Clenching the compact disc in my hand, I quickly threw open the front door, raced down the hallway, and ran into my room. " Thank goodness no one is home," I sighed. Inwardly I knew, that for this disc to work, it most be played LOUDLY; consequently I cherished the absolute volume control I possessed. As I deliberately loaded the CD player, how could I have prepared for the events to follow.

Opening with the powerful track "Victory", the speakers erupted with a wondrous fidelity. The grinding crunch of multi layered guitar chords rhythmically immersed itself in a steady snare beat and scorching vocal intensity. Sure it had been a rough day at work, but who could belittle this? All I heard was musical ecstasy!

Envisioning my own swirling pit, I jumped in and began a reckless mosh around the room. All the frustration of spiritual ineffectiveness, self-condemnation, and utter futility seemed to culminate as I thrashed about. In some twisted sense, there appeared some measure of release. Even so, I heard the bold proclamation:
"...Having done all to stand in victory from above...for your victory..."
"Victory," I mumbled. The overused word seemed to me so alien...so foreign. I longed for the reality...

As the steady barrage of snare and double bass drum came to a sudden halt, I sank onto the bed. My motionless was brief, however, as a saturation of excellent "axe-work" filled the air with "No Time". A plodding, methodical crunch of rhythm guitar coupled with the searing harmony of lead guitar for a sound that would grab the attention of even the most aspiring musician. Sitting up, I found my head banging in unison to the chord progression. The lyrical statements, which followed, seemed to interrupt my state of utopia.

"...I've been through the day/ and I don't have the time/ to speak unto friends/ to speak Lord to You..."
"Isn't that my constant cry?" I thought. Somehow the words pricked my callused heart in spite of my argumentative spirit. "But God come on" I reasoned. "I'm only staying so busy for You (The irony of my logic now seems comical). I have to take a full-time load at school, and above all, I have to work full-time so I can eventually go to a Christian college...you know"

The argument reassured my convicted spirit with the deadly poison of piousity, which lurks in the hearts of many "established" Christians. As I became still, I intently listened as the song continued.
The saga depicted an individual who suddenly finds his earthly existence cut short:
"...At last before the Lord I came/ I stood with downcast eyes..."
Why could my spirit relate so exactly to the emotion of this scenario?
"...He opened up the book and said/ your name I cannot find/ I was once going to write it down/ but I couldn't find the time..."
The heaviness of truth took my breath away, as my legs buckled and my knees hit the ground.
"...No time, no time/ that's my constant cry..."
Excuses fled as I was finally overwhelmed with the futility of my ways. Trapped in a zone of safety I spent years constructing, I rested upon the false foundation of untried spirituality. Christ and only Christ must be our focus and foundation.

Realistically, the song "No Time" did not transform a helplessly lost heathen into a thriving soul seeker. In a real way, however, it touched me forever. "No Time" culminated the work of God in my life with its "no holds barred" proclamation of truth. I was able to recognize my own spiritual inactivity and have since become actively involved in a street-level, evangelistic church. Presently, I am again returning to a life of prayer and study of God's word, the Bible. My years of life in Christ have taught me the absolute necessity of focus. Thank you, Deliverance, for you part in helping sharpen and strengthen that focus!
"...Perhaps the facts will speak for themselves opposing any disagreements that God can use heavy metal. Doug Mann of R.E.X. concludes with the following recent report. He shares, "I was talking to Nina, the bass player for The Lead, the other day and it just blew my mind. This one particular letter just blew us all away.

Nina received this letter from this teenager who was in this hard-core music shop. When he saw The Lead's 'Burn this Record' cassette, he thought it looked cool, so he shoplifted it. Obviously, he wasn't a Christian then. He stole it with the intention of committing suicide. While he was listening to the tape, just as he was about to pull the trigger on the gun, the song Suicide Is A Lie came on. The song just made him stop and then he started reading the lyrics. He then hooked up with a local church and accepted the Lord! When he wrote them the letter, he was apologizing for shoplifting the tape and also thanked them for what they were doing."

PRAISE GOD!
You probably won't print this, but oh well. First I want to thank you. You see, a while ago, I used to listen to all kinds of evil, satanic music, like Slayer, Death, Dead Kennedy's, etc. But then one day, when I was reading Rip, I noticed an ad about Christian metal, so I sent away for you mag. Then, when I got it, I started reading it, thinking it was going to be slow music. I noticed a Living Sacrifice interview, so I went out and bought their CD. I listened to it and was blown away by its heaviness.

