Forchristsake fight back

ON October 6th a post on this site provoked a storm of comments, which flew back and forth  about the Christian metal band ForChristSake.

Despite messaging me on Facebook thanks when the post was first put up on October 6th the comments on this site and on Metal Ireland provoked the band's spokesman to ask me a few nights ago to take the post down or retract the post.

Having been involved in journalism since 1989 the only time I retracted a statement was when as a young naive reporter I was challenged by British Nuclear Fuels. My editor then told me never to do it again. And I haven't.

However, in the interests of fairness I have agreed to carry a statement from the band. Read it before you read my comments...

"Statement from ForChristSake (FCS)

 

"This is a statement to clarify a few points following the recent comments about us on both Metal Ireland and Belfast Metal Heads Reunited.

 

"At no point during the interview were the words discrimination or Christianity used by our bassist

,these were words used by the interviewer concerned who was taking poetic licence in his title and we can understand why people misinterpreted this.

 

"The band did not say that they were discriminated against but we did say that we felt locked out in the local metal scene just because of the close knit metal community, and at no point was this inferred that this had anything to do with our faith/beliefs.

 

"ForChristSake and their families are disappointed and saddened by the barrage of abuse and intolerance of people who felt the need to ridicule us and our beliefs especially considering our unique situation in Northern Ireland of which the metal scene has always professed that its always about the music...

 

"We are just a local band trying to do the best we can and trying to get our message across to people who will listen.

 

"We are all entitled to our faith and we feel we do not deserve this kind of abuse in a public forum considering we would never make similar comments about other people who don't share our beliefs.

 

"Regardless of the comments that have been made we are not deterred in continuing with our band and are grateful for the private and public support from both Christian and Non Christian heavy metal fans.

 

"God Bless

 

FCS"

This is the entire statement - unedited. While I can be a hard nosed journalist, and hard nosed in my current job I take offence at some parts of this statement relating to my professionalism.

I do not normally do this, nor do I usually write in first person - that is not how I was taught in journalism; from covering council meetings, court sittings, and car crashes, the reporter is no the story. When you're standing at the scene of a sectarian murder or talking to a grieving wife or husband you are not the story. Regular readers will know that very few of the stories, reviews and reports are written in the first person. The story is about the band, the music or the gig.

However, I feel it right in giving ForChristSake the space to have their statement carried entirely I wish to clarify a few things.

Firstly, I have given ForChristSake plenty of space on this blog, and the article on 6th October was the third piece carried to date.

Next - despite my own evidence-based atheism I have not held back from reporting on any band because of their beliefs. 

Furthermore writing a headline is not "poetic licence" - it is editing or sub-editing. It also used a rhetorical device to force the reader to think about the concept of a Christian metal band, and the issues they might face. Note the headline's actual phrase is a question and has a question mark. It does not state they are discriminated against; it poses a question to allow readers to make up their own minds.

Nor have I ever challenged them about their faith. I allowed them the space to say what they wished, as in previous articles.

While they received a lot of negative comments they also received support, some very vocal support; I was also accused of "hype" and of "blowing it out of  proportion". I have shoulders broad enough to take it.

If a band wants coverage they are going to have to take criticism on the chin; the internet is like a shark tank once genuine commentators, keyboard warriors and trolls go to work. Just read some of the abuse Metallica have taken in forums about St Anger and there latest film release.

Finally - I will not hesitate to continue to promote my blog on Facebook, Twitter or where ever - that's not "hype" that's using social media to share the content to allow fans to read what is being said. I have interviewed band after band, and individuals in the rock/metal scene who are stellar performers. This is the first time I have been asked to retract a statement.

Nor have ForChristSake ever objected to me promoting articles about them on social media previously...

This is my last comment on this.

Jonny

Owner, Editor, Chief Reporter

Belfastmetalheadsreunited

October 16th, 2013

Are For Christ's Sake being discriminated against in metal because they are Christians?

FOR Christ's Sake are a band that are signed to a label, have a global distribution deal and yet they feel that they are frozen out sometimes in Northern Ireland: is it because they are Christians?

Musically For Christ's Sake are on the heavy side of extreme metal: they plough a path that is a contradiction in many ways, but in other ways their message matches perfectly with their personal belief.

To lay our cards on the table here, the owner and editor of this site, as well as two out of the other three contributors/correspondents are either atheists or anti-theists. However, rock, punk and metal in Northern Ireland has always turned a willing blind eye to cross-community differences, so why should that same indifference not be turned to a band who do not share our views?

There should be no intolerant attitudes in rock; apart from when discrimination, homophobia and racism rear their ugly heads. These values must be rejected out-of-hand.

But, For Christ's Sake feel they are at the receiving end of a type of prejudice because their profoundly held beliefs - especially as they prepare for the global release of their latest album, Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror.

"We are looking forward to our plans to promote this heavyweight release locally and internationally," said bassist Mark John Payne, speaking exclusively to Belfastmetalheadreunited and rockradioni.

"But we realise that to fulfill all our hope for the release that means we hope to be playing outside Northern Ireland as we get a much better reaction. No disrespect to anyone but the local scene is basically friends looking after friends - a clique if you will."

While given the diversity of the local scene as covered in these pages it is not a feeling that we share, but there is no doubt that it is something that Mark and the rest of For Christ's Sake feel, but which they pledge not to hold them back.

