inthemidst
09/04/09, 09:41 AM
Showbread - The Fear of God
Record Label: Tooth & Nail
Release Date: August 11, 2009
After reading an extremely biased review by Alternative Press, I decided to write my own review of Showbread's The Fear of God. As many of you know, Alternative Press only gives a very brief overview of the album without dissecting it into details, which is why I love the reviews on AP.net. The poor score from AltPress is attributed to the reviewer's lack of respect for anything "raw rock" or even "religious." I wanted to give an actual review based on the material at hand, and not based on stereotypical presuppositions.
Guyton, Georgia's "raw rockers" Showbread return after a brief in-between period from their previous releases Anorexia and Nervosa which were released just May of last year. A fan can truly appreciate their impatience to record a new full-length, especially of this quality. What makes Showbread great is their brevity. To elaborate, they're not afraid to take pieces of other genres and display the core of their sound through jaw-clenching riffs and leads, teeth-gnashing rhytms, and hard-hitting vocals. To be perfectly honest, before this album, I wasn't much of a Showbread fan at all. I appreciated what they were doing from the outside whilst still remaining on the fence, but The Fear of God draws me closer. I just can't help but rock out to their sound; it's one that begs for a response, whether good or bad.
Introducing the raw-rock fest is "I'm Lost," making sure that the listener is ready for this monstrosity: "And remember, raw rock kills forever and ever. Amen." "Nothing Matters Anymore" is the first actual track of the album not wasting any time getting to the gist of the theme of the album, which seems to be rocking your face off. Vocalist Josh Dies's sing-screams are blatant and brutal at the same time. His exchange between vocal styles is quick, and comes in short bursts. It's never predictable, and always variable. You never know if he will scream the verse, sing the chorus, vice versa, neither, or both at the same time; he always keeps you guessing. The music matches the intensity of the subject matter in most cases. Mike Jensen and Landon Ginnings (guitars) definitely know how to match the emotion of the song with dirty distortion riffs, and can also bounce to a more intricate solo/lead change most noticably on the track "Out of My Mind."
Dies also shows his talent on the keytar synthesizer, best displayed on the track "Let There Be Raw" which epitomizes Showbread's signature sound. The chorus will undoubtedly be emphasized during live sets with simply shouting "Raw!" at the top of their lungs. The last two tracks of the album are definitely something new for Showbread. The title track slows the album down, almost synopsizing the meaning of the entire album, and really their entire purpose for writing music altogether. Dies starts off questioning God, "Dear God, why should I think you're good, in a world that's falling apart?" but then gears towards redemption at the end of the track explaining how he can't wait until his time comes to see heaven. "Until We Meet Again" slows down even more with just Dies and an acoustic guitar which sounds like it was recorded outside with a 4-track recorder while cars are driving by.
The majority of the album is owned by Showbread's enamoring ability to rock with everything they have, and keep the listener intrigued. This is the best album that I've heard from these guys, in my humble reviewer's opinion, and have made me jump the fence to rock out with them. Hopefully, the bias from previous reviews haven't shaken the skeptics too much; you'll really have to listen for yourself. Be prepared, it's definitely "raw."
1. I'm Lost
2. Nothing Matters Anymore
3. Lost Connection With the Head
4. Regret Consumes Me
5. Out of My Mind
6. Vehement
7. The Great Emasculation
8. Shepherd, No Sheep
9. Let There Be Raw
10. I Think I'm Going to See You
11. Precursor
12. The Fear of God
13. Until We Meet Again
Raw Rock, Showbread - No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
Record Label: Tooth & Nail
Release Date: August 11, 2009
After reading an extremely biased review by Alternative Press, I decided to write my own review of Showbread's The Fear of God. As many of you know, Alternative Press only gives a very brief overview of the album without dissecting it into details, which is why I love the reviews on AP.net. The poor score from AltPress is attributed to the reviewer's lack of respect for anything "raw rock" or even "religious." I wanted to give an actual review based on the material at hand, and not based on stereotypical presuppositions.
Guyton, Georgia's "raw rockers" Showbread return after a brief in-between period from their previous releases Anorexia and Nervosa which were released just May of last year. A fan can truly appreciate their impatience to record a new full-length, especially of this quality. What makes Showbread great is their brevity. To elaborate, they're not afraid to take pieces of other genres and display the core of their sound through jaw-clenching riffs and leads, teeth-gnashing rhytms, and hard-hitting vocals. To be perfectly honest, before this album, I wasn't much of a Showbread fan at all. I appreciated what they were doing from the outside whilst still remaining on the fence, but The Fear of God draws me closer. I just can't help but rock out to their sound; it's one that begs for a response, whether good or bad.
Introducing the raw-rock fest is "I'm Lost," making sure that the listener is ready for this monstrosity: "And remember, raw rock kills forever and ever. Amen." "Nothing Matters Anymore" is the first actual track of the album not wasting any time getting to the gist of the theme of the album, which seems to be rocking your face off. Vocalist Josh Dies's sing-screams are blatant and brutal at the same time. His exchange between vocal styles is quick, and comes in short bursts. It's never predictable, and always variable. You never know if he will scream the verse, sing the chorus, vice versa, neither, or both at the same time; he always keeps you guessing. The music matches the intensity of the subject matter in most cases. Mike Jensen and Landon Ginnings (guitars) definitely know how to match the emotion of the song with dirty distortion riffs, and can also bounce to a more intricate solo/lead change most noticably on the track "Out of My Mind."
Dies also shows his talent on the keytar synthesizer, best displayed on the track "Let There Be Raw" which epitomizes Showbread's signature sound. The chorus will undoubtedly be emphasized during live sets with simply shouting "Raw!" at the top of their lungs. The last two tracks of the album are definitely something new for Showbread. The title track slows the album down, almost synopsizing the meaning of the entire album, and really their entire purpose for writing music altogether. Dies starts off questioning God, "Dear God, why should I think you're good, in a world that's falling apart?" but then gears towards redemption at the end of the track explaining how he can't wait until his time comes to see heaven. "Until We Meet Again" slows down even more with just Dies and an acoustic guitar which sounds like it was recorded outside with a 4-track recorder while cars are driving by.
The majority of the album is owned by Showbread's enamoring ability to rock with everything they have, and keep the listener intrigued. This is the best album that I've heard from these guys, in my humble reviewer's opinion, and have made me jump the fence to rock out with them. Hopefully, the bias from previous reviews haven't shaken the skeptics too much; you'll really have to listen for yourself. Be prepared, it's definitely "raw."
1. I'm Lost
2. Nothing Matters Anymore
3. Lost Connection With the Head
4. Regret Consumes Me
5. Out of My Mind
6. Vehement
7. The Great Emasculation
8. Shepherd, No Sheep
9. Let There Be Raw
10. I Think I'm Going to See You
11. Precursor
12. The Fear of God
13. Until We Meet Again
Raw Rock, Showbread - No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical