Reviewed by Ian Webber

Way back in the early '90s, veteran thrash metal group Believer decided to take an indefinite break from recording. After 15 years away from the studio, they have reformed and returned with a ferocity that clears away any cobwebs. Opening with "Medwton", diehard fans will be on familiar ground. Believer still cram their music full of technical guitar solos, complex rhythms and changes in tempo. Kurt Bachman continues to add to an overall sound that is as tight and as accomplished as ever with his rasping vocals and shouts. It would, however, be wrong to assume all the tracks on this recording were old school thrash. "Redshift" offers jazz influenced breaks and piano keys with strange samples to punctuate the recording. These samples seem to have replaced the classical experimentations of earlier albums to provide variety. Believer have definitely matured with age and moved on. Lyrically Gabriel serves up a mix of science, philosophy and theology that is at times obscure. The final listed track, "Nonsense Mediated Decay" sees the band pushing the boundaries of inventiveness with a series of random vocals and music sections that were difficult to follow. At over an hour, the metallers from Pennsylvania have produced a quality recording that will certainly be welcomed by those who remember them first time around.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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