Review Summary: More like a burst of explosive firepower than a committed, long-term, and ultimately victorious attack.
Horseshoes and Handgrenades really upped the ante for Disciple, feeling like the worthy sequel to
Scars Remain and easily surpassing
Southern Hospitality. Then
O God Save Us Allcame along and was essentially just a slightly heavier version of the so-so self-titled debut. But, just as the debut left some potential for improvement in the future (I rated it a 3), so did OGSUA (also rated a 3). And it was worlds better than
Hospitality so there was no reason to expect disaster.
Attack was promised to be a much more aggressive effort and ultimately a major fan-pleaser, similar to H&H. The band made good on their promise there, so maybe they could do it again.
I wouldn’t say that Kevin has necessarily grown vocally, as he seemed to plateau two albums ago, but he doesn’t sound bad at all. He’s passionate and energetic, bringing both hair-raising screams and softer croons. I would argue that his screams are stronger than his cleans, but again, both are pleasant to hear if not groundbreaking. Former rhythm axeman Micah Sannon is replaced here by Josiah Prince (formerly of pop-punkers Philmont), while Jason Wilks takes the bass from Israel Beechy. Disciple’s guitarwork had ultimately been moving towards a more rhythmic, riff-centered approach since 2010, and it is no different here. The riffs are punchy, heavy, and well-produced, and the occasional lead line or solo from Andrew Stanton is well-placed and much more enjoyable than the forced moments of albums like
Southern Hospitality. Drums and bass still don’t do much, though they’ve never been much of a Disciple standout in the first place. Speaking of things that have grown since 2010 for the group, the RED influence is impossible to ignore. Whereas on the past two efforts it was orchestral arrangements, here we have programming effects that sound eerily similar to those used upon RED’s
Until We Have Faces. However, they blend well and Disciple is able to make them their own, so no problems there.
The first three tracks are distortion heavy, scream-wracked rockers that also effectively blend in some melody and beauty admist the roaring storm. However, these just feel slightly edgier and heavier than the rock tracks on the past efforts, almost like a song like “Battle Lines” on steroids. These are sure to easily please an alt-metal fan. “Scarlet” throws a bit of a curveball that I wouldn’t expect: Disciple haven’t gone djent or progressive on us, and maybe it’s because I do dig the Periphery track a fair bit, but this sounds strangely similar. Yes, the guitarwork is more simple, but the foundation is there. Anyway, this is a smoldering, passionate mid-tempo rock track that, while providing a bit of a breath of fresh air from the earlier alt-metal assault, still maintains a certain poignant ferocity. “Unbroken” is more of a straight-up ballad and effectively blends softer vocals, touching strings, and an undercurrent of bloops and bleeps, as well as the expected acoustic guitar and reverb-drenched lead lines. “The Name” is a punky, thrashing speed rocker that features vicious screams, pounding drums, and some metalcore-influenced rhythm and lead guitar work. There’s a bit of a For Today vibe here and it works. “Angels & Demons” is a nice blend between the mid-tempo vibe of “Scarlet” and the heavier beginning of the record (think “Mystery of You” by RED or “The Great Divide” by Breaking Benjamin) that is saved from mid-album filler by some intriguing piano work and brilliant chemistry between Wilks on backup vocals and Kevin leading the charge with the main mic. Follow-up “Lion” also displays said chemistry, as well as some finally notable basswork.
Unfortunately, there’s only problems past this. The final track is a lackluster ballad, while the three heavier tracks preceding it are simply copy-paste of better songs at the beginning and middle of the album. That’s four songs, rendering only eight of them truly worth it (OGSUA had five, H&H had ten, SR had six, and the self-titled had six). Lyrically, this band has become a double-edged sword. They’ve basically spearheaded themselves to only be applicable to the Christian market, and as a Christian myself, this comes off as very preachy. You can write about your faith ambiguously. I understand that this band isn’t ashamed (they say it many times), but by doing this, you become much less than your peers who have mastered subtlety. Not to mention that there’s only so many times you can sing about riding into battle before this just starts to get old.
If you can tolerate the lyrics and enjoy this genre, the standouts are great for you. However, this record really isn’t all that better than
Scars Remain and only a slight step up from the last release. The standouts are strong, but I cannot recommend this record for its entirety.
