STRYPER pop metal

Stryper is legendary. They paved the way for Christians who rock. If not for the persecution they endured from their own, Christian music, as it is today, would not exist. What did I learn form Stryper? Spiritually, you don’t have to keep silent about your faith. Musically, I learned the structure of a song and the need for a hook (basically the meaning of “pop”).

THE PRAYER CHAIN alternative

I loved The Prayer Chain since I first saw them playing with The Violet Burning. I’ve been in love with both bands ever since. Their tour, with songs from PC’s Neverland Sessions and VB’s Strength, was the definitive concert of my high school existence and shaped me in more ways that I could ever understand. In subsequent years, I would come to appreciate the craft of PC. I learned most from watching Tim Tabor act as a sort of stained glass pointing to a reality beyond himself. What did I learn from PC? Passion.

WHITEHEART pop rock

These guys were high energy, power rock. Yet they have recorded some of the best ballads ever written in human history. Their line-up had changed many times. But WhiteHeart remains one my most influential bands. What did I learn from WH? Every person makes a unique and integral contribution to the sound of the whole. 

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TOURNIQUET thrash metal

Lyrical complexity to match their musical skills.

KING’S X progressive rock

These guys have consistently linked honest lyrics with intricate rhythm and harmony.

JON GIBSON pop

Like an even happier Stevie Wonder. I dare you not to sing along!

SACRED WARRIOR masterful heavy metal

Their first ablum was tantilizing. They had a Queensryche-type sound and did every metal trick in the book. No subsequent album could match it.

BLOODGOOD heavy metal

Bloodgood, as a band, is not an essential part of my musical history. However, songs like “Eat the Flesh,” “Crucify,” and “Messiah” from their Detonation album are masterful examples of what Christian heavy metal should be. These guys were truly metal missionaries.