Theocracy is a Christian Heavy Metal band from Athens, Georgia in the US. Their style mixes elements of Power Metal and Progressive Metal with plenty of Iron Maiden influences. The band was formed in 2002 by Matt Smith (no relation), who played all the instruments, performed all the vocals, and programmed the drum machine on the first self-titled album, as well as mixing and polishing it. The band has since become an actual full band — there were three members who played on their 2008 sophomore album, Mirror Of Souls, and there are currently five members. Their third album, As The World Bleeds, was released in 2011 and marks their first release as a full band, followed by Ghost Ship in 2016.
On October 18, 2020, lead guitarist Val Wood was fired for unethical behavior due to scamming fans, leaving the band as a four-piece. Taylor Washington (Paladin) would eventually take his place.
Current Members:
- Matt Smith - Vocals
- Jonathan Hinds - Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Ernie Topran - Drums
- Jared Oldham - Bass, Backing Vocals
- Taylor Washington - Lead Guitar
Former Members:
- Seth Filkins - Bass, Backing Vocals
- Josh Sloan - Bass, Backing Vocals
- Patrick Parris (Lascaille's Shroud, Judicator, Project: Roenwolfe) - Bass, Backing Vocals
- Patrick Nickell - Drums
- Shawn Benson - Drums
- Val Allen Wood - Lead Guitar
Studio Albums to date:
- 2003 - Theocracy: "Theocracy", "Mountain", and "Ichthus"
- 2008 - Mirror of Souls: "Mirror of Souls", "Laying the Demon to Rest", and "On Eagles' Wings"
- 2011 - As the World Bleeds: "I AM", "Nailed", and "As the World bleeds"
- 2016 - Ghost Ship: "Ghost Ship", "Wishing Well", and "The Wonder of It All"
- 2023 - Mosaic: "Return to Dust" and "Mosaic"
Not to be confused with a political Theocracy.
Theocracy provides examples of:
- Book Ends: "I am" is both the first and last two words of "I AM".
- Cover Version: Of "I'm in a Cage" by Neal Morse and "Time" by Angra.
- Epic Rocking: Every album features at least one song over nine minutes long.
- From Theocracy: "The Serpent's Kiss" (11:56), "The Healing Hand" (11:36), and "Twist of Fate" (11:30)
- From Mirror of Souls: "Laying the Demon to Rest" (9:37), "Mirror of Souls" (22:26)
- From As the World Bleeds: "I AM" (11:00)
- From Ghost Ship: "Easter" (9:53)
- From Mosaic: "Red Sea" (19:08)
- Christmas Tracks: "Christmas Medley" (11:03) and "Wynter Fever" (10:23)
- Genre Roulette: "Wynter Fever" shifts from power metal to blues and then back again.
- "I Am" Song: "I AM." is one of these from the perspective of God. Almost every sentence begins with "I am."
- Longest Song Goes First: As the World Bleeds opens with the eleven-minute "I AM".
- Longest Song Goes Last: On the other hand, Mirror of Souls's lengthy title track wraps up the album. Mosaic also closes with the nineteen-minute epic "Red Sea".
- Lyrical Cold Open: The last three tracks of As The World Bleeds: "Altar to the Unknown God," "Light of the World" and the title track.
- Medley:
- The "Christmas Medley."
- "Theocrapella," the B-side from the "Wages of Sin" single. It is a medley of the vocal tracks from several of the songs off Mirror of Souls.
- Metal Scream: Twenty seconds in to "Laying the Demon to Rest."
- New Sound Album: Due to the the lack of a complete lineup prior to the release of As the World Bleeds, every album so far has had a distinctly new sound when compared with its predecessors.
- Performance Video: "Hide in the Fairytale" and "Ghost Ship."
- Power Ballad: "Sinner", "Bethlehem", "Drown", and the first half of "The Gift of Music".
- Power Metal
- Progressive Metal
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: "Laying the Demon to Rest."
- Lead! Us! Not! Into tempation / But! De! Liv! Er! Us! From the evil one
- Self-Titled Album: They're called Theocracy, they have an album called Theocracy, and they just happen to have a song called Theocracy as well.
- Spoken Word in Music: "The Serpent's Kiss" and "The Master Storyteller" both include sections of sermons. "Wynter Fever" has a very quiet conversation between Festus and Santa's former head elf during the blues section. "Rudolph vs. Frosty" has a short exchange between the title characters. "All I Want for Christmas" also has one.
- Tomato in the Mirror: The narrator of "Mirror of Souls" learns what he really is after looking into the eponymous Mirror of Souls in the Hall of Truth.
