| Musical Style: Hard Rock | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Retroactive | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2006 | Artist Website: Bride |
| Tracks: 17 | Rating: 80% |
| Running Time: 70:38 |
Bride has managed to survive the test of time and reach its third decade of existence. After getting started in the eighties with the classic metal influences of Show No Mercy, Live To Die and Silence Is Madness, a makeover in the bands sound led to the blues based hard rock of its early nineties releases Kinetic Faith, Snakes In The Playground and Scarecrow Messiah. Critics and fans alike attest to the fact Bride reaches its creative pinnacle during this period of its history and that Snakes... represented the bands highest artistic achievement. Following the wonderful acoustic laced Drop, Bride released the modern hard rock of The Jesus Experience in 1997 before recording Oddities later in the decade. The turn of the century saw Bride move in a rap-influenced hard rock direction with Fistful Of Bees (an album you will either love or hate). On its eleventh full length studio release entitled This Is It, however, I am pleased to announce that Bride has returned to its Snakes… style hard rock roots.
Bride finds itself in top form musically on This Is It, an album delivering as promised a guitar driven hard rock sound combining the bands solid musicianship with consistent and well crafted songwriting. Frontman Dale Thompson has not lost his touch over the years, his classic hard rock voice still coming across with the same abundant energy, range and passion. While guitarist Troy Thompson has often been an overlooked and underrated musician, This Is It provides him with plenty of opportunity to display both his very fine rhythm guitar playing and sharp sounding lead guitar work. Bassist Lawrence Bishop and drummer Michael Loy round out the rhythm section.
Please note that This Is It was initially released independently by Bride back in 2003. However, Retroactive Records, impressed with Bride’s sales over the years, made the decision to digitally re-master the album and re-release it with four bonus tracks from the bands pre-This Is It demo Raw along with new album artwork.
The production values to the original version of This Is It prove disappointing in highlighting thin and weak sounding sonics. The rhythm guitar comes across flat and transparent, while the drums lack the needed punch and presence. Only the bass and lead guitar rise above the mix as they should.
The digitally re-mastered Expanded version, on the other hand, literally comes to life in allowing for a crisper rhythm guitar sound and drums that now stand out in the mix in the cleaner sounding manner. The difference in the sonics between the two is literally night and day- which makes purchasing the Expanded version of This Is It essential.
Bride proves in no uncertain terms it is back in full force on "Blow It All Away", an exceptionally strong album opener combining a great catchy hook in its chorus with a message based around the fact God's Kingdom is not of this world:
If my Kingdom were of this world today
I think I'd blow it all away
Troy contributes over thirty seconds of blistering lead guitar work to an instrumental break ending with a scream from Dale.
The run-of-the-mill Bride style hard rocker "To The Sky" proves a bit of a let down in following "Blow It All Away". Kicking in strong and steady, the song slows upon reaching its first verse prior to gaining momentum for a chorus I might describe as average-to-good at best. At its halfway point "To The Sky" transitions to a slowly played guitar line ensued by an aggressive rhythm guitar and a scream from Dale.
Introduced to several seconds of open air rhythm guitar, "More Than Human" moves forward to a crunchy riff before it picks up in pace upon reaching a deep sounding chorus with a good catchy hook. Troy adds several seconds of fiery lead guitar work to a song challenging its listeners to look upon themselves in the same manner Christ does:
Jesus never condemned
Jesus He forgave
Never took revenge
Christ we will be saved
We are, here to save your souls
Troy's wonderful blues based lead guitar work opens the groove flavored "Drop D". Progressing through its first verse to a choppy rhythm guitar, the laid back atmosphere is maintained as the song peaks for a stylish chorus ending to several seconds of bluesy riffing. A grit-laden guitar solo drives a nice extended instrumental passage. "Drop D" details the importance of trusting Christ when other let us down:
It's judgment day when you step in with me
Tell the Lord Jesus just what you have done
Made me promises, it seems so cruel
But, what you've done to me comes back on you
Got The Right!
To be loved and be loved
Every time I'm up
You wanna bring me down
"Head Looking For A Bullet" begins to a heavy handed riff underscored by a punchy bass line, the two carrying the song at an upbeat tempo to a strong hard hitting chorus. Subsequent to a blistering solo, "Head Looking For A Bullet" slows as Dale describes how as Christians we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds:
In the desert of my mind in the in-part realm of time
At the Place of the Skull count all my bones
In the valley of decision on the island of despair
Cut off my way of thinking I will see you there
"Best I Expect To Do" is held back by its lack of a noteworthy melody line. Quickly jumping out of the gate, the songs slows at the start of its first verse only to pick up in pace for a chorus that does not quite hold up when compared to the albums better material. Troy closes out an instrumental break opening to a bass solo with more of his gritty lead guitar work.
