Christianity and Metalcore

I been noticing an interesting trend in the music that I listen to. It seems that almost the entirety of metalcore that I absolutely love comes courtesy of Solid State Records, a christian record label. Those that know me know that I am an atheist, and a pretty adamant one at that, so this is a little at odds at my beliefs. So, the question in mind is: what about these bands and their music attracts me and ultimately prevails over my desire to have nothing to do with religion?

First of all, for the most part, none of the lyrics preach or make any obvious reference towards the band member's beliefs. Certainly there is an obvious reference here and there, such as Oh, Sleeper's latest album's title track "Son of the Morning" and closing track "The Finisher", which describes the the battle between god and satan. While that topic adheres to beliefs I want nothing to do with, I certainly makes for some great lyrics. In fact, the ending lyrics of "The Finisher" where Micah Kinard screams "I'll cut off your horns!" lends some of the most and greatest emotion to the the track that I've experienced. You can just feel the anger and triumph in those screamed vocals. On the track of emotion, another great example is Living Sacrifice and their album The Infinite Order. Considering the genre in which the band falls (somewhere between thrash and groove metal) the music in itself is enough to get the adrenaline flowing, but the lyrics also play a part in that. The lyrics in multiple songs cover subjects that oppose the bands beliefs, from social darwinism to nihilism. These lyrics written in opposition to these subjects lend anger and further emotion to the music, furthering it's impact on the listener. I think when a band beliefs show through in the lyrics that they write, it strengthens the music overall. But there is also a fine balance that is achieved, where religion does take a part in their music but not to the point that it is out right preaching and worshipping.

Second of all, my love of the music. If there is any factor that can make me look past lyrics that I am fairly opposed to it's the music. There are numerous examples that I can cite, but I'll restrict myself to a select few. The most striking and important is Demon Hunter. They have become one of my all-time bands, and were the second band that I got a shirt for (after Slipknot of course). I have to admit I struggled with the fact that they were christian a few times, but ultimately my uncertainty was conquered by how amazing they are. From Ryan Clark and his amazing clean vocals and satisfying, throaty growl  to the instrumentals I love every aspect of their music. They've become even better with their latest release, The World is a Thorn, with the addition of two new guitarists that bring a heavy and much more impressive sound to the band than they had with their previous guitarists. Another great example is Underoath, with their constantly improving sound. They're second album on Solid State, They're Only Chasing Safety, is one that I can barely stand to listen to. In contrast, their latest release, titled Disambiguation, is by far one of one the best releases of 2010. In fact, I loved it so much I listened to it non-stop the week it was released and when I took a break from listening to it I had amassed thirty two plays.