Flashback Friday: The Unloved

"M-U-R-D-E-R" "K-I-L-L". Not your typical Christian song lyrics. Even less typical when done as a cheerleader chant. If you want happy cheerleader banter, then FM Static is more your cup of tea.

Aleixa (pronounced Uh-Leek-Uh) isn't your typical Christian Band, so that kind of evens things out. Originally known as Sorrow of Seven, Aleixa, hailing from that industrial mecca known as Virginia, was formed by Deitiphobia guitarist Kevin Gutierrez (under the stage handle Kevin 131). with the vocals handled by two chicks, April Lassiter and Laurel Snapper.

Originally discovered by Carson Pierce of the Canadian Industrial Label Flaming Fish Music (I could do a post on that label by itself), I originally heard of them via the song Unloved on the Electro Shock Therapy sampler in 1995. April and Laurel sing "I'm one of the unloved", but more surprisingly they add that "I want to be unloved".

Honey Lake (1996) was their big debut, and it had unloved and the song I could murder, which contained that chant and the following lyric:

I could murder, I could kill, there is something inside of me

Or what about this from non-self:

The person you see is not the one that I'm supposed to be. An eternity of perfection has been destroyed by my sin. Cursed in blackness, showered in pain, is he who created me. With willing reservations I crucify him again and again and again.

How about a little more

I pound the nails into his hands, I pound the nails into his feet. I spit in his face and watch him die and repent at my convenience.

A little hard to take. Sometimes tough talk is necessary so that, as they say "God is able to love, comfort and save us from ourselves, if we only let him."

Over the next three years Aleixa retooled from merely an industrial band to more of a trance/synthpop band in order to get a more mainstream audience (or as the band put it at the time, to execute a plan for World Domination). April Lassiter left the band and was replaced by Stephanie Pummill. Kevin had additional help with his brother Timothy Gutierrez of Kill Villains and Agent X filling in as well.

Disfigured (1999), with its opening lyric "If you know me, you know what's coming" was completely different from what you would have expected from Honey Lake. The title cut referred to the act of recreation that goes on in Salvation.

I need to be disfigured. I need to be torn apart. I need to be made brand new inside.

The lyrics were hard hitting and so was the music. Alas, just when they were poised on the brink of stardom, they disbanded. Such is life on the Fringes of CCM.

I usually try to give a video, but not surprisingly, there isn't much for Aleixa on YouTube. I did manage to find two covers in addition to Non Self. First Up comes from a Stryper Tribute Album, Sweet Family Music. This is Makes Me Wanna Sing.

Not sure if this next one was intended as a parody. This is Tennessee Christmas.

I wish we still had Aleixa here. There aren't any Chick Fronted Industrial Bands out there. Skillet doesn't even count. Though they are somewhat industrial, Korey isn't a singer.

That does it for this round of The Industrial Age. Next week we move back to Alternative, and our subject will be Bleach. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.