Musical Style: Heavy Metal	Produced By: John Petri
Record Label: Pure Metal	Country Of Origin: USA
Year Released: 1988	Artist Website: Bride
Tracks: 9	Rating: 70%
Running Time: 35:20

Bride returned in 1988 with its Pure Metal sophomore release Live To Die, a very fine effort that stands head and shoulders above the rough sounding sonics of its debut Show No Mercy.  The album actually finds Bride adding elements of thrash and speed metal to its guitar driven sound, the bands compositions reflecting a higher degree of maturity reflected in several standout tracks in “Hell No”, “Whiskey Seed” and “Heroes” that rank among the finest of its career.  Frontman Dale Thompson continues to bring his high pitched classic tenor vocal style, displaying demonstrated improvement in his performance by exercising a greater degree of control over his delivery.  Troy Thompson and Steve Osborne form a top-notch guitar team contributing an abundance of fiery lead work best showcases on “Fire & Brimstone” and “Heroes”.  Another improvement in the bands sound since Show No Mercy is the precise double bass delivery provided by drummer Stephen Rolland.  Frank Partipilo supplants Scott Hall on bass.

Live To Die gives prominence to stronger production values in comparison to Show No Mercy.  The rhythm guitar, for example, comes across edgier and crisper, while the drums, particularly the double bass, now sounds alive and in your face.  A cleaner mix allows both the lead guitar and bass to rise above the instrumentation. 

Please note that the albums very well done artwork is The Vision Of Death by Gustave Dore.

The double bass opening the power metal of “Metal Might” underscores a crisp mix of rhythm guitar, the two propelling the song at an energetic mid-tempo pace to a strong, forcefully delivered chorus.  I like how “Metal Might” peaks before it breaks for several seconds of fast paced lead guitar work.  The only drawback to the song comes in the form of its cliché based lyrics:

My words of steel carry through the night
Leaving behind the wake of metal might
That's right
That's metal might

The album continues in its power metal direction with the Christian metal anthem “Hell No”.  Introduced to a hard hitting guitar riff, “Hell No” tapers off at the start of its first verse prior to picking up in pace for a chorus with a huge catchy hook.  “Hell No” compares sailors fighting a storm on the high seas with staying afloat in everyday life:

The storm is screaming with vengeance to kill
Faith has plunged into the sea beneath
Waves beat the ship with iron first to sink

We won't go to hell, no we won't go...

"In The Dark" takes off at an upbeat tempo to an edgy rhythm guitar only to slow to an acoustic guitar for its first verse.  After the rhythm guitar returns at the start of the second, it leads the way to a stylish chorus in which Dale displays the full range to his voice.  One of the albums finest moments takes place when the song tapers off to a brief jazz fusion-like interlude that gives way to an extended lead guitar break.

Getting underway to several seconds of choppy rhythm guitar, “Out For Blood” transitions to a slowly played combination of guitar and bass upon attaining its first verse.  The song picks up in pace as the rhythm guitar returns to the front of the mix to buttress a chorus that, due to the heavy handed feel to its delivery, can border on the repetitious.  Osborne’s scorching lead work, on the other hand, helps put the song over the top.  "Out For Blood" talks about Judas' betrayal Christ:

You're just a kiss away from your destiny
Just a word away from deceiving a friend

Judas kiss, Judas kiss
Out for blood, you're out for blood

The albums title track kicks in to a ton of energetic and guitar driven momentum, moving ahead in an intense manner until Dale adds an operatic element to his vocal delivery to help fortify a chorus with a resounding, epic feel.  Osborne follows with several seconds of lightning-like leads backed by rapid double bass.  The message to "Live To Die" is every bit as powerful as the music:

I won't be the one to say
That you don't need religion
But without a Savior
There's no chance to be forgiven

The thrash flavored riff at the start of “Fire And Brimstone” carries its verse portions in aggressive fashion, the song gaining further momentum for a powerful chorus delivered with a plethora of all out hard hitting energy.  Troy and Steve combine for just over a minute of the albums best dual lead guitar work.

"Whiskey Seed" begins slowly as the rhythm guitar gradually fades to the forefront of the mix over pounding drums and a scream from Dale.  Once a punchy bass line carries the song forward at the start of its first verse, the rhythm guitar returns to shore up a chorus with a catchy refuse to go away hook.  Osborne perfectly complements the song with his bluesy lead guitar work.  As its title implies, "Whiskey Seed" deals with the issue of alcoholism:

So you want to drink
Because it makes you feel big
Pour it down, I'll break you like a little twig

You're so young, but you want to feel so old
The only way to be hot, gain the world and lose your soul

The all out thrash flavored speed metal of “Here Comes The Bride” fails to make the grade.  The song starts at breakneck speed to a fast paced double bass driven riff that pushes it to a chorus I cannot help but describe as repetitious and overbearing.  Next.

After the seven minute “Heroes” commences to narration over a horror movie type organ accompaniment, the song builds until Troy and Steve combine for over a minute of super tight rhythm guitar harmony.  “Heroes” advances through its first verse at a double bass driven mid-tempo pace until it evenly flows to a chorus conveyed in strong, anthem-like fashion.  A minute and a half of intense dual guitar harmony carried over an audible bass line follows.  I like how Dale closes the song by segueing the word “heroes” to “He rose”.  "Heroes" talks about the classic battle between good and evil:

I'm standing on the sword of the dragon
He can't pull it from beneath my feet
Down in the darkened cavern
In the field of blood I'll watch him bleed

Watching the smoke rise
From the wounded hero
Standing dazed in the acid rain
A bitter taste in the air
I hear the danger of the tightening chains

Heroes are not here to stay
They will all fade away
Except the One who raised

While Live To Die proves a legitimate step forward for Bride in the areas of production, performance and songwriting, it proves somewhat inconsistent in that I find myself hitting the skip button several times.  The album, all in all, does a good job showcasing the operatic lead vocals of Dale Thompson and the explosive guitar team of Troy Thompson and Steve Osborne but proves a bit short in coming in at only 9 songs and 35 minutes.  A few more tracks would have been appreciated.

Review by: Andrew Rockwell

Track Listing: “Metal Might” (3:35), “Hell No” (3:53), “In The Dark” (4:10), “Out For Blood” (2:58), “Live To Die” (2:54), “Fire And Brimstone” (4:27), “Whiskey Seed” (3:41), “Here Comes The Bride” (2:27), “Heroes” (7:13)

Musicians
Dale Thompson – Lead Vocals
Steve Osborne – Guitars
Troy Thompson – Guitars
Frank Partipilo - Bass
Stephen Rolland – Drums

Also Reviewed: Bride – Show No Mercy, Bride – This Is It, Bride - Silence Is Madness, Bride - Kinetic Faith, Bride - Snakes In The Playground, Bride - Skin For Skin