Heavy Metal and the Gospel Truth

by Isaiah Pyle

Despite its reputation of glorifying the occult and taking an anti-religious stance, heavy metal contains and revolves around Biblical and Christian imagery. In fact, Christianity is both explored and proclaimed by numerous songs within the genre, illustrating the universal desire for truth and salvation that transcends all else. 

Since its birth, metal has drawn controversy for its apparent embrace of demonic imagery. Prominent artists have embraced the resulting publicity, including Ozzy Osbourne (known in the metal community as The Prince of Darkness), Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath, with whom Osbourne sang for a time. Unfortunately, certain elements of some of these musicians’ personal lives did not help to discourage these controversies. However, despite their lifestyles, many metal artists have maintained a staunch opposition to the occult and even endorsed some version of Christianity. Consider Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford, who was introduced to the faith after becoming sober and giving up a life of debauchery, or Ozzy Osbourne, who once reported that he is a practicing member of the Church of England and prays before each concert. These are just two of the more well-known examples. The apparent contradiction between their professed personal beliefs and their reputations has resulted in some controversy both in and out of the metal community. 

Much of metal’s negative reputation comes from the fact that most metal bands refuse to shy away from heavy topics such as death, loss of conscience, and the structural flaws that plague many established institutions. A key element of metal music is a staunch commitment to authenticity. This frankness and focus on dark, complicated, and at times graphic content has greatly contributed to the negative perception of the genre. However, this bluntness is often used as a means of pointing out what is wrong with the world and advocating for social change, and metal frequently employs religious imagery to achieve this goal. Christianity in particular has a strong presence within the genre. 

A few of the songs that most clearly reflect metal’s relationship with Christianity are “Lord of This World” and “After Forever,” both of which are by Black Sabbath, and “Crown of Horns” by Judas Priest. The first focuses on the brokenness of the world and the consequences of sin. The second is an acknowledgement of Christ’s divinity and a call for the listener to accept Jesus’ sacrifice before it’s too late. The third discusses the complexity of adhering to the Christian faith while being part of a community that has historically had a rocky relationship with the established church. 

“Lord of This World,” one of Black Sabbath’s more explicitly religious songs, mirrors C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters in that it is sung from the point of a devil speaking to those he deceived. In it, Ozzy sings, “Your world was made for you by someone above / But you chose evil ways instead of love… You think you’re innocent, you’ve nothing to fear / ‘You don’t know me,’ you say, but isn’t it clear? / You turn to me in all your worldly greed and pride / But will you turn to me when it’s your turn to die?” Apart from the bold approach of portraying the singer as a devil, the lyrics reflect several teachings found in the Bible. In six short lines, the song references five crucial points of Christianity. 

Line one establishes the fact that God created the world, and that he did so with humanity’s wellbeing in mind. This reflects Genesis 1: 29, where God, after blessing Adam and Eve, tells them, “I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you.” Essentially, humanity was given an environment where it could thrive; God provided shelter and sustenance in a perfect, sinless world. This makes it clear that God did not fall short in His provision for us, nor was he in any way responsible for the fall. This leads into the next line, which summarizes the fall, specifically pointing out that it was a choice that we made: a choice between accepting or rejecting God’s love. The third line, “You think you’re innocent, you’ve nothing to fear,” speaks to how we deceive ourselves into believing that it is actually God who is in the wrong and that we are the victims. We make excuses and explain away our failures by blaming God, resulting in a rapid descent into self-deception. Line five highlights the fact that, whether intentionally or otherwise, we each ultimately chose to serve the devil by rejecting God. The last line serves as a reminder that in the end everyone will recognize that sin holds no lasting protection from the consequences of their choices, reflecting Philippians 2:10-11, which declares that “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Together, these lines paint a vivid picture of the theological history of the world and introduce the concept of divine judgement. 

