vol. xx, i
the
MUSIC
Publication Team Anthony Halstead Editor-in-Chief •
James Monsour Copy Editor •
Courtney Shingle Executive Assitant •
Rachel Harrell
Cover Photographer
Featuring Danielle LeChard Cover Model
Table of Contents
Letter from the Editor -4The Beat -5Mumford & Sons: Secular Music, Christian Band? -8Music and Life - 11 Music Connected to Human Experience - 14 A Defense of Heavy Metal - 16 -
The Gadfly is a publication of “The Gadfly�, a student club approved to operate at Franciscan University of Steubenville. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily express the views of Franciscan University of Steubenville.
The only escape from misery in life is music and cats.
- Albert Schweitzer
October letter from the editor. Welcome back to Franciscan. For all new freshman and transfer students, we are the Gadfly. We provide a platform for students to speak their minds on topics that are chosen for each month of the academic year. This month, the theme is music. If there are any three popular subjects of conversation in the United States that are incredibly polarizing and divisive, these three would be politics, religion, and music. We now live in a culture wherein there are numerous genres and subgenres, with artists crossing boundaries all the time. But despite the occasional diffusion into each other (take, for example the crossing of rap and metal to get... well, rap metal), adherents to certain genres tend to hold each other’s genres in contempt. In this edition of the Gadfly, you will see our writers digging past this typical surface into what music truly is, in various ways. We hope you enjoy this edition of the Gadfly, and my staff and I look forward to providing you with stimulating material throughout the course of the entire year.
Anthony Halstead The Gadfly
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The Beat Kathleen Monin If I ever get a speeding ticket, it’s definitely going to be because of a song. Whenever I drive alone I listen to the radio, and I have absolutely no shame in admitting that by the time the chorus hits I am swaying a bit to the music, “This is going to be the best day of my liiiiiiife! My Liiiiiiiiiiiiiife!” Until I realize no, actually, it probably won’t be, because I’m going 80 on a 55. I just get so caught up in the pop music. If we put the lyrics of pop music under a microscope what we find is far less than impressive. Lots of references to DJs, putting hands in the air, girls that left, guys that deserved to be left, a bunch about vague references about finding yourself, and of course mountains of sexual innuendo. When I was in high school a popular Youtube video played “California Gurls” by Katy Perry and “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha over one another, demonstrating to those without an ear for chords that all pop music really is the same. And you don’t even have to be a music snob to probably have complained about autotune. So why is this music around, if it’s not artistic and it’s not original? Why are there several dozen million views on Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus videos? It’s because singing “I’m so Fancy” really can make you feel fancier. Because listening to the confidence in Taylor Swift’s voice and upbeat tune really can help you feel better about that stupid ex. Because listening to Bob Marley while having a beer with friends changes the attitude from party time to down time. Because listening to Pharrell really can make your happy. Music stirs our feelings, our human emotions. The club wouldn’t be the same experience without the intense music to put you in the mood. The true celebration of any concert (aside from drooling over music celebs) is experiencing the emotions of those songs with others, in very human community of music. Feelings, emotions. That is why we music. And I love music. I love having exciting, human experienc-
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es in big crowds celebrating being alive and being able to feel this way. So it should follow that I also like FOPs, correct? Sorry, actually, not so much. I’ve been to a Festival of Praise and other praise and worship sessions. In my experience, the music comes on loud, the crowd gets riled up, and we are told that God is there. I mean, of course He is, He is present wherever two or more are gathered in His name. But I’m told that the reason I feel alive tonight is that the Holy Spirit is touching me, that he is making my cry and get so excited I almost pass out. But all that honestly makes me wonder if the Holy Spirit was also at the Beyoncé concert I just went too, because that’s exactly what went down around that stage too. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal, based off Protestant Pentecostalism, started in 1967 during a Catholic retreat at Duquesne, where students and professors felt as though they had been “Baptized in the Holy Spirit,” and that the Holy Spirit was compelling them to share his gifts (hence the name “Charismatic,” which comes from the Greek charism, which means gift). This movement has made its mark on Franciscan in the form of monthly Festivals of Praise, worship sessions, and contemporary Christian music anthems played at the sacrifice of the mass. The only truly apparent evil this movement has caused (besides bands like Sonseed—don’t Google “Jesus is a Friend of Mine”) have been some rather heated debates between very traditional Catholics and charismatics about what music is appropriate when and where. These are pretty pointless arguments, in my opinion, since we might as well be arguing whether God loves Roman Catholic mass more than Byzantine Catholic mass. The main difficulty I have with this charismatic movement is I do not understand its purpose. I praise God with my life, by treating others with love and living according to his will. I adore him in the sacraments, through which He gives me grace. So
