John Yelland is the front man & lyricist for two power metal acts: Dire Peril (Sacramento, CA) and Judicator (Tuscon, AZ). He recently posted that he had converted to the Orthodox Church – I had to investigate. The ensuing conversation covers topics such as the value of aesthetics, whether or not he found The Lord, and why the 4th Crusade sucked.

How arrogant to think that I am going to be the one to convert you.  If anything you can be a ‘missionary’ just by being who you are, by being a good example, and if somebody likes what they see in you,  maybe they want to know what you’re jiving on, come and see what is helping you. 

John Yelland

We can’t talk about the world without using categorization sand labels, but at the same time they can be dangerous because they cause us to paint with broad strokes and I think people should be viewed as individuals more than the group that they belong to. 

John Yelland

The heavenly ideas, heavenly realities, all of this stuff that we are participating in, should be reflected in the aesthetic. I don’t think there should be a fear of being aesthetically beautiful. I think it should be a celebration. 

John Yelland