This picture of Christianity is incomplete, however. It is not enough to address God’s justice without observing his love. “After Forever,” which was part of the same album as “Lord of This World,” is another heavily Christian song of Black Sabbath’s. It complements “Lord of This World” by addressing the merciful nature of God’s love. It opens by directly asking the listener whether they have considered what will happen to their soul when they die and whether they had accepted Christ into their lives. Later in the song, Ozzy brings up the social pressure that people often face for accepting Christ. However, he concludes that because God is the only way to love, trusting in Him is worth the potential consequences. The climax of the song occurs in the final verse, in which Ozzy sings, “Perhaps you’ll think before you say that God is dead and gone, / Open your eyes, just realize that He’s the one, / The only one who can save you now from all this sin and hate.” The inclusion of an altar call at the end of the song is a testament to the musicians’ devotion to sharing the love of God with their audience. 

All things considered, there is more explicit theology in this song than there is in many contemporary Christian albums. However, these two songs are not the only representatives of Christianity within metal music. “Crown of Horns” by Judas Priest, which oscillates between a personal account of a struggle for identity and an acknowledgement of Christ’s ultimate dominion over the singer’s life, is a good example of another aspect of Christianity’s influence on metal. 

The title itself is a play on words summarizing the struggle documented within. On the one hand, “Crown of Horns” is a clear reference to the Biblical crown of thorns that is known for being both a symbol of Christ’s sovereignty and the pain inflicted upon him by mankind. On the other hand, the substitution of the word “thorns” for “horns” is a reference to the “sign of the horns” hand gesture which is in this case representative of metal culture as a whole. The title reflects the duality of being both a Christian and a member of a community often stigmatized and shunned by the church. 

Although the verses touch on the emptiness and despair that comes from living a secular life, the chorus praises Jesus’ sacrifice and tells of the profound impact it has had on the Halford’s life. The transition between the verses mourning the apparent lack of purpose within the world and the chorus reinforces the redemptive nature of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In the chorus, Halford proclaims, “Heavy is the crown of horns / That rests upon this head. / Heavy is the crown of horns / From all the blood He shed. / Heavy is the crown of horns / That kept the faith so bright. / Heavy is the crown of horns / That gave me all this life.” The first line acknowledges the immense weight of the sin that Christ bore in our stead, while the second highlights the suffering we inflicted upon Him. The third serves as a reminder of how Jesus’ sacrifice gives us the hope to endure the sufferings of this life, and the fourth tells of the resuscitative effect of redemption. Later in the song, the focus shifts away from the lostness of the world to the joy of being found. In the final verse, Halford sings of answered prayers and places of rest, and in the bridge, he orders the lister to rejoice in the salvation that awaits them and to never be afraid. As “Lord of This World” and “After Forever” did before it, “Crown of Horns” packs a powerful, raw Christian message into a metal ballad to help bring the gospel to those it might not otherwise reach. 

As these three songs illustrate, there are two main camps that Christian-influenced metal songs fall into; the first consists of songs that call for the judgement of evil, and the second involves songs that tell of mercy and faith acting as a guiding light through times of pain. The common thread between these two categories is the theme of the world’s brokenness, which is a fairly consistent theme within the genre. This acknowledgement of brokenness naturally raises the question of what can be done to repair the damage that has been inflicted. Although some metal songs suggest that a surface level love of humanity is the solution, many songs go deeper and state that in order to fix our world someone greater than us must intervene. This suggestion implies the need for divine redemption. Metal’s raw realism allows it to see the world’s need for a savior. 

It is worth noting that several of the bands who have the most explicitly Christian-themed songs are those whose band members have often been criticized for living sinful lifestyles. Ozzy Osbourne is a prime example, having lived a life that in some ways blatantly contradicts traditionally held Christian values. And yet, he has famously penned several songs that discredit the allegations of satanism while openly acknowledging and affirming God’s sovereignty. Essentially, these musicians reflect humanity’s subconscious desire to be found and acknowledge that there is someone out there looking for them. Their words call John 10:27-28 to mind, where Jesus proclaims, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” All are called by the Good Shepherd, and everyone is faced with the decision to either heed the call or reject it. In this way, despite its reputation, metal music is a medium through which the gospel of Jesus Christ is powerfully shared.