“Pearl” by Extol

Norwegian Christian Extreme Progressive Metal.

If you, dear reader, are immediately turned off by any combination of words in that last phrase, I implore you to keep reading all the same, but I understand if such a description seems daunting and bizarre. Such is the genre of the band Extol, a band originating from Norway in the early ’90s and who are still kicking it today. Their sound, from what I’ve heard of them, leans toward a fairly dark and heavy style of metal, and their lyrics exude spirituality and theology; even their name, Extol, is a word found several times in the Bible, a synonym for “praise” or “exalt”. This concept of praise probably isn’t what most people would tend to associate with metal, and a lot of listeners would be turned away from such music by either the sound or the lyrics. I’ve always had a soft spot for such a combination, having grown up listening to a lot of Christian metal and holding a lot of respect for the genre, even if many will disparage or scoff at it.

The song in question today, Extol’s “Pearl” from their 2005 album The Blueprint Dives, is actually a bit of a departure from their usually heavy sound; it’s a ballad that eschews brutal breakdowns and screaming vocals for a more clean and deliberately paced, albeit distortion driven, experience. The electric guitars play loud and heavy during the into and choruses, but mellow out during the verses to let the clear, eerie tenor vocals shine in delivering the lyrics. The Allmusic review apparently compared the sound of the song to Pink Floyd, which I can hear somewhat in the verses especially (and which might explain why I like the song so much). It’s definitely more sonically accessible to those who don’t like metal than the typical fare that Extol releases, though it may still not be to everyone’s liking. Most noteworthy in the song, however, are the lyrics, which speak from the perspective of Christ about the love that He has for His bride. These sparse lyrics, reminiscent of much of the imagery in Song of Songs, make for good reflection, and I’d like to take a look at them now.

(Side note: if you should choose to look this song up and listen to it, be forewarned that the music video is really creepy and weird, and I have no idea what it has to do with the song.)

“Hear these words, my soft voice speaks only truth”: Jesus, in telling us to listen to Him, doesn’t idly or harshly demand respect, but draws us in by speaking softly and gently, and in speaking exclusively in truth that only He can, being Truth Himself. While some verses in scripture display God’s command as a lord and king, others display His tender voice and affection for His people, and this lyric reflects that latter flavor very well. As C.S. Lewis once said, “The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men.”

“I will reveal myself to you, I’ll see you through”: The Word of God is an invaluable gift that He has given to us to show us who He is and what He is like; not only this, but He guides us and gives us counsel through it, watching over us and abiding with us to bring us through the darkest of valleys.

“You are beautiful, my love, walk with me”: Here is where the imagery of Song of Songs really starts to shine through, as the lyric reflects Christ speaking to His Church as a husband would speak to his bride and his lover. It’s a good reminder of how much He loves us, and though we will never be as beautiful as our Savior, He still works to make us beautiful because He sees what we can become in Him. This is why He encourages and invites us to walk with Him. “All you’ll ever need, I am”: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36a). God is the source of all things good and all goodness itself; He is all sufficient for us, and we can be wholly satisfied in Him. This brings to my mind a lyric from mewithoutYou: “If I come without a thing, then I come with all I need”.

“So come stay with me, my dear, dwell in grace”: With such an awesome, passionate, tender love as our Lord shows us, it’s a wonder that He has to invite us to stay with Him; yet it is our tendency to wander away toward other things that we mistakenly think will be more fulfilling. The lyrics here reflect how, even in knowing the depravity that causes us to walk away, Christ still beckons us back with mild affection and unconditional love, knowing that He will be sufficient to provide. The thought of “dwelling in Grace” is a very appealing thought, similar to the song “Lost?” by Kings Kaleidoscope, which talks about being “lost” in Grace, unable to find a way out and being completely at peace in that place.

“All that I am I will complete in you”: When we walk with Christ and abide in Him, we become more and more like Him, to the point where, as the apostle Paul said, “It’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) This is a stunning thought: that Christ in His perfection and total righteousness should complete the work in us of making us more like Himself.

“I’ll never leave you, my hand lies on your head”: The walk of the Christian life can often be, and in fact regularly is, a hard and laborious road; many testimonies have been spoken by Christians who felt very much alone at some of the most trying times in their lives. Yet even when we feel alone, God has promised to be by our side when we call upon Him, “for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” (Hebrews 13:5) He will guide us like a shepherd guides his sheep.

Many people struggle with faith because they feel unloved by God, or they feel that religion is just a bunch of rules, rituals, and prohibitions. This view of faith tends to leave people feeling overwhelmed and bitter, with feelings that they’ll never live up to expectations or that they’re being kept from something for no reason. While it is true that we should look to God and make much of Him more than we make much of ourselves, we shouldn’t neglect the important fact that He loves us more than we can possibly comprehend. He loves us more than anyone on earth ever could love us. And, in turn, “we love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) Let us reflect on His amazing, incomparable love, and consider that not only does such a God exist, but He’s loving you and seeking you right now.