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what do I need to get really excited and jump up and down and wave my arms for? This doesn’t sound like something Jesus left for us. I know that the Church needs to form a better community, I know that we need something to draw us together, but is this a stable foundation for the faithful? If I go to the FOPs and enjoy the wonderful Jesus-loves-me feeling and get all up on my Jesus high, but come crashing down with fear and anxiety the moment someone suggests going to confession, I think I need to rearrange my priorities. I don’t (or shouldn’t) criticize anyone for attending worship. I’m sure that contemporary Christian music has lead more people to the faith than I have personally, but I nonetheless can’t help but see it as a worrisome. God doesn’t need me praising Him with worship songs or going to Mass or sacrifice doves to Him in order to be an almighty and all loving God. In fact, God would be perfectly fine without me at all. All forms of worship are about how I perceive God, how He affects me. And if FOPs are the primary method I
in this music, in this ecstatic feeling that they are told is God, probably won’t have these feelings their entire lives. What happens after your last FOP, and you have 50, or even 60 years ahead of you in life, how will you feel God then? One of my role models in times of depression is Thérèse of Lisieux. She suffered a darkness over her soul, where she did not feel hope or the love of God, but remained faithful without belting out a worship song, and became a saint. Our emotions are fickle, and not a solid foundation for faith. I mean seriously, if Lana Del Ray songs can make me feel sad and nostalgic about things that have absolutely nothing to do with my life, I should be careful about understanding God’s presence in my life based off how charged I get during a worship song. If you love the FOPs, then by all means go, there is nothing wrong with going. But in the end, I want us to be self-conscious in where we place our faith. You know that your love for your girlfriend or boyfriend shouldn’t be just a feeling. Neither should your love for God. He has already given us all that we need to know Him, and seven different sacraments to experience Him. Overall, feeling Him just isn’t important. If everyone at the FOP took a weekly adoration hour, the schedule would fill up right away and the chapel would open sooner, and there would be more praise of God while seeing him face to face. Which I give like, eleven out of ten stars. Would recommend.
“All forms of woship are about how I percieve God.” use to pay attention to him, what kind of person will I be if I stop? Many of these young people participating
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Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. -Maya Angelou
Mumford & Sons: Christian Music, Secular Band? Jenna Millen band, and nor would they particularly care to label themselves as Christians. In an interview with the Rolling Stone in March, Mumford was asked whether he considers himself a Christian. He replied, “I don’t really like that word. It comes with so much baggage. So, no, I wouldn’t call myself a Christian. I think the word just conjures up all these religious images that I don’t really like. I have my personal views about the person of Jesus and who he was.” While he may not necessarily directly link himself with Christianity, there is little doubt that the religion he grew up in shaped his experience and worldview. The interview goes on to say that “his spiritual journey is a ‘work in progress,’ but he’s clear on one thing: He’s never doubted the existence of God.” Marcus Mumford’s interview poses an interesting question: Can a seculaband lead more people to Jesus than Hillsong United? I was in a philosophy class my senior year of high school where I was the only religious individual in a classroom of atheists. I distinctly remember their love for Mumford & Sons and their fondness for quoting the songs on Twitter. It made me smile to see the lyrics of Awake My Soul plastered across the computer screen: “Where you invest your love / you invest your life.” Thanks to Mumford & Sons, non-Christians quote the words of Jesus: “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Matthew 6:21) The thousands of people who scream the lyrics at a Mumford & Sons concert would scorn a Christian worship band. Now, Christian worship bands do have their place, and my point is not to attack Christian music, but to call Christians on to greatness: to make meaningful music. Audrey Assad is a wonderful example of a great artist and a Catholic. The distinction is that her music is not great because it’s Christian, but because the music itself is great. When it comes to reaching our brethren who
