dug deep though.

Staybrite wrote:

Chastain is NOT a Christian band, I have no idea why anyone would even think that.
It seems like Mad Max flirted with Christian themes on a few albums (I think one or two of the band member's might have gotten saved), but in general the music I've heard outside those 2 (or possibly 3) albums didn't have any Christian leanings in the lyrics.

I know that recently some have tried to claim LEAH as a "Christian" artist.  She is an indie singer that does a lot of sword and sorcery/Celtic influenced light power/prog type stuff.  I don't dislike her music, and I think she claims to be a Christian, but I don't know that she claims her music as "Christian"

RE: Chastain..weird, right? 

RE: LEAH..lots of people claim to be "Christian", know what I mean?

AtomicFan wrote:

RE: LEAH..lots of people claim to be "Christian", know what I mean?

Sure, but how does that apply to Leah?  Is there any reason to question or doubt her faith?  She doesn't market her music as "Christian" so that's kinda a non-issue in this case, right?  Personally, I'll always give 'em the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.  For what it's worth though, she posted on a tiny Reformed metalhead FB page I follow to promote her new album, and on there she claimed to be Christian - specifically of the Reformed persuasion.  Agree or disagree with the theology, but it's been my experience that the Reformed types are consistently very devout.  IIRC she said that much of her lyrics have Christian themes and allegories a la The Chronicles Of Narnia and the like.

kerrick wrote:

AtomicFan wrote:

RE: LEAH..lots of people claim to be "Christian", know what I mean?

Sure, but how does that apply to Leah?  Is there any reason to question or doubt her faith?  She doesn't market her music as "Christian" so that's kinda a non-issue in this case, right?  Personally, I'll always give 'em the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.  For what it's worth though, she posted on a tiny Reformed metalhead FB page I follow to promote her new album, and on there she claimed to be Christian - specifically of the Reformed persuasion.  Agree or disagree with the theology, but it's been my experience that the Reformed types are consistently very devout.  IIRC she said that much of her lyrics have Christian themes and allegories a la The Chronicles Of Narnia and the like.

I think you're reading too much into my comment.

I never she said she was or wasn't a Christian, I also really could care less what she is. I don't listen to her, and I don't know if I've actually even ever heard her music.

It was just a general comment that a lot of secular artists have claimed to be Christian when asked about their personal beliefs. A lot of people toss that term around just like they would Catholic, or Methodist, etc etc . Some people say they are Christian just because that's how they were baptized when they were a baby.

Oh gotcha.

kerrick wrote:

Oh gotcha.

Sorry about the confusion. (I honestly don't even know who LEAH is)

No worries!  What you said makes total sense, I was just confused as to why it was specifically directed at her.  Thanks for clearing it up!

For reference, this is what she sounds like:

kerrick wrote:

No worries!  What you said makes total sense, I was just confused as to why it was specifically directed at her.  Thanks for clearing it up!

For reference, this is what she sounds like:

Thanks, I'll check it out

kerrick wrote:

No worries!  What you said makes total sense, I was just confused as to why it was specifically directed at her.  Thanks for clearing it up!

For reference, this is what she sounds like:

Not bad ..she definitely has a pleasant voice

AtomicFan wrote:

kerrick wrote:

No worries!  What you said makes total sense, I was just confused as to why it was specifically directed at her.  Thanks for clearing it up!

For reference, this is what she sounds like:

Not bad ..she definitely has a pleasant voice

Yes, but keep in mind she is Canadian. (just kidding, that doesn't matter  )

Staybrite wrote:

AtomicFan wrote:

kerrick wrote:

No worries!  What you said makes total sense, I was just confused as to why it was specifically directed at her.  Thanks for clearing it up!

For reference, this is what she sounds like:

Not bad ..she definitely has a pleasant voice

Yes, but keep in mind she is Canadian. (just kidding, that doesn't matter  )

Oh....it matters 

What do you guys know about Harmony? Love the material but some on other white metal sites say they are anti Christian. I find that hard to believe with lyrics like this but??

I have never heard that Harmony was anti-Christian.  As a matter of fact the band's last two albums were released on Ulterium Records (who releases mostly albums from Christian bands).
Also Adreas Olson (from Narnia) was originally a member of Harmony.  So they may not be a "Christian" band, but I certainly don't think they are anti-Christian.