Lust Control
Encyclopedia
Lust Control is a Christian
thrash punk band, originally formed in 1988. They are known for their explicit lyrical content, which is devoted to matters of sexual purity and sin, including abstinence
, masturbation
, pornography
, sex ed, and related topics. For their unwavering views on sexual purity, CCM magazine has called Lust Control as "the Josh McDowell
of the Christian rock
world." Musically they have been likened to The Ramones or The Dead Milkmen. The band formed as a joke and was not meant for long term exposure, which has led some to refer to it as a Christian version of Spinal Tap
. Lust Control received the title of "The Worst Christian Band of the Decade" for the 1990s from HM.
The band's creators see themselves as performing a legitimate ministry with a message which is often marginalized or poorly approached in churches and completely taboo in contemporary Christian music
. For its creators, the goal was to emphasize grace
and forgiveness
rather than sin; to that end the band offers devotional studies
of the topics presented. The band has come under attack from groups on the Christian right
, who take issue with their explicit lyrics and musical style. Lust Control has released three albums of original material and an equal number of compilation albums.
). Due to the controversial nature of the subject matter, the group maintained an anonymous identity by using pseudonyms and wearing ski masks during performances, a tradition that the band maintained for several years. Although their debut was hastily made, This Is A Condom Nation, received generally positive reviews from mainstream Christian music media sources. CCM magazine found some of their lyrics to be humorous, while Campus Life noted the similarity to One Bad Pig. Both publications, however, were cognizant of the dual message of guilt and grace that the band presented. Even so, the release was dropped by Spring Arbor Christian Bookstores. Lust Control played only one live show with this personnel lineup, at the 1989 Cornerstone Festival
.
The impetus for the band in the time following the initial release was primarily Doug Van Pelt. This was due to the fact that One Bad Pig
had recently signed to Myrrh Records
and its members were contractually blocked from playing in other bands, and Millican had little interest in pursuing a band full time. The reformed band set about professionally recording an album, which was released as Dancing Naked (1989). During this period the band played some shows and partnered with record labels to bring their material to national availability. Their final album of new material, entitled Feminazi, was released in 1994.
The band has released several compilation albums of sorts, usually involving rereleased or remastered material. Fun, Fun Feeling (Blonde Vinyl
, 1991) contained a remastering of selected material from their first two albums, and was their first release to Compact Disc
. Material that wasn't placed on Fun was rerecorded and released on We Are Not Ashamed in 1992. A limited edition release, The Worst Of... (2000), contains the original selections of the band's complete catalog (including Feminazi), plus a cover of Steve Taylor
's "I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good." An enhanced version of We Are Not Ashamed was released in 2006, which included extras such as an audio commentary by Doug Van Pelt and another complete remaster of This Is A Condom Nation.
Former Members
1989 and later
Christian punk
Christian punk is a form of Christian music and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. Much disagreement persists about the boundaries of the subgenre, and the extent that their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies among bands...
thrash punk band, originally formed in 1988. They are known for their explicit lyrical content, which is devoted to matters of sexual purity and sin, including abstinence
Sexual abstinence
Sexual abstinence is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical or religious reasons.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:*poor health - medical celibacy...
, masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
, 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,...
, sex ed, and related topics. For their unwavering views on sexual purity, CCM magazine has called Lust Control as "the Josh McDowell
Josh McDowell
Joslin "Josh" McDowell is a Christian apologist, evangelist, and writer. He is within the Evangelical tradition of Protestant Christianity, and is the author or co-author of some 77 books. His best-known book is Evidence That Demands a Verdict, which was ranked 13th in Christianity Today's list of...
of the Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
world." Musically they have been likened to The Ramones or The Dead Milkmen. The band formed as a joke and was not meant for long term exposure, which has led some to refer to it as a Christian version of Spinal Tap
Spinal Tap (band)
Spinal Tap is a parody heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
. Lust Control received the title of "The Worst Christian Band of the Decade" for the 1990s from HM.
The band's creators see themselves as performing a legitimate ministry with a message which is often marginalized or poorly approached in churches and completely taboo in contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
. For its creators, the goal was to emphasize grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
and forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
rather than sin; to that end the band offers devotional studies
Bible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
of the topics presented. The band has come under attack from groups on 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...