I know many Catholic Christians who only listen to explicitly Christian music, music that contains coin words. Coin words are terms like “Jesus” and “You are holy,” repeated over and over again, even though there is no reason to have cookie-cutter Christian music that all sounds the same. And I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks so -- the Google search “Why is Christian music so bad?” turned up over 53 million results. Most of us have had our conversion and realized we can’t, in good conscience, listen to a lot of the mainstream music that is out there. Are our only choices to listen to music with a good beat but awful lyrics or music with a good message but annoying rhythm? It seems as if the label “Christian” is a cop-out for people to make bad music, and it shouldn’t be. “Christian” lyrics can be uninspired and superficial, and some so-called Christian songs even lack a greater meaning. Our faith is so deep, are yet the words of our songs are shallow. The term “Christian music” should not be an excuse for subpar lyrics and the same three chords being played over and over again – rather, our music should be beautiful and complex and mysterious, just as our faith is. I do not disdain explicitly Christian music, but I do question whether it is the only type of music in which God can be found. It is a safe bet to say that when one hears a guitar echoing across the Piazza or when the proverbial Catholic boy strums his guitar under a tree, the sound of Mumford & Sons is bound to be on his playlist— well, that, or Taylor Swift. For those who might not know, Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band named after their lead vocalist, Marcus Mumford. The band’s songs are rich with Biblical allusions and imagery, and many of their lyrics are either rephrased Bible verses or lines pulled directly from the Bible. Mumford & Sons, however, is not a Christian
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Music stirs something within our souls, and calls us to something greater than ourselves. It is outside of us, but it resonates within our hearts. Music connects us to others and makes us feel understood. Why else would we listen to sad songs after a breakup or sappy love songs after we start dating someone? Good music contains deeper meaning and a raw vulnerability with the listener. But the choice of listening to music with a catchy tune but appalling lyrics or songs with appropriate messages but a mediocre melody, is reconcilable. It isn’t a debate between Christian music versus secular music, but good music verses bad music. The answer, in the end, is quite simple. You should listen to good, beautiful music that contains the truth—because that is what makes it Christian, not its overt claim to Jesus. So love Jesus and go listen to some good music.
may be anti-Christian or merely lukewarm, Mumford & Sons may lead them to praising Jesus without the word Jesus being spoken. It comes down to the love and passion the artist has for their music. In the song titled after their hit album, Sigh No More, they sing: “Love; it will not betray you / Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free / Be more like the man you were made to be.” This is the point of love and this is what God’s love does. It is what Christianity is all about. Love sets us free and allows us to be fully alive, to become who we were meant to be. Music points us to this love. Kurt Vonnegut once wrote: “If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD WAS MUSIC”
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Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid. - Langston Hughes
Music and Life Joey Danaher we live most fully when we put forth into the world the unique personalities that we have. And we are not meant to be silent about who we are and what we think. We all have something in ourselves that transcends the limits of materiality, and it is because of this that we wish to hear a song. The human soul is expressed in the artist’s creation, and it is this communication that we strive to hear. A song can be exhilarating, touching, therapeutic, inspiring, or just plain fun. In it we wish to glimpse the insight another has gained through his or her experience, and we wish to be moved by the story of two lovers or the story of one’s childhood. This artistic creation is a product of that other person’s self, something of his or her past, imagination, or understanding. It is a unique experience which is communicated to us, providing the occasion for each of us to empathize, understand, or find inspiration. The reason that the artistic creation has value is the same reason that our own lives do. The stories that are told and the moments that are lived are products of the human experience, and it is only in this chaotic, wonderful experience of life that one encounters meaning. What brings out the beauty of life is simply being the particular person that one is - experiencing the unique experiences that one has. Existentialist philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said that “the greatness is not to be this or that but to be oneself.” And one’s experiences might not always be pleasant or joyful ones, just as not all music is upbeat, but as Friedrich Nietzsche understood, tragedy and struggle can help forge a person into greatness. Those who bear their pain in what they write make some of the best music. We can think of Beethoven as he was dealing with his increasing deafness, Nirvana as lead singer Kurt Cobain dealt with his personal struggles, and countless
