XS' top 15 Christian Bands of the 80s list....

Pretty decent list, but I'd swith Deliverance and Bride, with Holy Soldier while moving Guardian way down the list.

http://sleazeroxx.com/stryper-top-xs-rocks-top-15-christian-metal-bands-of-the-80s-list/

01 - Bride
02 - Tourniquet
03 - Stryper
04 - Deliverance
05 - Vengeance Rising
06 - Whitecross
07 - Saint
08 - Bloodgood

Here is the list from the link...
01. Stryper
02. Barren Cross
03. Holy Soldier
04. Guardian
05. Bloodgood
06. Bride
07. Whitecross
08. Deliverance
09. Tourniquet
10. Sacred Warrior
11. X-Sinner
12. Saint
13. Leviticus
14. Angelica
15. Shout

The article states 80's bands and Tourniquet is a 90's band.

I guess this would be my top bands from that era:

Vengeance Rising
Believer
Deliverance
Barren Cross
Bride
Sacrament
Seventh Seal
Holy Soldier
Neon Cross
Martyr
Ransom

My favorites:

Barren Cross
Deliverance
Haven
Sacred Warrior
Beliver
Bride
Saint
Soldier
Tourniquet
Shout
Veni Domine
Stryper

mine, in no order:

Haven
Sacrament
Deliverance
Stryper
Immortal
Tourniquet
Sacred Warrior
Martyr / Betrayal
Wickeds End
Valor
Have Mercy
Viking
Apostle
Warlord
Drop Dead

Man, I forgot about Apostle and Immortal (pre-Circle Of Dust)....killer demos!

No particular order. But here's mine:

Holy Soldier
Believer
Bride
Living Sacrifice
Recon
Saint
Barren Cross
Deliverance
Stryper
Tourniquet

James B. wrote:

The article states 80's bands and Tourniquet is a 90's band.

Yes and most of these bands, along with my own additions below, came so late in the 80's that their sophomore releases, and perhaps the height of their commercial popularity, didn't hit until the early 90's. That's a poorly titled article, if anything. Leave out the "80's" parameter and it makes more sense.

Here's my list. And no, Stryper is not on there.

Bloodgood
Barren Cross
Recon (demo in '89, debut in '90)
Holy Soldier (debut in '90)
Deliverance (debut in '89)
Sacred Warrior
X-Sinner (debut Get It in '89, I believe)
Crystavox (debut in '89)
Angelica ('89, right?)
Messiah Prophet
Vengeance Rising (Human Sacrifice was '89)
Tourniquet (Stop the Bleeding in '90)

So that's 11, and there are some damn good obscure trad metal Christian bands from the mid-80's that I've sampled (Emerald and , but I'm not familiar enough with any of it.

'Human Sacrifice' was 1988, actually.

OK, here's where I make some enemies, cuz I can't even come up with fifteen bands

I never understood the whoop de doo about Tourniquet or Vengeance Rising (I preferred Die Happy, but they were '90s so they wouldn't make the cut for this list). Holy Soldier never did anything for me, nor did Angelica.

Aside from one or two albums each, I can take or leave Bride and Saint.
Guardian were OK when they were doing the generic brand Stryper thing on their first album but otherwise, meh.

For whatever it's worth these were the CCM Metal bands I listened to most back in the day...

Stryper
Barren Cross
Deliverance
X-Sinner
Messiah Prophet
Sacred Warrior
Recon

Vengeance Rising was another favorite. I meant to include them.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

'Human Sacrifice' was 1988, actually.

Ah, so it was, my mistake.

Fat Freddy wrote:

OK, here's where I make some enemies, cuz I can't even come up with fifteen bands

I never understood the whoop de doo about Tourniquet or Vengeance Rising (I preferred Die Happy, but they were '90s so they wouldn't make the cut for this list). Holy Soldier never did anything for me, nor did Angelica.

Aside from one or two albums each, I can take or leave Bride and Saint.
Guardian were OK when they were doing the generic brand Stryper thing on their first album but otherwise, meh.

For whatever it's worth these were the CCM Metal bands I listened to most back in the day...

