Viktor.....successor to Petra?

[TheSaint]

I ran into a guy the other day....and we had a conversation about Petra, music in general...and the direction of Christian Rock. He says Viktor...the band which Louie Weaver is drumming for.....is really the only band going forward with christian rock. He showed me their website and from the background music I think something really cool is in the mix. I got a list of the band members right off their site. I think these guys are going to be the new thing for christian rock. I'm waiting to get my hands on something soon. Will keep you posted.

http://www.viktorband.com/

Lead Singer: Jimi Bennett
Bassist: Tommy Brown
Lead Guitar: Shane Regal
Drums: Louie Weaver
Keybaord: Terry McCullum

[crossways]

He says Viktor...the band which Louie Weaver is drumming for.....is really the only band going forward with christian rock.

I think that there are many bands moving forward with Christian rock. I know that there are bands who are doing the "subtle message" thing and going more mainstream, but I think that there are plenty of up and comers and others who want to to rock out with an overtly scriptural message.

Whether or not CCM radio will cover them is open to question.

[brent]

With Viktor being an indie band, don't hold your breath for radio ariplay. It will be an uphill fight. If they play the old name card, that will turn people off. What kids running the show now have ever heard of King James, Whiteheart, Mylon LeFevre or Louie Weaver? They have heard of Petra, but I am not sure that playing the Petra card will do much good. We had John sing on our project, and that got the doors dead bolted before we started to knock. Petra = poison to the radio people.

As for the music, Viktor, as told to me by Louie last year, is pop oriented. It will not be a Petra per se. These are all older players. So they won't be out there appealling to the young audience influenced by lust and displaced rebellion.

I hope that they make it. I like all of the bands that these guys came from. It would be nice to see them sell a crap load of CD's, and sell some big shows.

[separateunion]

Saying Viktor is the only band moving forward with Christian rock is being very closed-minded.

I'm hearing good things about a band called Dizmas. Skillet and Project 86 are both bands that have solid Christians as members, even if they don't always deal with scripture straight up. Switchfoot and Relient K are out there, and they are getting mainstream radio play. Guardian is gearing up for a return.

Obviously there's more than just Viktor.

[executioner]

I just don't understand why when people in CCM hear John's name they go running. don't they know they are turning their backs on someone who brought CCM out of nothing?

[executioner]

The real big problem with Guardian though is they will not be doing any touring whatsoever. Tony has said no he will not do a single show.

[brent]

Why is that a problem? That is not mainstream music. They never really burned up the concert circuit when they were "big". There is no money in playing live in Christian music, unless you can sell your sex appeal to the youth, or you are worship service/crusade friendly.

[executioner]

When an artist I like releases a new album the first thing I look for is tour dates. IMO I don't think a band is a band unless they tour. I've never been a fan of the so called studio musician. If Tony doesn't want to tour then they need to find another full time guitar player. Jamie has been quoted on Reignradio.com as saying the three of us want to tour but are relucted to do it without Tony, so I think that would mean no concert dates.

[separateunion]

I just don't understand why when people in CCM hear John's name they go running. don't they know they are turning their backs on someone who brought CCM out of nothing?

I wouldn't say John did that all by himself.

[Jonathan]

I don't know. Its a rare occasion that I enjoy a concert more than a CD recording, and I'm not alone. I gotta believe though that there is more than Viktor, such as bands people have heard of outside this board.

[Michael]

I just don't understand why when people in CCM hear John's name they go running. don't they know they are turning their backs on someone who brought CCM out of nothing?

I wouldn't say John did that all by himself.

I agree with you, Sep. John didn't even bring PETRA up from nothing. Petra was one of the hottest rock acts in CCM when John came on board. If anyone could be said to have brought CCM into the limelight, it would be the crossover artists like the much-maligned Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, DC Talk, and more recently Bob Carlisle, POD, MercyMe, and Switchfoot. THOSE guys, especially the earlier ones, were the ones that convinced Big Money that CCM could be profitable, and that's why the CCM major labels are all owned by the mainstream labels now.

What Petra did do... before and after John joined... was maintain lyrical integrity long enough that church folks could be convinced that you could play a guitar AND sing about Jesus at the same time. Petra helped bring credibility among the Christian community to Christian Rock... some of that credibility undeserved, in the cases of artists who have not maintained lyrical credibility.

[LexingtonPethead]

Big Christian labels being owned by big mainstream labels has given CCM some other benefits as well. By and large, the new younger bands and artists out there sound very, very good overall, production-wise. You can tell that they're being backed by big money, and I think that's a good thing because a lot of these bands and artists have positive, Christ-centered lyrics with a sound that is equal to or better in many cases than their secular counterparts. There is so much great Christian music out there, and these days, you don't have to look very far to find it.