JesusfreakHideout.com: Top 100 Tooth & Nail Albums of All Time

16 of 100

#16. Showbread
The Fear of God

Release Date: August 11, 2009

At the risk of offending some, I feel Showbread is overrepresented on this list. Sure, they are a fine band, but I don't think they deserve to dominate the list. With that said, and personal feelings aside, there is no denying my love for The Fear of God. The band caught my attention early with "Mouth Like A Magazine" and showed clear improvement moving into Age of Reptiles. Anorexia/Nervosa was a cool double concept album, but The Fear of God is when it all clicked together for me. Keeping some of the raw sound and idiosyncrasies that made the band who they were, they added some elements to make them more accessible to the masses. Crazy rock, electronic elements, and melodies and hooks for days. Songs like "Out of My Mind" and "Shepherd, No Sheep" bring in shades of Weezer and something like "The Great Emasculation" gives hints of what would eventually be The Bell Jar. Overall, The Fear of God is just a really fun and easy album to listen to from start to finish. There is a raw rock and roll appeal, pop/rock sensibilities, punk rock inspiration, and enough electronics to keep you guessing. While I do appreciate Showbread and will always think they deserve a place of remembrance in the Christian rock scene, I'll see this album as the pinnacle of their career. It's not a popular opinion, but it's the one I hold. If you need to remember this album, or are thinking about giving it a listen for the first time, I highly recommended "I Think I'm Going to See You;" it's more of a punk rock anthem, but it's so dang good.
- Michael Weaver

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