"We're not bitter about this, but we feel the metal scene goes through the same cycle of bands.

"And considering we are a signed band with a worldwide distribution deal in place, we feel we should get more of a look in."

Mark is adamant about the determination the band have for album which will hit the racks before the end of the year.

"The situation will not deter us one iota," he said. "We are bringing a beast of an album which will silence our critics!"

Be that as it may, whether it is the beast that For Christ's Sake promise - and on previous evidence it should be - there is no doubt that all acts, no matter the belief system they carve to, or lack of belief, should be given a chance to prove themselves.

Given the theme of the forthcoming album is loosely based upon the Book of Revelations we thought we'd end on this quotation from that self same book: chapter 14, verse three:

"And they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No-one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth."

Who among us will learn the 'songs' that For Christ's Sake bring on their Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror? Or will there be those that show their prejudice?

For Christ's Sake play at Hellowe'en Havoc at Belfast's Voodoo on November 1st.

Challenging preconceptions...

HEAVY metal, by its very nature, is a challenging form of music. There is such a wide range of styles that fall within its ambit, and by the same token the lyrical topics vary from the plain silly to the downright serious.

However, the very term of heavy metal also conjures up images of the diabolic to the anti-theist. And where a band believes in one of the major Abrahamic religions they tend to keep that to themselves.

Such is not the case with Northern Ireland band For Christ's Sake - they openly declare their faith amid the blaze of ferocious death metal.

Yet, they enjoy more success away from these shores than in Northern Ireland.

We caught up with bassist Mark as the band prepare for the May release of their latest album - Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror. And with a title like that it immediately conjures up St John's doom-laden book of Revelations, one which already has been a subject of fascination for scholars and more than a few metal acts.

"Yes, the album title was influences by the events revealed in the Book of Revelations in the Bible," confirmed Mark. "We draw inspiration from this book for our forthcoming album and it has prompted the album's title.

"The majority of the lyrics are derived from the Book of Revelations, but we are not trying to force anything down anyone's throat whether they are a believer of an atheist. We give our viewpoint and like everyone on this earth you have the 'free will' to accept or reject."

Which of course begs the question, if one chooses to reject the New Testament believers think you are destined to an eternity in hell...which some can interpret as For Christ's Sake being a contradiction, playing brutal metal while believing many fans of metal are doomed.

"We feel first and foremost that we do this as an expression of our faith and belief in Christ," said Mark. "We feel empowered by this and feel that it speaks into the brutality of the music."

"Much of the scene is atheist, which is depressing as there are so many great Christian metal bands, although we are the only extreme metal band in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland."

That in itself is an issue for the band.

Mark explained: "People need to hear these bands! We feel we are pioneers in some respects even if we are pushed back in the local scene - if that is the case, so be it.

"We do not suffer because we get offers outside of Northern Ireland. We are just back from playing a major festival in Switzerland called Elements of Rock and we are due to play Meltdown Festival in the UK in May.

"We would like to be included in the local scene, but we seem to be judged by our beliefs more so than the brutality of our music, which we feel stands up to our peers."

Speaking of our peers, we wondered how members of their churches react to the look and sound of For Christ's Sake.

"It's a good question! We don't usually get asked to play at our churches mainly because of it being a tad too heavy for church, although most people are supportive of why we do it and the reasoning behind the music," said Mark. "They understand we have to help youngsters and teenagers hear our message and our music is accessible to that cohort of people; that branch of people who may think who may thing Christian music is stuffy, preachy and boring."

That is something that For Christ's Sake's full on assault could never be accused of! Indeed, asides from the brutality of the music they look at real world events through their faith. We wanted to know did that mean that the band has an evangelistic role in tackling those events.

"We look around us and see a broken world, with suicide, murder, war and drugs dragging us all down," said Mark. "Whether it be corporate corruption or the other wrongs facing the world we tackle these subjects from the point of view of someone who does not know God and what happens if you go down that path.

"For example our song 'Leech' tackles government and corporate corruption and greed and how we suffer because of this."

Despite this the band are open about their influences - which range from the likes of Nile, Gojira, and death metal. We do hope them listing Jessie J among their influences is a tongue in cheek name check!

"Most of our influences are some heavy Christian and non-Christian metal bands - and Belfastmetalheadsreunited readers should really check out Horde, Impending Doom, Becoming the Archetype, Inner Siege and Inexhoirdium to name but a few," said Mark.

At the minute in Northern Ireland there seems to be a live debate between secular influences and wider world challenges from other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The 'fundamentalist' Christian traditions are being challenged within our legislature with debates on abortion and same sex marriages. What, if any role, does a Christian metal band have in these real world controversies.

"We have to take a strong stance against things which are an attack on our beliefs," said Mark. "We do not sugar coat thorny subjects such as abortion or the same sex marriage debates.

"We don't judge. Our view is love the sinner not the sin. We base our beliefs on the Bible and if it's in the Bible that is what we believe."

As they prepare for the next stage in their development in musical terms For Christ's Sake want people to take an  open-minded attitude to their music.

"Please get a copy of our EP and or new album, which is available for pre-ordfer on Roxx Productions. Sit down with a good set of headphones and blast our music and listen to what we are talking about. Listen to the music and we hope that you will not be disappointed!"