Philadelphia was a Christian metal

Christian metal

Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...

 band from Shreveport, Louisiana

Shreveport, Louisiana

Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....

. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as having been unjustly condemned by "the slings and arrows of fundamentalist

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...

 bigotry

Bigotry

A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs...

" for their musical style and lyrics. Their name is a reference to the church of Philadelphia in Revelation

Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...

 3 verses 7-10.

Musically, the band was characterized as being "Harder than Rez

Resurrection Band

Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, was a Christian rock band formed in 1972. They were part of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago and most of its members have continued in that community to this day. Known for their blend of blues-rock and hard rock, Resurrection...

 and more intense than Daniel Band

Daniel Band

The Daniel Band is a Canadian hard rock group. They were pioneers in Contemporary Christian Music for their sound that ranged from rock to heavy metal...

 and Barnabas

Barnabas (band)

Barnabas was a Christian hard rock band that was active from 1977 through 1986. The name of the band was in honor of the New Testament disciple Barnabas...

."

Background

The band was originally a general market band called Survivor. After breaking up in 1981, the members found Christianity through independent experiences. They reunited in 1982 as a Christian band and produced their first LP, Tell The Truth in 1984. Their styling was not well-received by the entire Christian community, for which metal was still a fringe sound. While one publication found that the band emphasized "ministry and outreach through their direct and hard hitting lyrics," others saw the same as inappropriately descriptive and judgmental. For their lyrics and style the band garnered the scorn of some national religious media.

In 1985 the band appeared at Cornerstone

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...

 and released a second album entitled Search and Destroy. Its lyrics were controversial as well, as the release tackled social issues such as child abuse

Child abuse

Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...

, drug abuse

Drug abuse

Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...

 and runaways

Runaway youth

A runaway is a minor or a person under an arbitrary age, depending upon the local jurisdiction, who has left the home of his or her parent or legal guardian without permission, or has been thrown out by his or her parent and is considered by the local authorities to lack the capacity to live under...

 through the eyes of a character named Bobby. One reviewer called the result an "overly serious tone and melodramatic feel." Brian Clark responded to the bands critics, stating that "Bobby is part and parcel of all these American tragedies, and Jesus is shown to be real and relevant."

A third project entitled Warlord was planned, and tracks recorded, but never released. Some tracks from the project, along with a few newly recorded ones, were rereleased by M8 Records along with their studio albums in 2000.

Members

• Brian Martini - drums
• Brian Clark - Bass, vocals
• Ronn Flowers - guitar
• Phil Scholling - guitar