Advancing through its verse portions at a mid-tempo pace to a crisp rhythm guitar, the hard rocking "Evil Geniuses" gains momentum upon attaining a very fine melodic flavored chorus. An aggressively played guitar solo brings out the best in a song in which Dale takes a tongue and cheek look at the bands critics:
To all my critics, the cynics who want me to go away
What keeps me going? Why don't I quit?
I'm not a loser like you, a reviewer like you
The song goes on to take an almost condescending tone:
If your life is so redundant, so boring
So routine, so bland, uninspired
That you go to invade mine
Get into my affairs
Infiltrate my beliefs
However, I could not sum things up any better than in the following line:
I preach the same Christ
The same grace, the blood saves
"Revolution" starts as a guitar bounces between the left and right channel before a driving riff briefly takes over the mix. After a heavy duty bass line pushes the song through its first verse, the rhythm guitar returns to propel "Revolution" to an in your face and no-nonsense chorus. Troy follows with a red hot guitar solo. "Revolution" is about getting the message of Christ to those who need to hear it the most:
Your sound goes out to all the earth
Your words to the ends of the world
There is no speech nor dialect
Where your voice is not heard
Similar to "Saltriver Shuffle" (from Snakes In The Playground), "Barren River Blues" features a guest appearance by Greg Martin (Kentucky Headhunters). In the end, the two songs are comparable in that "Barren River Blues" also moves in an acoustic laced blues based direction.
"Microphone" gets underway to an upfront mix of edgy rhythm guitar before slowing as it moves through its first verse in a deep and heavy manner. Picking up in pace, the song peaks for a chorus in which at its end Dale yells, "You can hear me/CUZ I HAVE A MICROPHONE!" The rhythm guitar accentuates a minute long instrumental passage ending to a brief guitar solo. "Microphone" talks about spreading the good news of Christ:
The truth, the hurt, the Spirit, the Word
The Voice, the choice, who will you serve
The life, the Blood, the tree, the love
I've paid my dues/below and above
A pounding riff combined with what the liner notes describe as "inhuman vocal noises" initiates "Short Time In The Grave". Subsequent to the song moving forward in a guitar driven fashion, it reaches a chorus with a catchy refuse to go away hook. Several seconds of lead guitar introduces an instrumental passage ending to an aggressive sounding rhythm guitar. "Short Time In The Grave" focuses on the testing of our faith:
I know what its like to burn
I'm in flames every day
Are you still afraid of me?
Cause I feel your pain
Following a bit of guitar feedback, "Universe" commences to a pounding riff before stopping dead in its tracks as a heavy duty bass line drives its first verse. The rhythm guitar, however, returns to the front of the mix as the song reaches a good forcefully delivered chorus. Troy contributes some of the albums finest lead guitar work throughout a minute long instrumental break.
"White Elephant", the albums lone ballad, embarks to a quietly played guitar line that takes the song through its first verse until it tapers off even further for a brief but slowly moving chorus. The album closes to over a minute of bluesy lead guitar work in line with the songs emotional feel. "White Elephant" is about unconditional love:
Do you hate me as much as I love you?
As for the Raw demo, it is aptly named in that it sounds, well, on the raw side. Of the four songs here from Raw, two - “Blow It All Away” and “Bring Me Down” (under the new title “Drop D”) – appear on This Is It. The two remaining tracks include the bluesy hard rocker “Is This The Now” and “Burning Love”, a more mid-tempo paced number that highlights a catchy hook in its chorus.
It is great to hear Bride return to its hard rock roots on This Is It, an album that might rank a notch or two below Snakes... but still proves a strong and worthwhile release. And while I hit the skip button once or twice, Bride has delivered several noteworthy winners in "Blow It All Away", "More Than Human", "Drop D", "Revolution" and "Universe". My final thoughts here are that if you own the original version of This Is It then by all means get the Expanded Retroactive version as well. The improved sonics as a result of the digital re-mastering and the four bonus tracks make it an essential purchase. Let's hope the straightforward hard rock direction of This Is It remains a trend and not a one shot deal!
Review by: Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: "Blow It All Away" (4:29), "To The Sky" (4:12), "More Than Human" (3:53), "Drop D" (3:34), "Head Lookin’ For A Bullet" 4:06), "Best I Expect To Do" (3:23), "Evil Geniuses" (4:38), "Revolution" (4:46), "Barren River Blues" (1:46), "Microphone" (4:39), "Short Time In The Grave" (3:47), "Universe" (4:59), "White Elephant" (4:22)
Musicians
Dale Thompson – Lead Vocals
Troy Thompson – Guitars, Sitar, Cello & Violin
Lawrence Bishop – Bass
Michael Loy – Drums & Percussion
Guest Musicians
Greg Martin - Guitars
Also Reviewed: Bride – Show No Mercy, Bride - Live To Die, Bride - Silence Is Madness, Bride - Kinetic Faith, Bride - Snakes In The Playground, Bride - Skin For Skin
