Alternative rock, which spawned such children of the devil as Kurt Cobain and Marilyn Manson, might seem more a Gomorrah than a Mecca for Christian musical artists. But three young Christian rock bands-Third Day, Plumb and Jars of Clay-are trying to break into that decidedly secular market. For the bands, it's a chance to spread the Word to a larger audience. For Silvertone Records, the alternative music label that represents them, it's a chance to tap the large but somewhat self-contained Christian Music Market.

Silvertone faces a rather thorny marketing problem. Christian audiences may feel that these bands have forgotten the faith while pursuing success in the material world. Conversely, secular rock fans don't usually like to mix rock 'n' roll with religion. Silvertone may be hoping for more tolerance than either audience has to offer.

The label has assigned two publicists to the bands, one for each market. Rey Roldan has the tough task of trying to convert the non-believers. "I'll go into a pitch and talk to people, saying how great the music is, not even mentioning the Christian slant at all," he says. "When you brand a band Christian, there's a stigma attached to it."

Roldan's approach has worked to an extent. The College Music Journal, a trend-spotting industry magazine, reviewed Plumb's album without mentioning religion at all. But Roldan says two other "high-profile" publications pulled their reviews of Third Day's album after he sent them the CD booklet, which includes references to chapters of the Bible.

"People have told me that they're Christian bands and they should stay in their Christian world," Roldan says.

Yet Jars of Clay has already proved that Christian rock can break into the alternative music world. The band began in a dormitory at Greenville College in Illinois and soon signed with Essential Records, a Christian label owned by Silvertone. In 1995, the video for the band's single, "Flood," went into rotation on MTV. The debut album went platinum and earned a Grammy nomination in the "Rock Gospel" category. On Sept. 16, Jars of Clay release its second album, "Much Afraid." Its total album sales are approaching two million.

It's been really cool overall, but it's presented difficult issues," admits Dan Haseltine, the band's 24-year-old singer and chief songwriter. "Christians hear our stuff being played on regular radio or alternative rock stations and they want to know, 'Is this band still keeping with what they believe, are they being swayed by the ways of the world?' Then there's the people who aren't Christian, who are wondering, 'Is this band going to stop in the middle of a show and preach to me?'"

None of the Silvertone bands claim that proselytizing is a priority. "I just have a relationship that hopefully shows up in my lifestyle and my lyrics," says Tiffany Arbuckle, the 22-year-old frontwoman for Plumb. On the band's self-titled debut, none of the songs mention Jesus or God by name. "All of Plumb's songs are based on real-life situations. Anyone who can understand metaphor or poetry can probably get a message of hope from them."

"We like to label ourselves as five Christians who have a rock band, not necessarily as a 'Christian band,'" explains Matt Stanfield, Plumb's keyboard-player. "We have a message of hope and deliverance, but if I come out there waving a Bible and shouting, how do you think they're going to react to me?"

The idea of a rock musician waving a Bible recalls one of Christian rock's last great heroes, Stryper. With their long hair and yellow-and-black outfits, the members of Stryper played high-decibel heavy metal and distributed Bible-pamphlets during concerts. Though the band hit platinum status in the mid-1980s, Christian audiences lost interest as the popularity of heavy metal waned. As for secular listeners, most suspected that Stryper was little more than a ploy to "disguise" Christianity in popular garb.

Silvertone's Christian bands may raise the same suspicion. Third Day's latest album, "Conspiracy Theory No. 5," reveals a marked resemblance to the hugely popular band Pearl Jam. Plumb ventures into the cutting-edge trip-hop genre. Jars of Clay's accessible songs sometimes sound more mainstream than alternative.

Yet all three bands share a dissatisfaction with the limitations of the Christian music genre. They cite a wide range of musical influences, few of which would pass inspection by a Christian music-seller. Arbuckle cites Suzanne Vega, whose songs often contain sophisticated sexual themes. Haseltine grew up listening to Queen the '70's rock band whose flamboyantly gay lead singer died of AIDS in 1991. Tai Anderson, the bassist for Third Day, is a fan of Jane's Addiction, the art-rock band led by Perry Farrell, who made no apologies for his heroin habit.

Anderson is married, as are all the members of his band. Arbuckle, whose family has a history of alcoholism, disapproves of drinking. She also frowns on sex before marriage. Haseltine just got married earlier this month. "Someone sleeping next to you is something you really have to get used to." he says.

These kids are a far cry from Courtney Love. Nevertheless, they still feel somewhat at odds with the Christian music market. Haseltine (who admits to having a beer now and then) says, "There are aspects of the Christian movement that have really isolated it from the rest of the world. And music is one of those. There's always been the 'Christian version' of this or that band to keep kids sheltered and away from the struggles that go on in the world, and from mainstream radio-just the good stuff that Christian music has to offer."

Another source of isolation is the Christian Booksellers Association, whose approximately 10,000 retailers stock most Christian records and have earned the nickname "gatekeepers": Like St. Peter, they decide who gets in and who stays out.

"It's one of the things we're up against in the Christian market," says Robert Beeson, label director of Essential Records. "It's almost like a prerequisite that they understand where the band's coming from first, how committed they are to their faith, before they'll even turn on the records. We have to be very clear with the gatekeepers with what goes on behind the scenes with these bands: Do they go to church, do they drink, do they smoke?"

"I guess I have grown a little bitter with the Christian market," Arbuckle admits. "A lot of record labels are like, 'No, we're not letting it go mainstream.' And that is so wrong? Don't you want people to hear it?"

The Nashville-based Gospel Music Association produces the annual Dove Awards, the Christian equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Frank Breeden, president of GMA, likens the new Christian bands to home football teams. For some Christians, he says, "It's a similar emotion you might feel when the local football star signs to the pros. There's some emotional attachment, and you feel that they're leaving. We call it crossover. But when people go playing in coliseums and arenas, some people in the church feel that they've been deserted."

Both Third Day and Jars of Clay are on national tours this month, supported by Plumb. As the bands continue to navigate both the Christian and secular worlds, they seem prepared for some level of compromise.

"We spent a lot of excess time and energy trying to make everybody happy," Haseltine says of Jars of Clay's early career. "And you can't do it. It's impossible. And we've learned that it's not going to happen. We're going to have to distance ourselves from certain people."*

Mr. Guzman is a free-lance writer in Buffalo

*Article transcribed from The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, October 7, 1997, Leisure and Arts, page A20.