Welcome to CraigBannerman.com. I’m Craig Bannerman, a Christian metal musician, songwriter and composer. This is where I share my music, videos and the Scripture behind them.
My latest album, 30 Silver, is available to listen to and download free. If you’re new to my music, that’s a good place to start.
Who Is Craig Bannerman?
I make music to glorify Jesus Christ. My songs deal with suffering, repentance, judgment, mercy and the hope of resurrection. I want them to point people to Him and to the words of Scripture.
Much of my work draws on black and unblack metal, melodic death metal, doom and progressive metal, with orchestral passages, spoken Scripture and quieter moments. Some pieces move into electronic music or orchestral worship. The subject matters to me, and the music needs room to follow it, whether that calls for blast beats, a sorrowful lead guitar or stillness.
My Christian convictions are central to what I write. Sin and judgment are serious. So are Christ’s mercy, His death for us and His victory over the grave. My hope is that these songs encourage faith, repentance and a closer attention to His words.
30 Silver: Nine Songs Rooted in Scripture
I produced, mixed and mastered 30 Silver myself. Across its nine songs, the album moves through lament, suffering, death, judgment and endurance, ending in worship of the crucified, risen and reigning Christ.
The songs take different musical forms. There is raw unblack metal, blackened melodic death metal, doom, progressive writing, orchestration and spoken Scripture. There are also passages of beauty and quiet where the music needs to linger.
Listen to or download 30 Silver free. You can also find my releases on Bandcamp.
Lament, Suffering and Death
How Long O LORD draws on Psalm 13. Unblack metal, death metal and atmospheric passages give way to a spoken reading from the Psalm. The song holds the sorrow and waiting in that prayer, then ends in quiet submission and trust in God’s mercy.
For Dogs Have Compassed Me is rooted in Psalm 22. Moments of innocence and beauty give way to sudden violence, crushing doom and sorrowful lead melodies. Raw Christian black metal sits alongside soul gospel vocals referencing Amazing Grace. The song moves through suffering, pressure, death and invitation without surrendering to despair.
O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? reflects on war, death, remembrance and the frailty of man. It includes the historic declaration announcing war between Britain and Germany in 1939, setting devastation and mourning beside the Christian proclamation of victory over death through Jesus Christ. The music moves through tension, grief, exhaustion and lament toward restrained triumph.
Judgment, Weakness and Grace
Outer Darkness grew from a recurring childhood dream that stayed with me. Years later, that imagery became part of a piece centred on Christ’s warnings about judgment, outer darkness, and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Dissonant tremolo guitars, blast beats and spoken Scripture carry its atmosphere of absence and dread.
Angelos Satana draws on Paul’s thorn in the flesh and the answer he received in 2 Corinthians 12:7–9. At its heart are the Lord’s words: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
I Never Knew You began around 2011 as a composition for my former band. It remained unfinished for years before eleven days of writing, arranging, recording and production brought it into its present form. Rather than a conventional verse and chorus structure, it follows a continuous narrative through progressive Christian black metal, atmospheric passages, orchestral textures, melodic lead guitar and spoken Scripture. Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV) is its foundation, confronting the difference between outward religious works and being truly known by Christ.
Gethsemane, Endurance and Worship
Tarry Ye Here lingers with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:38 (KJV) is at its centre: “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” Darkness, lament, beauty and stillness reflect the weight of the night before the cross. My prayer is that it draws the listener to behold His love, the cost of our redemption, and worship Him.
Crown of Life brings together blackened melodic death metal, doom, progressive metal and orchestral music. Distorted guitars and melodic leads move alongside expressive bass, intimate clean passages, female lament, choir and spoken word. Revelation 2:10–11 and James 1:12 (KJV) give the song its focus: suffering, endurance, faithfulness unto death and the promised crown of life.
If I Be Lifted Up from the Earth closes the album in sacred orchestral worship. Centred on John 12:31–33 (KJV), it rises from stillness into increasing orchestral grandeur before an unresolved final declaration. The final focus is Christ Himself, crucified, risen and reigning. Jesus Christ is King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Naked Came I and Earlier Music
My earlier album, Naked Came I, also follows suffering, endurance and judgment through Scripture, moving through loss and unanswered questions toward the light of Christ. Its music and accompanying visuals draw on biblical passages, classical imagery and symbolism.
Earlier pieces include Though He Slay Me, based on Job 13:15; Be of Good Cheer, drawing on John 15:18–19 and John 16:33; and My God, My God, Why?, centred on Psalm 22 and Matthew 27:46. I Am the Resurrection and the Life takes its hope from John 11:25–26, while The Sorrow of Dead Men, Babylon the Great Is Fallen and The Second Death consider the warnings of Revelation.
Other work includes Chains of Darkness, That They All May Be One, His Face Did Shine As the Sun, Blessed Are, DAIMONION and Thief on a Cross. Unto the Death draws on Revelation 12:11, Ha-Satan – The Covering Cherub’s Judgment on Revelation 20:10, A Hopeful Requiem on 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14, and For God So Loved on John 3:16.
There is electronic music here too. Hardness of Hearts is a Christian house lament drawing on Matthew 19:8 and Genesis 2:24, with electronic textures and Laurie vocals carrying a prayer for fractured love. Rachel’s Sorrow uses trance to reflect on Matthew 2:18, mourning the lost and the unborn and calling the listener to repentance.
