Blackhouse
Encyclopedia
Blackhouse is a Christian
industrial
band. Blackhouse plays what has been cited as "primo industrial rock", contrasting with post-industrial styles promulgated by artists such as NIN
, Klank
, or Circle of Dust
. Blackhouse was formed in 1984 and is cited as the first band to make industrial music for the Christian market.
.
The sound that Blackhouse offered was far outside the norms of Christian music at the time of the band's formation, and live performances met with resistance from both the Christian right
and Neo-Nazi youth organizations. The Neo-Nazi groups protested the religious content, which was unusual in a genre more known for espousing negative themes including nihilism
, pornography
, sadomasochism, and drug culture, and the Christians took point with the style that the band offered, again due to its association with negative elements of society. After a time the band went underground, focusing on producing recorded material rather than touring.
Their music continues to be on the cutting edge of creativity and experimental
, avant-garde music
. One review of their 2006 collaborative project Beetu Lathri Kwan found that their genre-mixing produced what was deemed an "intentional dissolution of traditional concepts of... music." The music's effect on the reviewers has shown a great variety of responses. One reviewer reported that the sound finds the "border of our conscious and unconscious thinking", while others have insisted that the sound is "barely good for background noise" or "more frustrating than enjoyable". Lyrics are generally noted as being few and far between, but containing positive messages and espousing Christian faith.
Christian alternative rock
Christian alternative rock is a form of alternative rock music that is lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. Some critics have suggested that unlike CCM and older Christian rock, Christian alternative rock generally emphasizes musical style over lyrical content as a defining genre...
industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
band. Blackhouse plays what has been cited as "primo industrial rock", contrasting with post-industrial styles promulgated by artists such as NIN
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Klank
Klank
Klank is the nickname for New York City-based musician Daren Diolosa and the name of Diolosa's band. Diolosa formed Klank in the mid 90's when he was a member of industrial metal band Circle of Dust, for whom Klank was a guitarist...
, or Circle of Dust
Circle of Dust
Circle of Dust were a 1990s Industrial rock band created and run by Klayton who is now more widely known for his solo band Celldweller. Circle of Dust was, along with contemporaries Mortal and Deitiphobia, instrumental in bringing industrial metal to the Christian alternative metal scene...
. Blackhouse was formed in 1984 and is cited as the first band to make industrial music for the Christian market.
Background
Musically acclaimed and sometimes cited as being a founding band of the entire genre. Their career had ensued over three decades, and the band has produced a myriad of releases in that time. Often Blackhouse finds itself riding the fine line between artistic expression and forming a message in a way that could be accepted in the broad Christian community. One album featured a cover showing a bunny crucified, with the thought of exposing the real meaning of EasterEaster
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
.
The sound that Blackhouse offered was far outside the norms of Christian music at the time of the band's formation, and live performances met with resistance from both the Christian right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
and Neo-Nazi youth organizations. The Neo-Nazi groups protested the religious content, which was unusual in a genre more known for espousing negative themes including nihilism
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
, pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, sadomasochism, and drug culture, and the Christians took point with the style that the band offered, again due to its association with negative elements of society. After a time the band went underground, focusing on producing recorded material rather than touring.
Their music continues to be on the cutting edge of creativity and experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
, avant-garde music
Avant-garde music
Avant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
. One review of their 2006 collaborative project Beetu Lathri Kwan found that their genre-mixing produced what was deemed an "intentional dissolution of traditional concepts of... music." The music's effect on the reviewers has shown a great variety of responses. One reviewer reported that the sound finds the "border of our conscious and unconscious thinking", while others have insisted that the sound is "barely good for background noise" or "more frustrating than enjoyable". Lyrics are generally noted as being few and far between, but containing positive messages and espousing Christian faith.
Discography
- 1984: Pro-Life
- 1984: Hope Like A Candle
- 1985: Hope (Review: Vortexx)
- 1986: Five Minutes After I Die
- 1987: Holy War
- 1988: We Will Fight Back! (Also 2009 reissue, Review:Cornerstone)
- 1989: Stairway to Heaven
- 1990: The Gospel According to the Men in Black
- 1991: Material World
- 1991: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost
- 1991: Hidden Beneath the Metal
- 1994: Stairway to the Gospel World
- 1995: Shock the Nation
- 1997: Reason for the Season
- 1998: Shades of Black (Reviews: Phantom Tollbooth, Cross Rhythms)
- 1998: Lawnmower Man
- 1999: Sex, Sex, Sex
- 1999: Y2K
- 2000: Dreams Like These (Reviews: Phantom Tollbooth, Cross Rhythms)
- 2002: Vox Ultra
- 2002: Heart of Black
- 2005: Rhythm Boxing
- 2005: Dribbles
- 2006: Beetu Lathri Kwan (Collaboration with Pacific 231, Review: Cross Rhythms)
- 2009: We Will Fight Back!
- 2010: 25th Years Anniversary + Hope...
- 2011: Comin' On Strong (Collaboration with Hypnoskull)