Bride - Interview on 20 years together
Anderson Silva, the webmaster of the Christian Music News Brazlian website, dotgospel.com, recently interviewed Dale Thompson of Bride. After hearing and reviewing the new disc, This Is It, last night, I thought it'd be a good time to take up Anderson's invitation and post the interview.
The band is 20 years old this year, and it probably has played to an audience greater than any other band in CCM, since every time they go to Brazil they play in front of thousands of people in a single concert... I am originally
from Brazil, and saw them play at the 1993 SOS da Vida Festiva to 120
thousand people in a soccer stadium!
1. I was trying to think of a rock/metal christian band that has been
around longer than BRIDE, and other than Petra, I really couldn't come up
with anything. Do you guys know of any? How have these last 20 years been
treating you guys? Should we expect another 20?
DALE: I do not see Petra as being metal but maybe others would see us as
being metal. But we have been around the longest as an international band.
I am sure there are some rock/metal bands on more regional scales that have
been around a long time but I do not really know of any. If God permits and
continues to inspire us we will write, record and tour as long as He wills
it.
2. I have read on another interview that you wanted the public, the fans
to come up with the own reason for the title This Is It. And that is
fine... but can you tell us a bit how the name came about? An accident? An
inside joke? Spiritual Meaning?
DALE: The Bride bands are always very anxious for new material and my wife
and I were speaking one night about this project. She is the one that
suggested "THIS IS IT" as if to say, "o.k. you want it THIS IS IT!" Some thought it suggested that this would be our last release but I can see further down the road and I see Troy and I writing new material again in
the next few months.
3. The cover of the new album. What does it mean?
DALE: We put out an open invitation for any artist who felt led by the Lord
to come up with a cover for the title THIS IS IT About a dozen artist
submitted ideals but this one cover just kept staring me in the face. It
was of course the one we ended up using. I had gave the artist the ideal that
the CD would have the theme of fire as in being purged by the fires of God.
I felt that J.B. Armstrong's work reflected what we were aiming for. I
think it is one of our better covers and overall packages.
4. Any of you guys into new hobbies? We know you like to box, troy is like
a computer guy, what about mike and lance? Isn't lawrence into rodeos?
Anything changed there? What you guys have been doing for fun?
DALE: I have been competing in bench press strong man contest. I have two
first place trophies and one second place. My maximum lift was 405 pounds.
Troy still does computers and Lawrence still competes in professional
rodoes every weekend all across the United States. Michael our drummer collects CD's mostly.
5. Are you guys still working on your book? It seems it hasn't been
updated in while, probably because of the work on the new album, right?
What are the plans for it?
DALE: The online book has come to a stand still because we are up to some
very sensitive subjects and times of our career. We must approach the next
couple of chapters truthfully but in a kind spirit. So, even thought the
chapters have been written they are being edited.
6. There can't be an interview with BRIDE without mentioning Brazil,
right? :-) Tell us in your point of view, what has changed since you guys
first played in Brazil back in 1993.
DALE: It has been our hearts desire since the first time we played in
Brazil to return regularly. Each year for the past 10 years or so we have made
about two trips a year. This year we were not invited to the SOS festival
even though we truly wanted to be a part of it. The Brazilian fans have
sent me an overwhelming amount of email requesting that we come, but we were not invited. Bride would love to come to Brazil and play about a month of shows in all parts of Brazil so we could see everyone and meet all our friends
and supporters. I hope the door to Brazil opens for us again in the future.
7. Can you describe, in a couple of sentences, to our readers how you see
each new song of the new album This Is It?
Blow It All Away: We live in a world that influences us to build and
prosper on earth. I am trying to say that if we sow to the flesh we will
reap to the flesh. My Kingdom is not of this world.
To The Sky: Our minds are supposed to be in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. If we are Christ minded then our enemy will be unable to touch us
with his fiery darts.
More Than Human: It is hard for us to look past our flesh because we are in reality entombed in a body of flesh which is susceptible to sin,
disease, decay and death. But if we look at ourselves the way God views us we would see that we are more than human for we have been inChristed and we no longer live but it is Christ that lives in us.
Drop D: I see more people struggling in this life than actual getting
ahead and finding true peace. It seems that when some people make advances
in life someone is there to bring them down. This is why it is ever more
important to trust Christ because as children of God our right is to be
loved. We are children of the King of Kings.
Head Lookin' for a Bullet: We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This means that we are changed from natural thinking to spiritual
thinking. It is like changing heads. Putting on the mind of Christ. Our old
head must die and all its knowledge for it only produced death. And in its
place should be the mind after the image and likeness of its creator.
