Lust Control is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
thrash punk
Thrashcore (also known as fastcore) is a fast-tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore, often using blast beats. Songs can be very brief, and thrashcore is in many ways a less ...
band, originally formed in 1988. They are known for their explicit lyrical content, which is devoted to matters of sexual
purity
Purity may refer to:
Books
* ''Pureza'' (novel), a 1937 Brazilian novel by José Lins do Rego
* ''Purity'' (novel), a 2015 novel by Jonathan Franzen
** ''Purity'' (TV series), a TV series based on the novel
*''Purity'', a 2012 novel by Jackson P ...
and sin, including
abstinence
Abstinence is a self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol, drugs, food, etc.
...
,
masturbation,
pornography
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults, ,
sex ed, and related topics.
For their unwavering views on sexual purity, ''CCM'' magazine has called Lust Control as "the
Josh McDowell
Joslin "Josh" McDowell (born August 17, 1939) is an evangelical Christian apologist and evangelist. He is the author or co-author of over 150 books.
In 2006, his book ''Evidence That Demands a Verdict'' was ranked 13th in ''Christianity Toda ...
of the
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christians, Christian individuals. The extent to w ...
world."
Musically they have been likened to
The Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
or
The Dead Milkmen
The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman ("Rodney Anonymous"), guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro ("Joe Jack Talcum"), bassist D ...
.
The band formed as a joke and was not meant for long term exposure,
which has led some to refer to it as a Christian version of
Spinal Tap.
Lust Control received the title of "The Worst Christian Band of the Decade" for the 1990s from ''
HM''.
The band's creators see themselves as performing a legitimate ministry with a message which is often marginalized or poorly approached in churches and completely taboo in
contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and ...
.
For its creators, the goal was to emphasize
grace
Grace may refer to:
Places United States
* Grace, Idaho, a city
* Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois
* Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office
* Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninc ...
and
forgiveness
Forgiveness, in a psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may initially feel victimized or wronged, goes through a change in feelings and attitude regarding a given offender, and overcomes the impact of t ...
rather than sin;
to that end the band offers
devotional studies of the topics presented. The band has come under attack from groups on the
Christian right
The Christian right, or the religious right, are Christian political factions characterized by their strong support of socially conservative and traditionalist policies. Christian conservatives seek to influence politics and public policy with ...
, who take issue with their explicit lyrics and musical style.
Lust Control has released three albums of original material and an equal number of compilation albums.
Background
The band was originally formed by Doug Van Pelt (editor of ''
HM''), Maury Millican (a
youth pastor
Youth ministry, also commonly referred to as youth group, is an age-specific religious ministry of faith groups or other religious organizations, usually from ages 12 to 30, whose mission is to involve and engage with young people who attend the ...
), Philip Owens, and Paul Q-Pek (both of
One Bad Pig
One Bad Pig is a Christian punk and metal crossover band from Austin, Texas, which formed in 1985. The ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music'' describes them as "quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the ...
). Due to the controversial nature of the subject matter, the group maintained an anonymous identity by using pseudonyms and wearing
ski mask
A balaclava, also known as a balaclava helmet or ski mask, is a form of cloth headgear designed to expose only part of the face, usually the eyes and mouth. Depending on style and how it is worn, only the eyes, mouth and nose, or just the front ...
s during performances, a tradition that the band maintained for several years. Although their debut was hastily made,
''This Is A Condom Nation'', received generally positive reviews from mainstream Christian music media sources.
''CCM'' magazine found some of their lyrics to be humorous,
while ''Campus Life'' noted the similarity to One Bad Pig.
Both publications, however, were cognizant of the dual message of guilt and grace that the band presented. Even so, the release was dropped by Spring Arbor Christian Bookstores.
Lust Control played only one live show with this personnel lineup, at the 1989
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival was a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around July 4 near Bushnell, Illinois, drawing some 20,000 attendees each year. In a given year, many artists that played at Cornerstone also pl ...
.
The impetus for the band in the time following the initial release was primarily Doug Van Pelt.
This was due to the fact that
One Bad Pig
One Bad Pig is a Christian punk and metal crossover band from Austin, Texas, which formed in 1985. The ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music'' describes them as "quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the ...
had recently signed to
Myrrh Records
__NOTOC__
Myrrh Records (also known as Myrrh Worship) was an American Christian music record label.
