Heavenly Metal: Demon Hunter band

'Demon Hunter is the best heavy metal bands of all time!'

Due to its extreme sound and aggressive lyrics, heavy metal music is often associated with controversy. Among the genre's most contentious moments, there have been instances of blasphemous merchandise, accusations of promoting suicide and bad things associated with this kind of genre. Why, then, if it's so "bad", do so many people enjoy it?

There are many reasons why people align themselves with genres of music. It may be to feel a sense of belonging, because they enjoy the sound, identify with the lyrical themes, or want to look and act a certain way. For me, my love of heavy metal was probably a way to feel a little bit different from most people who liked popular music and gain some internal confidence. Plus, I loved the sound of it.

I first began to listen to heavy metal when I was 15 or 16 years old when there's still NU 107.5 and LA 105.9 in the airwaves of the radio station in the Philippines. These radio stations and underground bands introduced me to the world of headbanging. I heard singles by The Wuds, Philippine Violators, Death By Stereo, Snakebite Religion, Mga Anak ng Tupa and Razorback. Foreign bands also metal crunching in my ears, the band such as Cannibal Corpse, Metallica, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Marilyn Manson and many to mention.

Demon Hunter front man Ryan Clark is also a Graphic Designer. :o

Researchers have studied more specifically why people listen to heavy metal, and whether it influences subsequent behaviour. For people who are not fans of heavy metal, listening to music seems to have a negative impact on well-being.

Everything changes when Christian metal bands came like Demon Hunter.

'Demon Hunter'

For anyone who wants to know the logo is a goathead with bullet hole in it which the goathead is a sign of the demon Baphomet and the bullet hole to the head is the death of this demon. The death of our inner demons that we used to fight everyday. This represents to why they are called Demon Hunter.

Bands like this got me listening to Christian lyrics when I first started out. At that time I couldn't listen to the softer music at church and feel the inspiration to fight my inner demons and come closer to Christ. This band became my source of hope when I'm recovering from my coronary artery disease. The lyrics through Christ becomes my strength in my recovery period. This was my "battle music" then and still continues to be now. That's why I also share their songs in my newsfeed for the people to get attached to every song, every lyric. I can listen to other genres of Christian music now. I'm amazed at how many there were. A new Christian can start out with harder stuff like this so they can hear Christ-centered lyrics. I hope they do well. I love Demon Hunter.

The fact is even atheists like there songs and somehow, somewhere change their beliefs.

These are the screenshots on how people get attached to Demon Hunter's music.

These are my favorite Demon Hunter tracks with my favorite lyric line:

I am a Stone

"I am a stone, unaffected

Rain hell down onto me

Flesh and bone, unaffected

Your fool I will not be"

The person asserts to not crumble. Even though a lot of things can be affected by horrible things, the person will remain standing. There will not be a succumbing to sin. Even though sin may force the person to bow down, the person asserts to not even be affected in "flesh and bone" 

Dead Flowers

"Dead flowers for the torn apart
Laid at the grave to heal a broken heart
Let it rain until it floods
Let the sun breathe life once more"

To me it talks about how we are dead to the world but alive in Christ. And if you're brokenhearted dead flowers means the opposite. Means you are giving life, not death.

Driving Nails

"I close my eyes
Search for you
Retracing every step"

This song is a realization of our sinful nature. It deals with the feeling that, despite our attempts to attain a truly pure life, there is always a sinful nature that aims to push us back down. The lyrics recognize that something within us is at war with our faith, but in those moments of clarity, we can close our eyes and retrace our steps back to the Lord, where in His grace we are seen as holy and pure.

On My Side

"Where is the enemy?
I can feel no bite
Where is the enemy
When death is on my side?"

The song is trying to remind us not to be scared in death. If you are a believer of Christ and if your time comes, death has been defeated by Christ, be good on Earth and you will not decay.

One Step Behind

"Father
Forevermore
In dark, in light, remember me
Searching
Find in the name
The truth, the right, and take the lead"

In Ryan's notes (the vocalist), he writes that this song is for his daughter (Cadence). To let her know that through her life if she's ever lost, he'll always be there for her.

More Than Bones

"When the fear is your Messiah
Weaponize your mind
Carve these hollow words inside your soul
I will send to you a passage
Far beyond my time
Hear my fury echo through your cold"

This song is basically saying that when I leave this earth, I'll leave you more than bones - I'll leave you all of my thoughts and all of my hopes and dreams and my desire to connect and resonate with people through this music.

Time Only Takes

"The measures we take
Will anchor our soul-defining place
Decisions we make
Tomorrow may come to shape our ways"

Gravity, time & death will all pass away. Results of Lucifer's disobedience. Be obedient to God, and you will remain forever.

Raining Down

"It's raining down

Under the promise of a dark and heartless skyRaining nowWe know the flood is comingDon't close your eyes"

From the vocalist: When the sun is shining in our own lives, it’s important to remember that it’s raining down upon someone else.

It can be difficult to truly see outside yourself – especially when everything seems to be coming up roses. When we suffer, we expect the world to stop and suffer with us… But when we’re basking in the glow of good fortune, we’re often blind to those whose lives are in turmoil. This song is a reminder, to myself as much as anyone else, to be mindful at all times of the difficulties others face.

The Wind

"These city lights illuminate your breath

As you tell of all the ways that you feel dead

December left you cold and alone

I'm sorry but I have enough to fear on my own"

This is my personal favorite. Last year of 2018, Christmas season I was really depressed and hopeless because of my condition, the chronic heart disease that I have. The song inspired me a lot to get through and there's more reason to fight before my successful open heart surgery.

Slight The Odds

"Cut my teeth against the grain
Let me die without the pain (or live to slight the odds)
Same old trouble after all
Will I go before I fall (or live to slight the odds)"

From the vocalist: “I’ve written songs about friends losing their faith before. As it continues to be an unfortunate reality in my life, it remains a relevant subject. In this song I attempt a more sympathetic approach, understanding that many seasons in life can seem unforgiving.

Slight, in a sense, means to reject. As I see it, in terms of keeping my own faith, the odds are stacked against me. But I would rather die with my faith intact than live to see it dwindle away.

Carry Me Down

"Will you carry me down the aisle that final day
With your tears and bones shaking from the weight?
When you lower me down beneath that sky of grey
Let the rain fall down and wash away your pain"

I saw this song as more of a letter to loved ones about the death of this person. "carry me down the aisle that final day" which means on the day of his death obviously, "tears and cold hands shaking from the weight" so he wants the people closest to him to carry his casket. then finally "let the rain fall down and wash away your pain" Demon Hunter's message always has to do with Jesus, so in this line I think its telling the people he loves not to mourn his death, but rejoice his salvation.

My Heartstrings Come Undone

"And when my heartstrings come undone
I will wait for you, pray for you
Before I make my final run
I will stay with you, decay with you"

To me personally, I see it about sin. A specific sin that's really hard for you to give up. And you promised God so many times that you would stop doing it, but no matter what, you keep turning to it. "i hope it doesn't last
It's something i already chased, i already chased"

Leave Me Alone

"That's my only guess
Break the flesh till nothing left to atone
But I wanna know
When the grave will need me or just leave me alone"

This song hits me on a personal level... Ryan wrote it about a serious, albeit temporary, health problem. For people with chronic stuff it means a lot more..

"But I wanna know when the grave will need me or just leave me alone"