I love me some HARDCORE music. I have been into Hardcore for the last 17 years. I remember my first Hardcore album. It was Bad Brains “Rock For Light.” It changed my life. I was into the standard fair of Minor Threat, & Black Flag the holy trinity of Hardcore. Then I discovered 7 Seconds, Jerry’s Kids, & Sick of it All. I got really into the Straight Edge scene. Although I was never really “sXe”…I smoked cigarettes on the DL.
Judge, Slapshot,Youth of Today, Judge, Bold, & Gorilla Biscuits. Earth Crisis, Strife, Excessive Force, 1134, Chain of Strength. I loved me some Hardcore! I would go to shows and “dance.” I still listen to Hardcore when I work out. I love Hardcore. Hardcore has formed, destroyed, and reformed my understanding of the world around me. Thus, it has had a lasting affect upon my understanding of the Divine. When I was in seminary I began a project about Hardcore music and the folks that live in it, by it, and with it. The folks of Hardcore music express a theology within their music and I am working on a guide to that theology.
I have been working on this project I have called, “The Theology of Hardcore.” I ran across this. It is a great example of what is out there in the way of evangelical, hardcore christian music. I have not come across much progressive christian voice in the hardcore scene.
Give this one a listen and read the words. Share with me what you think the theology may be that inspired the message offered in this song.
Interesting mix of prophetic messages, call to a reformed life, resistance to the dominant culture, but wrapped up in a very disturbing style and way to express these ideas through this music genre.
I guess my overall reaction is this is disturbing as it is combined here. Counter cultural but embedded in a specific cultural context.
While I enjoy the hardcore sound, I’m not sure how effectively it conveys the Gospel message in the absence of translation/subtitles. It’s a bit like one of my personal hardcore faves, which you can check out here at a live concert in Philly:
It’s…intense. As content, it has…intensity.
That’s not to say it has no place in the Christian’s musical vocabulary.
Where the hardcore sound works theologically is in articulating defiance against injustice and a expressing a deep awareness of the brokenness of our culture. These are good things.
listen to advent. their lyrics are pretty outspoken:
I don’t know if I’d ever consider Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Black Flag, 7 Seconds, Jerry’s Kids, or Sick of it All to be hardcore. Advent, yeah. But the others? I dont know about that.