Tell your pastor that Britain now has a Christian 'sleaze metal' group and you might get an interesting response. Richard Clark has been checking out GETHSEMANE ROSE

Gethsemane Rose

For all its problems, Britain's small and embattled white metal scene can still produce the goods musically. New on the block and with their first recording out now, Bristol-based Gethsemane Rose are clearly a band to watch. They have been together for about a year and the brainchild of Ben Mears. Ben formed them shortly after he graduated from college and they line up as Ben (guitar/ vocals), Andy Mears (guitars), Matt Gutteridge (drums) and newcomer Rob Addicott (bass).

As the band's leader, I asked Ben to give me some insight to the reasoning and vision behind the band. "A couple of years ago it sunk into me that there's a type of person, your general heavy metal fan, who's not going to be seen dead in a church... this is one category of person that's going to be left out in the cold when it comes to hearing the Gospel and I have a compassion for them. Through going to gigs I realised the actual number of people, heavy metal fans, there are in the country and that someone needs to reach out to them."

After a year of growing and developing musically, Gethsemane Rose are beginning to move on. The band have been taken on by Clarion Management, headed by Dave Williams, and have just completed a three song demo, produced by Paul Hodson, at the home of British white metal - White Rabbit Studios, Bridgenorth. Those of you who follow the Christian metal scene will recognise Paul's name. He has also produced Seventh Angel's 'The Torment' album, Detritus' 'Perpetual Defiance' and the newly released compilation 'White Metal Warriors'.

So are Gethsemane Rose your average Christian band or is there something different about them? "Our lyrics aren't as chorusy or churchy as other bands and are aimed at a secular audience, for example 'Jimmy's Luck'. It's a song about this guy, your average heavy metal freak who rides a Harley, loves life and has a good time and is loved by everyone but there's a line in there which is just 'he doesn't know God so he's going to Hell' and that's basically the point to the song. The whole song's about his life and it's all pathetic nonsense but it's just to make that simple point that if he doesn't know God then he's going to Hell."

The style of music which Gethsemane Rose play also separates them from the crowd. There seems to be a Christian band in every genre of metal except what is known as 'sleaze' and Rose intend to fill that gap. For those of you not familiar with metal phraseology some secular bands in this genre include Quireboys, Black Crowes and Guns 'N' Roses. "We're not out to rip off a band, we've got our own sound. I don't think there's any point sounding exactly like another band but being the Christian version of it, I don't like that much. I think people deserve more than that, it's got to be a bit more interesting than that and a bit more original."

Ben and the boys play both secular and Christian venues, so how do they communicate their faith to those they're trying to reach? "I think our approach is slightly different, it's not just standing on stage and giving a five minute lecture. There are already enough bands doing that, whether it works or not, I'll leave up to them. If I think it's appropriate I will say something but it's usually not as much as some Christian bands might, we're the type of band that get up and play. I feel our ministry is more in our lyrics. We want to get people interested in us as a band through the music and then reach them through the lyrics.

"I do know through our prayers, when we pray together as a band, that they are answered and as a band we've really felt that God's been with us and supporting us. Hopefully, we've got to where we are through God's strength, not our own."