| Musical Style: Hard Rock | Produced By: John & Dino Elefante |
| Record Label: Star Song / Girder Records | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 1994 / 2025 | Artist Website: Bride |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: 43:01 |
Early nineties Bride is centered on blues based hard rock, and the groups 1994 Star Song Records sixth album Scarecrow Messiah plays into that ethos as a musical continuation of highly acclaimed precursors Kinetic Faith and Snakes In The Playground from 1991 and 1992, respectively. Whereas Kinetic Faith embraced a ‘hard rock course interlaced with strong bluesy and acoustic components’ (quoting the 90% Angelic Warlord review), Snakes… ‘does the better job capturing Bride’s live sound with a heavier and rawer feel (while) backing from much of its predecessors acoustic sentiments’ (95% review). Scarecrow Messiah retains the Snakes… like heaviness but in a more polished hook and groove format, while preserving the traditional blues elements akin to Kinetic Faith.
Album traces to late 1993 when following the summer festival circuit, the Nashville, Tennessee based magazine The Syndicate asked Bride to perform at Christian rock night during GMA (Gospel Music Association) week. Bride jumped at the opportunity and played a high-energy thirty-minute set on Saturday night to a full house at the 328-Performance Hall in which founding member and vocalist Dale Thompson sums up:
“We performed all the favorites, and, for the most part, putting the fear of God into the crowd. Some of these industry
people were very conservative, and those were the people I wanted to blow away. In these particular days, our attitude was to come out like Mike Tyson and K.O. the crowd in the first round”.1
What most stood out about the evening was not just the bands performance but also the contacts it made, particularly the production team of John and Dino Elefante, who happened to be sitting amidst the slightly shocked audience. After the show, John and Dino expressed interest in producing Bride’s next record and later flew Dale and his brother and guitarist Troy Thompson to California to discuss the bands future. Anxious to resign Bride, Star Song Records agreed to let brothers Elefante produce Scarecrow Messiah.
Long out of print, Scarecrow Messiah saw reissue via Girder Records in July of 2025 in the Collectors Edition CD (500 copies) and Limited Run vinyl (250 copies each Shockwave Blue and Clear Glass vinyl) formats. Re-mastering attributes to Rob Colwell (Bombworks Sound), and layout and design to include a 16-page booklet (CD version) and high-gloss jacket and custom inner sleeves (vinyl) to Scott Waters (No Life Til Metal Graphics).
Keeping in mind the original Elefante production was quite good to begin with, the Girder re-mastering imparts an element of refinement allowing for added edge to guitars and expanded low end. When factoring enhancement to fine details in form of cleaner leads and lucid bass, album further aligns with modern standards.
“Beast” represents first of eight strong opening cuts that picks up where Snakes… leaves off. Song snarls from the get go with riled up rhythm guitar, demonstrative lead vocals and bluesy grit driven harmonies. With exuberance off the charts and concentrated hooks arresting as it gets, “Beast” finds prime Bride firing on all cylinders.
Likewise, follow up cut “Place”. I sense overriding groove underpinnings - guitars mirror a slight funk like feel - with the corresponding blithesome and festive lure conveyed the songs length. One cannot deny the winsomely infections hooks. Instrumentally, Troy sets the impactful tone with his earthy guitar leads. Lyric snippet:
What if I'm right and you are wrong
If I have eternity and you don't have long
What if there is a heaven and a place called hell
What if my foolishness was really wisdom to your ears
And all of my preachin' could draw the spirit so near
What if there is a heaven and a place called hell
What if you could see water turn to wine
Would you say a miracle or call it a crime
Elevating heaviness is “Murder” with its thickly woven low-end (emanating of the swarthy) and piqued rhythm guitar (evoking images of Snakes… like forward thinking). Haunting is manner in which songs title repeats in wintry fashion- Dale’s shrill backend vocals are certain to send shivers down your spine. Searing feedback carries things instrumentally.
The groove based sentiments return for “Scarecrow”, a bold but animated four minutes of herculean low end defining the expansive verse sections and whetted residuals, validating the scuffling refrain. Of note is how Dale’s impassioned vocal performance in which he reveals the full breadth of his granular but soulful abilities. This one represents blues based hard rock manifest. Lyric snippet:
Jesus, much like the scarecrow, is there for protection
The world views Jesus as hollow and lifeless
However, He is the Light of the world for all who have the courage to believe
Jesus on the cross weathered the storm of all mankind's sins
He stood alone as a gift of love to the world.
