A ten-part documentary series by Eric Clayton
The Story of Saviour Machine
It began in the spring of 1988, on a little Southern Baptist church stage in Colton,
California -- and it quickly evolved into a big Southern California controversy.
Caught between the death of hair metal and the birth of grunge, brothers Eric and Jeff Clayton built a band without a genre -- a violent collision of art rock, post-punk, gothic wave and heavy metal that became an opera. Christians † Lunatics is the definitive, much-anticipated Saviour Machine documentary / anthology series, produced by Eric Clayton.
Colton, California, USA † returning to the streets where
it all started and touring their childhood homes
No talking-head retrospective. Eric Clayton narrates the entire series in person -- walking the old neighborhood, opening the family albums, and revisiting the faith, the loss, the addiction and the deliverance that forged Saviour Machine's music.
“At the core of that, we were two lonely boys from a broken family who both had a tremendous amount of creative energy… like many young artists, we wanted to do something that made us feel like we were exorcising some of our own demons.” ~ ERIC CLAYTON
“That moment, that night, that prayer… that experience changed my life. It was the beginning of Saviour Machine. Whether I knew it or not -- it was the beginning of music.”
Eric Clayton -- Prelude ▪ Overture (1967 – 1987)
1967 – 1987 ▪ 32 min
The first 32 minutes of the epic -- free for everyone. This intimate prelude documents Eric and Jeff Clayton's unique childhood and dramatic adolescence: a deeply transparent look at the foundations of a shared artistic heart.
Stream the Prelude Free
“We're on a mission from God!”
In the beginning... There were two brothers, a calling, and a mission. It began in the spring of 1988 on a little Southern Baptist Church stage and it quickly evolved into a big Southern California controversy...
“The Power of Christ Compels you!”
Surrounded by controversy, lost in the scene, and caught between the death of Hair-Metal and the birth of Grunge, a band without a genre began to create one of their own... Los Angeles, CA 1990... When the crossroads of Art Rock, Post-Punk, Gothic Wave and Heavy Metal violently collided into an opera...
“Horror has a face…”
Rejected by the major record labels, discouraged, frustrated and forced to pursue another direction in securing a deal, the most controversial band in Southern California began to find its fanbase in a most unlikely place... A band on the precipice of their breakthrough
album, and an iconic stage persona is born...
“Welcome to the Overlook Hotel…”
The Making of Saviour Machine I (Photos / Drums / Bass)
The band enters the studio to begin production of their debut album, “Saviour Machine I” (1993)... Witness the iconic album photo shoot
and the rhythmic foundations for building an epic to come.
“My grandmother called it, Shining…”
The Making of Saviour Machine I (Guitars)
A tribute to the artistry of guitarist and founding member, Jeff Clayton
The album begins to take shape, tone and atmosphere as the brothers co-produce and arrange a symphony of guitars with Terry Taylor.
In production ▪ To be released in 2026 and 2027 ▪ The story continues...
Every episode is streamed exclusively here -- unlimited viewing, forever. Ordering is simple and personal: send your payment via PayPal and your access is unlocked by hand, usually within hours.
€18 / $20
€160 / $180
Send to [email protected] or via paypal.me/SaviourMachineDoc
Please include the episode name and your
e-mail address in your payment note.
Saviour Machine was a theatrical gothic metal band from Colton, California, founded in the late 1980s by brothers Eric Clayton (vocals) and Jeff Clayton (guitar). Known for Eric's white-painted stage persona and the operatic scope of albums like Saviour Machine I (1993) and the Legend trilogy, they became one of the most singular -- and most debated -- bands to emerge from the Christian metal underground.
A ten-part documentary series produced, directed and narrated by Eric Clayton
The definitive story of Saviour Machine, released episodically from 2025 to 2027, with over 20 hours of total running time. It streams exclusively at christians-and-lunatics.com.
The 32-minute Prelude is free -- no account needed. Full episodes are €18 / $20 each, or €160 / $180 for the complete ten-episode series. Order via PayPal (include the episode name and your e-mail address in the note), and you'll receive personal access to stream on any device, as often as you like.
Episodes are released periodically between 2025 and 2027.
Complete-series supporters get each new episode automatically as it premieres.
Announcements go out by e-mail to everyone who has ordered.