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Online Status: Last On: Aug 10, 2007 - 4:28 PM
Profile Views: 2,187
Member Since: April 16, 2007
Location: West Point, KY
ShoutLife Address: shoutlife.com/bridemusic
Website: www.bridepub.com
Genre: Rock
Group Members:
Dale Thompson - vocals

Troy Thompson - Guitars

Jerry McBroom - Drums

Lawrence Bishop - bass
Influences:
We are the influence
Sounds Like:
Bride
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Discography
Skin for Skin (2006)
Bride has been around the block musically throughout its three decades of existence. The band got its start with the goth-like heavy metal of its 1986 debut Show No Mercy before releasing the power metal and thrash influenced sounds of its follow up efforts Live To Die (1988) and Silence Is Madness (1989). The early nineties, however, saw Bride move in a bluesy hard rock direction with Kinetic Faith (1991), Snakes In The Playground (1992) and Scarecrow Messiah (1994), an era in which fans and critics alike agree that the band reached its creative and artistic pinnacle. The underrated acoustic laced Drop followed in 1995 before Bride recorded the more modern flavorings of The Jesus Experience (1997) and Oddities (1998). Bride even went so far as to experiment with rap core on Fist Full Of Bees (2001) only to return to its straightforward hard rock roots with the gritty This Is It (2003).

Skin For Skin, the latest endeavor from Bride, finds the band moving in the same hard rocking direction of This Is It but heavier and with more attitude and all out raw energy. What we end up with is Bride's most guitar driven effort in literally years, a work in which the band successfully captures much of the power and pure dynamism it exhibited on Snakes In The Playground. The album, for example, is built upon a foundation of catchy and groove laden hard rockers such as "Hard To Kick", "Fuel & Fire", "Bang Goodbye", "Rise Above" and "Super Ego Star" that would not sound out of place on any of the bands early nineties releases. But when you go beneath the surface, however, you will find Bride drawing upon its sound from the eighties as well, reflected in the power metal lacings of "Skin For Skin" and "Inside Ourselves", the only tracks here to feature double bass, in addition to the thrash feel that "Take The Medication" brings to the table. In the end, Skin For Skin can best be described as an effort which is directly influenced by just about every era in the bands career.

Founding Bride members vocalist Dale Thompson and guitarist Troy Thompson continue to be a force to be reckoned with. Dale highlights the project with his trademark impassioned and raspy vocal style, adding an element of grit and gravel to his delivery on several tracks, most notably "End Of Days", "Inside Ourselves" and "The Government". Troy contributes the needed crunch on rhythm guitar in addition to showcasing his bluesy and at times soulful work on lead guitar. A special guest appearance is made by Steve Osborne on lead guitar - the bands former guitarist that contributed the monster lead work to its earlier efforts Show No Mercy and Live To Die - who does not disappoint, best adorning "Inside Ourselves" with his technical style of playing. Long term Bride bassist Lawrence Bishop anchors the albums low end with drummers Jason Lewis and Mark Gray.

As for the albums production values? Well, all the necessary ingredients are here: The drums are pulsating, the rhythm guitar crashing and the lead guitar work fluid and clean.

"The Calm" is a brief (:55) instrumental carried by a swirling blend of guitar and drums that fades in and out of the mix.

"Skin For Skin" immediately kicks in to a double bass driven riff, storming ahead with an abundance of fury and fire before culminating for a catchy chorus delivered in perfect sublime fashion. A furious blend of rhythm and lead guitar reinforces an extended instrumental section. The albums title track can best be described as one of its more raucous and up-tempo numbers.

A more modern feel is showcased on "End Of Days", a heavy duty composition that moves forward to a bouncing guitar riff that almost brings to mind Marilyn Manson. A nice contrast is put in place, nevertheless, as a driving chorus in which Dale cuts loose with some coarse growling is followed by a slowly moving passage highlighted by light and airy backing vocals. A mind number assault of piercing riffs and cascading drums holds sway over a frenetic instrumental section.

The thrash influenced "Take The Medication" invites a comparison to "Out For Blood" and "Fire And Brimstone", two of the heavier tracks from Live To Die. The song begins ominously to an instrumental section shouldered by a driving and near doom-like guitar riff. Picking up in pace prior to reaching its first verse, "Take The Medication" gradually chops its way forward only to decelerate for a passage giving rise to a softer and gentler touch. This represents a literal calm before the storm, however, as the song regains its initiative for the hard hitting and forceful sounding chorus that follows. Troy shows off his abilities with a radiant display of lead guitar work.

"Inside Ourselves" represents one of the albums finest moments. Introduced to a riff that comes across as tight as stink, the song moves through its first verse to an upfront mix of bass guitar before the rhythm guitar returns with an abundance of angst laden impetus. "Inside Ourselves" proceeds to forge ahead at an anthem-like mid-tempo pace, not coming to a head until reaching an energy-laden chorus with a huge, catchy hook. And in case you missed it, Osborne makes his presence felt with his skillfully done work on lead guitar.