You get into your car after a long day, and soon after you turn the key you hear a cascade of sounds pouring from the speakers. Maybe it’s relaxing, maybe it’s cathartic, or maybe it makes you pumped up to continue with the day. The different instruments, or computerized functions in today’s music, all meld together and you hear something unique and not replicable. The sounds transport you to another place as you segue from the quiet of the faint wind into a feeling, a rush, or just a distraction. Maybe you imagine the artists playing on stage, and maybe you sing your lungs out as you ride along, perhaps hoping that no one looks directly at you as you humorously pretend you’re a rock star. We all love to hear some kind of music or another, and we love to follow different bands or musical groups. Much can be said of the different styles of music and how good this or that one is, but perhaps we can also learn from the very essence of music itself and how it is actualized by the artists who play it. Perhaps such an examination can make our lives clearer. Music occupies some time in just about every one of our lives, whether it’s by listening to audio recordings, watching YouTube music videos, or going to a spectacular concert. What exactly is it about music that makes it so worthwhile to each of us individually? It certainly does not make us live longer, become healthier, gain wealth, or bring some kind of pragmatic usefulness to our lives, yet we still listen to it. The same can be said about literature, and we still read it. So clearly there must be something more to human life than just going through the motions of what brings us to a certain level of physical and material wellbeing. The beauty of music is something that can illustrate to us the beauty of life. It both mirrors what life is like and embodies the very essence of what it means to be a person. We are not meant to all be the same, for
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moving process, much like the song that has its own worth rather than as just a means to segue into the next. Soren Kierkegaard understood life to be much more about the “how” than the “what.” Yes, there are certain things that are good for all, but life is about all the little details, the idiosyncrasies, and unique qualities that make it one’s own. A certain general direction can be prescribed, but the most important part is the way in which the individual actualizes such a direction, for each person’s life is a new reality that will never again be realized. Music has fascinated and captivated humanity because music is an expression of our humanity. And our humanity is not merely a general template that lacks flavor or variety. The humanity I express and the humanity you express may have similarities, but the greatest part is found in the unique difference each one of us has. I do not love my own life because of its similarity to every other life, and I do not love the music I listen to because it is merely some general music. Music expresses uniqueness, and in doing so it demonstrates the beauty of what it is to live, the beauty of this experience we call life. So when you hop into your car and listen to the radio, your iTunes, or Spotify, think to yourself, “What is it that I can do to write my own symphony?” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. wrote, “Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.” Ask how you can bring your own contribution to the world, and know that you have the ability to do so. Your creativity can bring the world something it has never yet known, bringing a greater harmony for all to hear.
songs of lost love. With the same freedom to create out of struggle, each of us can make a masterpiece in whatever conditions we find ourselves in, and each of us can learn from the trials that we inevitably encounter. We have seen the relation of music to life in general, but what can music tell us about what it means to live well? The essence of great music is grounded in creativity, and this can tell us a lot about the essence of the good life. What made Beethoven or the Beatles so astounding to their listeners was not a calculated copying of their musical peers, but it was a rather an audacious creativity that broke through the fabric of the world to bring into it a new reality. Great artists may have used the same instruments and musical ideas, but their combination of all the elements was a synthesis that was different from that of all the others. They either created something completely novel,
“The beauty of music is something that can illustrate to us the beauty of life.” paving a path for all who came after, or they worked within a style already present and embodied it so uniquely and proficiently that they earned the crown for that musical style. The same can be said of the life of the enterprising entrepreneur, the great leader, or the saint, and this can be true of all our lives as well. Being human is about more than just reaching check marks on a list of objectively good traits, for it is something that is a
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Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. - Plato
Music Connected to Human Experience Jean-Marie Bralley
Why is music so connected to the human experience? Minds greater than mine have pondered this question; yet, like the haunting notes of a stirring musical score, this inquiry is recurring and timeless. Why is music so inextricably linked to humanity? The harmonious and discordant sounds of the world as well as the notes of actual music greet us practically from the first moment of our existence in the wombs of our mothers. Even if by some bizarre circumstance we somehow were to live our whole lives without hearing any man-made music, we would still be serenaded by nature’s music, so lauded by poets - namely, the whirring of insects, the melodious chirping of birds, and the roaring of the wind. I daresay that the majority of people have an opinion on music; there are certainly differing viewpoints on what constitutes good music, on what music is appropriate for certain times and places, and, undoubtedly, there are extreme variances in musical preferences. A myriad of musical genres exists, and it is a good trait to have a cultivated and eclectic taste in music. There is no harm in enjoying classical, rock, country, and pop music. Nevertheless, some music, arguably, is objectively superior to other music. To paraphrase one of my philosophy professors here at Franciscan University, one can recognize the musical superiority of a Bach or a Beethoven and still simply prefer the music of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Yet all of this discussion still has not answered our initial question regarding music’s relationship to humanity. It is a somewhat cliché saying that “music is a universal language.” However, clichés become clichés because they are true, so what is it about music that makes it universal? In C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, music is described as an attribute of heaven. Ludwig von Beethoven, one of the greatest musical geniuses the world has ever known, said the following statement:
