Believer (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Believer


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Origin = Colebrook, PA, U.S.
Genre = Thrash metal
Progressive metal
Christian metal
Years_active = 1986 - 1994, 2005 - present
Label = R.E.X. Records
Roadrunner Records
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.joeydaub.com/believer joeydaub.com/believer]
Current_members = Kurt Bachman
Joey Daub
Past_members = Dave Baddorf
Howe Kraft
Scott Laird
Wyatt Robertson
Jim Winters
Notable_instruments =

Believer is a Christian Thrash metal band from the late 1980s and early 1990s, that played a hybrid of thrash and progressive metal.cite book |last=Powell |first=Mark Allan |title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music |year=2002 |publisher=Hendrickson Publishers |location=Peabody, Massachusetts |isbn=1-56563-679-1 |edition=First printing |chapter= |pages=76] Believer was known for its innovative use of symphonic elements in thrash metal. The two primary members of the band were vocalist/guitarist Kurt Bachman and drummer Joey Daub, who were joined by several others after their 1989 debut album, "Extraction from Mortality". The band was jointly signed to Roadrunner Records, and the Christian label R.E.X. Music. Believer disbanded in 1994; however, in March 2005, Daub announced that he and Bachman were in the process of reforming the band, and they are currently working on writing new music.

August 2008, Believer announced their new album is still wrapping up in the studio, and they would soon announce a label and tentative tour dates to follow. Rocky Gray of Living Sacrifice appears a guest guitar soloist on one song. Fans are awaiting the new Believer release with high anticipation.

Biography

Beginning

Believer was formed in Colebrook, Pennsylvania in 1986 by drummer Joey Daub and guitarist-vocalist Kurt Bachman. The band was joined by Howe Kraft (bass) and David Baddorf (guitar). They began playing melodic metal and released the cassette "The Return" in 1987. Later, Believer changed its style to thrash metal, as the band said: ”We realized that we could write thrash better than we could write anything else”.cite web |author= |title=Believer bio |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2000 |work=Crucifyd.com |url=http://www.crucifyd.com/believer/index.html |accessdate=2007-09-19 ]

In high school, the band leader Kurt Bachman met Scott Laird, who was studying his first year as a music instructor. When Believer was recording the title track for its first studio album, the band asked Laird to compose an orchestral intro for the song.. In 1989, Believer was signed to R.E.X. Records which published Believer's first album, "Extraction from Mortality". The album was mostly distributed to Christian bookstores but quickly gained popularity for Believer who soon became recognized as one of Christian metal's leading groups.cite web |author=MacMillan, Tom |title=Believer - Dimensions |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2005-03-04 |work= The Phantom Tollbooth |url=http://www.tollbooth.org/2005/reviews/believer.html |accessdate=2007-12-19 ] The album was noted for its technicality and aggression, and especially the song ”Shadow of Death” is one of the all-time favorites among Believer fans. "Extraction from Mortality" gained notice among non-Christian metal fans, and Believer was signed to Roadrunner Records in 1990. R.E.X. Records would release Believer's later records to the Christian market while Roadrunner's distribution was strictly aimed at a secular audience.

Upswing

In 1990, Howe Kraft was replaced by Wyatt Robertson, and Believer recorded its second album titled "Sanity Obscure", which is more technical than its predecessor. Believer continued its co-working with Scott Laird, and incorporated more symphonic elements on the song ”Dies Irae (Day of Wrath).” Scott Laird's sister Julianne Laird Hoge was featured as a soprano on the song. "Sanity Obscure" also features an anti-pollution song titled ”Nonpoint” and an anti-drug song called ”Stop the Madness”, which was released as a single with the U2 cover ”Like a Song.” "Sanity Obscure" was first released by R.E.X. Records to Christian market and a year later by Roadrunner Records to wider audience. The album became more popular than Believer's first album, and after the release Believer toured with the English deathgrind band Bolt Thrower and the Canadian death metal band Sacrifice.

Wyatt Robertson and David Baddorf left Believer before the band began recording its third album. Jim Winters joined as bassist and also played some guitar parts during the recording sessions. In 1993, Believer released its most technical, progressive, and ambitious album titled "Dimensions". Kurt Bachman had been a guitar player in an industrial metal group called Under Midnight, which possibly influenced some industrial sound effects on "Dimensions". The lyrics on the album are intelligent and deal with the philosophical paradoxes and the ponderings of Sigmund Freud, Thomas J. J. Altizer, Ludwig Feuerbach and Jean-Paul Sartre about the existence of God. The symphonic metal suite, ”Trilogy of Knowledge”, divided into three chapters and an intro, is a 20 minute+ epic written around the biblical story of the life of Christ and the knowledge of good and evil. ”Trilogy of Knowledge” once again featured the orchestral compositions of Scott Laird and soprano vocals by Julianne Laird Hoge. "Dimensions" received a GMA Dove Award nomination in the category ”hard music album of the year.” [ [http://myspace.com/believermusic Believer] . Retrieved 2007-09-19. ] While some fans preferred "Sanity Obscure" over "Dimensions", the critics considered "Dimensions" as the album that separated Believer from average thrash metal groups. During the "Dimensions" tour, Scott laird played violin and viola.