A churning blend of rhythm guitar and drums drives "Hard To Kick" forward from the start. Tapering off to a pronounced bass line upon reaching its first verse, momentum is gained as a muscular rhythm guitar kicks in and drives the song to a deep and resounding groove flavored chorus. I like how this one combines a near foreboding feel with a good, catchy hook.

After "Fuel And Fire" jumps out of the gate at a romping upbeat tempo, a bristling wall of rhythm guitar that bounces in and out of the mix compels the song through its verse portions strong and steady. Picking up further in pace, an electrified setting is put in place as "Fuel And Fire" transitions to a vibrant chorus delivered with an abundance of hook-laden ambition. The tempo slowly decelerates throughout an instrumental section carried by a bluesy guitar solo.

The catchy "Breathless" moves the album in a commercial hard rock direction. The song opens slowly to a few seconds of open air rhythm guitar, evening out to a smooth sounding mid-tempo pace for its first verse prior to gaining force for a chorus with one of those infectious hooks that will refuse to leave your head. The melody here is quite pronounced and has that "play me on the radio and I'm guaranteed to dominate" feel.

"Prodigious Savant" is a short (:33) piano based instrumental.

A crunchy rhythm guitar highlighted by a throaty growl from Dale gets the driving hard rocker "Bang Goodbye" underway. Moving through its verse portions with just the right amount of choppy impetus, the song escalates in intensity until breaking out in a spirited manner for a catchy chorus carried at an enticing upbeat tempo. Tapering off, "Bang Goodbye" reaches a slowly moving passage fortified by a trace of keyboards before regaining its momentum for a brief instrumental section buttressed by a rumbling rhythm guitar.

The open air rhythm guitar at the start of "Rise Above" is soon joined by a blend of hammering drums and pulsating bass lines. Slowly driven through its verse portions by a grinding guitar riff, impetus is gained as the song moves ahead to a hard hitting chorus accentuated by a trace of swirling vocal harmonies. A very well done blues based guitar solo helps put the song over the top.

"The Government" is jump started to a snappy guitar riff before Dale takes over on lead vocals. Buzzing ahead at a chugging mid-tempo pace, a time change is made as the song acquires a slowly moving and almost laid back chorus in which spoken word delivery bounces between the left and right channel. After "The Government" briefly breaks out in heavy duty, thrash flavored fashion, it moves on to an instrumental section sustained by a plodding rhythm guitar.

The album moves back to a more up-tempo direction with "Super Ego Star". Embarking to a quick drum solo, a crisp rhythm guitar carries the song forward in an energetic manner until it secures a non-stop and hook driven chorus with an overriding groove-laden feel. Troy adorns the scene with his blues laced work on lead guitar. Give Bride a great deal of credit for the abundance of sass and gritty attitude delivered here.

"Hang On" is a soulful, blues heavy rocker that brings to mind "Sweet Louise" (off Kinetic Faith) and "I Miss The Rain" (from Snakes In The Playground). Advancing from the start to a graceful blend of acoustic guitar and piano, the song makes an even transition to an emotionally charged chorus shored up by just the right amount of lush backing vocals.

Review by: Andrew Rockwell

Buy Skin for Skin Online

This is it (2003)

Christendom's longest surviving metal band has its share of fickle fans. The old metalheads want to hear Bride back in screaming power metal mode, ala "Heroes" or "Hell No". The rest of the mob has been crying for a Snakes in the Playground II for more than a decade. Younger fans know Bride for their hard alternative material in the late 90's. It must be enough to drive a band mad! These thoughts are reflected in the new album and especially in the song "Evil Geniuses", which comes off as a challenge to those pointing the fingers, dare I say "Get in the Ring" from Guns N' Roses, but without all the obscenities. All the while Bride has been putting out consistent, hard-hitting albums, remaining one of the very few Christian bands deserving the title defender of the faith.
So how does Bride answer to these charges? Quite simply by putting out the best album in their twenty year career. This Is It will hit you like the knockout punch in a prize fight with the heavyweight champ. Forget about your presuppositions. This is heavy metal at its finest! Musically expect to hear not knockoffs, but tidbits, from every era of Bride's lengthy history, with enough unbridled metal fury to send shivers down your spine. The drumming is hot, hot, hot! Michael Loy sounds to these ears a lot like Lars Ulrich on the new Metallica album, but without the tinny echo of St. Anger. Dale's vocals are the most varied of any album, displaying the most of those golden chords. It's like they took the best moments from each of their albums and welded them together to make something altogether new and wonderful. "Universe" even displays a touch of Pantera.
Snakes in the Playground fans will be pleased to see Bride fiddling around with Kentucky Headhunter Greg Martin again, this time in a little ditty called "Barren River Blues". "To the Sky" conjures up memories of "Psychedelic Super Jesus", as does "Head Looking for a Bullet". "More Than Human" takes us to all new depths of heaviness. You'd expect the last track "White Elephant" to be a ballad from the first 60 seconds, but then the tempo kicks up to fist pumping force, like GNR's "November Rain". (I hate to even compare Bride to such a flash-in-the-pan waste of talent). Not a dud to be found on this album. Bottom line is you're going to buy This Is It. It's being released without the nuisance (I mean benefit) of a record company, so either buy it directly from the band at www.bridepub.com or from Eine Kleine Mosh Musik at www.noreastermag.com (just click on the merchandise button on our magazine website). A must-have album! - Chris Gatto

