Review: Bishop’s Spring – Insurgent
Bishop’s Spring – Insurgent
(Corn Metal Records)
Bishop’s Spring is an independent, 3-piece heavy metal band with roots in Illinois and
Tennessee. In fact, the label name is a playful reference to their rural background.
Insurgent is the band’s second release, having released a more punk-infused
Ascension just last year. This EP is decidedly metal, but the band has landed into a
unique subgenre that seems to pull equally from heavy metal, groove metal, and
thrash/speed metal.
Opening track “Degradation Asphyxiation” has melodic leads borrowed from heavy
metal, rough vocals that are neither thrash growls or melodic singing but somewhere in
between, and while the verses are mid-paced like groove metal, the double-time beats
on the chorus give the song a thrashy feel. The mix of styles actually works well for the
band as it gives them a unique niche I haven’t quite heard elsewhere.
Track 2, “Cry of Sodom” features guest vocals from the ubiquitous Dale Thompson (of
Bride and a couple dozen others). While Thompson has been a mainstay in Christian
metal for nearly 5 decades, his vocals actually sound out of place here. It might simply
be the result of a poor mix, but it sounds a little off. That’s no disrespect intended
towards Dale, nor Bishop’s Spring. This song also suffers a little from instruments that
sound mildly out of tune. The song itself is slow and heavy, which generally appeals to
me, but it’s poorly executed overall, leaving the listener waiting for the next track.
“No Peace” once again settles into a slow and heavy groove. It could almost be doom
metal, except it doesn’t really have the doomy guitar leads that characterize the genre.
It’s definitely an influence. This is a strong song, but the lyrics leave a little to be
desired. On the one hand, they are brave in tackling the subject of current events and
the chaos our world is in—a tough subject for sure, but the simplistic take isn’t all that
helpful: “There’s no peace so stop your cryin’.” Right, but the children of God are
supposed to be peacemakers, and I can’t imagine telling someone suffering violence to
“stop your cryin’.” It also blames Democrats for taking aways guns. I’m all for criticizing
all political parties, but saying things that simply aren’t true isn’t helpful. I do agree with
their main point, however (so you don’t think I’m being too nit-picky, ha!) which is that
true peace comes from knowing and following Jesus. Musically, this might be the
strongest song so far!
Up next is “Blinded Eyes,” another slow, riffy tune. What’s interesting about Bishop’s
Spring’s sound is that even when they settle into slower, more traditional heavy metal
sounds, they still utilize rough and/or distorted vocals. Listeners may or may not
appreciate the juxtaposition, but would have to admit it gives them something unique.
The last song on the EP is “Out of the Low Dungeon.” This one takes the tempo down
even lower, giving the track an ominous, almost sludgy feeling. This track sounds like it
was created in the depths of a musty dungeon—and yes, that’s a compliment. Again,
we have the distorted/gruff vocals, which on this track are very effective. Wait a second,
here come the thrashy beats and melodic leads. What is this—dungeon thrash?
Maybe they could use that for their marketing. This is a cool track.
So what’s the final word on Insurgent? This is a raw, not overly produced EP. If you’re
looking for clean and crisp production, this is not the release for you. However, if you
are looking for something original, not all that similar to anyone I’ve heard before, I’d
recommend giving this a spin. Song lengths are a bit on the long side sometimes,
causing me to look up at the timer to see when the next song hits. And while the vocal
technique is certainly interesting, I wonder if they might benefit from a full-time vocalist,
thus turning the band into a 4-piece instead of 3. Regardless, I’d definitely check out
their next release without hesitation.
Rating: 2.5
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