Best I Expect To Do: Our "old man" or old self will continue to haunt us throughout our life. But maturity in Christ erases that old carnal memory.
We are to bury that life and leave it behind.
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Comments
Congratulations HMMAGAZINE and viva o Brasil!!!
"This Is It" is yet another GREAT CD!! In the short time I have had it, I have listened to it multiple times. The metal music is awsome, but even more awsome is the message the lyrics bring to me, and others.
"This is it" is one of, if not the best of Bride's works! The music is absolutely amazing. After reading your interview with Dale Thompson and reading his description of each song. the album is even more amazing. They are probably the most overlooked hard rock band ever!
This Album is Awesome, just like the Bride I grew up on. I only wish you guys would tone down the Ministry enough for Metal Blade to pick you guys up. Bride deserves to be heard by more people and be able to spend more on album Production and Marketing Cost! God Bless Keep Rockin til that Final Day.
Ive loved Bride for several years now.I have all their music and their videos as well. I support this band because i believe they are doing what GOD as called them to do and that is to preach Christ and him crucified. Their new cd is in my opinion their best yet!! Keep them comming Bride!!!! GOD BLESS!!!!
I've been a Bride fan since Live to Die and followed the band through many ups and downs. They were great long before everyone "discovered" them on Kinetic Faith and they were still great after their fans abandoned them when the album Drop came out and didn't fulfill their expectations. This Is It is truly a great album, perhaps one of their best. And Bride is one of the most solid bands out there. Make sure you buy this album and support the boys!
I have to say "This Is It" means THIS IS IT! Great CD in the era of "Snakes" or "Scarecrow Messiah"...yet still with that modern sound. Everything in this album is top notch, but I want to give special recognition to the drumming. Wow! Mike really keeps this thing alive. Any Bride fan, old or new, should pick this up. And HM better be pushing for this album in its magazine.
This is It. If you have never heard Bride, in the words of the late Frank Zappa, " This is the Best Band You Have Never Heard" The new Bride CD is the finest work of art I personally have heard since the first Guns and Roses release. In this music world full of nothing but Wanna be's and copy cats that look and sound as if they have been stamped out from the same cookie cutter, Here is a band that needs to be heard world wide.
This record is it! I can hear roots of Rock and Roll, Heavy Metal, and a modern sound that no doubt could and should pierce this young generation. Not only is Dale's voice phenomenal, but the soul and emotion in his voice causes me to feel and know that every word pronounced in melody is straight from his heart and the throne of God.
Troy's playing is nothing short of being better than most guitarist alive on this planet. The Duo were surely meant to create music together!
Spiritually. The guys head the nail right on the head. I expect a revolution. A true Jesus movement. These guys could be responsible for kicking it off!
They lyrics in Evil Geniuses cause my heart to burn and my spirit soars when I inwardly delight at seeing Satan exposed in this song for who he is in the church today!
Short Time In the Grave, is also one of my favorites. It is great to know that the pain we feel and go through right now is nothing but God working his will in our life. He is transforming us. Tried by FIRE!
It is time we put our little opinions aside. Who cares if you are dunked, or speak in tongues, or believe in soul sleep, or where hell is or what hell is. These things should not confuse the fact that the Bible says, If we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that God raised him from the Dead WE SHALL BE SAVED.
THIS IS IT! If you do not own this CD, you need to. Don't just listen to the music, listen to what God is telling you. This album is a REVOLUTIONARY experience!
Thanks to Bride for this piece of work! Lin Doak
Bride still rocks on. I am a fan since Kinetic Faith (early 90´s), i can testify this band are radical to Jesus. This is It, i love this album, it is my favorite with "Snakes In the Playground". Keep going. Support this band.
I am impressed! The boys seem to have put together a disk in which they "sample" from every vein of their careers! There are times within the varying songs where I almost feel like I am listening to Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Van Halen, Scorpions, et al! I also believe this is the best aggregate lyrics for an entire disk that Dale has ever produced. As usual, he "pushes the envelope" concerning what traditional CCMer's will accept; yet the name of Jesus is definitely glorified through this work! PRAISE GOD! I have personally attended a few of Dale's bible meetings and heard Lawrence preach. These guys are for real for God. My Christian music roots go back to Visiting This Planet" by Larry Norman and I have seen nearly every Christian band worth seeing and Bride puts on one of the, if not the, best shows period! I hope that they will be able to tour as this disk would make a fabulous set all by itself. My thanks also go to HM for blessing us Christian rockers! Yours in Christ. EddieBTrue
I actually liked "Drop." Well, to be more specific: the songs on "Drop" sounded great live.
