If you've been following my blog for a while, you've probably noticed that I enjoy a wide variety of music... I used to be a big fan of Christian metal back in the late 80's/early 90's, and one of my favorite bands from that time period was the progressive-thrash band Believer. They were one of the only Christian metal bands who got any respect from the secular music scene, due to their impressive musical skill, and the fact that they didn't spend all their time on stage preaching - they actually played their music!
Well, to my surprise, I found out a while back that they were working on a new CD. It's been 15 long years since their last album, and a long hiatus like that always makes me nervous. A lot can change, band members develop new ideas and musical approaches, and sometimes - well, more often than not - the music loses a lot in the process.
Anyway, the new CD, "Gabriel", came out this week, and I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised and relieved. While it doesn't capture the full energy or ingenuity of their old sound - which was, to be clear, exceptional for thrash metal - it's still a pretty good album. It's fresh and creative, and aside from a couple tracks that just aren't very good (IMO), it's better than a lot of the metal music coming out these days.
Of course, fans of "nu-metal" or more melodic music will probably hate it, and hardcore "death metal" fans will find it not heavy enough, but for those who still appreciate a technically proficient thrash metal album with a lot of unexpected twists, check out "Gabriel" by Believer. It's good to have you back, guys.
1 comment:
This is a good post, Geoff.
Have you ever heard Disciple? They're a pretty cool band.
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