Tim Lambesis used to be a pretty cool dude in one of the best Christian metal bands around, As I Lay Dying. What happened? If you haven't already seen it plastered all over the news outlets lately, on Tuesday, Tim was arrested for plotting to have his wife murdered. A friend of mine who loved As I Lay Dying called me tonight with the news, and honestly, it was hard to believe, but not so hard to understand when you see the direction that Tim was going in his life. As I Lay Dying was one of my favorite bands and the reason that I ever got into today's modern screamo-type metal. I grew up with metal where they actually tried to be understood clearly, and so it was really hard for me to stomach the new metal, but somehow As I Lay Dying broke me in. Over time, I found An Ocean Between Us to be a perfect record, and ultimately led me to buy most of their early catalog. But lets go back to the purpose of this post. Why would a man that apparently gave his heart to Christ turn into a murderer that wanted to end his wife's life?
What caused it?
I think it was a slow, subtle fade.
I remember when their record The Powerless Rise came out. I did what I usually always do with a CD and went to the credits. I wanted to see who they'd thanked and various other information. I saw them thanking the Lord nowhere in there. I tried to rationalize in my mind thinking that well, some people don't need to publicly proclaim thanks to the Lord... Maybe they just did it silently. But, somewhere deep inside, I knew that was wrong and I knew that they were fading. I didn't listen to that album anymore. I said, maybe I'll catch the next one. You see, the whole idea for me, is to not let myself be a part of that potential fade.... If they made a record while fading, then I sure don't want any of that on me.
So, that is where I slowly starting separating myself from them, but I hoped they would get better. But then later on, the worst happened. I saw that they had covered Slayer on their 10th anniversary tribute album Decas. Now, I knew Slayer pretty good, having grown up in the 80's and 90's in metal. They were one of my favorite bands. But, that was a different time for me. A time, when I ignorantly followed satan and didn't know the Lord. To me, Slayer permeated evil. They sang about death, murder, hell and satan. In fact, listening to their music as kids, made us
want to do evil. If you don't know about Slayer, just Google their album covers, but don't listen to their music. You'll get the picture just off the album covers alone. So, when I saw that AILD had gone that far, I went ahead and asked Tim Lambesis via Twitter why he would cover Slayer. His answer was strange. He said, "Some of their lyrics I don't agree with, but on this song (War Ensemble) I didn't mind."
So, today I am surprised, saddened and more aware than ever about the power of music. It's no secret that satan was a musician and still is. He uses it because it's a universal language. And it's not just metal. I heard one member of the satanic church (it might have even been Anton LaVey, the founder) say that Frank Sinatra's song "My Way" was one of the most satanic songs of the century. My stepfather Kenny quoted it better than anyone I have ever heard when he said that,
"
Words and thoughts are seeds. Combined with music, they're a
powerful force. They may seem very small and insignificant, but can
grow into a great influence in our hearts and lives and may possibly
govern our future actions as their influence grows."
My purpose in writing this is to encourage my readers to understand the power of music and be careful with what music you listen to and allow to influence your thinking. After all, this is why I started this blog so many years ago. I am not saying that listening to Slayer is the SOLE cause of his actions, but what I am saying is that musicians at that level, or any level, need to set up boundaries, set up accountability partners and most of all, stay so close to Jesus that a piece of paper couldn't fit in between you both. If Jesus asks you to walk away from music, then like David Morrisson (For Today) did, do it. All satan needs is a slight crack to crawl in through, and then once he is in, will wreak total hell in your life. I once heard that some peoples lives are for warnings and some are for
examples. Let your life be an example, but learn from those that are
warnings. God Bless. Peace.
Until recently, I am not sure that I have ever heard of After The Well, but after listening to their music on Facebook, I think they're a really solid worship band with a fresh sound. Founded in 2008, they have played for thousands at youth conferences, camps and all across America. Their sound can be compared to Lifehouse and David Crowder Band, but with enough originality to be different. Some things on this album that really stick out for me are how well the songs are written, produced and recorded as well as other high points like the vocals which are edgy, but very clean as well as the guitars and keys that somehow flow and intertwine with each other making musical bliss. This makes for a very solid sound and I really think these guys make the kind of music that will be heard on the radio. My favorite songs are Open Heaven, I Refuse and Not Alone. As a matter of fact, most of the day yesterday their song Not Alone was going through my head. I'm really excited to see what this band continues to do. They certainly have the potential to have a career like Mercy Me or David Crowder. Scope their album. I am sure you'll agree!