, who take issue with their explicit lyrics and musical style. Lust Control has released three albums of original material and an equal number of compilation albums.
Background
The band was originally formed by Doug Van Pelt (editor of HM), Maury Millican (a youth pastor), Philip Owens, and Paul Q-Pek (both of One Bad PigOne Bad Pig
One Bad Pig is a Christian punk and metal crossover band from Austin, Texas which formed in 1985. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as "Quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the Christian music scene." They were known for their mischief and...
). Due to the controversial nature of the subject matter, the group maintained an anonymous identity by using pseudonyms and wearing ski masks during performances, a tradition that the band maintained for several years. Although their debut was hastily made, This Is A Condom Nation, received generally positive reviews from mainstream Christian music media sources. CCM magazine found some of their lyrics to be humorous, while Campus Life noted the similarity to One Bad Pig. Both publications, however, were cognizant of the dual message of guilt and grace that the band presented. Even so, the release was dropped by Spring Arbor Christian Bookstores. Lust Control played only one live show with this personnel lineup, at the 1989 Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
.
The impetus for the band in the time following the initial release was primarily Doug Van Pelt. This was due to the fact that One Bad Pig
One Bad Pig
One Bad Pig is a Christian punk and metal crossover band from Austin, Texas which formed in 1985. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as "Quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the Christian music scene." They were known for their mischief and...
had recently signed to Myrrh Records
Myrrh Records
Myrrh Records, also known as Myrrh Worship, is a Christian music record label. According to Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music, the label was instrumental in developing a popular following for Contemporary Christian music as the label that first published music by Barry McGuire, 2nd Chapter of...
and its members were contractually blocked from playing in other bands, and Millican had little interest in pursuing a band full time. The reformed band set about professionally recording an album, which was released as Dancing Naked (1989). During this period the band played some shows and partnered with record labels to bring their material to national availability. Their final album of new material, entitled Feminazi, was released in 1994.
The band has released several compilation albums of sorts, usually involving rereleased or remastered material. Fun, Fun Feeling (Blonde Vinyl
Blonde Vinyl
Blonde Vinyl was an independent record label founded in 1990 by Michael Knott. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes the label as "one of Christian music's first true indie labels."-Background:...
, 1991) contained a remastering of selected material from their first two albums, and was their first release to Compact Disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
. Material that wasn't placed on Fun was rerecorded and released on We Are Not Ashamed in 1992. A limited edition release, The Worst Of... (2000), contains the original selections of the band's complete catalog (including Feminazi), plus a cover of Steve Taylor
Steve Taylor
Roland Stephen Taylor , is an American Christian singer, songwriter, record producer and film director.-Early life:Taylor, the eldest of three children, was born in Brawley, California. Taylor's father, Roland Taylor, was a Baptist minister. When Taylor was six years old, the family relocated to...
's "I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good." An enhanced version of We Are Not Ashamed was released in 2006, which included extras such as an audio commentary by Doug Van Pelt and another complete remaster of This Is A Condom Nation.
Members
- Doug Van Pelt "Gene" - vocals
- Mitch Roberts "Bradford" - guitar
- John Wilson "Butch" - bass
- Phil Borrero "Bob" - drums
Former Members
- Maury Millican
- Philip Owens
- Paul Q-Pek
1989 and later
- Dan Poole - drums (briefly)
Discography
- 1988: This Is A Condom Nation (Independent, cassette only, Reviews: CCM, Campus Life)
- 1989: Dancing Naked (Independent, cassette only)
- 1991: Fun, Fun Feeling (Blonde VinylBlonde VinylBlonde Vinyl was an independent record label founded in 1990 by Michael Knott. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes the label as "one of Christian music's first true indie labels."-Background:...
) - 1992: We Are Not Ashamed (Enclave, Review: Cross RhythmsCross RhythmsCross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:The roots of what was to become Cross Rhythms go back to two separate sources which merged in 1991. In 1983, broadcaster Chris Cole started a 30-minute weekly Christian music radio show on Plymouth Sound FM, a...
) - 1994: Feminazi
- 2000: The Worst Of...(M8 Records, Reviews: HM, The Phantom Tollbooth)
- 2006: We Are Not Ashamed: Getting It Right the Second Time (Review: The Phantom Tollbooth,)