Metalcore band 'The Devil Wears Prada' spreads Christian message

Vocalist Mike Hranica said there's nothing controversial about his Christian metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada.

In fact, the band members felt Christian metalcore band was what God wanted.

"(The Christian message) has always been there for us," Hranica said during a phone call from the band's stop in Las Vegas. "The lyrics have always been there, but we made it the central point of the band."

Hranica said there have been Christian bands spreading the word before The Devil Wears Prada, and his band gets along with some of the secular bands in the metal circuit.

"We're not the first ever to be doing it," he said. "It's nothing too crazy or real difficult. It's just playing music 99 percent of time and some of our closest friends believe in things totally different than us. We're all just bands touring and making music."

Still, Hranica wants to clear up a misconception.

"Some people will say 'You're just a band that wants to cash in on God.' But that is absurd. If we were trying to make money, we wouldn't be in a Christian band. I mean, sex sells, and cursing your mind off on stage sells a lot, too."

Hranica, bassist Andy Trick, drummer Daniel Williams, keyboardist James Baney, and guitarists Jeremy DePoyster and Chris Rubey cut their teeth in and around Dayton, Ohio.

In fact, Hranica's main musical influences were all the local bands in the area.

"I would see all these bands every weekend," he said. "Watching them was inspiring to me. I wanted to do something like that, and that's why I ended up joining this band."

The Devil Wears Prada's goal at that time was to play gigs where ever it could, said Hranica. "We never thought about signing with a label or recording full length (albums). It was all about playing shows in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky. And it kind of grew from there."

The kickbacks for the band isn't about money, Hranica said. It's something more personal.

"It's awesome to proclaim what we believe," he said. "If you believe in anything strong enough, you should tell people about it."

Also, seeing how the band's message impacts the fans means more than a few dollars in the band's bank account.

"It's refreshing to hear fans say 'You really helped me out when I was depressed,' or 'You helped me re-evaluate my relationship with God and got me back on track.'