Retro Insider - "Bride"

Stepping back into the 80's, we're going to take a look at one of the premier Christian heavy metal bands, Bride. This band has stood the test of time, with many hit singles and records, but they have collected a lot of controversy too.
Bride was formed in Kentucky in the early 80's by the Thompson brothers, guitarist Troy, and singer Dale. They would be the only two mainstays in the bands history. At first they were called Matrix, and began writing music in 1983. They sold demos through concerts and magazines. In 1986, they opened for the popular Canadian band, The Daniel Band, in Pennsylvania. It was there that their first major label, Refuge Records, noticed them. With a drummer and bassist in tow, they recorded and released Show No Mercy in 1986, and Live to Die in 1988. One year later, in 1989, they released Silence is Madness, then in 1990, they released a compilation album, End of the Age. With two new drum and bass players, they released a mellower Kinetic Faith in 1991. Then in 1992, a wild rumor had singer Dale quitting Bride and joining Stryper, however this move never occured.
In 1992, the band returned to metal and released the popular Snakes in the Playground record. They followed that with Scarecrow Messiah in 1994. They almost went unplugged with Drop in 1995, a one off for Rugged Records, however, Organic Records picked them upin 1997, and they then released The Jesus Experience. Trouble came with this record though when Dale's lyrics in "The Worm" suggested that Christ committed suicide on the cross, and he ended up spending considerable press time cleaning up the mess. Finally in 1998, Oddities came out, which was a very strong, but diverse record.
It was after this period the band began to veer out of the popular light. In 2001, the band signed with Absolute Records and recorded Fistful of Bees. In 2003, the band released This is It, and then Skin for Skin in 2006, which was more of a return to their early Bride sound.
Over the years, they have released a variety of live albums and bootlegs, so collectors have a lot of product to work with. But, if you think that Bride is long gone, you might be surprized to hear that they are currently working on Tsar Bomba, an album scheduled for 2009 release, reuniting with some of their former members.
For more information, check out their website at www.bridepub.com