Then I started buying other Christian music and was influenced. I am now a proud subscriber of Heaven's Metal and a major Christian. I also play the guitar and hope one day I, too, will become a Christian metal singer.
It was 1988. My mum was watching TBN, and Real Videos came on. I happened to catch a Mylon LeFevre video, and it sparked my interest. Then a Stryper video came on, and I liked it too! "A couple of weeks after that, I met a guy who was into a few Christian bands. We talked about what I had seen on Real Videos, and he told me he had some other bands that were more of the style I listened to: Rez, Steve Taylor, Crucified, etc. That really hooked my interest. I ended up going to church with him and became a Christian. I continued to listen to bands like The Crucified and Vengeance. In fact, through the Scripture references on the Vengeance album, I began to read my Bible."

In the summer of 1989, a friend of mine let me borrow a Whitecross tape. A song on the tape really caught my attention. The chorus went something like, 'My blood has cleansed you, and your sins are remembered no more. Come on, walk with me.'

I found myself listening to the song over and over again. "Later that summer my friend invited me to come to a music festival with her church. I really enjoyed hanging around those people! They reached out to me and invited me to come to church with them. It was later that year that I asked Jesus to forgive me for my sins and come into my life. Christian music still plays a large part in my life. I still see it doing the same in others' lives that it has done in mine!"

I used to be the heavy metal kid in my school. I did everything--from knowing everything about my favourite bands to dressing like and attempting to live the lifestyle of a 'rock star'.

"It was through my love of music that a friend got me to listen to bands like Barren Cross, Holy Soldier, and King's X. I'd already heard of Stryper and liked their music. But these other bands were being so out-front with their music. It got me to thinking. Even though I'd been raised in the church, it wasn't real to me. Then I saw people who were like me, who really believed and were able to tell me the truth in ways that I could understand.

"It's amazing to see how God uses people, places, and little things (like the music we listen to) as tools to draw others to Him."
The influence of Christian metal really accelerated my spiritual growth. I was your average Christian 'pew-warmer'. I didn't even know Christian metal existed -- other than Stryper and Petra -- but I liked heavier stuff. Then I was introduced to Vengeance Rising, Mortification, Deliverance and Living Sacrifice. I started to read the lyrics of my secular music and compared it to the Christian bands. I realized how much my secular music was shaping my mind. I really caught on to Christian metal -- even to the point of having my own Christian metal program on the radio.
"My life has really been changed. If I had never found Christian metal, I might have stayed in that complacent rut. It really intensified my walk with Christ."

God continues to draw people's hearts today. Don't forget about the Christian rock tapes sitting on your stereo. You may have a friend right now who needs to borrow some of them!

My name is Pastor Joseph F. Amaral, and I am the Senior Pastor of Sherwood Heights Community Church in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. I am a strong believer in Christian Metal Ministry. Stryper was the first Christian band I ever heard. A friend of mine told me about them, then a few days later I saw their "Soldiers Under Command" video on our local music station, (Much Music). I was very impressed by the music and I found the lyrics very interesting. I bought the "Soldiers" album and when I got to the song, "The Rock That Makes Me Roll", the Holy Spirit took hold of my heart and the conviction and power of the Spirit was so heavy on that album that I gave my life to Jesus!!!

I have had the privilege of seeing Stryper twice, once in Buffalo and once in Toronto. The shows were absolutely incredible, not only did Stryper rock, but the presence of God was so sweet and so evident. I am personally grateful to the Lord for the dedicated ministry of Stryper. I know that I am not the only one whose life was changed as a result of their faithfulness to Christ. I have nothing but good things to say about them. I wish them God's richest blessing on them and their families. As a result of their ministry, I am now a minister leading others to Christ."
Several things happened right on the heels of one another, like subsequent shots from a gun, and that was what led to my salvation. First I moved to a new town. It's never fun being the new kid in school, and that experience was no different for me. Second, I had been rather disenchanted with the radio songs for a while-- I mean they played some good songs, but usually the same junk over and over again. When I happened upon "Foolin" by Def Leppard one day, it blew my mind. I was hooked. This was *REAL* music, played by people who felt the same pain as I did. Life sure wasn't a pop song to me.

I heard "Honestly" by Stryper on the radio one day and I liked it immediately. But I had no money, and so I was talking to this guy in my Biology class, and he came over after school and made me a copy of the tape. God provided me signs of what was to come: great music, and a great friend (that guy is still one of my friends today). At first I couldn't get into the lyrics. I was thinking, "This dudes *can't* be Christians. They're not saying "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus all the time. I mean Christians can't play guitar solo's!" It didn't make much sense, my thinking, but I had never been exposed to the marriage of heavy music and holy lyrics. Through the witness of my friend, and all the great music (and great lyrics, as they made a home in my heart), I was won over to Christ. I saw real love in action and I felt the lacking in my life, so when Jesus called for me, I ran to Him.