After "Dimensions" the band went on a hiatus. In 1994, Believer agreed to mutually disband. Kurt Bachman stated in a press release in 2007 about the disbandment:

Later years

During the following years both Bachman and Daub worked in sound production at their Trauma Studios in Pennsylvania for groups such as Turmoil and Living Sacrifice. Later, Bachman continued in his medical studies, while Daub kept working in the music industry. Later in the 1990s, Daub began playing drums in a gothic metal band called Fountain of Tears.

In 2005, Joey Daub informed on his website joeydaub.com that he had begun writing new Believer material with Bachman. This announcement was reported widely, most notably through Blabbermouth.net, [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=35501 New BELIEVER Album In The Works? - Apr. 15, 2005, Blabbermouth] . Retrieved on 2007-09-19.] which called Believer a ”much missed late 80s and early 90s technical thrash metal band.” [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=36358 BELIEVER Frontman Slams Label For Reissuing Band's Catalog With 'Bonus' Tracks - May 6, 2005, Blabbermouth] . Retrieved on 2007-09-19. ]

On October 21, 2007 Believer launched an official MySpace page. The band's cataloque was also set to be rereleased by a Polish label called Metal Mind Productions, and Bachman gave an announcement about the album in works:

The album's recording process reportedly progressed in this order: The recording began on November 24, [cite web |author= |title= Reactivated Believer begins recording new album |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2007-11-24 |work=Blabbermouth.net |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=85483 |accessdate=2008-05-12 ] drum tracking was completed on December 30, [ cite web |author= |title= Believer completes tracking drums for new album |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2007-12-30 |work=Blabbermouth.net |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=87463 |accessdate=2008-05-12 ] bass was layed down on January 28, 2008, [ cite web |author= |title= Believer completes laying down bass for new album |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2008-01-28 |work=Blabbermouth.net |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=89414 |accessdate=2008-05-12 ] rhythm guitar tracks were completed on February 18, [ cite web |author= |title= Believer: Rhythm guitar tracks for new album complete |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2008-02-18 |work=Blabbermouth.net |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=91070 |accessdate=2008-05-12 ] and on April 7 the band announced that the album would feature "some very talented guests." [ cite web |author= |title= Believer: New album to feature 'some very talented guests' |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2008-04-17 |work=Blabbermouth.net |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Search&searchtext=believer&x=0&y=0 |accessdate=2008-05-12 ] Ten days later on On April 17, Deron Miller of CKY announced that he will be "laying down some guest solos and/or vocals" for the forthcoming Believer album. He commented that "Believer have been one of my favorite bands for 20 years so this is really exciting for me. Check out the three records they did in the '90s... All three are works of genius." [ cite web |author= |title=CKY's Deron Miller to tour with Malevolent Creation, record with Believer |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2008-04-17 |work=Blabbermouth.net |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=95159 |accessdate=2008-05-12 ] On August 13, it was announced that the album would also feature guest performances by Joe Rico of the band Sacrifice, with whom Believer toured in the early 1990s, and Rocky Gray of Living Sacrifice. [ cite web |author= |title=Believer: New album to feature guest appearances by Sacrifice, ex-Evanescence member |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2008-04-17 |work=Blabbermouth.net |url= http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=102721 |accessdate=2008-05-12 ]

Legacy

Believer's music has been influential especially for the Christian metal scene as they were one of the biggest Christian thrash metal bands, along with Deliverance, Vengeance Rising and Tourniquet. Believer has been regarded as a better than average thrash metal band and band leader Kurt Bachman has been called a ”legend in his own time”.cite web |author=Majalahti, Michael |title=The Best Kept Secrets in Rock |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2004-03-02 |work=Imperiumi |url=http://www.imperiumi.net/col_2.php?id=42 |accessdate=2007-09-19 ] The Norwegian group Extol cites Believer as an influence, for example.

Music

The characteristical elements of Believer's music include the distinctive raw, brutal guitar distortion, numerous tempo changes, virtuoisic riffs and Bachman's raspy, anguished and screeched voice. The atmosphere of their music is typically dark and dismal, heightened by the nightmarish industrial samples, occasional, declamatory classical music string instruments, and eerie, chilly clean guitar interludes. The songstructures are complicated, highly technical and at times progressive, such as on "Shadow of Death" which progresses from lone, gloomy clean guitar melody to a chaotic piece. The drummer Joey Daub typically emphasizes on the d-beat style typical for thrash metal, and he shifts between techniques and tempos, usually many times during a song.

Discography

*"The Return" (demo, 1987)
*"Extraction from Mortality" (1989) R.E.X. Records
*"Sanity Obscure" (1990) Roadrunner Records
*"Dimensions" (1993) Roadrunner Records
*"The Chosen Live" (live, 2007) ERMI Records

References

*cite book |last=Hale |first=Mark |title=Headbangers |year=1993 |publisher=Popular Culture, Ink. |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |edition=First edition, second printing |isbn=1-56075-029-4 |chapter=0303 |pages=35

External links

*amg | id = 11:ve7m968o3ep7 | label = Believer
* [http://www.joeydaub.com/ Joey Daub's Official site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/believerband Believer] at MySpace
* [http://www.myspace.com/believermusic Unnofficial Believer MySpace] (authorized)
* [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=655 Believer] at Metal Archives