NYC technical thrash metal quartet formed in 1987 by drummer Joey Daub and guitarist/vocalist Kurt Bachman. I discovered these guys shortly after selling all my vinyl in 1989. I walked into a Christian store with a load of money from the records I had just sold and bought five new Christian metal cds. Believer's "Extraction from Mortality" was one of the discs I held in my hand. When I got home and popped it in my cd player, I was blown away. I had to go back and read the lyrics to make sure it was really Christian, as the music was as intense, if not more so, than anything I had been listening to before.
Believer-Extraction from Mortality (R.E.X.) 1989
1. "Unity"
(6:39)
2. "Vile Hypocrisy" (5:35)
3. "D.O.S. (Desolation of Sodom)" (4:19)
4. "Tormented" (3:50)
5. "Shadow of Death" (4:17)
6. "Blemished Sacrifices" (3:54)
7. "Not Even One" (3:33)
8. "Extraction from Mortality" (6:01)
9. "Stress" (3:01)
This is one of my favorite thrash discs of all times! Believer were brutal, fast, tight, aggressive, technical, and had interesting lyrics. Cool cover art as well. One of the best thrash releases of 1989, if not of all time! This is the rarest of all the Believer albums and NO I won't sell it.
Believer also have a remixed version of "Vile Hypocrisy" on the Argh!!!" compilation and an unreleased demo song called "The Chosen" on the "East Coast Metal" compilation.
This album was re-release in 2001 by M8 Records with two bonus tracks. Fortunately for me, the two bonus tracks are the two above mentioned tracks, thus negating my need to upgrade. Also, the re-release has inferior (read: cheap) artwork.
Believer-Sanity Obscure (R.E.X./Roadrunner) 1990
1. "Sanity Obscure"
(6:06)
2. "Wisdom's Call" (3:44)
3. "Nonpoint" (5:14)
4. "Idols of Ignorance" (4:39)
5. "Stop the Madness" (3:56)
6. "Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)" (5:41)
7. "Dust to Dust" (5:02)
8. "Like A Song" (3:27)
Another classic, this one however, gained them much more of an audience and secured them a spot on tour with Bolt Thrower and Sacrifice. "Sanity Obscure" is a bit more technical than their debut release. This disc is also much shorter, which was probably a wise decision. I think it is a big mistake to make albums too long as they tend to get boring. Anyhow, Sanity Obscure gained rave reviews from everyone despite the fact that Believer are a "Christian band." (Like that matters to how good the music is.) Essential thrash to any collector. "Dies Irae," a song that mixed heavy guitars with opera and violins, was a hint of things to come. "Like A Song" is a U2 cover.
Believer-Dimensions (R.E.X./Roadrunner) 1993
1. "Gone" (5:47)
2. "Future Mind" (5:34)
3. "Dimentia" (5:36)
4. "What Is But Can Not Be" (5:28)
5. "Singularity" (4:24)
6. "No Apology" (4:55)
7. "Trilogy of Knowledge"
........Intro: The Birth (2:17)
........Movement I: The Lie (5:27)
........Movement II: The Truth (6:46)
........Movement III: The Key (6:21)
Believer third and last offering is a bit different than their first two masterpieces. The writing team of Kurt Bachman and Joey Daub is still in tact, but new members have been added including a new bassist: Jim Winters, an opera soprano: Julianne Laird, a cellosit: Glenn Fischbach, and a violinist : Scott Laird, who also played violin on "Dies Irae" from "Sanity Obscure." Much more technical than anything they have done yet, this is yet another thrash masterpiece. The big difference is in the song "Trilogy of Knowledge," a 20+ minute epic song in four parts that tells the Biblical story of Christ by mixing the vocals of Kurt Bachman with the melodic, soprano vocals of Julianne Laird. This track alone is worth the price of the cd. If I had to put a label on it I would classify it as "Symphonic Thrash!" Other favorites are the groove laden "No Apology" and the eerie violin enhanced "Dimentia." Of the three Believer discs, this is the easiest to find. It is available with two different covers as well.
Believer sort of disappeared after this one. Joey Daub recently reappeared in a band called Fountain of Tears.