In this article, Ton Ringenier – admin of Christian Metal Horde – writes about very personal experiences and shows how albums from the Christian underground can be a companion in difficult life situations.
Sometimes life can be so unfair and unbelievable, it could be because of a bad event or a dark period in your life. In 2021 we had such a dark period when my wife had a miscarriage. The child had been dead for about 4 weeks when we were told during a visit to the doctor.
The album In Memoriam from Crowned in Sorrow was released the same week and I remember very well how emotional I was when I heard the first song on the album Far Beyond Death.
Not only because of the music but also because of the very touching lyrics. I don’t cry very often, but during the first listening session I cried a lot, out of sadness of course, but I also felt hope, the hope of and through our Father in heaven.
Far beyond the reach of death
Crowned in Sorrow – Far Beyond Death
There is a place of pure life
Only to be found
Through faith in Jesus Christ
This is one of my favorite parts and one of my favorite lyrics on the whole album. The whole album is a kind of psalm. There is sorrow and pain, but also a clear message of hope. Hope that comes from Jesus Christ, our Comforter.
I already had high expectations for this album, the song Eternity Upon Your Grave was released as a single before the album came out, also such a masterpiece of a song. And my expectations were met on many levels. The album has become an important milestone in my life and “preserves” this dramatic and formative experience in my life. At the same time, it gives me hope.
The reason I wanted to share this with the audience is because being a Christian is not always a happy, hallelujah lifestyle that is often promoted by certain Christian denominations. In Memoriam is not a happy album at all, but it gives me so much comfort and I hope that it can apply to more people.
And so it is with the following verses that I would like to close:
May the LORD bless you and keep you. May the LORD show you his kindness and have mercy on you. May the LORD watch over you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 NCV
In His Service / Ton
About the author: My name is Ton Ringenier, I live in the Netherlands and I am the admin of Christian Metal Horde.
I started Christian Metal Horde to promote Underground Christian Metal, to meet and greet other Christian metal heads and to share the light in the darkness through heavy music.
