With a title like Metal For Jesus, this 17-track collection of Christian songs has the potential to confuse the marketplace. The term "Christian metal" can encompass everything from traditional metal to thrash metal to extreme metal to power metal. What's on this album?
Well, Metal For Jesus is even more misleading because — despite containing songs from five Swedish power-metal bands — this really is a vanity project from vocalist Christian Liljegren. As lead singer for each of the bands here (Narnia, Audiovision, Divinefire, Golden Resurrection and Modest Attraction), Liljegren had a hand in writing almost all of these songs. (A cover of Stryper's "The Way" is the main exception.) And while Narnia sounds more polished than the others, Divinefire blends melodic and extreme elements, Audiovision's lyrics are heavily Biblical and Modest Attraction borrows quite a bit from Deep Purple, the similarities among songs and bands suggest that this project may have looked better on paper than it does in reality.
That said, Liljegren proves himself to be a powerful and moving songwriter who can hold his own against the likes of Primal Fear, Sonata Arctica and even the legendary Stryper. I don't doubt Liljegren's devotion to a higher power. I'm a Christian man myself, one who also listens to Christian metal. And if Metal For Jesus helps even one headbanger improve his or her life, God bless Liljegren and his bands. I would have preferred a little more variety here, but Metal For Jesus is better than no metal for Jesus.
Track Listing:
1. People of the Blood Red Cross > Narnia
2. Living Water > Narnia
3. Long Live the King > Narnia
4. The Way (Stryper Cover) > Audiovision
5. We Will Go > Audiovision
6. Divinefire > Divinefire
7. Live My Life For You > Divinefire
8. Proud To Wear the Holy Cross > Golden Resurrection
9. Down On My Knees > Modest Attraction
10. The Final Day > Golden Resurrection
11. God's Mercy > Golden Resurrection
12. Never Surrender > Divinefire
13. Flaming Youth > Golden Reurrection
14. Golden Resurrection > Golden Resurrection
15. Open Your Eyes > Divinefire
16. Bright Morning Star > Divinefire
17. The Way To Eternity > Divinefire
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