| Believer | |
|---|---|
| Origin | 
Colebrook, PA |
| Genre(s) | Thrash metal Progressive metal |
| Years active | 1986 - 1994, 2006 - present |
| Label(s) | R.E.X. Records Roadrunner Records |
| Members | |
| Kurt Bachman Jim Winters Joey Daub |
|
| Former members | |
| Dave Baddorf Howe Kraft Wyatt Robertson |
|
Believer is a Christian heavy metal band from the late 1980s and early 1990s, that played a hybrid mixture of death, thrash, and progressive metal.[1] Believer was known for its innovation, as they incorporated symponic elements to thrash metal.[2] The two primary members of the band were vocalist/guitarist Kurt Bachman and drummer Joey Daub, who were joined by several others after their 1989 debut album, Extraction from Mortality. The band was jointly signed to Roadrunner Records, and the Christian label R.E.X. Music. Believer disbanded in 1994; however, in March 2005, Daub announced that he and Bachman were in the process of reforming the band, and they are currently working on writing new music. There is currently no set date for an album release at this time.
Biography
Beginning
Believer was formed in Colebrook, Pennsylvania in 1986 by drummer Joey Daub and guitarist-vocalist Kurt Bachman. The band was joined by Howe Kraft (bass) and David Baddorf (guitar). They began playing melodic metal and released the cassette The Return in 1987. Later, Believer changed its style to thrash metal, as the band said: ”We realized that we could write thrash better than we could write anything else”.[2]
In high school, the band leader Kurt Bachman met Scott Laird, who was studying his first year as a music instructor. When Believer was recording the title track for its first studio album, the band asked Laird to compose an orchestral intro for the song.[2]. In 1989, Believer was signed to R.E.X. Records which published Believer's first album, Extraction from Mortality. The album was mostly distributed to Christian bookstores but quickly gained popularity for Believer. The album was noted for its technicality and aggression, and especially the song ”Shadow of Death” is one of the all-time favorites among Believer fans.[3] Extraction from Mortality gained notice among non-Christian metal fans, and believer was signed to Roadrunner Records in 1990. However, R.E.X. Records would release Believer's later records to Christian market while Roadrunner's distribution was strictly aimed to secular audience.
Upswing
In 1990, Howe Kraft was replaced by Wyatt Robertson, and Believer recorded its second album titled Sanity Obscure, which is more technical than its precessor. Believer continued its co-working with
Scott Laird, and incorporated more symphonic elements on the song ”Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)”. Scott Laird's sister Julianne Laird
Hoge was featured as a soprano on the song. Sanity Obscure also features an anti-pollution song titled ”Nonpoint” and an
anti-drug song called ”Stop the Madness”, which was released as a single with the
Wyatt Robertson and David Baddorf left Believer before the band began recording its third album. Jim Winters joined as bassist and also played some guitar parts during the recording sessions. In 1993, Believer released its most technical, progressive, and ambitious album titled Dimensions. Kurt Bachman had been a guitar player in an industrial metal group called Under Midnight, which possibly influenced some industrial sound effects on Dimensions. The lyrics on the album are intelligent[3] and deal with the philosophical paradoxes and the ponderings of Sigmund Freud, Thomas J. J. Altizer, Ludwig Feuerbach and Jean-Paul Sartre about the existence of God. The symphonic metal piece, ”Trilogy of Knowledge”, divided to three chapters and an intro, is an over 20 minute epic and biblical story about life of Christ and knowledge of good and evil. ”Trilogy of Knowledge” once again featured the orchestral compositions of Scott Laird and soprano vocals by Julianne Laird Hoge. Dimensions received a GMA Dove nomination in the category ”hard music album of the year”.[4] While some fans preferred Sanity Obscure over Dimensions, the critics considered Dimensions as the album that separated Believer from average thrash metal groups.[3] During the Dimensions tour, Scott laird played violin and viola.
The commercioal success of Dimensions, however, didn't live up to its critical acclaim, and Believer was dropped from Roadrunner Records. In 1994, Believer agreed to split up.
Later years
During the following years both Bachman and Daub worked on sound production on their Trauma Studios in Pennsylvania for groups such as Turmoil and Living Sacrifice. Later, Bachman continued on his medical studies, while Daub kept working in music industry.
Later in the 1990s, Daub began playing drums in a gothic metal band called Fountain of Tears.
In 2005, Joye Daub informed on his website joeydaub.com that he has began writing new Believer material with Bachman. This announcement was reported widely, most notably through Blabbermouth media[5], which called Believer as ”much missed late 80s and early 90s technical thrash metal band.” [6]
Legacy
Believer's music has been influential especially for the Christian metal scene as they were one of the biggest Christian thrash metal groups together with Deliverance, Vengeance Rising and Tourniquet. Believer has been regarded as better than average thrash metal groups[3] and the group leader Kurt Bachman has been called a ”legend in his own time”.[3] The Norwegian group Extol cites Believer as an influence, for example.
Discography
 (1989) R.E.X. Records |
 (1990) Roadrunner Records |
 (1993) Roadrunner Records |
References
- Hale, Mark (1993). "0303", Headbangers, First edition, second printing, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Popular Culture, Ink., 35. ISBN 1-56075-029-4.
External links
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