Buy This is it Online

Snakes in the Playground (1992)
"Snakes In The Playground" is the most popular album that Bride has ever done so far. With a new producer, Plinky, the band had a new set of songs and an attitude to make a great record. The band members did not change for this album.

Every song on "Snakes In The Playground" was a screamer. High energy Rock'n'roll from beginning to end. This album won the band two DOVE Awards in two different years for the songs "Rattlesnake" and "Psychedelic Super Jesus". This album broke a lot of ground in the Christian Rock scene by exploring new territories musically and concentrating on social themes lyrically. Star Song really got behind this record and pushed it to the resellers and to radio. Bride has gotten a lot of mileage out of "Snakes..." as it continues to sell well. It's truely an important CD in Christian rock/metal.
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About Bride
The name Bride comes from The Book of Revelation. Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Bride is a band that is the brain child of brothers Dale and Troy Thompson. This started in a garage in Kentucky and now has a large resume of touring such places as Brazil, Scandinavia and Europe. Over the many years they have burned up the roads of the U.S. doing grass roots style tours and also slamming hard at the mega-festivals throughout the country. In the same style as G n R mixed with Rage Against the Machine they have engraved a permanent place in the underground of hard rock/metal music.

The Bride library consist of many full length CDs. live recordings, best of CDs and many live multi-camera DVD live shows.

Bride has always been on the cutting edge of popular and unpopular issues throughout the years but the main focus of the group is light. No one should be in darkness says singer Dale Thompson. The truth is there for everyone and reconciliation and no one should ever feel lost and without hope.

Unlike many of their Christian metal colleagues of the '80s, Louisville, Kentucky's Bride continue to preach their message of faith, uninterrupted by personnel and stylistic about faces, going on two decades now. Originally calling themselves Matrix, brothers Dale (vocals) and Troy Thompson (guitar) began writing songs as early as 1983, but it would take them three years of anonymous labor -- recording demos to sell at concerts and through Contemporary Christian Music magazine -- to attract the attention of Refuge Records. When they did, the label went so far as to create a new imprint -- appropriately called Pure Metal -- specifically for the band, which by this time also featured guitarist Steve Osborne, bassist Scott Hall, and drummer Stephan Rolland. There followed two albums: 1986's Show No Mercy and 1987's Live to Die, whose nasty titles and aggressive, Judas Priest-inspired songs belied the ultra-devout Christian messages evident in their lyrics. 1989's Silence Is Madness found the band reduced to a four-piece, and 1990s End of the Age proved a rather premature greatest-hits collection, since Bride returned to action the very next year with their fourth studio album, Kinetic Faith.

As well as introducing a new rhythm section (consisting of bassist Rick Foley and drummer Jerry McBroom) to back up the Dale and Troy Thompson, this and subsequent LPs Snakes in the Playground (1992) and Scarecrow Messiah (1994) showed a mellower side of the group, which appeared to have adopted the prevalent hair metal trends of the time. Another greatest-hits set -- curiously entitled Shotgun Wedding -- emerged in 1995, and after welcoming new bass player Steve Curtsinger, Bride carried on releasing albums (1995's Drop, 1997's The Jesus Experience, etc.) and touring regularly throughout the decade, culminating in a series of live albums to usher in the new millennium. 2001 found the indefatigable brothers breaking in yet another new rhythm section (bassist Lawrence Bishop and drummer Mike Loy) with the Fistful of Bees album -- the better to commemorate their 20th anniversary in music with 2003's This Is It. Now in 2006 the band is back at it. Skin For Skin is Bride's newest release and it comes out with a bite. They have once again returned to their metal roots and have produced a well crafted heavy barrage of songs that is guaranteed to leave their fans blown away.

After traveling the world on many tours to such places like Europe and Brazil, writing and recording hundreds of songs Dale and Troy Thompson may have come to their most defining moment with Skin for Skin. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide

Dont forget to visit their merchandise page at http://www.bridepub.com/brideord.htm
Blog
Blindness in part   4/19/2007 - 2:43 PM
I believe the message below will be well received by those who know they are overcomers. For those who do not yet see their position in the body of Christ I am afraid this study will be hard to understand. Always pray that the Lord will open your ear... (login or sign up to read more)
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Recent Guestbook Comments (1)  
Daniel on 8/21/09 - 8:20 AM
I neew more Bride music!