There You stand, arms out wide
Like forbidden fruit to the squinting eye
Gather us together under your almighty wings
Bruise the head and see what tomorrow brings
“Crazy” decelerates to a moody mid-paced groove. It combined equal parts feverish - harmonies richly weave of the assertive and disquiet - and persuasive, melody again is of the genial variety. Troy once more delights with his magnetic blues drenched guitar work.
“Time” upraises the lively elements but within a bristling borderline bluesy metal package. With groove to funk based rhythm guitar to start, song slides through its near spoken word verse sections only to fragment as guitar launches to the forefront to hearten the flaring refrain. Combustion like are the intense vocals over the final minute. Lyric snippet:
I can't sleep, I can't think
Life has pured me a glass that I can't drink
The rim is jagged like a razor's blade
And has left a scar that will never fade
My thoughts are daggers on every nerve
Life is a slow song with dirty words
When I get to heaven will I wear a mask
That is a question I must ask
I've been hurting deep in my soul
Does anybody have the time Holy Ghost
Drawing upon a melodic hard rock formula, “One” sprints its span with blues drenched rhythms pressing in reassuring fashion and unhesitating hooks alluding of the accomplished. The down to earth sentiments upraise for the laid-back ‘aye-yi’aye-yi-aye-yi’ backing vocals ahead of and subsequent to the charging instrumental interlude. Of note is Rik Foley’s punchy bass and Jerry McBroom’s explosive timekeeping.
“Doubt” is a technical showstopper of equal parts heavy and lighter. In terms of former, impetus kicks up a storm of frenzied guitar doused fury; from standpoint of latter, soothing acoustic guitar makes periodic appearance to alleviate the bristling temper. Guest guitarist Oz Fox (Stryper) provides the detonating soloing. Lyric snippet:
Don't want to cheat anyone
Don't wnat to steal from anyone
Don't want to lie
Don't want to quit
Don't want to leave any doubt
Don't want to step on anyone
Don't want to hurt anyone
Don't want to curse anyone
Don't want to leave any doubt
“DadMom” is first of two songs in which I skip. No, not deeply flawed but also plain and unadorned as a hard rocker with song structuring a bit bare bones for my taste- at least compared to the more technical and exquisite hook driven better Scarecrow Messiah material. I tend to pass, but I can see others taking to it. Second is spoken word piece “Questions”, which as its namesake implies rushes its two experimental minutes asking questions.
Album picks back up with superlative blues rock ballad “Thorns”. This one better captures the Bride style intricate songwriting, easygoing as bluesy flushed guitar and shuffling rhythms coalesce, but also inflamed with outbursts of boiling emotion imparting of the catchy. The overriding fury and ireful feel to vocals is undeniable. Lyric snippet:
She hurts so bad down and out
She feels the pain of a broken heart
She hurts so bad she feels the pain of a broken heart
The black rain falls, the river runs red
Like a crown of thorns to her pretty little head
The black rain falls the river runs red
Like a crown of thorns to her pretty little head
She holds the cross
In her hand but she feels so cold and lost
Take a look inside
Nowhere to run no place to hide
When at its best, Scarecrow Messiah matches the highest highs of Kinetic Faith and Snakes In The Playground but from a deep cut standpoint does not hold up in terms of consistency, noting how I skip two tracks. Irrefutable, nonetheless, is the talent to prime Bride that seeps through in terms of brothers Thompson (vocally and guitar wise) and the unyielding Foley and McBroom rhythm section. If you overlooked Scarecrow Messiah back in the day or are interested in an upgraded version in terms of packaging and re-mastering, make the Girder Records reissue a necessary purchase.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track listing: “Beast” (4:27), “Place” (3:42), “Murder” (4:08), “Scarecrow” (3:52), “Crazy” (3:44), “Time” (4:17), “One” (3:29), “Doubt” (4:11), “DadMom” (3:29), “Thorns” (5:51), “Questions” (1:51)
Musicians
Dale Thompson - Lead Vocals
Troy Thompson - Guitar
Rik Foley - Bass
Jerry McBroom - Drums
Guest Musicians
Oz Fox - Lead Guitar
End Notes
1. Dale Thompson, “Bride The Book – Chapter 12.” Online article available at: http://www.bridepub.com/chap12.htm
