Disciple was created in 1992 by Kevin Young, Brad Noah, Adrain DiTommasi, and Tim Barett. The group constituted four high school friends that came together to form a music band in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The award-winning music band has been in existence for 30 years and within this period, many have joined and left the band. Presently, the band constitutes; Kevin Young (Lead vocalist and guitarist), Andrew Stanton (lead guitarist and backup vocalist), Josiah Prince (guitarist and backup vocalist), and Joey West (Drummer).
The lyrical contents and vocals of songs by the band are usually very rhythmic and forthright and cover diverse themes that appeal to Christians and even secular audiences.
Disciple has been recognized as a Christian band, however, their heavy rock metal style of music is similar to many secular bands and this has made listeners question the religious status of the band. Many listeners think that the band rocks even more than some secular bands and are always on the quest to find out if Disciple is truly a Christian band or not. If you are one of such, then you are in the right place, as this article will provide answers that will clear your doubts.
Is Disciple a Religious Band?
Looking at the choice of name “Disciple” one will easily conclude that the band is religious. The word “disciple” in the Christian faith means someone who accepts Jesus Christ, is willing to follow him to the end and spreads the gospel of God. From the name, the band is very open about their religious agenda and has publicly identified themselves as disciples of Jesus Christ.
In a 2007 interview with broadcaster Greg Sammons of Cross Rhythms, lead vocalist Young confirmed that even after several plans to change the name, they could not and just accepted that it’s God’s way of telling them that they are supposed to be his disciples.
Away from the band name, members of the band have outrightly identified with Christianity. In an Interview with ChristianToday, the band’s vocalist, Young stated that they are a Christian band and that won’t stop. “If doors open for us to play in mainstream venues that’s great but it won’t change who we are. We are children of God that don’t stop” he said.
The band believes that the spiritual and religious messages they share are very powerful and can change the lives of their listeners. They are very committed to the ministry of God and seize every opportunity to share the gospel in their songs and during shows. Some fans revealed that if you purchase a CD during any Disciple live shows, they give you an extra free copy to give to a lost soul to spread the gospel of Christ and draw people to God.
What kind of Music Band is Disciple?
Disciple is a Christian rock band. Christian rock is characterized by lyrics that focus on matters of the Christian faith. The songs emphasize Jesus Christ, God, the Bible, and other pillars of Christianity. Christian rock is performed by individuals who have declared their faith in Christianity and have deep knowledge of what Christianity entails.
Disciples have also incorporated hard rock and Christian metal into their music. They use a combination of aggressive and melodic vocals, distorted electric guitar, and mid-paced guitar riffs.
The secular metal influences combined with positive Christian messages have made their songs appealing to a wider audience.
Christianity and religion is usually the main theme in songs by Disciple. They have also been able to explore themes like repentance, fear, platonic relationships, faith and hope, trust, recovery, redemption, rebirth, addiction, depression and mental illness, suffering, forgiveness, and anxiety embedded with positive Christian messages.
Elements of Christianity are deeply rooted in the lyrics of every song by Disciple. Even when some of the songs adopt aggressive vocals and other components of metal and hard rock, they do not divert from issues concerning Christianity and religion
Disciple currently has 12 studio albums and numerous singles that have been nominated for several awards including the popular Dove awards and have won twice in the Rock Album of the year category. Songs by the band have also gone beyond the Christian music charts. Songs like “O God save us all” and “Attack” topped the charts in Billboard’s Hard Rock Top 200 Entry.
Is Disciple a Christian Band?
A Christian is a person whose faith and trust are in Jesus Christ, who is said to be the central figure of the Christian faith. A Christian lives according to the laws and teachings of Christianity which must be reflected in his/her lifestyle.
Similarly, to be labeled a Christian band, such a band must have publicly declared their support for the Christian faith. They must identify as Christians and this should also be reflected in their lifestyles. The lyrical composition of their songs must portray the beliefs of Christians. They must also contain biblical references, Christian messages, and themes.
Disciple has adopted a contemporary Christian music style which has made the band appealing to audiences with various beliefs and lifestyles. The band has been able to perform to secular audiences without sounding “too Christian” because of the metal and hard rock styles infused into their music.
Members of Disciple are not ashamed of their faith and have publicly stated that “faith” comes first to them. They revealed that they value faith over fame and don’t bother if they perform to just a little crowd that believes in the gospel they spread.
In an interview with Cross Rhythms, the band reaffirmed their faith in Christianity. In their words:
” That’s our approach. We’re just being who we are. You don’t have to like us. You can hate us, that’s fine. But we’re not going to try to change ourselves just so that people will like us. We’re going to be ourselves and share ourselves and hopefully do it in a non-threatening way. We’re not trying to make anybody mad or anything but just trying to put out the best music we possibly can and be ourselves and share our faith with people.”
In an interview with Vocalist Young and Courierpress, he reaffirmed that they are a Christian band and won’t stop to share their faith anywhere they go. In his words “But make no mistake, despite our hard-edged sound, Disciple is a Christian band, and members routinely share their faith during concerts. Our view is definitely that there’s power in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s what saves people. It’s not the wrapping of the gift that matters; it’s what the gift is.”
A plethora of songs by Disciple can be qualified as Christian songs. Even when they try to employ other themes in some of their songs, they still make references to the Bible and include positive faith-based messages. The band performs its songs in churches and other Christian gatherings. With these, we can boldly say that Disciple is a Christian band.
Disciple Band Christian Songs
As a proud Christian band, all songs by Disciple portray their faith in God and the Christian religion. Several songs by the band contain deep spiritual and religious messages that are used to spread the gospel to diverse listeners. Some well-known Christian songs by Disciple include;
- Once and for All
- Dive
- Worth the Pain
- Draw the Line
- Invisible
- After the World
- Rise Up
- The wait is over
- Walk with me, etc
In the lyrics below from “Once and for All” by Disciple, the songwriter states that sometimes we try to keep little secrets that weigh us down in life. He explains that though God knows it all, we still try to hide it from him. He says he is done hiding his lies and is surrendering to God so that God’s grace will shine on him and the weight of every secret and pain will go away. Here are the lyrics below:
“All alone
In a place, I can’t remember
Lost control
Forgot what I was chasing after …….
I’m done trying to hide my lies
Away from Mercy’s eyes………
…..Every single regret, every misstep
That kept me in the dark
But now I stand face to face
With the light of Your Grace
And all the weight of all my shame begins to fall“
Is Disciple a Satanic Band?
No! Disciple is not a Satanic band. The band is not associated with Satanism and has affirmed its belief in the Christian faith. The band has been very expressive of their beliefs and status as Christians which they stated they can’t trade even for fame.
A Satanic band believes in Satan and its songs and lifestyles reflect the practices of Satanism. A Satanic band will promote demon worship through their lyrics, music videos, and other elements of their music. Given this background, we can categorically state that Disciple is not a Satanic band.
Conclusion
For a music band that has publicly expressed their beliefs and affiliations with Christianity, there is no reason to disagree with them. The lifestyle of the band members, song lyrics and context, and other elements provide an insight into their status as a Christian band”.
Think we were wrong? Write your reasoning in the comments and prove us wrong!