{"id":10612,"date":"2023-12-13T20:59:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T01:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/?p=10612"},"modified":"2023-12-13T20:59:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T01:59:38","slug":"bride-are-you-awake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/13\/bride-are-you-awake\/","title":{"rendered":"BRIDE: Are You Awake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Are You Awake?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apparently, I am not \u2026 but neither am I dead. When I realized this past week that we had not covered the 2023 Bride release I had a moment of panic, but mostly surprise. We are all volunteers here and sometimes just don\u2019t have the time. For me, at least, 2023 has been a blur of a year where I have felt asleep (to the musical goings-on around the world) but very much awake and engaged in everything else \u2013 much of it complicated and\/or stress-invoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Excuses aside, when Are You Awake<\/a><\/em> was released so many months ago now, I had every intention of doing one of those comprehensive reviews, including commentary on all the variant forms of media (silver\/gold CDs, blue cassette, black vinyl, trading cards, etc.) released by Retroactive Records of Are You Awake<\/em>. However, at this point I suspect most of the dedicated Bride fans already know about or already possess most of that sweet media swag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, I suppose at this late juncture, I should just spend the words expressing my thoughts about the quality and content of the musical compositions (\u201cThey\u2019re just songs, Doc!\u201d) Twelve new ones, they are! Ahh, but just a brief step back in time for context\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spikes Up Trading Card Series #10\/11 (signed)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Bride reached a high point with 2021\u2019s Here Is Your God<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, did they not? That collection of songs was a mature \u2013 as in later in career\/life \u2013 collaboration of the brothers Thompson. In some ways, they put all their collective experiences and styles together in one contemporary milieu of well-produced rock. And then there is this \u2013 for 20 or more years we have lived with the tired sales pitch of, \u201cthis is Bride\u2019s best release since \u2026 and maybe their last.\u201d Sigh\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let Bride Be Bride<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The rhetorically titled Are You Awake<\/em>, to my ears, represents a continuation of the kind of heavy rock and sometimes metal which comprised Here Is Your God<\/em>. I would say the songs here represent the culmination of the work and familiarity this current line-up of musicians\/producer have strived to attain. 2013\u2019s Incorruptible<\/em> was not my thing, but with Nenel Lucena and Aposan Alexandre on board ever since 2018\u2019s Snake Eyes<\/em> \u2013 one of my favorites in the post 2000 era of Bride \u2013 these guys just sound rejuvenated, creatively fresh and energetically hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with Bride, things never stay the \u201csame\u201d for very long. Welcome Greg Campbell on bass as Nenel Lucena is now taking over all production\/recording\/mixing. I don\u2019t think since Rik Foley has the band had such a killer, and prominently placed, bass guitar presence in the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bride Music<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First things first. The sound quality on Are You Awake<\/em> is excellent. Second things second. Troy Thompson writes the best guitar grooves, is constantly expanding his musical expressions (violin, cello, piano) \u2026 oh yeah, and his guitar solos are sweet too. Third things third. Dale Thompson \u2013 despite all the years \u2013 still sounds vital. His side projects aside, I still think he sounds the best when he sings right here at home with his Bride. Fourth things fourth. Alexandre adds the right touch of \u201cmetal aggression\u201d and creativity on drums to keep Bride vital in 2023 and beyond. Fifth things fifth. Nenel Lucena makes Bride sound like a band with plenty of gas left in the tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAin\u2019t No Loser<\/strong>\u201d is, without a doubt, an old-school, throwback Bride rocker. Right from this rippin\u2019 lead-off track you get in-your-face Troy leads, and that bass guitar makes its presence known in glorious groove fashion. The cowbell, piano and \u201clive rock\u201d ending firmly plant this song in the dirt of Bride soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bigger grooves prevail as we travel through Bride time, \u201cMake Me Wanna Live Again<\/strong>\u201d would feel right at home on Snakes<\/em> or Scarecrow<\/em>. The tight snare sound comes to the forefront of the mix in Chad Smith\/Red Hot Chili Peppers style. As with most of the songs on Are You Awake<\/em>, Bride color their music with the sounds of the past 3 decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creative lyrical \u201crap\u201d of Bride expresses itself quite nicely on \u201cWe\u2019re All Going to Die.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cExperience, delirious, mysterious, it\u2019s serious\/Talking to the Syrians, Albanians and Lutherans\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Similarly, the grooves and drumming on \u201cHammer Down<\/strong>\u201d echo similar kinds of simple-life lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWelcome to my nightmare\/I wanted the fame and fortune\/Nobody said it came with all of this pain\/Hammer Down\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This song features some great tom-work from Alexandre, which flows over nicely into similar pounding in the dynamic \u201c12 O\u2019 Clock Apocalypse<\/strong>.\u201d This is yet another song which echoes back to the glory days of Bride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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