There are a few things that are clear about Christian music in 2017: worship is seeing a meteoric rise. Electronic elements are defining pop. And the status of rock and roll continues to be up for debate.

To chime in on that ongoing discussion, our Associate Editor Mary Nikkel and Canada-based contributing writer Phill Feltham had a conversation about the state of rock and roll in 2017.

Mary: The phrase seems to be everywhere these days: "rock is dead." Countless bands have made songs playing off the concept, either confirming or denying it, recognizing the reality that we don't see a lot of guitar-centric, heavy songs in mainstream spaces anymore. There's less and less money to be made in rock and roll, which I think is a big reason why it's been identified as "dead." 

The good news is: the dictates of the mainstream have always been exactly what rock and roll has rebelled against by its very "stick it to the man" nature. Do you have thoughts, Phill, on what makes rock relevant to us still in 2017?

Phill: It seems that rock has become relevant again in the independent circles. Bands without record labels have the freedom to make whatever sound they want. True mainstream rock, as we know it, is a thing of the past. Gritty guitars and that raw rock sound has been replaced with dance beats. Indie rock or folk rock (Mumford & Sons) have risen through the ranks in recent years; however, it's not real rock. Independent bands have a chance to define the genre, however, it's the mainstream sound that still creates the true influence. I am hopeful that we will once again see the rise of rock n'roll. Maybe I'm just old fashioned!

Mary: I hope so too! I think, in some counter-intuitive way, rock could end up informing the mainstream by what it has been doing underground. Rock bands have really defined the independent, fan-focused model. I think about As We Ascend, who literally allowed fans who were part of their pledge campaign to make decisions about how the album turned out. I think that example is going to eventually creep its way into the music mainstream.
 
Phill: To me, Christian rock was a blessing in disguise. While so many mainstream rock bands changed course, Christian rock bands stood up and kept the rock sound raw. However, I'm really starting to worry about that. Skillet, for example, was the trendsetter in my opinion. However, their most recent effort, although quality music, lacked the full rock sound the band has been known for. Colton Dixon, an on-the-fence rocker, has also abandoned his rock roots--at least for this album.

As We Ascend definitely gives me hope that there are Christian bands who still like to keep rock alive. Disciple and Seventh Day Slumber are two bands that seem to keep the rock sound pure. I was particularly moved by Kevin Young and Joseph Rojas singing together on Temple of the Dog's "Hungerstrike." House of Heroes is another promising band, but I wait to hear other Christian bands who can give that true rock sound, not just an indie rock vibe. Do you think that existing Christian rock bands will return to their rock roots?

Mary: I think there's actually a good chance of it, once more bands realize they have the ability to really claim independence as a viable business model. You mentioned, for example, Seventh Day Slumber. They strayed from the true rock sound for several albums, but have largely returned there; they're just doing things a little differently now than they used to in order to make it work on the business end. 

I actually have spent a fair amount of the last few months attending the City Rockfest tour they organize every year, this year featuring Disciple, Project 86, Decyfer Down, Spoken, Random Hero and Scarlet White. A lot of those bands are setting an example that it's possible--with dedication, hard work, and a relentless trust that rock and roll really can be used to spread the gospel--to have a hard rock sound in this day and age. I think more bands will see that and follow. Even Kutless has been drifting back towards that sound. I think a lot of people are hungry for the honesty found in rock, and bands are realizing that. 

But they might not ever make it on the radio again. That's another important question: as a rock fan, do you even listen to the radio anymore, or do you mostly seek music elsewhere these days to find the stuff you actually like?
 
Phill: In all honesty, I haven't listened to the radio in years. I get my musical treasures from online Christian music charts, iTunes, NewReleaseToday and other Christian news websites. I spend a lot of time looking for new music this way, as well as watching lyric videos from time to time. Most of the bands you mentioned I found simply by looking at the chart, typing the name of the song in iTunes and listening to it. If I like the song enough, I explore the band further. Decyfer Down, Scarlet White and Spoken are three examples of bands that I have grown fond of because of my "music research." 

It is very promising that rock bands are "coming home." To be honest, I have become a little jaded because "we have lost so many already!" Sanctus Real has a new singer; I hope that they too will return to their rock roots.

Decyfer Down had a fantastic ballad on their last album titled "Believe In Me." I have not heard a ballad of such a caliber in a long time. It reminds me of Skillet's "Yours to Hold." I would love to see the bands we've mentioned deliver a polished rock ballad such as that one. I believe the hallmark of a true rock band is their ability to deliver a solid power ballad (another dying artform). Do you agree?
 
Mary: Yes! I think the ballad is a great way to really deliver some of the core elements of a rock band, actually. And ballads also show off the reality that rock vocalists are massively underrated; to pull off the heavy sound, they have to possess a lot of vocal control, and that can make for incredible ballads. My life song is Disciple's ballad "After the World," so I'm probably slightly biased in that way. But I really do feel like you're right in that the true ballad is a dying art. Again, I feel like As We Ascend did that pretty well with their song "At My Door," and I totally agree that Decyfer Down's was one of the best (and most underrated) rock songs of last year. 

We've thrown a lot of aspects of rock on the table. What would you really like to see from rock and roll in the next five years?

Phill: I would like to see singers such as Colton Dixon, Scott Stapp and others release genuine rock albums. I would also love to see rockers team up with hip hop artists such as NF or Lecrae (as some of them have) to deliver a few more rock/rap albums. From time to time, P.O.D. and Thousand Foot Krutch can really pull this off. 

I want to see some of today's smaller rock bands take the torch and become the next Switchfoot and Kutless. I want the Christian music industry to see value in rock. If good old fashioned rock and roll can't come back to its same sound, then to create a new hybrid that is easy on the ears, not tough on the stomach. I would love to see more Lacey Sturms take the stage. Women rock vocalists deserve their due. Lastly, I want to see more power ballads on the charts (that's just my personal preference)!

I'd like less worship music and more rock. Every band wants to do a worship album, which has absolutely saturated the genre. This is the time for bands to become the trendsetter and bring Christian worshipful rock to prominence.
 
Mary: I'd like a lot of the things you mentioned too. I'd love to see more girls really claiming rock as their own; it's a male-dominated world still, and it doesn't have to be. Girls are listening to rock, they should be encouraged to make it too! I also totally agree about hoping to really see new acts pick up the torch and become the next generation's Switchfoot. We haven't seen anything like that happen in a long time.

Something you've also touched on that I want is to see more collaboration and unity. The Christian rock world is already one of the most tightly knit sub-genres I've ever seen. I'd love to see that translating into more fruitful business partnerships, ministry partnerships and collaborations that extend even beyond the traditional rock genre. 

I also would love to see the independent model refined to the point where it is even more financially sustainable for bands, where ways to monetize music without overly manipulating or exhausting fan support could make being a rock band a little easier for the artists who give their lives to it. I'd also like to see a return to really heavy themes, but which I don't just mean dealing with the struggles of humanity, but also dealing with deep and complex theology. I feel like there's been some straying from that in recent years, but that's what made the Christian rock of the 90s and early 2000s so compelling for me. 

The good news is this: a lot of what I want to see in Christian rock, I'm already seeing on a small scale. I really do believe that the best could be yet to come!