From his elevated post in the dark auditorium, he searches like a ruthless animal waiting to pounce on his prey. His dark brown eyes, intensified by heavy, black eyeliner, penetrate the shadows, and his shaved head catches the path of the dim, orange light.

Silence surrounds him as he crouches, ready for his attack.

As he grips his drum sticks, the corners of his mouth turn up knowingly. With an increasing grin, he starts moving slowly to a non-threatening cadence.

While his beat increases, fellow predators appear from different corners of the terrain. Disguised in off-beat garb, they too have their weapons in hand, preparing for the final lunge.

Then, the tempo gets faster, and the audience members can almost see the heartbeats of the predators quicken.

Suddenly, an explosion of sound and light invades the area. Reckless roars of demanding guitars and untamed drum rhythms echo through the arena.

The attack has begun.

The unlikely predators are Christian pop-rock heroes the Newsboys, and the prey are the band members’ instruments, which fall victim to their master at the strum of the first chord.

Known for their spectacular stage show and rebellious demeanors, the Newsboys (Peter Fuler, lead vocals, guitar, drums; Jody Davis, guitar, vocals, bass; Phil Joel, bass, vocals, guitar; Jeff Frankenstein, keyboards, vocals; Duncan Phillips, drums, percussion, vocals) use bizarre costumes, expensive props and good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll to reach their impressive following.

Two years ago when the band brought its “Take Me To Your Leader Tour” to Stephens Auditorium, they nearly filled the 2,500-seat venue. Dressed in space suits, the band descended onto the stage from the ceiling on different platforms, to the beat of Fuler’s ardent drumming.

And unlike most groups that are able to attract thousands to a Midwestern show, the Newsboys don’t have a mainstream Top 40 hit or a video that frequents MTV.

What the band does have is the only show in the Christian music industry known for the type of theatrical entertainment produced by mainstream rockers such as KISS, Van Halen and Metallica.

“We can be at an arena and playing to four to five thousand people, and bands who are on the top 40 charts who are getting big MTV play are playing in the 800-seater club down the street,” Frankenstein said from the “metropolis” of Murray, Ky. “In some regards, I think we’ve been blessed that we haven’t had that overexposure. When we come into a town, it’s the only time for a fan to see what we look like, because they don’t get to see our video all the time.”

To appease their video-starved groupies, the band members make sure that when their fans finally see them play, they’re not disappointed. The Boys have been known to use everything from motorcycles to space suits to get their message across.

As a result of past performances, the show has been named by Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and Release magazines as the “Best Live Concert.”

“There’s not a lot of bands putting on a big show,” Frankenstein said. “We love dreaming up the stuff and trying to figure out how much we can actually make happen, and spending every last penny we can on our show.

“The tour is no exception. We love to freak out our fans and they’ve come to expect that from us. We don’t want to let them down.”

So far, the band and its fans are riding high.

Throughout the group’s 10-year career, it has managed to snag three Grammy nominations, three Dove Awards, seven Dove Nominations, seven albums, two of which turned Gold (“Take Me To Your Leader, “Going Public”), and nine No. 1 Christian radio hits.

And The Newsboys aren’t out of ideas yet.

The band’s most recent release, “Step Up to the Microphone,” has been dubbed by Billboard magazine as a turning point for the band — for more than one reason.

Much of the pop sheen and predictable lyrics of the past are gone. In its place is evidence of a maturing band.

“I think on [“Step Up To The Microphone”], what we wanted to do for the most part was make something that had continuity,” Frankenstein said. “On this record, it sounds like it’s the same band all the way through, whereas ‘Take Me To Your Leader’ has songs that kind of stylistically go one way or another and kind of change so it’s schizophrenic. We wanted to blend everything and make it one consistent sound.”

Another area in which the Newsboys have shown significant signs of development is in its lyrics.

While previous efforts may have suffered from painfully cookie-cutter lyrics, “Step Up To The Microphone” digs deeper to reveal the band’s personal outlook on its faith.

Though dealing with basic issues of faith may seem redundant for a band that’s been in the Christian spotlight for over a decade, Frankenstein said the foundation always needs to remain solid.

“We’re on stage and people look up to us, but you still have to ask yourself every now and then, ‘Why do I really believe this?’ We’ve really been searching and it’s the best thing for us — getting to the guts of the Gospel,” Frankenstein said. “We have to think, did [Jesus] command us to be in a huge rock band and have people cheer for us, or did he say, ‘Feed the widows, help the poor, help the homeless.’ We have to be careful to make sure that we’re doing what Jesus commanded us to do before He left.”

Other aspects of the Newsboy’s metamorphosis have included the replacement of the band’s famed lead singer John James.

James left the band prior to the “Step Up To The Microphone” project to go back to Australia to father his child.

“We’re still very good friends with [James],” Frankenstein said. “He’s just kind of trying to reorganize and refocus and see what he wants to do. His dad has a business there that he’s working with.”

When James decided to move down under, Fuller stepped out from behind his trap set to take James’ place. Since then, he and his band members have grown accustomed to Fuller’s new post.

“It’s funny how things happen and you think, ‘Oh my gosh, how are we going to go on,’ and then it ends up being the best thing that could’ve ever happened for you,” Frankenstein said. “Pete has just totally stepped in and done a world-class job.”

Despite the many changes and transformations the Newsboys have experienced over the past few years, one thing has remained the same — the band’s extravagant shows.

For the “Step Up To The Microphone” tour, the band presents a drive-in movie theater screen that is used to play self-produced footage of the band.

But most importantly, the group has devised a drum riser that elevates 18 feet into the air and spins around — the perfect accessory for a predator on the attack.

The Newsboys play Stephens Sunday night at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18.95. The Supertones open the show.