Reviewed by Alex Figgis

With their third project, Disciple's debut disc for Rugged Records may not break new ground so much as cast a few much needed seeds within an already estab­lished genre of hard music. Hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed '97 Warner Resound EP ('My Daddy Can Whip Your Daddy'), this certainly cuts the mustard musically, with an even tighter set of compositions that bristle with maturity and boldness. With the opening declaration of "I just know Jesus is the way...the truth...the life", set to an explosive musical score comprising of a wall of tightly delivered, power chords over a bed of low end bass tones, Disciple leave the listener in no doubt as to where they are coming from. Unashamedly bent on sharing the Gospel through the medium of hard music, Kevin Young (bass/vocals), Brad Noah (guitar) and Tim Barrett (drums) hammer their mes­sage home; the truth, though profoundly simple, is not to be played with. Throughout This Might Sting...', there is a wonderful display of textures with a decidedly raw, yet disciplined, feel to the proceedings. Though their hard-hit­ting, groove-orientated hardcore fused sonics are compelling, they carry lyrics of equal depth and intensity that are both challenging and uplifting; making Disciple a truly ministry-orientated band. Standout cuts have to be "Big Bad Wolf", a great standard of truth concerning spiritual warfare; "Mud Puddle" and "Turmoil", which deal with Mankind's fallen nature and "Underneath", describ­ing the process of re-birth. Though finely crafted and passionately delivered, it is Disciple's focus upon the Gospel of Christ that elevates 'This Might Sting...' head and shoulders above many of the band's musical peers.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.