Restoring What’s Broken: “Skeleton Psalms” by Disciple

Veteran Christian Rock group Disciple have graced the airwaves with their 13th LP, Skeleton Psalms.

Produced in-house at guitarist Josiah Prince’s studio, The Ranch, this is an eclectic album that seamlessly blends several of the sounds across their discography together. Perhaps leaning a touch heavier to the southern rock dynamics of 2008’s Southern Hospitality, they also pull on the influences of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, This Might Sting a Little and Scars Remain. The result is an album filled to the brim with exciting, chunky riffs, fluid and intricate guitar solos (courtesy of Andrew Stanton and Josiah Prince), complex and smooth drum fills (shout-out to Joey West), and some seriously harsh screams that are matched by the gritty vulnerability of Kevin Young’s vocal range (with support from Josiah and touring bassist Marco Pera of Amongst the Giants).

Energetic, cathartic, and powerfully full of heart, Skeleton Psalms is an album that engages with a renewed sense of commitment to Christ by exploring a broad range of topics. Whether it’s an unflinching willingness to live reflective of him (“The Executioner”, “Bad Words”, “Scapegoat”, and “Bow Down”), the joy of feeling his love (“Dawning of Deliverance”, “20:20 Blind”), or his unwillingness to abandon us and bring meaning to our lives (“Resurrecting Reasons”, “Skeleton Psalm”, “Promise to Live”, and “For the Life of Me”), Disciple has proven themselves to have a deft hand at addressing these topics in surprising ways.

It would be a difficult task to pick a single standout on the album, but there are a couple that pack a little extra “oomph” to them. “Resurrecting Reasons” is a perfect example of this. Reminiscent of 2016’s “Come My Way” and 2006’s, “My Hell”, this track probably has the most varied instrumentation across the album and maintains an astounding sense of cohesion throughout its runtime. “Promise to Live” is similar to 2010’s “Invisible” in speaking to the value of every life and encouraging that people are seen and have worth; it is simply beautiful. “For the Life of Me”, a pretty traditional ballad (complete with an incredibly smooth guitar solo), lyrically, bears a lot of resemblance to 2006’s “After the World”.

“Bad Words” is easily the clearest track that pulls influence from 1999’s This Might Sting A Little. It is a bracing and blistering track that sees some of Young’s most ferocious vocals across the band’s last several years. With a quick pace, unrelenting aggression, and frenetic energy, fans of Disciple’s faith-forward and unapologetic lyricism will surely enjoy the nature of this song. Clearly, and unsurprisingly, this group has no intention of tempering the boldness of their faith within their music.

Across the 10 tracks of Skeleton Psalms, Disciple has reinforced their legacy as one of the staples in the Christian Rock scene, all without feeling even a little stale. They are considered legends for a reason, and they put all of their heart, soul, skill and faith at the forefront of this album. Whatever comes next for this group, whether through aggressive rock via Disciple or the more contemporary worship of Honor & Glory, one thing is certain: they will leave it all on the line with what they create.

Skeleton Psalms is available for pre-order everywhere.