Recommended bands for Petra fans...

[Jonathan]

Anyone heard John Davis? Former Superdrag lead singer?

[separateunion]

Bride

Last I heard, Dale Thompson considers himself a Universalist. If you're looking for theologically sound lyrics, you might want to stay away from Bride.

[executioner]

Dale Thompson is also an activist to get weed legalized, but since some of us are willing to accept Jennifer Knapp into our fold I guess this could be overlooked.

[separateunion]

Dale Thompson is also an activist to get weed legalized, but since some of us are willing to accept Jennifer Knapp into our fold I guess this could be overlooked.

I personally don't have a problem with weed (not that I want to smoke it, but more that I don't care if people are allowed to). The legalization of some illegal drugs would actually help cut down on crime. I do hate going to concerts and having to smell other people smoking it, though. It gives me a headache.

[CatNamedManny]

I don't know anything about Dale Thompson's current theology, but Bride has a long history of being a strong Christian band (copious Bible verses attached to their lyrics), and of course, if anyone is taking the theology found in these bands' songs as gospel, they're in for a rude awakening. Heck, I disagree with some of Petra's lyrics and stances from over the years.

[Jan]

Heck, I disagree with some of Petra's lyrics and stances from over the years.

Like what?

[brent]

Dale says that he wishes he hadn't ministered the way he did with Bride too. He says that some concert promoter (which automatically makes the guy a credible theologian and spokesman for the church) told Dale that he was doing "it" wrong, and they he should be more about love, etc. Dale has denounced his former views and is a type of universalist. He gets his views by taking individual scriptures out of context instead of letting them sit in their respective books, relaying the complete contextual thought.

For instance. He takes one verse from the old testament saying one poetic thing to the nation of Israel and then makes it apply to modern un-believers today, saying that all will be saved because it is the will of God and nothing can change that. Well, that is fine. But what do we do with The Gospels, specifically John, Acts and Romans? Dale is of the opinion that we cannot sin after "salvation". Well, if that is true, God is a fraud and has fallen down on the job because I know a BUNCH of sinning Christians (none of them me of course, haha).

[gman]

Dale Thompson an Mike Lee should get together. They would disagree with each other, but I'm sure they could easily agree to disagree with us.

[St_Augustines_Pears]

Dale Thompson is also an activist to get weed legalized

*In best Johnny Carson voice*

"I did not know that!"

[separateunion]

I don't know anything about Dale Thompson's current theology, but Bride has a long history of being a strong Christian band (copious Bible verses attached to their lyrics).

Mormons and JWs use copious amounts of scripture too. They're still wrong.

[p-freak]

I think this change in Thompson's views was first publicized when they were recording for This Is It, around 2002. When someone here mentioned this issue, Thompson even came over to the zone to have a theological fight with some of us. Maybe that thread is still buried somewhere in our archives. I guess most of Bride's lyrics have been so unclear as to what they're really about, that it's difficult to discern when this change in thought actually showed up in their lyrics. But in general This Is It was Thompson's first statement of his more universalist type of beliefs.

[prem]

Interestingly enough, I never could get into Bride...perhaps this was the reason why.

Some defunct bands that I would recommend:

Narnia (now defunct power metal group that had a decade-long run in Sweden)

Some other current bands that I would recommend:

Iona (female fronted Celtic rock which occasionally gets a little hard - David Bainbridge is an awesome guitarist and Joan Hogge is a wonderful vocalist)
Audiovision (band currently formed by the former lead singer of Narnia)
Harmony (another power metal group from Sweden - some members are members of other Swedish Christian power metal groups)
Rob Rock (American melodic heavy metal singer that tends toward Euro-flavored power metal)
Impelliterri (American melodic HM group with some Euro power metal leanings, lyrics are decidedly Christian on albums where Rob Rock is frontman)
HB (Finnish power metal band with a female lead singer)
Ajalon (American prog rock group with a sound sort of like a jazzy Yes with straightforward lyrics)
Neal Morse (prog-rocker with some epic-length songs. Former member of Spock's Beard)
Stryper (their latest album 'Murder by Pride' is pretty decent stuff)

Some metalcore and/or Unblack metal bands with generally unmelodic vocals, but pretty straightforward lyrics:

Extol
Living Sacrifice
Becoming the Archetype
War of Ages

---Prem

[Jonathan]

Iona

+1

[CatNamedManny]

Mormons and JWs use copious amounts of scripture too. They're still wrong.

That's a pretty poor rebuttal. You know who else used copious amounts of scripture? Jesus. Should we not pay attention to him either? I think you know what I meant.

Anyone who listens to Bride through Oddities knows they were a Christian band with strong Christian lyrics and were straightforward about which passages of scripture they were using for various lyrics and songs. It's up to the listener to decide whether he or she agrees with the message presented.

I didn't know all that about Dale, but I thought "This Is It" seemed to mark a change in their lyrical style. Particularly more angry sounding. I figured he had a chip on his shoulder about Bride not being as successful as it used to be.

On Petra, specifically, I disagree with the song "Last Daze," which pretty clearly seems to be saying that believers can lose their salvation, and I absolutely don't agree with that. Doesn't mean I don't think it's an awesome song, but it's one I appreciate for the musical and lyrical quality, as opposed to the specific message.

[separateunion]

Mormons and JWs use copious amounts of scripture too. They're still wrong.

That's a pretty poor rebuttal. You know who else used copious amounts of scripture? Jesus. Should we not pay attention to him either? I think you know what I meant.

Actually, it's not. Saying "they use copious amounts of scripture" as a stand alone argument is ridiculous. If you're misinterpreting or taking scripture out of context, it doesn't matter how much of it you use. Jesus was part of scripture and is the central point of the Christian faith; of course we should pay attention to him. However, there are lots of people who use lots of scripture and are still way off base.