You can find the music on Bandcamp and the videos on YouTube.
Press and Reviews
Thank you to the writers who have taken time to listen and write about my music. The coverage below includes album reviews and articles about individual songs.
Broken 8 Music – “O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?”
Thomas Bedward, May 20, 2026:
“a deeply contemplative meditation on war, death, remembrance, and the human condition.”
Lelahel Metal - “Naked Came I”
“Naked Came I is undeniably original. I have rarely heard something that merges devotion and extremity in such a singular way. There is immense potential here. Well played.”
Eternal Flames - “Naked Came I”
"Black Metal Worship in an Age of Spiritual Anxiety
Another chapter in the same line: faith, exposure, and the extreme language of prayer.”
vaultlab.it - “Be of good cheer”
“Be of Good Cheer occupies a space rarely explored with such coherence: that of unblack metal , which neither renounces sonic ferocity nor the clarity of its spiritual message. Craig Bannerman constructs the song as a true narrative and theological journey , directly inspired by the Scriptures (John 15:18–19 and John 16:33), transforming them into living, pulsating musical material.
The opening is harsh and violent, dominated by tight tremolo picking , blast beats, and a typically black metal wall of sound. Here, the music doesn't soften anything: the chaos, hostility, and weight of the world are conveyed through a raw, almost suffocating soundscape. It's a powerful representation of the tribulation, hatred, and rift between the believer and a world that rejects the message they bring.
Gradually, however, the song expands. Orchestral choirs , harmonic layers, and an increasingly pronounced sense of cinematic breadth enter. The production—especially in the Spotify version, as the artist rightly suggests—maintains a remarkable balance between aggressiveness and intelligibility, allowing the dynamics to breathe without flattening the emotional impact. It's not just power: it's control of the crescendo .
The true strength of Be of Good Cheer lies in its final transformation . After navigating tension and violence, the song opens with a melodic ascent that leads to an epilogue of peace and triumph. It is not a surrender, but a silent and solemn victory, where the initial fury is transfigured into affirmation and hope. Musically, this transition is rendered with great sensitivity: the melodic lines relax, the choruses take on an almost liturgical role, and the atmosphere is charged with an unexpected light.
Thematically, the message is direct but never banal: the world brings hatred and suffering, but Christ has already won . Bannerman doesn't preach, but bears witness, using the extreme language of black metal as a means of expression rather than as provocation for its own sake. In this sense, Be of Good Cheer functions both as a piece of music and as an act of artistic faith.
In the contemporary metal landscape, often torn between nihilism and pure entertainment, this piece stands out for its integrity, emotional intensity, and vision . It's a heavy, spiritually charged composition, designed not just to be listened to, but to be experienced. A song that can offer strength and courage to those in need, without ever denying the harshness of the path it describes.”
Metal Junkbox – "I Am the Resurrection and the Life
“showcases a grandiose sound that comes across as an experience as well as a song.”
Metal Junkbox – "I Am the Resurrection and the Life
“A work of symphonic lament, heavy yet redemptive.”
Roadie Metal – "I Am the Resurrection and the Life"
“Doom sinfônico, lamento e riff de renascimento.”
Roadie Metal – “The Second Death”
“Invoca redenção com metal apocalíptico.”
Broken 8 Records – "Hardness of Hearts"
“Hardness of Hearts’ is a Profound Electronic Journey" Tom wrote regarding the music video: ”It’s not easy to watch, but it’s truth." And he’s right."
Broken 8 Records – "Rachel's Sorrow"
"‘Rachel's Sorrow’ It’s a deeply moving and unique piece that transcends genre, offering a powerful and essential message that resonates long after the final note fades."
Broken 8 Records – "Blessed Are"
"‘Blessed Are’ is a spike of truth and warning, taking lead from the Beatitudes of Jesus Christ to deliver something truly impactful."
Broken 8 Records – "DAIMONION"
“A stark and evocative rendition of Matthew 12:43, DAIMONION descends into a rapturous black metal-inspired onslaught — a spiritual lament and testimony rooted in real encounters with oppression.”
Stereo Stickman – "Thief on a Cross"
“Creatively exploring the story of the crucifixion, Christian Metal guitarist and composer Craig Bannerman offers up his latest intoxicating deep-dive, for the explosive to euphoric Thief on a Cross.”
Broken 8 Records – "Thief on a Cross"
“Craig masterfully blends sorrow and beauty, grief and glory, creating a sound that is both powerful and profoundly moving.”
Stereo Stickman – "Unto the Death"
“Visceral energy… blends intense metal riffs with sincere storytelling.”
The Metal Verse – "Unto the Death"
“A unique blend of melody and thunderous breakdowns… a bold, dynamic structure.”
Broken 8 Records – "Unto the Death"
“A fierce and visceral experience… raw production and emotional depth.”
Broken 8 Records – "A Hopeful Requiem"
“Sweeping melodic core… stirring vocals that bring the message of light in darkness to life.”
The Metal Verse – "Ha-Satan - The Covering Cherub’s Judgement"
“An artist unafraid to push boundaries… a sound that commands attention.”
Stereo Stickman – "For God So Loved"
“An intense yet graceful composition, capturing the depth of its spiritual message.”
Stay in Touch
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Thanks for listening and for taking the time to read. If a song helps you, you’re welcome to share a link with someone else. I want to keep making music that honours Christ and gives careful attention to His Word.