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“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” Hans Christian Andersen, of fairy tale fame, said, “When words fail, music speaks.” In each of these descriptions of music, there seems to be an appeal to a transcendent quality. Is this the universal characteristic by which music is united with mankind? Is it that music appeals to our higher nature, to the spiritual part of us that is connected with God? And is this why even people who profess no formal religious beliefs sometimes claim to find spiritual expression through music? Along with those who have considered these questions before me, I would answer with a strong affirmative. Music can be a channel through which we come to a greater self-discovery as well as to a deeper realization of the meaning of our lives. Moreover, music relates to beauty which leads to God; therefore, music is a vehicle by which we begin to discover our relationship to God. Finally, music also has the ability to facilitate a greater understanding between persons. Firstly, let us consider how music can lead us to a better knowledge of ourselves and of our lives. St. John Paul the Great in his 1999 “Letter to Artists,” (which is a worthwhile read for everyone, not exclusively partakers in the arts) states, “Every genuine artistic intuition goes beyond what the senses perceive and, reaching beneath reality’s surface, strives to interpret its hidden mystery. The intuition itself springs from the depths of the human soul, where the desire to give meaning to one’s own life is joined by the fleeting vision of beauty and of the mysterious unity of things.” These eloquent words exemplify the truth that an artistic intuition, which includes musical intuition, is an encounter with beauty and a means of transcending the mere sensory world to see something mysterious and unifying about reality. How often has someone listened to a particular song or musical composition that seemed to afford a release and an outlet to feelings that were inexpressible otherwise? Music
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to others and communicates with them. The history of art, therefore, is not only a story of works produced but also a story of men and women. Works of art speak of their authors; they enable us to know their inner life, and they reveal the original contribution which artists offer to the history of culture.” Thus, this is also a way in which music is universal: we feel connected to one another through music because each composer, each singer/songwriter infuses some of his very self, his soul into his art, and we cannot help but come to understand him better and to grasp more fully his view of the world than through listening to his work. This builds communion and unity with one another and preserves the story of the past for future generations. Whether it is the Russian nationalist music of Tchaikovsky or songs from the 1960s and ‘70s protesting the Vietnam War, we have a musical record of people’s feelings towards events that were changing their personal worlds and the world at large. Music is a wondrous thing. Music has the ability to transcend, to lead us to a deeper understanding of ourselves and of each other. Music can be a meeting with beauty, which leads us to a meeting with God. These qualities of music are, I think, solid answers to our initial queries. Yet, there are many more answers that are just as worthy, so let us conclude as we began—with thought-provoking questions: How has music been a part of your life? Have you felt the beauty of music? Have you been drawn closer to God and to your fellow man through a musical composition? How has the universal language of music influenced and changed the notes of your individual life’s song?
can be a catharsis and help a person to recognize pains or graces that were previously ignored or unnoticed. Over and over again in this inspiring letter, our late pope speaks of beauty. Beauty awakens a yearning within us. “Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence. It is an invitation to savour life and to dream of the future. That is why the beauty of created things can never fully satisfy. It stirs that hidden nostalgia for God...” And God is beauty itself. St. John Paul continues, “Every genuine art form in its own way is a path to the inmost reality of man and of the world. It is therefore a wholly valid approach to the realm of faith, which gives human experience its ultimate meaning.” Music is art, and, thus, it has the power to shed light on man and on the world, subsequently leading to the transcendent end of faith and of God for Whom man was made. Certainly these are some of the reasons why music contains such potency and importance for mankind, why it is a universal language. Music bespeaks mankind’s Creator, Who knows how to speak to the hearts of each of his creatures through His creation. God can use music as a means to call us to Himself.
“Music bespeaks mankind’s Creator, Who knows how to speak to the hearts of each of his creatures...”
