No Prize From God

BACKWORDZ. Reason Magazine described Eric July as “America’s top black Christian anarcho-capitalist rap-metal artist.” Eric has been on right-leaning media outlets like Fox News and The Blaze, but he doesn’t "cape" for any political party or elected official; he’s not even an official member of the Libertarian Party. As he told the Dallas Observer, his beliefs don’t boil down to wanting “to smoke weed, conspiracy theories, and inside jobs.” A self-described Voluntaryist, Christian Anarchist, and commentator, Eric is a former member of the band Fire From The Gods and has detailed many of his beliefs in BackWordz songs like “Self Ownership,” “Elitist,” and “Statheist.” 

THRICE frontman Dustin Kensrue on his journey with life's big questions; his personal evolution; the relationship (or lack thereof) between Thrice and the so-called Christian Music genre; how toxic mismanagement caused the dissolution of the church where he served as worship leader; inerrancy in scripture; theologian Peter Enns, Alfred North Whitehead and process theology; transitioning from interviewee to interviewer; and his podcast, Carry The Fire.

LIFE OF AGONY. Singer Mina Caputo, whose band is responsible for the metallic hardcore classic River Runs Red, talks about culture, spirit, human history, religion, transgender issues, connectivity, social media, psychedelics, and the inspiration she's drawn from writers, thinkers, and mystics like Terence McKenna, Alan Watts, Graham Hancock, Ram Dass, and Florence Scovel Shinn. 

W.A.S.P. Heavy metal frontman and target (of the PMRC, Blackie Lawless talks about witnessing the birth of KISS; his Baptist upbringing; heavy metal’s obsession with faith, the devil, and God; how the church flourished under persecution; retracing Paul’s steps in ancient cities;  predestination; Calvinism; spiritual warfare; why he won’t perform certain songs anymore; and indoctrination vs. thinking for yourself.

BEYOND EX-GAY. Playwright, Bible scholar, and activist Peterson Toscano on his personal experience with so-called "conversion therapy"; what Scripture says about gender identity; climate change; comedy and social issues; changing hearts and minds within the church and without; and much more. 

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS. Kellin Quinn talks about his early childhood experiences with the church; getting into bands like Showbread and Underoath; his issues with certain practices and failures of organized religion; life's big questions and prayer with his own children; overbearing musical missionaries on the road; and where he's at in his personal journey today. 

EMPEROR is almost without equal in the black metal music scene. As frontman for the legendary Norwegian band and an accomplished solo artist, Ihsahn is uniquely qualified to speak with authority about the subculture. He talks about the evolution of his personal philosophy; the importance of meaning, purpose, and confrontation in art; Friedrich Nietzche; and much more. 

ALTER BRIDGE. Alter Bridge and Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators vocalist Myles Kennedy lost his father when he was just four years old. His dad's undiagnosed appendicitis was likely treatable, but due to his devout Christian Scientist beliefs, he refused medical care. In this episode, the singer talks about that experience, his own journey through belief and unbelief, and how it all informs his debut solo album, Year of the Tiger. 

COME & LIVE! As A&R at Tooth & Nail Records, Chad Johnson helped guide the careers of Underoath, Anberlin, Haste The Day, and mewithoutyou, among others. He abruptly left the traditional music business in 2009, launching a radical new venture called Come&Live!, which gave music away and donated 100% of proceeds to mission work and humanitarian causes. C&L! staffers, like Chad (who has a wife and two children), relied solely on fundraising to pay their bills. His new book is One Thousand Risks: Fighting Fear for an Awkward, Awesome Life with Jesus.

GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES. A self-described Spirit Medium, Karyn Crisis gives classes, workshops, private readings, and demonstrations about the "Mediumship" system of channeling and communicating with the spirit world. Her work also focuses on the legacy of the "witches" of the past. She sings in occult metal band Gospel Of The Witches, whose debut album, Salem's Wounds, is available on Century Media Records.

SOLDIERS FOR JESUS MC. Patrick "Slo-Roll" McKinney is a National Officer with Soldiers for Jesus Motorcycle Club and author of the book Unchained Rebel: An Outlaw Biker's Toughest Fight. A retired Army veteran, Slo-Roll preaches at a small Biker Church in the Sandhills region of North Carolina and ministers to secular MCs.

DEMON HUNTER frontman and Grammy nominated designer Ryan Clark talks about growing up the son of a pastor; the obstacles and misconceptions that come with the phrase "Christian music"; creative inspiration; artistic credibility; his health scare and subsequent lifestyle changes; Western food and medicine; and much more.

SOULFLY. Max Cavalera talks about getting baptized at the Vatican; his mother’s deep immersion into the Candomblé religion; witnessing rituals and believers "possessed" by saints and deities in his childhood household; the death of his father and the loss of his stepson, Dana; the spiritualism he finds present in some of the darkest and angriest metal music; the transformative experience that led to the eventual creation of Sepultura; his unapologetic belief in God; and the central role of spirituality in his life.

SATYRICON frontman Satyr Wongraven tells Ryan J. Downey about the early days of Norwegian black metal; his mother and father; discovering bands like Metallica, Slayer, Venom, and Bathory; whether Norway is a historically Christian nation; and about his deep appreciation and sense of connection with nature. He speaks candidly about the benign brain tumor that remains inside of him: the prognosis, the impact the tumor has had on his daily life, and watching a friend of his battle cancer.

UNDEROATH guitarist Tim McTague tells Ryan J. Downey about the evolution of his personal faith; how his present worldview informs his relationships with his family, his neighbors, and his band; Underoath’s encounters with NOFX frontman Fat Mike during the 2006 Warped Tour; why the band stopped performing at Christian music festivals; the roots of extremism, from fundamentalism to white supremacy; and the need to constantly challenge our assumptions.

INTEGRITY. Dwid Hellion joins his old friend Ryan J. Downey for a conversation that touches on isolation, late night horror hosts, domestic violence, skateboarding, the origin of the phrase “metalcore,” the occult, Chet Baker, Glenn Danzig, Anton LaVey, Boyd Rice, the Process Church of Final Judgement, and more.

EPISCOPAL PRIEST. The Rev. Broderick Greer joins Ryan J. Downey for an in-depth discussion. Broderick offers lectures and facilitates conversations at the intersection of social media, American history, queer theory, black theology, human rights, and racial justice. His byline has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and Huffington Post. Broderick is a graduate of the Virginia Theological Seminary and Curate at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and School in Memphis, TN.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Jesse Leach joins Ryan J. Downey for an in-depth conversation about the singer’s father, a highly educated theologian who went from hippie to biker to Buddhist, before finding Jesus in the ‘70s; the juxtaposition between living in inner city Philadelphia and rural Wisconsin; discovering punk, hardcore, and hip-hop; staying focused on social justice and equality; his personal evolution as a singer and lyricist; and his spiritual journey within and outside the Christian frame work.

MEMPHIS MAY FIRE. Matty Mullins on anxiety, depression, panic disorder, psychotherapy, getting married to his high school sweetheart, growing up a pastor’s kid, modern evangelism, his journey from playing in local bands to Memphis May Fire, and his personal relationship with the Christian faith.