No Life 'til Metal - CD Gallery

D I S C I P L E
Christian metal band that has been making a whole lot of noise in the underground since the mid-90's. Disciple started off as a groove oriented metal band and progressed over time into a more modern nu-metal band. Fortunately their bold Christian stance has never changed. For that I totally respect them.

1. "Alone" (4:58)
2. "Felt" (3:10)
3. "Mothman" (4:05)
4. "Crawl Away" (5:20)
5. "One Drop" (4:07)
6. "Stronghold" (4:38)
7. "Praze You Lord" (3:45)
8. "Presence" (1:10)
9. "Sorry" (4:36)
10. "Take Me" (4:10)
11. "Why" (4:32)
12. "Jeckyl & Hyde" (4:17)
13. "Amazing Grace Blues" (3:59)
14. "Going Home" (3:45)
15. "Mercy" (4:12)

Neo-metal with tons of groove and attitude. There seems to be a bit of a Southern vibe creeping in here and there as well, not that they sound like Skynyrd or anything, but picture the southern vibe of C.O.C. with a ton more energy and you might get a picture of what I am trying to describe. This is one long disc, especially for an independent release. The production sports beefy guitar tones and the overall mix isn't to bad either for an indie release. Favorite track is probably "Moth Man" or the gritty, bluesy version of "Amazing Grace."

Got to meet the band for the first time on this tour when my band shared the stage with them at the Texas Rockfest. Never have I met a band as cool as these guys. Have performed at several festivals with them again over the years, and despite their growing popularity, they still remain some of the coolest guys in the world. As a matter of fact, their singer Kevin Young tackled me in the backstage area at the Extreme Martigras in Anaheim California (May 2001).

1. "My Daddy Can Whip Your Daddy" (3:17)
2. "Pharisee" (3:44)
3. "Fill My Shoes" (4:35)
4. "Fall on Me" (3:12)
5. "Easter Bunny" (3:24)

A short ep that was released during Disciple's short time with Warner Bros. The music is heavy, aggressive, neo-metal with touches of King's X downtuned grooves. The lyrics are hardcore Christianity. Nothing wishy-washy about this band. You either love 'em or hate 'em. I happen to love 'em. This disc has been re-released with a completely different cover in recent years. the original Warner Bros. disc has become quite the collector's item, especially since Disciple have become very popular over the years.

1. "I Just Know" (4:22)
2. "Golden Calf" (3:14)
3. "Big Bad Wolf" (3:53)
4. "1, 2, Conductor" (3:29)
5. "Mud Puddle" (3:51)
6. "Worship Conspiracy" (2:41)
7. "10 Minute Oil Change" (2:53)
8. "Turmoil" (5:09)
9. "Hello" (2:24)
10. "Bring the Heat" (3:04)
11. "Bernies Situation" (4:46)
12. "Underneath" (3:56)
13. "Furthermore" (7:07)

There is not denying the infectiousness of songs like "I Just Know", "10 Minute Oil Change" and "Big, Bad Wolf." Disciple dish out more groove metal with biting guitars and screaming vocals. However, I think the band was really sounding paint by number on this one. Several songs on this CD has the exact same riff as other songs on this same disc. In other words, this music becomes monotonous and I never seem to make it all the way through this one without turning it off. It just doesn't have the same hold on me that their debut had. I must also confess that my son, who was ten at the time, played this CD to death in my house. He would play "I Just Know" over and over and over again. It drove me insane. However, think the reason this one doesn't have the same hold on me like the first album is because it lacks the diversity. 'This Might Sting' is touching more on the current crop of nu-metal bands with Kevin Young almost rapping out his parts. While this is not really my thing, it seems to be working for them as their popularity has grown considerably with the release of this disc. I am very glad that this album helped give these guys a bigger and better minstry. For them, that is what it is all about and for that I applaud them and will always support them, even if I was a bit disappointed musically.

DISC ONE
1. "By God" (3:48)
2. "Not Rock Stars" (3:38)
3. "God of Elijah" (3:10)
4. "Knocked Down" (3:21)
5. "Blow the House Down" (4:03)
6. "Coal" (3:26)
7. "Can't Breathe" (4:44)
8. "Salt Lamp" (3:23)
9. "You Are Here" (4:14)
10. "Thousand Things" (6:03)
11. "99" (2:39)
12. "laughing" (:20)
13. "Whiny Britches" (3:18)
14. "You Rock My Socks Off" (3:08)
15. "talking" (:15)
16. "Hate Your Guts" (3:40)
17. "Whether They Like It or Not" (4:22)
18. "Not Since Breakfast" (3:13)
19. "Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired" (4:01)
20. "But Wait There's More" (3:36)
21. "Rich Man" (4:05)
22. "sermon" (4:10)

