Believer

Old school tech/thrash/death weirdoes Believer have done a fine job coming back after a 15-year hiatus with Gabriel, their fourth disc. Once past the cold and uninviting production, Believer fans won't be let down, even if this disc only features a couple of the guys from last go around. In total, this album doesn't spend as much time overreaching like the band have tended to in the past — these are solid songs, with a focus on structure and the ability to bang heads. Opener "Medwton" is seven-and-a-half minutes but spends much of that time thrashing old and hard; "Stoned" has quick quirkiness thrown in but mainly chugs old thrash like newcomers just can't replicate. But it's not all straight-ahead. "A Moment in Prime" has a jazzy ending but it doesn't sound forced like metalcore "jazz"; it just sounds damn good. And "Redshift" rocks with a creaking industrial vibe. Add in a guest guitar solo from Sacrifice's Joe Rico and Gabriel is going to have old school thrashers drooling.