| Musical Style: Dark Power Metal | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Pure Metal | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 1986 | Artist Website: Bride |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 65% |
| Running Time: 42:18 |
The origin of Bride dates back to 1983 when brothers Dale and Troy Thompson formed Matrix, a hard rocking unit in which Dale handled bass and lead vocals and Troy all guitar duties. After recording four demo tapes over the next three years, the two got their break when promoter Dorn Repport arranged for Matrix to open for Daniel Band in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Guitarist Billy Sutherland and drummer Steve Gilbert joined Dale and Troy onstage before a wild crowd of 1000 that included executives from the Refuge Music Group. While the Refuge people did not initially like Matrix, it caught the labels attention when the band sold out of all the tapes it brought to the show. Repport later sent a letter to Refuge which led to the label contacting Matrix, and six months later the band, now known as Bride, signed a contract with Refuge/Pure Metal.
I might describe Bride's 1986 Pure Metal debut Show No Mercy as dark sounding heavy metal coming across with a bit more muscle than much of the "hair metal" popular at the time. Dale Thompson is a legitimate talent with a high pitched and operatic lead vocal style. Despite a few rough and unrefined moments, however, any problems with his vocal delivery reflect the lack of time Bride had in the studio. Troy Thompson and Steve Osborne skillfully handle all the albums guitar duties, the exceptional lead guitar work contributed by the two standing out as one of the projects strengths. Dale fills in on bass on eight tracks and Scott Hall the other two. The only complaint regarding drummer Stephen Rolland is the near complete absence of double bass on the album.
Bride received a budget of only $2500 to record Show No Mercy, and, at the same time, when entering the studio in October, incorrectly believed it had to meet a release date only a month away. As a result, the project ended up tremendously rushed with the outcome being a thin and muddy sounding production job. The rhythm guitar comes across transparent and the drums equally flat and buried. The lead vocals end up mixed too prominently. On the other hand, both the lead guitar and bass receive an adequate mix.
Taking off to a fast paced guitar riff, album opener “Evil That Men Do” is driven with a ton of energy to a hard hitting chorus with a good catchy hook. I wish the band had expanded upon an instrumental passage limited to several brief seconds of bass guitar.
"Now He Is Gone" progresses at a slower pace when compared to "Evil That Me Do" but proves no less heavy. Beginning to one of Dale's trademark screams, a punchy bass line shores up the song as it moves ahead to a portentous chorus buttressed by deep sounding vocal harmonies. Osborne tops things off with thirty seconds of blistering lead guitar work.
Subsequent to an acoustic guitar carrying "Fly Away" through its first verse, the rhythm guitar kicks in just before the second and takes it to a catchy chorus delivered at an upbeat tempo. A fiery guitar solo brings out the best in a song talking about the rapture:
I'm only passing through what they call life
I'll get it with or without pain and strife
He suffered once, I will too
I just hate to leave without you
"Forever In Darkness" gets started to a fast paced combination of rhythm guitar and bass, the two evenly driving it to a sweeping chorus with an epic feel. Following a minute of the albums best lead guitar work, the song closes in haunting fashion as Dale continually wails "forever in darkness" with his high pitched voice.
Propelled through its first verse at a hard and heavy mid-tempo pace, "Follow Your Heart" abruptly explodes for an energy-laden chorus in which Dale displays the abundant range to his voice. The song breaks for a brief but well done flashy guitar solo before slowing to several seconds of acoustic guitar.
A quietly played guitar line opens the albums title track until a catchy riff backed by a punchy bass line smoothly carries to a strong chorus delivered in a sublime manner. "Show No Mercy" slows to an acoustic guitar before Dale conveys a message based around spiritual warfare:
I am strong and you are weak
Jesus gives me power to defeat
I can't be bought and won't sell out
The battle cry is good and loud
Show no mercy!
After an eerie blend of keyboards, acoustic guitar and bass initiates "I Will Be With You", the song slowly moves through its verse portions until it gains momentum prior to reaching a brief but forcefully delivered chorus. The only drawback to the song is a vocal performance from Dale in which he overdoes it with a few too many wails and high pitched screams.
The creative "Thunder In The City" is by far the albums strongest composition. A fast paced combination of piano and rhythm guitar introduces the song before it slows to a near crawl for its first verse. Picking up further in pace to a resounding scream from Dale, "Thunder..." advances through its second with a ton of adrenalin until it peaks for a chorus carried with a ton of stylish grace and power.
The keyboards commencing "No Matter The Price" transition to a brief drum solo and a melodic flavored rhythm guitar sound. Slowly proceeding through its verse portions, the song gains momentum until it attains an anthemic chorus backed by a pounding guitar riff. Osborne shows off his pyrotechnical guitar playing throughout a minute and a half long instrumental break. Great song.
"The First Will Be Last" moves forward at a driving mid-tempo pace before it evenly transitions to a strong chorus underscored by a touch of vocal harmonies. After the song breaks for narration from a female voice placed too low in the mix to be understood, Osborne follows with just under a minute of edgy lead guitar work.
Show No Mercy ends up being one of those difficult albums to review that falls under the "musically strong but flawed by an inadequate production" category. While I might rank it musically the strongest of Bride's first three albums (before branching out into a blues based hard rock sound), its production values pale in comparison to the more polished sounds of the bands follow up efforts Live To Die and Silence Is Madness.
Review by: Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: "Evil That Men Do" (3:38), "Now He Is Gone" (3:49), "Fly Away" (4:12), "Forever In Darkness" (3:44), "Follow Your Heart" (4:29), "Show No Mercy" (3:36), "I Will Be With You" (4:29), "Thunder In The City" (5:53), "No Matter The Price" (4:18), "The First Will Be Last" (4:07)
Musicians
Dale Thompson – Lead Vocals & Bass
Troy Thompson – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Piano & Violin
Steve Osborne – Guitars
Scott Hall – Bass
Stephen Rolland - Drums
Also reviewed: Bride - Live To Die, Bride - Silence Is Madness, Bride - Kinetic Faith, Bride - Snakes In The Playground, Bride – This Is It, Bride - Skin For Skin
Reference List
Mutillo, Dave. "Thunder In The City." White Throne 12 (1992): 10-12, 16.
Peterson, Doug. "Bride Interview." White Throne 3 (1987): 18-20.
Van Pelt, Doug. "Here Comes The Bride." Heaven's Metal 22 (1989): 8-11.
"Bride." Take A Stand (September 1987): 3.
"Kinetic Bride." Heaven's Metal 32 (1991): 10-12, 16.
