WORSHIP SUNDAY: A Sovereign Fortress by Antestor - I said that we would be getting heavier on the Worship Sunday segment. Thus here is your portion of unblack metal in one of the seminal bands in the Christian black metal scene, Antestor. This band originates from Norway and while they were not the first unblack metal band, they have been one of the more notable and successful of bands to popularize unblack metal. Even against a torrent of negativity from the core black metal scene, Antestor has continued to represent their faith and glorify the Lord in their name and lyrics (Antestor is Latin for testify).
The Return of the Black Death was their second studio album, but the first to be truly black metal rather than doom. It almost never got out to the public, getting no support from their label which deemed the overt Christian orientation so appalling they censored all references to God in the lyrics. Yet, it did not stop fans from finding this album, placing it next to Horde's Hellig Usvart as one of the most influential album in the unblack scene. A Sovereign Fortress is one of the few English tunes on the album, and it is pretty much obvious this is a Christian band from the very beginning:
Be A Rock Of Refuge For Me,
Where I May Ever Find Safety At Your Call
For You Are My Towering Crag And Stronghold
O Lord , Keep My Life Safe From The Wicked
Indeed, He is our rock and our fortress, just as it says in Psalm 18.