Stryper
Barren Cross
Deliverance
X-Sinner
Messiah Prophet
Sacred Warrior
Recon

I'm pretty much on board here--I can understand anyone's dislike for Tourniquet and VR, they had some really weird stuff going on. Angelica was fun stuff, well delivered, but forgettable. I've lost most of my love for Guardian (although Miracle Mile is well-deserving of its accolades). But I'm surprised you don't like Holy Soldier! I figure they'd be right up your alley. See No Evil? Dead End Drive? Crazy? When the Reign Comes Down?! Probably some of the most hooky pop metal you could find in a Christian bookstore back in the day. Ah, memories...

And I really, really, really wanted to add Die Happy too haha.

Quote :

I'm surprised you don't like Holy Soldier!

(shrugs) Can't like everything.

I bought the first album on cassette back in the day after seeing the video for "See No Evil" on MTV, but aside from that track it never grabbed me.

I'm a strong Catholic - all my life -
but never really dabbled with Christian metal -
I will admit to owning two SAINT - CDs -
The list will be helpful if I'm so inclined.
Too bad no album titles - just band names - lol
I did listen to Messiah Prophet last week/YouTube - and was surprised !
I recently bought SINNER - 4 CD package -
so when I saw X-Sinner - I had to laugh

I liked Holy Soldier and Last Train.

Freddy, you're right on about Guardian. First Watch was decent, but the Jamie Rowe stuff never grabbed me.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Quote :

I'm surprised you don't like Holy Soldier!

(shrugs) Can't like everything.

I bought the first album on cassette back in the day after seeing the video for "See No Evil" on MTV, but aside from that track it never grabbed me.

My one complaint about that album is the production; it's wafer thin.

Have you given Last Train a shot? Way beefier, bit darker, cool cover of Gimme Shelter, catchy as hell. A little less riff-oriented, more 70's influences, but still very metal.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I never understood the whoop de doo about Tourniquet

Have you listened to the whole "Stop the Bleeding" album? That's the only one I'd recommend.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

I never understood the whoop de doo about Tourniquet

Have you listened to the whole "Stop the Bleeding" album?  That's the only one I'd recommend.

Yeah, I actually owned it at one time. Musically they were great but the vocals irritated the crap outa me. One minute he was growling like Udo Dirkschneider, the next he was squealing like King Diamond, up, down, up, down, blah blah blah. Two songs in and I was like "Somebody stick a rag in that guy's mouth and shut him the f*** up so I can hear the band!"

I could give 15 bands just from Riverside/Berdoo area

Redeemer
First Aid
Apostasy Denied
Contagious
Final Axe
Spectra
Touche' Touche'
Holy Right
Iron Wrath
Emerald
Fast Forward
Isaiah Fox
Towne Cryer
X-Sinner
D.T.S

You Tourniquet deniers!!!

Tourniquet's first 4 albums are undeniable, IMO.

scottmitchell74 wrote:

You Tourniquet deniers!!!

Who?

Big Rich wrote:

scottmitchell74 wrote:

You Tourniquet deniers!!!

Who?

Non-fans of Tourniquet and/or Vengeance Rising actually have my sympathies. I get it. Stop the Bleeding and Human Sacrifice, while classics in their own right, have some of the shoddiest vocal work imaginable. It's almost like Martinez and Ritter (and Lenaire, right? I always get confused there) wanted so desperately to be vicious metal frontmen that they pushed their rather mediocre pipes to an absurd degree of histrionics. In short, they could be accused of trying to hard. But it never bothered me for some reason. The effect was a little unsettling, like my brain telling me "these guys don't belong here, they can't be trusted, RUN." As a kid it was frightening and that kind of carried over naturally to my adult ears. I love both bands and all their OTT vox.

Also important to note is how crazy these albums, hell artists, were upon arrival. The Christian market hadn't heard anything like it, right (CCM historians correct me if I'm wrong at any point)?

And Stop the Bleeding is one of my favorite thrash albums in terms of the mix. Every instrument shines on that album.

Lots of good bands listed already. Here’s what mine would be.

The Crucified
Stryper
Messiah Prophet
Barren Cross
Vengeance
Deliverance
Living Sacrifice
Sacrament
Believer
Seventh Angel
Sacred Warrior
Detritus