I've been trying to search for the answer, but I can't really find a definite answer.

Well, folks here will give you several possibilities. No doubt you'll hear about the following bands:

Jerusalem
Daniel Band
Barnabas
Stryper
Tempest
Heaven's Force

You could probably make a reasonable case for any of these.

Yup - good ones mentioned.

I remember Jerusalem & Daniel Band specifically. . .

In my opinion Leviticus released the first Christian metal album, with their "Stå Och Titta På" EP. Sure, The Gentiles (later on to be known as Saint) released their first demo in 1981, as did probably many other bands too, but the Leviticus EP was the first album with metal only.

What about Rez? some of their stuff was metal.

Leviticus

I'd say Daniel Band or REZ. Remember, there was some teetering b/w hard rock and metal within the 70's classic rock sound.

Truly Metal? Saint

I'd agree w/ Leviticus.

GothDad posted this at F/S. Looks accurate to me.

Quote:

Looks like Leviticus gets the nod for being the first full-on Christian Metal band. I'm not aware of their debut EP, but I Shall Conquer was released in 1983. I don't think I saw it Christian bookstores in my area (at the time, nearly the only places you could get this sort of music) for at least another year or two, however. Honorable mentions: Saint, Messiah Prophet, and Stryper. Other bands experimented with metal prior to the first releases of the above seminal metal bands. Jerusalem's Warrior album (released in 1981) had elements many would consider metal. Resurrection Band's Rainbow's End (released in 1979) is said to contain elements of metal, but the New Wave/Metal hybrid DMZ (released in 1982) represented examples of full-on metal in Christian music. Already a veteran rock band, much like Resurrection Band (though not usually as edgy), Petra's Bob Hartman began experimenting with heavy metal guitar riffs on the band's More Power To Ya release in 1982. Canadian hard rockers Daniel Band left the prog elements of their hard rock sound behind, and pushed into metal territory on their Straight Ahead album (released in 1983). California-based hard rock outfit Barnabas ventured into a full-on heavy metal sound with Approaching Light Speed (released also in 1983), and never looked back. 1984 and 1985, however, were the watershed years in which heavy metal really broke onto the Christian scene. Stryper's first release, The Yellow and Black Attack EP (released in 1984), made huge waves in the Christian rock scene and in the general heavy metal scene. Stryper was featured early the next year in the premiere issue of the music mag Spin. Saint's Warriors of the Son released the same year as Stryper's EP, and eventually Leviticus' I Shall Conquer and Messiah Prophet's Rock The Flock showed up in Christian bookstores, buoyed by Stryper's popularity. And that's your history lesson for today. Peace, Jeff

great bands there. . .

Excellent!

There are a number of bands earlier than anything named yet on this thread.......however, since I do not play the *Genre--Nazi* game and just lump everything into what I call "hard rock/heavy music/metal"......I guess they don't count.


Move along. Move along.

And let's not forget that Betrayal was the first Christian death metal band:)

I would say by my definbition after researching, that it was Leviticus

It's my Opinion that "Waiting
your reply" -Resurrection Band- was the 1st metal LP out.

Petra…..QUACK!!!!!!
Jerusalem….Too Sissy (though I liked the 1st LP).
Name me someone with bigger onions Than Rez in the 70’s.....?????

From ^^^^ above ^^^^:

Quote:

But what Christian all metal band.....

(Greg's eyes get large. Then a frown comes over Greg's face. "All metal band. All metal band." Turning away he starts screaming and wailing like an Islamic woman in grief; fleeing from the room and tearing his clothes, he stops to dump a flower pot (the only dirt available in the room) on his head and yells as he runs out of the room )

_________________
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"Uh....You can believe me....Uh....because I never lie, and....Uh....Uh....I am always right." words of Sith Lord Obama-Wan.

Daddy likes it all, the DraíodóirDé likes it all

A few names that have not been mentioned yet:

Barren Cross... can trace its history back to 1981- when guitarist Ray Parris and drummer Steve Whitaker both answered the same ad in an LA music paper.

Philadelphia... released its debut, "Tell The Truth", in 1984, just prior to Stryper putting out "TYABA".

This is just like saying were Led Zeppelin the first 'Metal' band. The definition of the genre changes as the intensity of the music changes.....

Rez put out the first Christian Metal Album and that first album for 78 was 'Metal'..... or pull out 'Colors' from 1980...

IMO.... that is... All of the other posts have valid opinions..... I've always loved 'Leviticus' and I played the grooves off of 'I Shall Conquer'... 4 K review in Kerrang... Just that came out 6 years after '...Reply'...