I have received the CDs and other merch!

 Have a look!

You can pick them up from the Bandcamp: https://rejoiceinoursuffering.bandcamp.com

Merchandise, A Special Thank You!

     I can't believe the reaction I've received for this project so far. I can only be thankful to the Lord and to anyone reading this for sending kind words my way. I had no expectations or specific goal in mind when I started recording music to glorify Christ in an extreme genre, but it's been nothing short of amazing.

    I need to give a particularly gigantic thank you to Nocturnal Iridescence (I hope this is an alright name to use for these purposes.) for the support not just for my project, which really gave me a huge bump, but for the scene overall. I knew there was a fairly large scene for extreme Christian music, but I've found out about so many bands from the Unblack Archives since he posted about Rejoice In Our Suffering there. I don't have any social media outside of this blog, really, so my exposure has been limited to what I just stumble across. Check out the Unblack Archives, and listen to any of the bands that you can here:  

https://unblack-archives.blogspot.com/ (Opens in a new tab.)

He has multiple other blogs and websites, you should check them all out. While you're at it, check out the music on Annihilated Pentagram Productions. He even made some really cool wallpapers for many bands in the scene here:

https://unblackmetalwallpapers.blogspot.com/ (Opens in a new tab.)

    With that being said, I will likely be using this blog more in the future to answer questions that I receive, explain what I was thinking when I was creating tracks, announce future releases or post new merchandise, etc. 

    The following is supposed to be here on Tuesday, October 08, 2024, so I'll start shipping out the day after.

Resurrection of Dry Bones Physical Media: 

 

    This is a professionally duplicated CD in a DVD case with full artwork wrap, printing on disc, a little insert, the whole thing. This is an edition of 25 and though they're not hand-numbered, this will be the only time I get these made in this format. Future runs will likely be in other formats or an unlimited, standard CD release. The artwork is a chunk of a piece by Gustave Dore, a 19th century artist that did a lot of Biblical artwork.

Demo Collection Physical Media:

      This is going to be a collection of all three demos on one disc with extensive liner notes. If you can't tell, I never shut up. I explain each track a little bit on the original ambient demos, and give overall information on Spiritual Warfare. It's in a 6-Panel Wallet and limited to 100. Again, not numbered, but I won't be getting more of these made. Ever. Period. On any format.

Stickers and Buttons:

      This logo on some rather large stickers. 8.5 x 1.5 or so. I'll give a couple with any other merch order.

 

    These logos on buttons. They aren't black and white, though. The white is actually silver, and they're somewhat larger buttons than what I generally see for band merch. Like the stickers, I'll try to include at least one on any other merch order. I have these in hand already, they come faster than any other merch I order and I'll post photos soon. They look fantastic. 

OTHER STUFF COMING SOON:

• A full length BLACK METAL album. Straightforward, loud black metal. (December, 2024 - Cassette, Vinyl, Digital. No CDs, but the physical media will likely not be here until 2025)
• A BLACKENED PUNK/CRUSTY sounding release. (2025, Cassette, Digital)
  
• T-shirts. High Quality, Screen-Printed. (December, 2024?)
  
• Patches. High Quality, Canvas, Screen-Printed Patches. Big ones - 10 x 3. (December, 2024?)
  
• SEVERAL SPLIT RELEASES. I love split releases. I want to do more of them. If you want to do a split, reach out to me and let me know. This type of collaboration is something I really enjoy, and Rejoice In Our Suffering is a project that works in many genres. (2024, 2025)
  

 

Resurrection of Dry Bones Dark Ambient LP

 

    Resurrection of Dry Bones is technically the first full length album for this project, but it's not black metal. You could call it dark ambient or dungeon synth, whatever your preferred language is in that regard. Much like the demos before it, each track is based around the idea of a specific Bible passage. What separates this from the demo material is that it's more mature and has better production, at least I see it that way. I took a lot more time to write the tracks and work on the concepts. The demos were primarily me searching to find the direction I wanted to go in for the project, both for the ambient and the metal parts of it. There are alternate versions of every track on this album, but I have no current plans to release any of those alternates.

    In short, this is what happens when I find the pocket where I want to create music, and throw myself into it full force for several months. 

    I started working on this very soon after I finished the, "Though The Righteous Fall Seven Times," demo, which introduced working with noises and sounds that weren't totally based around sounds created with synths like the first demo. Longer tracks, better effects, and a wealth of creative distortion helped guide me to make this, as well as a heavy dose of very deep prayer to guide me in the right direction.  