DISC TWO
1. "By God" (3:50)
2. "Not Rock Stars" (3:39)
3. "Rich Man" (4:01)
4. "sermon" (4:10)

When I saw these guys for the first time in 1997 at the Texas Rockfest, I thought they were one of the more unique metal bands that I had heard in a while. They had a style and charisma that was all their own. I purchased "What Was I Thinking" and "My Daddy Can Whip Your Daddy " and was very impressed. With each new album after those I became a bit more disenchanted with the band's music as they began to become more and more like the ever growing nu-metal scene, incorporating those same stop/start guitar riffs and vocals that are almost rapped out. I still appreciate the band's heart and desire for evangelism. however, the music was becoming more and more stale. Several songs on "This Might Sting" sounded alike and while I still liked that album quite a bit, I was finding it increasingly difficult to sit through the entire CD. Unfortunately, "My God" continues that trend. First of all this CD is extremely long clocking in at over 76 minutes. I think had the band chose the best 10-12 songs and left the rest off, they would have had a much more enjoyable and dynamic album overall. Don't get me wrong, there are still some good songs on here, but the problem is that they are all starting to sound the same. The CD starts off strong with two of the albums finest tracks, "By God" and "Not Rock Stars". Starting at track three, "God of Elijah", things start to go really wrong with Kevin rapping over a drum/bass beat. After that it's sort of hit and miss musically. "Thousand Things" is a standout cut. This song is actually a ballad sung directly to the Lord and seems to be one of the more heartfelt songs on the CD. "You Rock My Socks Off" sounds like it would fit nicely on a Kid Rock album with the partially rapped lyrics, the heavy guitars, the scratching and the slight Southern influence. Lyrically the band is right on, as always. Disciple are one of the few true Christian bands left in the world. They don't back down from what they believe and their lyrics will most certainly edify any believer. I just wish the music was as interesting as the lyrics.

Disciple are one of those band's I wish I could get more into. Since I personally know these guys, I have nothing but respect for them. However, I get the feeling, listening to this groove laden nu-metal, that Disciple are old school metal heads trapped in a nu-metal sound. At times I hear things I like; smokin' guitar solos, crunchy guitars and the occassional real metal riff. For the most part, however, I can't get into the nu-metal song writing. I have the same problem with this CD that I had with "This Might Sting"; the riffs all begin to sound the same and I end up turning the CD off before I make it half way through. Kevin even gets into some rapping on this disc, which was a nice novely when Anthrax and Tourniquet did it back in the late 80's/early 90's, but now is just cliché and passé. Great lyrics, great attitude, excellent production and the best of intentions but this is just not my thing.

1. "The Wait Is Over" (2:50)
2. "Stripped Away" (2:57)
3. "Into Black" (3:46)
4. "Only You" (3:09)
5. "Rise Up" (2:33)
6. "Worth It All" (3:43)
7. "Shine Down" (2:52)
8. "Falling Over" (3:47)
9. "Go Ahead" (3:11)
10. "Beautiful" (3:10)
11. "Be The Quiet" (3:47)
12. "Backstabber" (2:59)
13. "All We Have" (3:41)
14. "Tribute" [hidden track] (3:22)

Immediately, even before this CD was released on June 7th, the reviews were coming in saying this was the best Disciple yet. Words like "amazing" and "awesome" were being used to describe this album in reviews and on various forums I visit. Saying a CD "is awesome and amazing" doesn't mean jack. However, based on the hype I bought the new Disciple the same week it was released. I can't believe people are saying "this CD is awesome" and "this is their best CD yet". What CD are they listening to? Die-hards can defend them and say this is their best album all they want, but for a band that has a history over decade long and has an established sound, this is a radical departure and an obvious attempt to cash in on current trends. Disciple have lost the sound that gave them their identity. They have lost their edge and now sound like any number of generic, MTV, radio-friendly modern rock bands. Had I not known it was them, I would never have guessed this was Disciple. Where is the aggression? Where are those screaming vocals? Is this the same Kevin Young that screamed "I just know Jesus is the way..." a few years back? Where is the crunch in the guitars? Where are the guitar solos? The heavy riffs? What happened to that Southern influence that always penetrated their song writing? What happened to the groove? Shoot, this doesn't even look like Disciple. They have even cut their hair and gone for the trendy, modern MTV teen look. About the only thing that hasn't changed is the positive Christian tones of the lyrics. Perhaps it's just the shock of hearing such a drastic style change in Disciple. Maybe after a few more spins the shock will wear off and the nuances of this new disc will begin to surface. I must confess, even though this disc is such a departure, Disciple still know how to write a catchy pop hook. "The Wait Is Over" and "Rise Up" both have potential to be singles. I bet these songs would be great in a live setting with a bit more crunch and aggression. Still, I would be lying if I didn't say I am disappointed.