Where has the good Christian music gone?

The 90s was a great time for Christian music. As a Christian in the early 90s, I forced myself to find some I could listen to. The only artists I even liked was Petra and Michael W. Smith, but even then, it was not me. For those that know me, I have this affinity for electronic music that runs very deep. I heard “Axel F” by Harold Faltermeyer and it was all over, then “Rock It” by Herbie Handcock just reinforced what I already knew, electronic music is all me. When I heard Newsboys open for Petra, right before they were to come out with the“Not Ashamed” album and WOW! I dropped Petra like a hot iron skillet and found other great bands with an electronic vibe such as Code of Ethics and World Wide Message Tribe.

Then the year 2000 hit and BOOM, Christian music just went poof! Newsboys released Love Liberty Disco, and it was all downhill from then on. Smitty didn’t grow with the times, and DC Talk jumped on the alternative bandwagon. World Wide Message Tribe stepped down to do their Manchester ministry and re-established/renamed their band “The Tribe” with all new young faces that stank in every way possible. Audio Adrenaline got soft for my taste after Underdog (and they groovy enough for my taste). My favorite Christian band of all, Code of Ethics disbanded. At least Code of Ethics leaves a great legacy with every album being amazing musically, lyrically and biblically.

Driving to LA today, I listened to World Wide Message Tribe: Dance Planet again. That was a pretty spectacular album. In My Life with the great baseline and use of samples, Life with great synths and lyrics, and Peace with the very unique musical transition that you never heard on the radio because they cut it (silly Air 1). This was a great album. I still listen to Code of Ethics. Every album had a very unique sound and lyrical approach to it, each great in their own right. Their last album Blaze is the best praise album I will likely ever hear.

Also in the 90s, electronic music finally established itself as something that was not going away and became solidified as a bonified, respectable music genre. Leftfield, Fluke, The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, Massive Attack, Chemical Brother, Royksopp, Mint Royale, Kraftwerk, The Crystal Method, all electronic artists that consistently put out amazing music that pushes the boundaries and, sorry to say but I find it true, rivals and surpasses nearly anything Christians can put out (biblical based lyrics aside).

For those naysayers, not listening to Christian music does not make me any less of a Christian, and this is also not a rant about me “loosing my Christianity” (which is ludicrous anyways for anyone who has read the Bible). Believe me, I would love to listen to more Christian music, but I can only take so much “guitar band” music that all sounds the same and worship music that is often substandard musically, what you have already heard in church, and sometimes contrary to what the Bible teaches (those songs were written by fallible humans remember).

This is one place I want to be proven wrong. PLEASE, prove me wrong! I know I am not the only one who feels this way as I have talked to other Christians, and most of them feel the same way I do. Are there any good Christian bands anymore? Bands that push the boundaries lyrically, musically and have a very solid basis in Christ? Also if they could have a fairly ample amount of groove, all the better!