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Disciple - Disciple

 

	RELEASED: June 7th, 2005 PRODUCER:Travis Wyrick LABEL:SRE Recordings/Epic BAND: Kevin Young Brad Noah Tim Barrett Joey Fife
+ Crystal clear production, Kevin’s voice, some cool riffs - Generic songwriting, general lack of heaviness	TRACKS: 1.The Wait is Over 2.Stripped Away 3.Into Black 4.Only You 5.Rise Up 6.Worth It All 7.Shine Down 8.Falling Over 9.Go Ahead 10.Beautiful 11.Be The Quiet 12.Backstabber 13.All We Have is Now 14.Tribute

OVERVIEW

It kind of drives me crazy when music magazines talk about Disciple as basically new kids on the block and this as their “debut” record, and maybe give half a sentence to how the group has really been kicking out hard-hitting, metal-tinged rock and roll from their home base of Knoxville, TN since about the same time most people were trying to figure out this brand new band called Nirvana.  And while it’s true enough that “Disciple” is their major-label debut, understanding Disciple’s storied history and back catalog is important not only to understand where they’ve come from to hit the top of the CCM charts lately, but also to understand why I was fairly disappointed with this record, even though 90% of the reviews I read about it are nothing but good.
            Basically, the biggest thing Disciple had going for them before this record was their raw, unapologetic sound that put Kevin James’ throat-shredding scream right up front with lyrics that were basically Molotov cocktails of Scripture mixed with explosive, intensely personal stories from James’ life experiences.  The music itself was no kinder, as the trio (now a quartet) bludgeoned fans with jackhammer riffing and James’ aforementioned banshee shriek that often forsook discernable melody for straight pummeling rhythmic grooves.  It hit you hard, and there was no doubt what they were trying to say by the end of any song, which I thought was great.

            Unfortunately, this record finds them largely abandoning that approach in favor of slickly produced, radio-ready rockers that still maintain their previous lyrical focus (which is commendable, given that many Christian bands today are content to take the Switchfoot route and let the listener guess what they’re actually saying), but strip away 90% of Disciple’s raw rock edge and replace it with grooves that just never seem to hit as hard, not unlike what bands like Pillar have done in recent years.  Sure, it’ll sell records, and there are some tight songs on here, but I have a hard time stomaching what comes across as a full-fledged attempt at radio play and a bid for the mainstream here.

SONGS

“Disciple” kicks off with “The Wait is Over”, which features some cool parts (especially the intro), but seems to never really catch fire until James unleashes some grittier vocals on the final chorus.  “Stripped Away” starts off with some catchy riffing and actually winds up being one of the better cuts on the CD, but is quickly outpaced by “Into Black” which is easily the best song on here with fast-paced , straight-ahead grooves that might not hit as hard as their old stuff, but actually finds them making good use of their more polished vocal approach.  “Only You” is a decent worship-style ballad that quickly gives way to “Rise Up”, a mid-tempo groover with a welcome return of James’ lethal scream.  “Worth It All” is probably one of the poppiest songs on here, ballads aside, and it isn’t bad – the CCM crowd will undoubtedly love the Jonah 33-esque sound of this one.  “Shine Down” and “Falling Over” are considerably harder and more upbeat, with “Falling Over” easily the stronger of the two, and this leads to better things in the form of “Go Ahead”, a cocky rebuttal to those who would talk trash out of insecurity (the church, possibly?  Who knows?)  Anyway, “Beautiful” is a fairly formulaic CCM ballad, much like “Worth it All”, and one of the bigger surprises on here comes in the form of “Be the Quiet”, a minor-key dirge that works surprisingly well.  “Backstabber” is, unfortunately, another heavier track with great potential that never quite takes off, which is thankfully not the case with “All We Have”, a fast-paced rocker with a great vocal performance.  “Tribute” wraps up the CD on a decidedly somber note with, well, a tribute to the US Armed Forces and the sacrifices they make.

CONCLUSION

What we have here is a record that’s, as far as record companies are concerned, very good – there’s some catchy stuff, enough melody to please the pop fans, and any of these songs could do well on CCM radio.  The problem is that, in my opinion, Disciple has made more accessible stuff at the cost of their heaviness and unique style, instead being content to basically sound like Pillar, Falling Up, and about a million other contemporary Christian hard rock bands.  I can almost guarantee you that my copy of “Back Again” will still get considerably more spin time than this one.

Review by Matt Rewinski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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