The Top Five Names of Heavy Metal Bands That Sing Christian Music

If you’re a fan of Christian metal, then you know that there are some great bands out there that sing about their faith. But what are the top five names in the genre? Here’s a look at the five most popular Christian metal bands, based on their popularity and relevance in the metal music scene.

What is heavy metal?

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

In 1968, three years after the genre’s inception, William Grim wrote an article in asongwriter magazine suggesting that the genre was defined by “string-bending” guitar solos, big riffs, whole tone scales, heavy distortion, and overall volume. In early 1974, Jean-Francois Micheletti wrote an article in Melody Maker describing Double Diamond – Black Oak Arkansas as a “heavy metal earthquake”. In October 1974 an article was published entitled “Birth of a Heavy Metal Nation” in Sounds magazine which stated that Judas Priest were “making it possible for future generations to enjoy their own kind of music”, updating previous attempts at musical categorization.

One of the main characteristics of heavy metal is its use of aggressive vocal styles. This aggressive approach was partly inspired by trends in hard rock music but also derived from earlier forms of metal such as British blues-based bands such as Cream and The Yardbirds. This new form of vocal delivery was influential on subsequent heavy metal bands.

The top five names of heavy metal bands that sing Christian music are:

1. Demon Hunter
2. Underoath
3. As I Lay Dying
4. August Burns Red
5. Killswitch Engage

As I Lay Dying

As I Lay Dying is an American heavy metal band from San Diego, California. Formed in 2000, the band comprises vocalist Tim Lambesis, guitarists Phill Sgrosso and Nick Hipa, bassist Josh Gilbert, and drummer Jordan Mancino. As I Lay Dying has released seven albums, one split album, and two compilation albums. The band’s fourth studio album An Ocean Between Us peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, their highest-charting release.

Lyrically, most of As I Lay Dying’s songs focus on Lambesis’ personal struggles with faith, doubt, and depression. They also touch on topics such as addiction (“Confined”), war (“Anodyne Sea”), and fiscal responsibility (“Decas”). The band’s musical style has been described as “death-doom”, “thrash-groove”, and “melodic metalcore”. According to AllMusic’s Greg Prato, Mancino is “the true star” of the band for his drumming style which helped to establish As I Lay Dying as one of the leading bands in the metalcore genre.

Underoath

Underoath is a Grammy-nominated American Christian metalcore band from Tampa, Florida. The band formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2013, then reformed in 2015. They have released eight studio albums.

The group’s line-up consists of vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, bassist Grant Brandell, guitarists Timothy McTague and Christopher Dudley, and drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie. Founding members include guitarist Luke Morton and bassist Corey Steger, both of whom left the band in 2003. Morton was replaced by James Smith for a brief time until he was recruited by Brandell. Steger was replaced by Grant Brandell.

Underoath’s origins can be traced back to an Tampa-based hardcore punk group called Old Weeky Kitten Drowning, which included singer Dallas Taylor, guitarist/singer Brandon Evans (later of This Runs Through), bassist Octavio Fernandez (later of I Am Empire), drummer Aaron Gillespie, and guitarist Luke Morton (later of A Day to Remember). In 1998, Maura Weaver became the band’s keyboard player during the recording process of their EP Act of Depression which was released that same year under Rose Records; however prior to the album’s release she left the group leading them to find a replacement in Janice Headrick who would only appear on their next release entitled Cries of the Past in 1999 also through Rose Records.

During that same year Dallas Taylor had joined a new group Aiden which took him away from his previous outfit Old Weeky Kitten Drowning who would then search for a new singer in Brandon Evans who suggested his cousin Matthew “Odie” Brown as a possible candidate. After going through several auditions Brown became frustrated with what he felt the band was looking for and ultimately decided not to pursue it any further; however he would later join upon Underoath’s recommendation when they needed a touring bass player after signing with Tooth & Nail Records while still maintaining his role as vocalist for This Runs Through.

August Burns Red

August Burns Red is a American heavy metalcore band from Manheim, Pennsylvania. Formed in March 2004, the group began their first performances while a majority of the members were attending their senior year of high school. The band is centered around lead guitarist JB Brubaker and features a heavy metal style with intricate guitar riffing, solos and breakdowns. Lyrically, August Burns Red focuses on topics such as hope, depression, anxiety and personal struggles.

Norma Jean

Norma Jean is a five-piece metalcore band from Douglasville, Georgia that formed in 2002. Three of the members, Chris Rawson, Jeff Hickey, and Scottie Henrich, were previously in Luti-Kriss. The band has released seven studio albums and three EPs. They are currently signed to Solid State Records.

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada is an American metalcore band from Dayton, Ohio, United States. It consists of members Mike Hranica (vocals), Jeremy DePoyster (rhythm guitar, vocals), Kyle Schaefer (drums), and Andrew Everman (bass). The band is signed to Roadrunner Records.

The group was founded in 2005 by members Mike Hranica and Chris Rubey. They both wrote the majority of the material for their 2006 debut album Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord, which was met with mixed to positive reviews. In 2007, the band released their second album Plagues, which peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200 chart and was generally well-received by critics. The group’s third album With Roots Above and Branches Below reached number 11 on the Billboard 200, giving the group their highest-charting release; it was followed by Zombie EP in 2010. In 2012, the band’s fourth album 8:18 was released; it peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from music critics.

In October 2013, keyboardist James Baney left the band and was replaced by workhorse Jon G Entering September 2019 keyboardist Jonathan G performance on Warped Tour with keyboards duties over to Jordan Debenedetto supported by live touring guitarist Brandon Butler