Sacred Warrior


Sacred Warrior is a Christian heavy metal band formed in 1988 and based in Chicago, Illinois. Their music is often compared to that of Queensrÿche or Iron Maiden.

Background

The band was formed out of a general market metal band known as Nomad, which formed in 1985. Subsequent to the conversion of guitarist Bruce Swift to Christianity, he led fellow band members Tony Velasquez and Rey Parra. He also converted Rick Macias, who had been a bouncer at a nightclub.
Their first album, Rebellion, was released in 1988 and supported its release on a tour with Rez in 1989. Later that year, Master's Command was released, featuring guest vocals from Vengeance Rising frontman Roger Martinez. Their third release, Wicked Generation, was considered a partial concept album about a young person struggling with life seeking hope. Their fourth and final album from the 1990s was Obsessions, a more straightforward melodic metal album. The band initially broke up in 1994. The band performed at a reunion show in 2001 at the Cornerstone Festival which was recorded and released on CD later that year.
In 2008, the band reformed and began performing shows. Keyboardist Rick Macias died on February 9, 2009. On April 23, 2012, lead vocalist Rey Parra announced he has left the band due to time constraints and distance issues. He lives in Florida, while the rest of the band is from the Chicago, Illinois area.
Parra rejoined the band in 2016 and released the single "Slave" in advance of a full album. He left Sacred Warrior again in 2019 to focus on a new band after releasing "Blood River" as a single.
In 2020, after a nationwide search, Erik Schelling, another native to Chicagoland, joined the band as lead vocalist. The band is currently writing and recording new music at Gathering Storm Media in Aurora, IL.

Discography

Current
Former