Hey, who's to say Metal Blade wouldn't sign them even if they ministered more? I think Bride needs to be who they are. Preach on. I think Metal Blade is actually a good fit... I wonder if the band has approached the label or vice-versa?
I seriously don't think Metal Blade cares if a band on their label preaches Jesus. They just want good metal music.
This is it is just great. Songs like more than human, universe, evil geniuses or blow it are the ones that keep bride fans so satisfied. I know this band since Scarecrow (which in my opinion is the best rock album ever made) and this is my favorite band. I´m glad that they keep in the ministry.
This is it is just great. Songs like more than human, universe, evil geniuses or blow it are the ones that keep bride fans so satisfied. I know this band since Scarecrow (which in my opinion is the best rock album ever made) and this is my favorite band. I´m glad that they keep in the ministry.
Yeah... this is Anderson, the guy who interviewed Dale. This is It rocks! But I do like Snakes In The Playground, Scarecrow Messiah, The Jesus Experience and Fist Full of Bees as well (all the other ones are good too... heheheheh)
I also have to say that the guys from Bride are just 100% nice guys! Dale, Troy, Lawrence and Mike, I have had the opportunity to talk to all of them more than once, and they are all awesome guys!
BRIDE É A MELHOR BANDA DE ROCK GOSPEL,ADORO AMO O DALE THOMPSON ESSE SIM E UM CARA DE DEUS QUE BUSCA SER UM VERDADEIRO CRISTAO....FIQUEI MUITO TRISTE POR NAO VER O DALE THOMPSON NO BRASIL ESSE ANO NO SOS DA VIDA......ESPEREI TANTO E NAO ACONTECEU!!!!!!
SOU SUPER HIPER D+ FÃ DE DALE THOMPSN....E QUE VOZ QUE ESSE HOMEM TEM!!!!!!!!!!!DEUS CONTINUE ABENÇOANDO O SEU MINISTERIO...E LEVANDO ALEM DAS FRONTEIRAS DO MUNDO.....TOMARA Q NO CEU ROLE MUITO ROCK N ROLLL
I just love 80s Bride when they were excellent. Since then they were only getting worse but now with the new album they are moving forward. Unfortunatelly it still not Live To Die or Show No Mercy...
O DALE THOMPSON E LINDO CANTA MUITO BEM É MARAVILHOSO Q TRISTE QUE O BRIDE NÃO VEIO AO BRAZIL ESSE ANO NO SOS MAS EU AMO O DALE THOMPSON
BRAZIL AMA O BRIDE
BRAZIL AMA O BRIDE
BRAZIL AMA O BRIDE
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
AMO O DALE
QUEREMOS BRIDE NO BRAZIL
Bride was one of the first christian bands period that i had ever heard of (many years ago) along with petra and dctalkand thanks to bride i got myself off of secular music.
i'm glad you were there for me.
p.s. this cd rocks i'm gonna buy it as soon as i find it at a store
Wow.
Cool interview! But Bride again here?
Oh no... Laughs...
But, if they will play a new set list, i think that be right. But (again but ), woud u d for me or s. s. jesus, oh no, again ? OH NO... AGAIN??? NO>>>
NORMAN FROM BRASIL
ps> check interview with Dale on www.christianrock.hpg.com.br
Bride really sucks! Why won't they just stop?! When that guy talks about the song "Evil Geniuses," you realize what a sad old pathetic and defensive loser he reqally is.
sure enuff we should not tone down our message just to be heard a lot more i agree w/ doog that metal blade could pick them up tourniquet's one example
i'm glad to know the've got a new album
out(bride)keep tellin' people about jesus&livin' his way u guys inspire me
Bride, Red Sea(Die Happy), King's X, Ressurrection Band, White Cross(Flytrap), Saint, Messiah Prophet, Sardonyx, Bloodgood, Tourniquite(Vanishing Lessons), Stryper, Petra(especially, "Jeckyll & Hyde", "Midnight Oil"), Barren Cross, Jerusalem, Darrell Mansfield Band(Revelation), Outlander .... this is a concert. There are others... but, these are the core.
WHAT ABOUT DALES BELIEF IN UNIVERALIST UNITARIAN? WHERE EVERYONE WILL END UP IN HEAVEN NO MATTER WHAT B/C GOD LOVES US SO MUCH THAT HE WOULD NEVER SEND ANYONE TO HELL BUT SATAN.
