News
ENLARGE
It all started innocently enough — a few high schoolers from Twin Cities Church were going to band practice to rehearse soft worship ballads for the youth group.
Then, on a church mission trip, one of the members learned how to sing in a death-metal scream. They recruited two more members, and added a second pedal to the bass on the drum set.
Before their parents knew it, a praise band benignly named “The Ultimate Adventure” had transfigured into “A Natural Disaster.”
They're a metal band, but the music samples on the band's MySpace page give a better idea of their sound. Suffice it to say the growls and frenetic guitar riffs sound like “a fork in the garbage disposal,” according to their MySpace profile.
“People say we don't look like we sound,” said lead vocalist Justin Palmer, 17.
The guys are smiley and polite, a rarity in what's considered music's darkest genre. They come up with song lyrics by opening their Bibles, finding something with literary value and taking it from there.
One song is taken from 1 Corinthians 13, “The Love Chapter.” The passage's “love is patient, love is kind” is punctuated with shredding guitars and headache-inducing percussion.
Another song is Twin Cities Church's mission statement verbatim. They got those lyrics off a church bulletin one Sunday.
With metal, stage presence is about as important as the music itself. Headbanging, fist pumping and general “rocking out” is essential.
“I go as crazy as I can,” said bassist Blake Bardsley, 17. “I don't care if I need IcyHot afterwards.”
It was their cover of Jingle Bells that truly brought the house down.
The quintet performed at a Battle of the Bands in a Sacramento suburb in early December, wearing red knit Christmas sweaters embellished with kittens and Christmas trees. A mosh pit ensued among fans.
“You get the crowd into it, and it's fun,” said drummer Austin Ramey, 17.
Aside from the carol covers and kitschy knit, what makes the band truly different is that they're trying to turn metal into a worship experience.
The goal is to send a hopeful message young people who feel hopeless. Many concertgoers choose the genre because metal is cathartic; it's an expression and reflection of profound angst and despair.
A Natural Disaster members stand out when they play shows.
“With some of the bands, there's a lot of cursing, and they're afraid they'll get kicked out for cursing,” said guitarist Trent Franks, 14.
“We're all straight-edge,” Palmer added.
But they try to befriend the other musicians and reach out to fans who might never darken the door of a church.
“They're not believers, and if we can bring them to the show, we can plant some seeds,” said guitarist Zach Malech, 16.
At the beginning of November, they had only one song in their repertoire. After cramming to write a full song set, the band is gearing up for two big shows. The first is tomorrow at The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley.
The second is an appearance at the next round of Battle of the Bands at Club Retro in Orangevale Jan. 30. A Natural Disaster already won the first round.
Someday, they hope, they'll record a CD and make it onto the Vans Warped Tour.
Sometimes, churchgoers who overhear the growling of the young metalheads tell them it sounds Satanic, but their sizable fan base — especially those who can decipher the lyrics — know better and keep on buying tickets.
Even the moms and dads are on board with the band.
“Most parents would cringe to think their kids are going to be rock stars,” said Roseanne Palmer, Justin's mom. “But they're such a light in this dark world. They're taking it by storm and bringing hope.”
Or, as her son puts it, “We're bringing the metal for Jesus.”
Visit the band online at myspace.com/anaturaldisastermusic.
Contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels at mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.
Then, on a church mission trip, one of the members learned how to sing in a death-metal scream. They recruited two more members, and added a second pedal to the bass on the drum set.
Before their parents knew it, a praise band benignly named “The Ultimate Adventure” had transfigured into “A Natural Disaster.”
They're a metal band, but the music samples on the band's MySpace page give a better idea of their sound. Suffice it to say the growls and frenetic guitar riffs sound like “a fork in the garbage disposal,” according to their MySpace profile.
“People say we don't look like we sound,” said lead vocalist Justin Palmer, 17.
The guys are smiley and polite, a rarity in what's considered music's darkest genre. They come up with song lyrics by opening their Bibles, finding something with literary value and taking it from there.
One song is taken from 1 Corinthians 13, “The Love Chapter.” The passage's “love is patient, love is kind” is punctuated with shredding guitars and headache-inducing percussion.
Another song is Twin Cities Church's mission statement verbatim. They got those lyrics off a church bulletin one Sunday.
With metal, stage presence is about as important as the music itself. Headbanging, fist pumping and general “rocking out” is essential.
“I go as crazy as I can,” said bassist Blake Bardsley, 17. “I don't care if I need IcyHot afterwards.”
It was their cover of Jingle Bells that truly brought the house down.
The quintet performed at a Battle of the Bands in a Sacramento suburb in early December, wearing red knit Christmas sweaters embellished with kittens and Christmas trees. A mosh pit ensued among fans.
“You get the crowd into it, and it's fun,” said drummer Austin Ramey, 17.
Aside from the carol covers and kitschy knit, what makes the band truly different is that they're trying to turn metal into a worship experience.
The goal is to send a hopeful message young people who feel hopeless. Many concertgoers choose the genre because metal is cathartic; it's an expression and reflection of profound angst and despair.
A Natural Disaster members stand out when they play shows.
“With some of the bands, there's a lot of cursing, and they're afraid they'll get kicked out for cursing,” said guitarist Trent Franks, 14.
“We're all straight-edge,” Palmer added.
But they try to befriend the other musicians and reach out to fans who might never darken the door of a church.
“They're not believers, and if we can bring them to the show, we can plant some seeds,” said guitarist Zach Malech, 16.
At the beginning of November, they had only one song in their repertoire. After cramming to write a full song set, the band is gearing up for two big shows. The first is tomorrow at The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley.
The second is an appearance at the next round of Battle of the Bands at Club Retro in Orangevale Jan. 30. A Natural Disaster already won the first round.
Someday, they hope, they'll record a CD and make it onto the Vans Warped Tour.
Sometimes, churchgoers who overhear the growling of the young metalheads tell them it sounds Satanic, but their sizable fan base — especially those who can decipher the lyrics — know better and keep on buying tickets.
Even the moms and dads are on board with the band.
“Most parents would cringe to think their kids are going to be rock stars,” said Roseanne Palmer, Justin's mom. “But they're such a light in this dark world. They're taking it by storm and bringing hope.”
Or, as her son puts it, “We're bringing the metal for Jesus.”
Visit the band online at myspace.com/anaturaldisastermusic.
Contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels at mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.