    The cover art is by Gustave Dore. All of his work is in the public domain, and it is of course a portion of his work, "The Vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones." The inserts for the physical edition will have more of that piece throughout, and I will likely limit it to a specific number of copies, as is tradition for this genre.

    The titles are intended to be evocative of the Bible passages that accompany them, as are the sonic contents. Each one of these could be a blog post in and of themselves and very well might end up that way if I decide to stop being so lazy about it. To make it nice and pretentious from the standpoint of the inspired artist, I need to meditate upon those passages to explain my point of view on them. This is in stark contrast to my belief in simple salvation and enjoying plain language explanations of Biblical concepts. Funny how that works, but I'm not willing to lie about my proclivities. Thank you God for inspiring each and every one of these tracks and guiding me to give them the names they have. Without that inspiration, it would be empty tape hiss and the sound of me breathing for 43 minutes.

    Thank you all, anyone who listens, anyone who reaches out, and anyone who opens their Bible to read and consider the passages as they listen. As dark as some things may sound, this is all intended to glorify God. 

    Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning, our song shall rise to these.

Christian Anarcho-Pacifism

 

I designed the flag above. It's so generic that I'm sure I'm not the only person to come up with it or use it, but it's what I envisioned when I thought of a Christian Anarcho-Pacifist flag. The intent is primarily personal, and it certainly isn't intended to impede on anyone's religious, political, economic, or social opinions. Actually, the intent is the opposite. I will outline this more as time goes on, and I make clear my thoughts on a philosophy regarding the nature of my leanings in this regard. 

    I like the idea of Christian Anarchism. I'm also pacifistic to an extreme. I believe there is never a justification for outright violence amongst people, especially over such personal convictions as religion and economics. The idea that you can somehow push someone into an ideology or belief system through force, I believe, is directly against the intent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Though I don't readily have any verses to quote, as stated before, I will provide them as time goes on and I can more thoroughly explain my thoughts on this. 

    In my opinion, Jesus was clearly anti-state during his time, and God was clearly anti-state in many instances in the Old Testament. At least that's how I see it, given my own familiarity and study of the Bible. I'm not saying that my thoughts and beliefs can't change. Indeed, they do every time I'm presented with something that reasonably refutes my present beliefs. I'm not unreasonable, after all, and I find this flexibility to help further my understanding of God. Without it, I would not be guided by the Holy Spirit, as I would always be questioning whether or not I'm doing the right thing. It's actually this flexibility that has led me to turn my life over to Jesus Christ, the only relevant authority over my spirit and soul.

    The more time that goes by, and the older I get, the less I have to question if what I'm doing is the right thing -- I believe this is directly caused by a deeper understanding and familiarity with the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Scripture plainly explains the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, fair and unfair. If ever I wonder what I'm doing is the correct way, there is always something there to guide my way, or I can rely on responses to prayer.

    The idea of Christian Anarchism, Christian Pacifism, and Anarcho-Pacifism doesn't necessarily mean, to me, a complete rejection of authority other than in a human hierarchical sense. For example, I know nothing about building houses. I would trust an expert, or someone who is clearly an authority figure in that industry, to explain and help with that sort of endeavor. Likewise if I were working for a construction company, I would need experts to talk to and learn from in order to manage my ability to work toward a goal. Without that authority present, you would never end up with a reliable framework, let alone a dwelling.

    Jesus Christ is an expert on living correctly, and ultimately, the only authority that I feel I actually need to answer to. Likewise, I don't think anyone is required or needs to submit to my expertise, perceived or otherwise, on any manner that would make me an, "authority." This is speaking in regards to religious authority, economic authority, anything like that. I may personally feel I have a relevant understanding of something and offer my thoughts toward it, but I don't feel that force or coercion would be an acceptable or righteous way to change someone's mind or enlighten them in any way. That is up to the individual, and their relationship with the Lord. May they be guided by the only relevant authority. See what I'm saying? 

    My explanation here is incomplete and clumsy, I'm happy to expound and consider alternative views and encourage discussion around moral and other ideas. I don't believe it's possible to grow without alternate viewpoints.

    All glory to Jesus Christ, may he guide me and may I be correct in his eyes. May all of my brothers and sisters in Christ live well, grow in their faith, and fellowship together. May compassion and love guide my interactions with others, rather than prejudice and annoyance, and may we fellowship together to form a better world for everyone.