As I Lay Dying is heavily influenced by metalcore and frequently uses screaming and clean vocals -- a term used to describe singing normally -- in the same songs. However, the band does not stick to the "screaming verse/clean chorus" song format. It builds its songs with asymmetrical structures like those found in progressive rock. For example, the band might fit in a guitar solo after the second verse when the listener expects the song to return to the chorus. The band says on its website that they are all Christians, but write their lyrics from an introspective perspective with the message that change should start from within.
Demon Hunter is influenced by the hardcore revival but its music is based on the traditional heavy metal style. Demon Hunter's members say on their website they are "absolutely" a Christian band. The band's video for "Fading Away" had over 1 million views on YouTube as of 2011. The band's videos also frequently appeared on MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball."
Haste The Day, which started in 2001 and broke up in 2011, had many line-up changes throughout its career that showed in drastic stylistic changes from album to album. The band's name was taken from a hymn, and their lyrical content metaphorically represented many Christian themes. In July of 2008, the band asked guitarist Jason Barnes to step down because he converted to atheism/agnosticism. The group felt it was contradictory to their message to have a non-Christian in the band.
Norma Jean was founded in 1997 and was still active as of 2011. In its early days, it frequently used dissonance -- the art of playing notes not normally associated with each other -- to create a sense of disruption and unease in its songs. However, the band's style shifted to use less dissonance in 2008. The band relies heavily on screaming, and did not use clean singing vocals often until 2008's "The Anti Mother."
UnderOath got its start in the hardcore revival movement, but embraced melodic metal to expand its sound. The band achieved mainstream success with the 2004 album "They're Only Chasing Safety." However, the band's work before and after 2004 focuses on the more aggressive elements of hardcore and heavy metal. The band commonly uses overlapping clean and screaming vocals.