The O.C. Supertones came out of the nineties with a sound that combined ska, punk, rock, and a bold faith message. Signed to Tooth and Nail Records, they became one of the most energetic Christian bands of their era with a style that blended fun, ministry, and fast paced musicianship. They listened to punk, hardcore, hip hop, classic rock, and metal, which is not hard to believe with so many members in the band. They brought together their collective influences to form music that still holds up today.
They also helped bring people together. Their shows drew fans who had found the raddest plaid pants at Goodwill (here is a nod to Jim Thompson) along with black and white Chucks held together with ducktape. It was a scene that felt alive. Everyone was skanking the night away at shows with The W’s, B.U.C.K. (Building Up Christ’s Kingdom), Five Iron Frenzy, The Israelites, The Insyderz, The Dingees, Squad Five O, and many more. It created a sense of community that was loud, joyful, and unforgettable.
What made the Supertones even more interesting was how freely they pulled from the wider world of heavy music. Fans eventually noticed that the band used recognizable guitar parts from Metallica in three songs across their early catalog. These moments gave Christian ska fans something familiar to latch onto and showed how wide the band’s musical vocabulary really was.
Adonai and the Am I Evil Connection
Album: Adventures of The O.C. Supertones (1996)
Supertones (Adonai)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_DqwFb6Rs4
Metallica (Am I Evil)
from the Garage Inc compilation (1998), originally performed by Diamond Head
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMW0FtvU5iQ
“Adonai” opens their debut album with a guitar pattern that instantly catches the ear of anyone familiar with “Am I Evil.” The similarity in the opening figure is hard to miss. The Supertones take that familiar heaviness and redirect it into a song centered on praise and devotion. A riff that once carried a darker tone becomes an unexpected entrance into a worship song filled with movement and joy.
Supertones Strike Back and the Creeping Death Groove
Album: Supertones Strike Back (1997)
Supertones (Supertones Strike Back)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8dD0EtzVS0
Metallica (Creeping Death) — from the album Ride the Lightning (1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8OeBZQn3_w
“Supertones Strike Back,” the title track of their second album, became one of the defining songs of Christian ska. The song bursts forward with horns, energy, and a confident vocal delivery, but inside the track sits a rhythmic pulse that resembles “Creeping Death.” Anyone raised on thrash catches it immediately. The borrowed feel gives the song extra force without pulling it away from the upbeat spirit that drives it.
Fade Away and the Damage Inc Riff
Album: Chase the Sun (1999)
Supertones (Fade Away)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggtWQuZKN9o
Metallica (Damage, Inc.) — from the album Master of Puppets (1986)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtbCRkMM3uA
By the time Chase the Sun arrived, the band had grown more confident in stretching their musical palette. “Fade Away” begins with a guitar line that clearly reflects the aggressive rhythm from “Damage, Inc,” the finale of Master of Puppets. The Supertones use that intensity as a short introduction before the horns shift the mood into something more reflective and melodic. The opening gives the song weight while keeping the focus on the message and the emotional tone of the album.
Why These Moments Still Matter
The O.C. Supertones understood ska in a way that felt natural and contagious. Their music carried the joy of upbeats and beatdowns, the tension and release that made the genre exciting. When they added familiar Metallica inspired moments into that sound, it worked because it reflected who they were as musicians. They were shaped by many styles long before they stepped into the studio, and those influences surfaced honestly instead of feeling forced.
These moments were not imitation. They were used as color and texture, small pieces of musical history that added excitement without changing the heart of the songs. The heavy elements sharpened the edges while the horns and rhythms kept everything grounded in the sound that defined them. It showed how creative Christian artists could be when they let their full musical background breathe.
They also helped build a scene that brought people together. Fans who grew up on ska, punk, metal, and everything in between could stand in the same room and feel the same energy. The familiar riffs inside “Adonai,” “Supertones Strike Back,” and “Fade Away” created a bridge between different musical worlds. The Supertones crossed that bridge with joy, confidence, and purpose.
Their songs continue to resonate because they carried unity, hope, and a desire to lift people up. The moments where metal and ska met were reminders that music is a shared language and that creativity has room for both power and praise. The O.C. Supertones used that language to build community, strengthen faith, and create songs that still feel alive today.
