Whosays Christian music has to be subdued and boring? DC Talk certainly isn't. In atime when our country desires peace, the contemporary Christian music business isthriving.

In the early ྖs when metal and hard rock and roll were theonly acceptable types of music, three friends gathered to form what would becomethe first Christian band recognized by the secular music industry.

MichaelTait, Toby McKeehan and Kevin Max had a common goal to unite a country and provethat spirituality didn't have to be "uncool." Although both theirvocals and instrumentals strayed from the church hymns some were used to, theirgeneral message was the same.

With the release of their self-entitleddebut album, the band gained popularity within the Christian industry but was farfrom reaching beyond its regulars. Their sophomore album, "Free atLast," contained remakes of "Lean On Me" and "TheHardway" which helped to promote their message to outsiders, but again thisbecame lost and their name quickly faded. Still determined, DC Talk continuedtheir musical journey.

After much work, time and determination, DC Talkreleased "Jesus Freak." The lyrics were strong, the music intense andthe message obvious. This was the long-awaited breakthrough they needed. Withthree number-one singles, secular radio and television stations were flooded withrequests. Finally, the contemporary Chris-tian music industry was gaining therespect it deserved.

Three releases after "Jesus Freak," DC Talkis now collaborating with new Christian artists in hopes of continuing thepowerful music and strong message DC Talk familiarized more than a decade ago.