Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Photos courtesy of Media Collective

Disciple takes Christian rock to a new level

Kuong Lam

khlam@vwc.edu

With the stigma of correlating heavy-metal to screaming vocals and lurching guitars in modern day music, Christian-rock band Disciple was guilty as charged when they released their debut album back in 2005 to allegations of “every track sounds alike” and poor reviews by music fans who gave them a listen. However with the release of their second album “Scars Remain” in 2006, the band reduces their intense screaming and preaching to go for a more melodic sound with metal roots in an effort to break into mainstream success. The truth is, they succeeded.

The opener of the disc is a rocker, indeed. The track, entitled “Regime Change,” builds from a series of guitar riffs into intense bass and drums with traditional screaming vocals on the line “Break it up, tear it down!” before going into semi-softer vocals that glide over the instrumental. With a catchy sing-song chorus, a hard guitar solo in the midst of the song, and an energy-infused track, Disciple opens the record justice.

Tracks “Love Hate (On and On),” and “My Hell” follow in pursuit of the opener in the same metal-with-choruses fashion. The latter track undulates through with a softer mainstream intro, building on toned verses and longer notes before climaxing at a chorus about living without a love (“This is my hell, living without you”). The quiet ending of “My Hell” calms the speakers before the title track, “Scars Remain,” stomps through in a series of guitar riffs, heavy choruses, an intensive bridge with an explosive finale, echoing away into the distance.

“Game On” is an audacious rap-metal track that falls short of being the hyped, audience-participating track it sounds that it was made out to be. Lyrically, lead singer Kevin Young tries to sound angry and threatening (“When you come against my family and try to destroy my people, I will not just stand by”), but ends up sounding more overdone and coarse.

After five menacing and aggressive songs, “Someone” offers uplifting lyrics over a still-rocking track. Following is “After the World,” the first of two acoustic-driven songs riding on only a guitar and drums and is the most mainstream song on the album with great potential to crossover into top 40 radio with its tender lyrics on holding onto love (“I will love you after the sun goes down, after the world is no more”).

The record seems to spin upon a formula based on a series of eardrum hitting hit after hit before slowing down into a more mid-tempo track, and picking it up all over again. “Dive,” “Fight for Love,” and “Purpose to Melody,” are repetitious of the first three tracks on the disc, while closers “No End at All,” and “Things Left Unsaid” are calmer, catchier tunes with radio crossover appeal.

Ultimately, “Scars Remain” is a consistently strong album that with the right single choices could further propel Disciple’s career.