Believer – “1 of 5”

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After a hiatus (Believer disbanded in 1994, when Daub announced that he and Bachman would reform the band), Believer came back in action in March 2005, and is recently making headlines with its first instalment of one of five EP which was released this March. They gained much worldwide recognition for their boundary-breaking, artistic form of progressive metal music. Their early albums had collaborations between metal and orchestral musicians which sealed the band’s legacy. Believer’s focus on creativity and innovation earned praise from fans and musicians worldwide.

Believer, which is an American technical thrash metal band from the late 1980s and early 1990s, is known for playing a hybrid of thrash and progressive metal, using innovative symphonic elements in thrash metal. Their lyrics deal with topics of philosophy, theology and social issues. The two primary members of the band are vocalist/guitarist Kurt Bachman and drummer Joey Daub, who were joined by several others after their 1989 debut album, Extraction from Mortality.

In a press release, Believer explain that their aim with the 2017 releases was to combine the Believer sound with some of the bands that influenced them in the early days, with the likes of Kansas, Tool and Rush. The lyrics are intelligent, as always, from a band whose members have taken a very intentional approach to life and worldview formation.

The first song, “Home”, starts off with a peppy guitar and bass riff. The vocals are refreshing and powerful with in your face aggression. The song keeps a progressive beat with the metal intact and a tinge of “Tool” presence in its sound. The song is engaging and takes a beautiful shift on piano towards the end. The second song on the EP, “888” is quite punchy with its marching drums and high tonal bass, the melody pulls you in, the bass lines on the record dominate the sound and sets a strong ambience in the backdrop.

Production – The song arrangements are remarkable, production feels good , the guitar and bass patches are great.

Conclusion – The song writing is impressive, the band leaves you high and dry for more, as they hook you up for their forthcoming EP releases !

Rating: 8/10

Written by: Ankit Sood

Band Members
Kevin Leaman – guitars
Jeff King – keyboards, programming, guitars, bass
Joey Daub – drums
Kurt Bachman – bass, vocals, guitars

Track listing:
1. Home
2. 888

Discography
“The Return” (Demo, 1987)
“Extraction from Mortality” (1989)
“Sanity Obscure” (1990)
‘Stop the Madness’ (Single, 1991)
“The Ultimate Collectors Video:Home Video” (Video, 1991)
“The Breed Beyond” (Split, 1993)
“Dimensions” (1993)
“Gabriel” (2009)
“Transhuman” (2011) [review]
“1 of 5” (Single, 2017)

Record Label: Trauma Team Productions, March 2017

Weblinks: Website /  FacebookBandcamp / Twitter

Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission

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