Why did I begin a heavy metal project called Bloodwashed? Why did I employ AI to record the music for the lyrics I had written? These questions and more are answered in the video above, but perhaps the best statement about it came from Pastor Wildman, with whom I used to co-host a Christian metal podcast called The Wildman and Steve Show.
We've grown so accustomed to musical creativity being limited to those who are naturally gifted in certain areas, or those who simply have the time to create great things. Perhaps AI is the key that unlocks the messages people have desperately wanted to share but never had the means to express.
When I listen to this album, I hear a message he so deeply wants to deliver. He has been a writer for years and communicated his ideas that way — but now AI has given him, and all of us, the opportunity to go beyond the limits of our schedules, capabilities, and natural gifts. Shouldn't that be seen as something of a gift in itself?
from Doom, Victory, and AI -- You're Welcome Steve
Twilight of the Gods
The debut album in the Bloodwashed project is mostly doom metal, which captures the power and seriousness of the Christian lyrics. With songs ranging topics based in Scripture to evangelism to the challenges of living the Christian life, especially for those dealing with depression, this one has it all. It ends with a song of triumph set squarely in the genre of symphonic metal.
Things Revealed
Bloodwashed's sophomore album continues in the doom metal genre, but with two symphonic metal songs. Revelation is the theme running through all the songs, and as with Twilight of the Gods, this album covers a wide range of topics. Once again it touches on difficult ideas, such as believing in but not actually feeling God's love, and with the song "Palingenesia" starts what will become a feature on subsequent albums of having one song titled in Latin or Greek.
Heavenly Host
The metal band Sabaton famously only records songs based on warfare. Picking up on this theme, the third Bloodwashed album alternates songs based on battles in the Bible and the battles that we face in our lives. Once again the styles are a mix of doom and symphonic metal, and the song "To Panta Christos" borrows its Greek title from the original text of Colossians 3:11, which says that Christ is all and in all. The album's title, Heavenly Host, plays on the double meaning of "host" as both a band of warriors and the Christ's body in the Eucharist/Lord's Supper/Communion, all of which is captured in the cover art.
Praise of Metal
Praise of Metal is the kind of praise music that I prefer. It shifts genres from the previous albums to embrace both heavy metal and hair metal. The songs alternate between darkness and light until the last two, which reverse that order, ending with the one Latin-titled song on the album "Memento Mori," which means "remember that you will die." Every song, however, is focused solidly on praise of God.
And Darkness Fell
The title And Darkness Fell may make people think about the arrival of darkness at night, but in fact it is about the fall of darkness as it gives way to the triumphant light of Jesus. This albums features heavy metal, hair metal, and hard rock styles, with several nods to the musical stylings of metal legend Ronnie James Dio. The opening song touches on the hypocrisy of those who hide their darkness in the light they present to others, and others touch on everything from Scripture to the philosophy of Plato to a pair of classic English poems. The song with the Latin title is "Credo Ut Intelligam" and is based on the famous expression of St. Anselm, "I believe so that I may understand."
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Lyrics and Notes
The Empty Tomb
The Empty Tomb is a collection of acoustic versions of songs from the other albums. Some of the songs are entirely acoustic, and others are more heavily acoustic based. Certain songs on previous albums work better in the style of metal for which they were written, but others take on a soft power when rendered acoustically.
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