Metal band Bride is back with Here Is Your God and again true to form. Although it has been a few years (with acoustic B-sides and re-issues in between), those who follow this iconic group know that singer Dale Thompson has been anything but idle in the meantime. This album is less Guns 'n' Roses / AC-DC / X-Sinner and more like Judas Priest / Saint. In relation to their other albums, this one sounds more like Incorruptible (2013) than Skin for Skin (2006).

Dale can still hold the notes as frontman, perhaps somewhat surprising since he's now in his late fifties. Brother Troy still unloads a heavy guitar, and the accompanying bass and drums are tight. The best song here is the opener, "Demon Speed."

Although this album isn't a reclamation of Bride's glory days, those who enjoy hard rock should still be appeased. Here Is Your God is melodic metal, with a few curious key changes and short forays into minor chord arrangements.

As usual for Bride, the lyrics are unabashedly Christian, bold declarations of secure faith. However, some of the anthems beckoning here can come across as somewhat trite and simplistic (as with the chorus in the title track).

As with many of Bride's more recent albums, I wonder why the producers don't refine some songs further before officially releasing them. While commendable for the band to experiment, there are just some parts in need of more tweaking. While Bride's continued approach keeps their music unpredictable, this can also negatively affect the cohesion of the entire project; meaning, the listener is left to ponder why some songs were left as recorded, and perhaps wondering why a couple were even included at all.

To summarize, yes, Bride is still kickin' it, and Here Is Your God is evidence of this!

Review date: 12/8/22, written by Derek Lehman for Jesusfreakhideout.com