Bride (band)


Bride was an American Christian metal band formed in the 1980s, by brothers Dale and Troy Thompson. During the band's peak years it was known for covering a wide range of musical styles and remains popular in places like Brazil. Their song "Same 'Ol Sinner" is on the Digital Praise PC game Guitar Praise.

Band history

Bride was formed in Louisville, Kentucky in the early 1980s, by brothers Dale and Troy Thompson. Going by the name Matrix at first, the brothers started writing music and recording demos in 1983. They recorded four demos and started selling them at concerts and through magazines. In 1986, the band opened for the Canadian group Daniel Band in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. This performance caught the eye of an agent of Refuge Records. He decided to sign them to their new label, Pure Metal Records, which was oriented to metal music. At that time, the band consisted of guitarist Steve Osborne, bassist Scott Hall, and drummer Stephen Rolland. They officially changed its name to Bride and went on to record Show No Mercy. In 1988, bassist Frank Partipilo joined the band and with this line up they recorded Live to Die and Silence Is Madness.
With their contract with Pure Metal Records about to end, the band released End of the Age in 1990, which is a compilation album of hits from their first three albums, as well as two new songs that would go to become Bride staples - Everybody Knows My Name and Same Ol' Sinner. The album signaled the "end of an age" as the band shifted away from the heavy metal of their past towards a Guns N' Roses' influenced hard rock sound.
In 1991, Rick Foley and Jerry McBroom joined the band. With a new record deal with Star Song Records, the band released Kinetic Faith. The album spawned some hits in commercial radio. In 1992, it was announced that Dale would leave to join Stryper to replace Michael Sweet, but this never took place. They followed Kinetic Faith with Snakes in the Playground and Scarecrow Messiah before releasing yet another compilation, Shotgun Wedding: 11 No. 1 Hits and Mrs., and finally parting ways with Starsong in 1995. All three albums produced many successful hits in Brazil, where the band has toured and been received with enormous crowds and fanbase.
That same year, the band decided to sign a one-record deal with a new label called Rugged Records. They also welcomed a new bassist, Steve Curtsinger. The band departed from its straightforward hard rock sound and went in a different direction with Drop in 1995. Drop featured an alternative rock-oriented sound which included banjo and mandolin. Following recommendations of producer and friend John Elefante, the band went on to sign with Organic Records, another up and coming label that was eager to pick them up. In 1997, they released The Jesus Experience which continued their alternative style leanings, however, with a slight grunge and post-grunge overtone. The next year, they released Oddities. Although intended to be a return to their roots, the album was more of a blend between alternative rock and hard rock.
After some differences with the label, the band asked to be released from its contract. Some time later, Curtsinger and was replaced with Andrew Wilkinson before Lawrence Bishop took the spot, McBroom also left and was replaced with Michael Loy. Being picked up by Absolute Records and veering into rapcore territory, the band released Fist Full of Bees in 2001. The album was quickly disparaged by fans for containing nu metal and rapcore elements.
In 2003, the band independently released This Is It, which marks a return to a more rock-driven sound, however without the melodic elements of their earlier hard rock albums. It was re-released in 2006 under Retrospective Records, digitally remastered and with bonus tracks and a new cover.
In 2006, Bride released Skin for Skin, continuing with the new sound debuted on This Is It. It also contained guitar solos from former Bride guitarist Steve Osborne. The album was praised by Bride fans, most prominently Scott Waters of Ultimatum, who said it was "a logical step from 'This Is It' and is an honest and successful attempt to progress without worry of what is popular."
The band reunited with former members, Jerry McBroom and Steve Osborne, to record their next album, Tsar Bomba, which was released on October 27, 2009.
In 2011, Retroactive Records remastered and re-released the band's first three albums in a series called "The Originals". In addition, 2003's This Is It was also remastered to support the re-releases.
Original guitarist Steve Osborne committed suicide on November 16, 2011.
In December 2013, after 30 years, Dale Thompson announced that the band was coming to an end.
In late 2017, Dale and Troy decided to come back together and record one last album: Snake Eyes, set to release independently in June 2018. Dale has posted "John the Baptist" as a sneak peek song to the new album.

Band name

The name of the band is a reference to the church of all Christian believers, described in the Bible as the Bride of Christ.

Band members

Current line-up
Former
Timeline

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at:1986
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bar:DThompson text:"Dale Thompson"
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bar:SOsborne text:"Steve Osborne"
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bar:FPartipillo text:"Frank Partipillo"
bar:RFoley text:"Rick Foley"
bar:SCurtsinger text:"Steve Curtsinger"
bar:AWilkinson text:"Andrew Wilkinson"
bar:LBishop text:"Lawrence Bishop"
bar:GDWatts text:"G.D. Watts"
bar:SRolland text:"Stephen Rolland"
bar:JMcBroom text:"Jerry McBroom"
bar:MLoy text:"Michael Loy"
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bar:SOsborne from:2009 till:2010 color:Guitars
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bar:FPartipillo from:1988 till:1991 color:Bass
bar:RFoley from:1991 till:1994 color:Bass
bar:SCurtsinger from:1995 till:1998 color:Bass
bar:SCurtsinger from:1999 till:1999 color:Bass
bar:AWilkinson from:1998 till:1999 color:Bass
bar:LBishop from:1999 till:2009 color:Bass
bar:GDWatts from:2009 till:2013 color:Bass
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bar:MLoy from:1999 till:2009 color:Drums
bar:JMcBroom from:2009 till:2013 color:Drums

Discography

Main studio albums
Compilations and other releases
Bride has received four Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association. Three were for "Hard Music Song", in 1992, 1993, and 1994. The fourth was at the 25th GMA Dove Awards in 1995, for "Hard Music Album" for Scarecrow Messiah.