Resurrection Band

Resurrection Band
Rez Band live in concert, August 1988
Background information
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, US
Genres	Christian rock, hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal, new wave
Years active	1972–2000
Labels	Star Song, Light, Sparrow, Word, Ocean, Grrr, REX
Associated acts	Glenn Kaiser, Glenn Kaiser Band
Website	www.resurrectionband.com
Members	Glenn Kaiser, Wendi Kaiser, Stu Heiss, Roy Montroy, John Herrin
Past members	Jim Denton, Tom Cameron

Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, was a Christian rock band formed in 1972. They were part of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago and most of its members have continued in that community to this day. Known for their blend of blues-rock and hard rock, Resurrection Band is credited as one of the forerunners of the Christian metal genre. Christianity Today called them "the most influential band in Christian music history." Following their debut in 1978, the band's greatest popularity was during the early 1980s, but later in the decade they received some crossover success when they had two music videos featured on MTV.

Led by the husband-and-wife team of Glenn and Wendi Kaiser, the band sought to evangelize using Christian rock, and addressed a variety of social ills in the lyrics of their music. While the group is officially disbanded, they played several one-off dates at the now defunct Cornerstone Festival, which members of the band helped establish. Currently Glenn Kaiser has an established solo career as a blues musician and is also a speaker on various spiritual issues to youth and adults.

The band originally played together under the name "Charity" in 1972 with Jesus People Milwaukee, based in Milwaukee. When the community split into four groups, one became the "Jesus People USA Traveling Team", working primarily in Florida. Before their relocation to Chicago, the name "Resurrection Band" was chosen and the band became a primary focus of the community's ministry. After arriving in Chicago, the band recorded two independent cassettes that were given away after their concerts. These were performed anywhere Resurrection Band was allowed to play, from schools to prisons to street corners. The first cassette, Music to Raise the Dead, featured hard rock, while All Your Life comprised only their acoustic numbers. These were a reflection of the folk-oriented sets they would play at more conservative venues such as nursing homes and churches. The churches were deeply sceptical of Christian rock, especially the borderline heavy metal that Resurrection Band specialized in.