Secondly, music can provide insight and understanding between persons. In the “Letter to Artists,” St. John Paul writes, “Through his works, the artist speaks
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A Defense of Heavy Metal Jude Larkin In music, Heavy Metal has been a genre that has attracted a considerable amount of controversy ever since it first became popular. It has been labeled as violent, angry, depressing, and even satanic, among other things. And with all of these accusations some people consider it garbage rather then music. This narrow view stereotypes metal vocalists as screaming and growling and mindlessly thrashing their instruments trying to be as loud as possible rather than singing instrumentalists. This may describe the least talented bands in the genre but they are few, and far from the many talented musicians that make up heavy metal. Is it immoral to listen to music that is categorized into this genre? Some Catholics might be quick to say yes, being only familiar with this skewed depiction of all heavy metal artists. A lot of great artists have been misrepresented by this misconception. An interesting example would be Iron Maiden’s 1982 album ‘Number Of The Beast.’ Iron Maiden is one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history and when they published this album they were accused of being satanic and were criticized and protested by a lot of Christian groups. Steve Harris, bassist for Iron Maiden, had said, “It was mad. They completely got the wrong end of the stick. They obviously hadn’t read the lyrics. They just wanted to believe all that rubbish about us being satanists.” While the artwork and title of the album could bring the first impression that they are satanic, if you listen to the album it does not live up to its accusations. Even the eponymous song does not praise the devil; rather, it depicts the devil as dangerous and something that should be avoided. At the very worst the album shows a weak understanding of theology; after all, Steve Harris claimed that he wrote the song about a nightmare he had after watching the 1978 motion
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picture “Omen.” A lot of great themes can be found in the album. For instance, the song “22 Acacia Avenue” blatantly points out the harm prostitution brings. The song “Run To The Hills” brings attention to the violence and conflict between Native Americans and European settlers. While the album utilizes a lot of dark imagery it doesn’t promote satanism. It doesn’t promote Catholicism either, but there is no harm in listening to it. In Iron Maiden’s following album from 1984, “Piece Of Mind,” they printed, “No synthesizers or ulterior motives” in response to their accusations of being satanic. This is just one band out of many that has been misunderstood for being a part of heavy metal. While some bands like Rob Zombie, Ghost, and Slayer theme their music and performances around the occult and celebrate it, they by all means do not represent the whole genre. There are a lot of heavy metal bands that do the exact opposite. Rock bands like Red, Disciple, and Skillet have built large fan bases by writing metal songs that promote Christian values. Their music is beautiful, uplifting, and is listened to by audiences who do not call themselves Christians. It’s a big deal for an artist to have their album and poster sold at Franciscan University’s bookstore that also has fans that come from non-religious backgrounds. This is the benefit that Christian rock bands have over the typical praise-and-worship musician. Finding an atheist who listens to praiseand-worship music is more difficult than finding a rainbow in the dark. But finding an atheist who likes Skillet is actually pretty easy. But these bands don’t fall into the secular haze that people associate with heavy metal. They don’t consistently use harsh screaming vocals or thrashing instrumentals in every song. They don’t get demonized the way modern “hardcore” metal bands do.
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Artists like August Burns Red and For Today fall into this category. Their style of music is more comparable to bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Pantera, or As I Lay Dying. This is the style of music that gets the most flak and is demonized for its aggressive and angry sound. August Burns Red and For Today are bands that have blatant Christian messag es in their music. Even one of For Today’s symbols
“To condemn a whole genre for the work of some is foolish and close-minded.” featured on some of their album covers is an image of a Seraphim arranged to to mock a pentagram, which is symbol used by some heavy metal artists who do theme their music around occult themes. Most of their songs carry the idea that being united with God brings protection, strength, and comfort, while the separation and rejection of God is depicted as harmful and brings desolation. Just as I mentioned with Skillet these artists have a fan base that includes both Christians and non-Christians. While gospel and praise-and-worship artists have great messages and help strengthen the faith of many, they usually don’t reach out to new peo
ple. Where these Christian metal artists have done so much to evangelize and create powerful role models in the music industry. When listening to music, it is important to be aware of what an artist is trying to say through their music. To condemn a whole genre for the work of some is foolish and close-minded. Even if there is a band that puts forth messages that goes against the Catholic Church, it is important to evaluate their lyrics and meaning to understand what’s right and wrong with their music. You may learn something new or find a view point you didn’t even consider. There are bands who write songs that personally I don’t agree with but I don’t just turn away from them. I listen to them because it challenges my thinking and encourages me to learn about their lyrics and find out what’s wrong with it. The song ‘Chickenshit Conformist’ is a song from 1986 by the punk rock band The Dead Kennedys, which criticizes heavy metal for a lot of reasons that Christians hate it. I don’t agree with everything the song says; in fact, it contrasts pretty much everything I have written in this article. But I appreciate the song because it demonstrated interesting criticisms of heavy metal that I had not previously considered. Rather then trying to block out controversial music or otherwise censor it, you should debate its ideas and share with others why you do or do not support it.
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Without music, life would be a mistake. - Friedrich Nietzsche
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