By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Christian metal/hard rock band Disciple has been around for an impressive twenty four years- that is more than most Christian rock acts or any band in general lasts. What makes it more impressive is that the band has consistently changed its lineup, except for one very important person- lead singer Kevin Young. Without him, Disciple would've been broken up long ago, as he is the one who has kept this band going. This guy, and in effect, every member a part of Disciple have affected me very personally. They were the band that got me back into music after a time of being out of it. My favorite song of all time (which is by them) "Dear X" was the first time I came to the realization my sins don't have to define me, and it continues to be a philosophy I live by today. I owe a lot to them to say the least. Their consistently awesome musicianship that has hardly ever deteriorated since their sophomore release "This Might Sting a Little" have made them my favorite band of all time. This year Disciple has come out with yet another release, "Long Live the Rebels". How is it compared to their other releases? Well, let me just say, this release surprised me a lot because it showed this over two decade old band still willing to experiment with their style while keeping their central sound and superb lyricism in tact.
The album begins off in a great way with the epic opener "First Love". This one doesn't pack quite the same huge punch that openers like "Radical" or "Outlaws" may have. But this opener works well in a different way, as it feels big in scale at nearly five minutes long. It also boasts a great chorus which has Young begging God to take him back to where his love for God was raw and real: "You can have it all, each part of me/The saint and the sinner/Are ready to return to my first love/Take me back". This song is one that has grown on me more and more each listen. I love the excellent musicianship it shows as well as how Kevin's vocals are allowed to shine in new ways. Disciple hasn't attempted an epic feeling song before, but they pull it off here with talent. After this song, we move into more familiar Disciple territory with the title track. But familiar Disciple territory includes hard hitting guitar work, intense vocals from Young, a driving drum beat, and some defiantly fun war themed lyrics. Those elements are all here, and they still work as effectively as ever. Somehow Disciple is able to use this tried and true formula and still make it feel fresh. I found myself quickly singing along to the chorus. "Secret Weapon" is easily one of the most experimental songs on this album, not sounding like any other Disciple song I've heard before, even going so far as to incorporate some electronic elements. Guitarist Josiah Prince takes some of the vocals for the chorus, and his voice complements Kevin's quite well. The chorus of this song has a driving feel, making this one of the most interesting pump-up choruses on the album.
"Erase" is easily one of my favorite songs off this album, as it is an emotionally effective anthem that tells the listener God doesn't define us by our past: "When you say you're not okay/My heart it breaks to heal your pain/I will erase your yesterday,you'll be okay/My love is greater than your mistakes". This song really hit me with that awesome reminder. The song is lifted even more by the memorable guitar riff as well as the wonderful climax the song reaches in its vocally dominant bridge. We then get what is in my opinion the best song on the album, "Come My Way". When I first heard this song, I had to make sure I was still listening to Disciple, as I'd never heard the band do a song like this before. The song is a slow-burning rock tune which builds and builds until it reaches several amazing climax points. Young and Prince trade off vocals more frequently in this song, and it makes the song even more interesting to listen to; it makes it feel bigger and more epic as well. Anticipation keeps on building as Young asks "Are you gonna come my way" which goes into an awesome chorus. There is also quite the incredible guitar solo which is some of the best guitar work I've ever heard from the band (that's saying something, because guitar work has always been good for this group). The song then ends on a surprisingly good subdued note. This tune is very much so a musical journey, and it is one of the best songs of the year; I'm absolutely obsessed with it. After this song comes a track which is reminiscent of famous Disciple battle themed songs like "Game On" and "321", known as "Underdog Fight Song", plays. While I did not care for this song at first, it has certainly grown in me. It's easy to head bang to this song with the chaotic drumming and guitar work. To top it all off, Young's vocals feel like a throwback to the rap/screaming style he did in "This Might Sting a Little". This song screams nostalgia, but also feels new in other ways. The chorus of this song sticks, and I couldn't help but smile as Young encourages listeners to tell those who doubted them "It's been my pleasure proving you wrong".
The great songs continue with "Spirit Fire", which finds Disciple experimenting once again, this time with a pop/rock vibe that still has the band's classic intensity. The "woah"s used in the song don't feel forced and instead work to increase the truly catchy feel of the chorus. The song does break the pop/rock feel as Young lets loose one of his delightful screams that effectively transitions back to a chorus that ends off the song in a big way. We then get "Forever Starts Today", which shows the band maturely talking about how the words we say to others on earth have an eternal significance, so our words should always reflect God's love to others. While not one of the bigger highlights, this one certainly has a lot of lyrical content to chew on. Much like "First Love", "Black Hole" continues to grow on me more and more, especially with its awesome guitar intro. The song has Jesus comparing the scars on his hands to black holes saying "You can project all your pain onto me" and all the pain we may have in life will disappear into Him as if it never existed. For that intriguing metaphor alone, this song is a huge highlight among all the the other great tracks on here. "Spinning" has Young contemplating on the idea that while one person in the world may be suffering, another will be celebrating; and yet, the world will "just keep spinning around". He just wishes for the world to stop spinning so that he could comprehend all of the complications of it, but the Young maturely realizes that only God will have the answers to all of the chaos the world offers. "Long Live the Rebels" ends off in excellent form with another highlight in the simplistic ballad "Empty Grave". For the most part, only an acoustic guitar, piano, and Kevin Young are in this track, and it makes for a beautiful song about finding redemption from death through God. What elevates this song above some of the others though, is the backing vocals by Joyce Martin Sanders. Her and Young actually complement each other nicely. It makes for yet another more experimental track on this album, as Disciple have never had a female featured vocalist. I hope they try this again, as it works to their favor here.
The only negative I could find on this album is "God Is With Us", which is just so clearly pandered for radio. It also awkwardly rhymes "us" with "us", which felt a little cheap coming from this band. But the chorus is still somewhat catchy, and the song is more likeable than most radio friendly singles. Overall "Long Live the Rebels" is a superb album, and in my opinion even wins out over the preceding albums "O God Save Us All" and "Attack". This is their best album since "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" (still my favorite album by Disciple as well as my favorite album of all time), which is an impressive feat. This album tells me that, thankfully, Disciple shows no signs of quitting any time soon. In fact, it still feels like they are just getting started on what they can deliver. This album surprised me with all of the experimentation it did, twisting Disciple's signature sound into trying out things like pop/electronic rock, slow-burning rockers, and even featuring vocals that aren't Young's. Pretty much every time it worked in the band's favor. This album is easily one of my favorites of the year, and will most assuredly make my top 10 year end list!
Favorite Songs: "Come My Way", "Erase", "Black Hole", "Empty Grave", "First Love", "Long Live The Rebels", "Spinning"
Least Favorite Songs: "God Is With Us"
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