Expert: Alexis - 12/19/2009

Question
Hi
Can you give me a v brief review of the following bands pls:
1. Annihilator
2. Atreyn
3. Black Sabbath
4. Dio
5. Flaw
6. Incubus
7. Megadeth
8. Mastoden
9. Metallica
10. Ozzy Osbourne
11. Iron Maiden
12. Avenge seven-fold
13. Testament
14. Tiger Lillies
15. Trivium
I hope you can help cos I can't find any Christian reviews on the internet.
Regards
Lyn

Answer
Hi Lyn,
Thank so much for your question. I was intrigued when I read it.
I found reviews from a Christian perspective for a few of the bands on your list. My favorite Web site for Christian reviews is www.pluggedin.com. They also produce a magazine. I've included the links to PluggedIn reviews of Incubus, Megadeth, Metallica, and Avenged Sevenfold below.
Also, the writers at PluggedIn produced an indepth, six-part series fairly recently discussing the history, messages, and more, all about Heavy Metal. It's definitely something to look into, and it features and discusses several of the bands on your list. Here's part one: http://www.pluggedin.com/upfront/2006/metalrootsreachdeep.aspx

I also located a list of metal bands that declare themselves Christians. If you are interested in a cleaner, more Christ-focused alternative to the typical metal band, while not sacrificing the music, I encourage you to check out some of those. (Here's the list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_metal_bands) Some bands that I have heard of and  recommend are: Attack Attack!, As I Lay Dying, Decyfer Down, Disciple, Falling Up (all boys band, popular with teens), Flyleaf (all girls band, also popular with teens), Pillar, P.O.D., Red, Skillet (my personal favorite), and Thousand Foot Krutch.
I encourage you to also check out www.jesusfreakhideout.com, because they offer a wealth of information about Christian bands, including those from the metal genre.

Thank you so much for your question, Lyn, and I hope I've answered it. May God bless you!
~ Alexis



And here are your PluggedIn Reviews of...
Incubus Albums:
http://www.pluggedin.com/music/albums/2007/Incubus-LightGrenades.aspx
http://www.pluggedin.com/music/albums/2004/Incubus-ACrowLeftoftheMurder.aspx
http://www.pluggedin.com/music/albums/2001/Incubus-MorningView.aspx

Megadeth Albums:
http://www.pluggedin.com/music/albums/2002/Megadeth-Youthanasia.aspx
http://www.pluggedin.com/music/albums/2004/Megadeth-TheSystemHasFailed.aspx

Most recent Metallica Album:
http://www.pluggedin.com/music/albums/2008/Metallica-DeathMagnetic.aspx

Avenged Seven-Fold Album:
http://www.pluggedin.com/music/albums/2008/AvengedSevenfold-AvengedSevenfold.asp...