According to ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music'', the label was instrumental in developing a popular following for contemporary Christian ...
and its members were contractually blocked from playing in other bands, and Millican had little interest in pursuing a band full-time.
The reformed band set about professionally recording an album, which was released as ''Dancing Naked'' (1989). During this period the band played some shows and partnered with record labels to bring their material to national availability. Their final album of new material, entitled ''Feminazi'', was released in 1994.
The band has released several compilation albums of sorts, usually involving rereleased or remastered material. ''Fun, Fun Feeling'' (
Blonde Vinyl
Blonde Vinyl was an independent record label founded in 1990 by Michael Knott. The ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music'' describes the label as "one of Christian music's first true indie labels."
Background
Blonde Vinyl signed bands w ...
, 1991) contained a remastering of selected material from their first two albums, and was their first release to
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Octo ...
.
Material that was not placed on ''Fun'' was rerecorded and released on ''We Are Not Ashamed'' in 1992. A limited edition release, ''The Worst Of...'' (2000), contains the original selections of the band's complete catalog (including ''Feminazi''), plus a cover of
Steve Taylor
Roland Stephen Taylor (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music executive, film maker, assistant professor, and actor. A figure in what has come to be known as Christian alternative rock, Taylor enjoyed ...
's "I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good."
An enhanced version of ''We Are Not Ashamed'' was released in 2006, which included extras such as an audio commentary by Doug Van Pelt and another complete remaster of ''This Is A Condom Nation''.
In 2013, ''Tiny Little Dots'' was released on
Rottweiler Records, which was engineered by Evan Warren of Refugee, and mixed/mastered by
Rocky Gray
William Rocky Gray (born July 2, 1974) is a drummer and guitarist who has been part of the Arkansas metal scene since the early 1990s. He is best known as a former drummer of the rock band Evanescence from 2003-2007. He is the lead guitarist ...
of
Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice is an American Christian metal band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1989. The band has released eight studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnson ...
fame.
Members
;Current
*
Doug Van Pelt ( "Gene") - vocals (1988–1994, 2011–present)
* Mitch Roberts (a.k.a. "Bradford") - guitar (1990–1994, 2011–present)
* John Wilson (a.k.a. "Butch") - bass (1990–1994, 2011–present)
* Phil Borrero (a.k.a. "Bob")- drums (1991–1994, 2011–present)
;Former Members
* Maury Millican (a.k.a. "Duane") - bass (1988–1990)
* Philip Owens (a.k.a. "George") - drums (1988–1990)
* Paul Q-Pek (a.k.a. "Stanley") - guitar (1988–1990)
* Dan Poole (a.k.a. "Matt") - drums (1990–1991)
Discography
*1988: ''This Is A Condom Nation'' (Independent, cassette only, Reviews: ''CCM'',
''Campus Life''
)
*1989: ''Dancing Naked'' (Independent, cassette only)
*1991: ''Fun, Fun Feeling'' (
Blonde Vinyl
Blonde Vinyl was an independent record label founded in 1990 by Michael Knott. The ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music'' describes the label as "one of Christian music's first true indie labels."
Background
Blonde Vinyl signed bands w ...
)
*1992: ''We Are Not Ashamed'' (Enclave, Review: ''
Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music.
His ...
''
)
*1994: ''Feminazi''
*2000: ''The Worst Of...''(M8 Records, Reviews: ''HM'',
The Phantom Tollbooth
)
*2006: ''We Are Not Ashamed: Getting It Right the Second Time'' (Review: The Phantom Tollbooth,
)
* 2013: ''Tiny Little Dots'' (
Rottweiler Records)
See also
*
XXXchurch.com
XXXchurch.com is a non-profit Christian website that aims to help those who struggle with pornography. It ministers to porn industry performers and consumers. The organization describes itself as a "Christian porn site designed to bring awarenes ...
References
*
External links
Official Site
{{Authority control
Christian punk groups
Christian rock groups from Texas
Musical groups from Austin, Texas
Musical groups established in 1988
Sexuality in Christianity
1988 establishments in Texas
Rottweiler Records artists