I will forever hold Stryper as one of my all time favourite bands. I sure hope they get back together. Anyway, I wanted to say that at the time I became aware of Stryper I was going through my teen years. As most people will agree with as being one of the most confusing times in a person's life. I grew up in a Christian family and to this day I still have a strong faith in what I believe in. However, during my teens I will admit to "backsliding" a little.

That's when I heard Stryper. They helped to keep me on the straight and narrow. It appealed to me that you could be a Christian and still rock. As far as the part about some people thinking that it is wrong, well I just got one comment about that. If people are being drawn to Christ and are wanting to learn more, whether it be going to church or simply reading a bible----WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE WERE IT CAME FROM as long as people are wanting to learn more. God works in mysterious ways and I believe that God uses whatever means is necessary to show to his children that he is in their lives and ready to accept them when they call upon him.

Well my testimony is a little different. I was raised in a Christian home but I got away from the Lord. I feel it was Christian metal that brought me back.

I was saved when I was 7 but I didn't know anything about living the life or things like that. I thought that once I was saved then I could just rest and relax. Well the devil got me and for about 5 years I backslid. I never got into drugs or alcohol because of my background but I got into secular metal like Metallica, Korn and White Zombie and my mouth was worse than a sailor!

Well High School came and in 10th grade I became good friends with a Christian guy named Tommy Hinton. Well it wasn't till the beginning of 11th grade that I actually began to feel the impact of God in my life. Realize that since I was about 8 I had been listening to Petra and Whitecross then in about 6th grade I graduated into Mortification and Deliverance and have gotten into more and more Christian metal. Well the lyrics then didn't mean anything until I felt God calling me back to Him and then everything changed. I got rid of all my secular albums (I now no longer listen to ANY secular music whatsoever) and have expanded my Christian metal collection. Christian music has become a big part of my life and I believe it now helps me in my daily walk and to helps me to witness. I'm now a totally on fire for God metalhead that would love to see the world changed! Praise God!!!!
Mark James

My life is different because of Christ Jesus. One of the best ways I have encountered Jesus is through the music of Tourniquet. Their lyrics are from the Bible, so that makes them useful for teaching me, rebuking me, correcting me, and training me in righteousness. An example of teaching lyrics can come from Somnambulism. "Blessed is the man who dwells in the unapproachable light, it will open a window that empties the darkness of your soul. If we walk in the light as He is in the light He will purify us." This teaches me that I must do as God wants to walk in his light and be purified of my sins. A rebuking lyric comes out of Exoskeletons. "Look around and I will show you now a world that needs a way out. Look around and then look at yourself because you can help them out." This rebukes me because this world needs a way out called Jesus Christ and I can help them out in presenting Jesus to them, which I don't always get done. Correction can be found in Pecking Order. "Who made you the judge of me, Turn away and just let me be. The notion that we're better than them the ultimate dilusional gem. ... Look to Him and you will see the only judge for you and me." This corrects me from thinking sometimes that I am better than anyone else. In God's view we are all sinners, none worse than the other. How quickly I can forget this sometimes. The righteousness training comes through out their lyrics, but Vanishing Lessons provides a good example. "Things we acquire mean fuel for the fire, the feeling is gone then our soul we will pawn. Dollars for happiness, that's what the world tells us, pour all yourself into the pursuit of wealth." With the get attitude how can we even hope to live righteous lives? Stop and look at everything around you. Think of the outside of the building you're in. The earth and everything on it will be burned up at the end. None of it will help in the eternal picture. I have met Ted, Aaron, Luke, Gary, Victor, and Erik. The guys are all just like us. They hold jobs and live lives in pretty much the same way we do. They are no better or worse people than we are.

t all started on November 15, 1980, when I decided to make a radical and unprecedented step in my miserable and meaningless life, a step that would radically alter everything and put me in the greatest plan in the Universe.. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior that night on a lonely hilltop in Maryland called.. well.. Hilltop Ranch. Though I never exactly lived for my newfound Lord, I gave myself to Him again in 1986, rededicating myself not only for His salvation and redemption by His Holy Blood, but also dedicating myself to serve and follow Him all the days of my life.

I never claim to be the most perfect Christian on Planet Earth, so I can only claim God's grace, mercy and his everlasting acceptance of me, making me and others like me completely righteous in Him. I feel the Lord has called me into the ministry of Music through the vehicle of Screams of Abel Magazine, and I pray even this homage might allow you to see the side of Christianity few people notice: that we as believers are human, fun, and live the most exciting life there is.