Review: SUFFER NOT THE WITCH – Suffer Not The Witch EP
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Suffer Not The Witch is a solo extreme metal project from Jarrod Butler that glorifies Christ while exploring some of the darker aspects of Scripture, spiritual warfare, and Christendom. On this self-titled three-song EP, Butler delivers a powerful message of redemption wrapped in blackened extreme metal that never compromises either the music or the Gospel.
Butler has spent decades in the extreme metal scene and has performed around the world. A Christian since the age of 17, he now uses his experience, talents, and understanding of the underground metal culture to reach listeners with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His personal testimony and passion for ministry shine throughout this release.
This is one of the strongest examples of the growing New Wave of Christian Extreme Metal movement. The music is aggressive, dark, and intense, yet every song points listeners directly to Jesus Christ and His saving power.
The opening track, “Rains on the Wicked,” reminds listeners of God’s mercy and grace:
“Oh God’s mercy He has gifted
Messiah for our faith to turn
Died for our sins and ascended
A grace given we could never earn”
The message continues in “Crucify and Deny,” which focuses on the believer’s transformation through Christ:
“Blood has washed you clean
Alive, raised from the dead
Renewed by the Holy Ghost
His fruits manifest in you”
The emotional centerpiece of the EP is “Witch’s Den,” where Butler shares a testimony of deliverance from spiritual darkness and new life in Christ:
“Even so down in the deep
When all my hope was gone
I reached up and called His name
Screamed out for God’s only Son”
and later:
“Blood washed and cleansed of sin by Christ
I went from the witch’s den to born again”
Those lyrics perfectly summarize the heart behind this project. Jarrod is not simply writing songs about darkness. He is proclaiming freedom from it through the power of Jesus Christ.
Musically, the EP does the genre justice. The riffs are crushing, the vocals are fierce, and the atmosphere captures everything fans of blackened death metal and extreme metal are looking for. More importantly, Butler never holds back his convictions or his proclamation of the Gospel.
Suffer Not The Witch is proof that extreme metal can be both uncompromising and Christ-centered. Jarrod Butler takes the darkness of his past and points listeners to the hope found only in Jesus Christ. Whether he is singing about God’s mercy, the transforming power of salvation, or his own journey from spiritual bondage to freedom, the Gospel remains front and center.
Three songs may not seem like much on paper, but this EP cuts your heart out and shows you how to fill it with Jesus. If you enjoy Christian black metal, extreme metal, or faith-based heavy music that refuses to compromise, this release deserves your attention.
Be sure to catch this one-man ministry on stage if he comes through your area. This is a project worth supporting and a message worth hearing.
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