The new BRIDE album 'Snakes In The Playground' is a withering denouncement of the calamitous condition of urban America. Tony Cummings charts Bride's history.

Pure Metal got bought up by Star Song Records and with a more CCM-wise administration, a new more sophisticated brand of rock emerged from Bride who'd also settled on their classic line up of Dale Thompson (vocals), Troy Thompson (lead guitar), Rick Foley (bass) and Jerry McBroom (drums). 'The Kinetic Faith' album was produced by Vector-veteran Steve Griffith.

It opened up whole new vistas of America's Christian AOR market to the band. But overall Bride are lukewarm about 'Kinetic Faith'.

"We love the songs like 'Everybody Knows My Name', 'Hired Gun' and 'Your Love'," says Dale. Before he can inhale Troy buts in.

"It's the final mix that we didn't dig. It's too polished. It was a great production, but it wasn't a Bride production. It would have been great for another band somewhere, but for us that was just too much." 'Snakes In The Playground' is a very different album. Out has gone the acoustic blues and the AOR sheen. And in its place is the kind of blistering raw rock which have made Bride's on stage performances - all riffs, sticking heads in the bins and stage diving - such a popular metal attraction with younger moshers."

This time what we tried to do was a high class demo," says Dale Thompson of 'Snakes In The Playground'. "We didn't want to go and do a big production. We wanted it raw and right in your face. I think that's what 'Kinetic Faith' lacked. It was too gimmicky, too watery ..."

Says Troy, "The whole vibe has changed in the band. We have more of a deep groove going, instead of that double bass killing all the time. Hopefully, when people think of Bride after this record they're going to hear very hooky choruses, a very deep groove they can dance to, and words which strike home with a message that deals with what people are going through in reality."

"They (the lyrics) deal with everything from drugs and alcohol to suicide and abortion, anything kids are faced with today going to school," says Dale.

Bride takes its metal ministry seriously regularly going into substance abuse hospitals where they play free concerts for the patients.

"Some of the stories we hear are from kids who tell you 'I'd like to go back home but my Dad sells heroin'," says Troy.

"These are 13 and 14 year old kids who are already put away in institutions like a prison while their parents, who are the culprits, are loose on the streets."

Bride have a good reputation for interacting with their fans spending endless hours in letter writing and talking to those young rockers who buy their albums and go to their concerts.

Says Troy, "I think that's the reason we should be playing music: to cater to the needs of those who need us. To say that you don't have time . . . It's very apparent in life, especially in business, that you make time for those things you deem important. You can make the time to do this or that, play tennis or racquetball. You actually make time to do what you want, so we have to make time to answer all of our mail.

"Recently Dale and I have been sitting down one day a week, usually it's Sunday afternoon, and we just answer all the mail and get it done with. It takes several hours, and we normally have people helping us addressing envelopes and things like that. You just kind of get it done. The letters that come in, some of them are very moving. It makes it worth your while to read your mail."

"It bothers me when bands have a rock star complex. Before a show, sometimes I'm fatigued or whatever, but I always go out and talk to the crowd, however few they may be (laughs). I always go out, not talking to them through a metal grate, or behind a door. I go out and talk to em.

"When we get time to spend with them, we like to interact with them. Whatever they have going. If they have a Frisbee, we'll fly it with 'em. After the shows we make ourselves extremely accessible.

"Of course, one of the main things you do after your show is sell your merchandise, so you can pay for your way back home. You've got to hang out behind the table, but you always get those people who have those personal questions. It's really easy for them to pull you off to the side and talk to ya - the whole band's accessible. We don't hide after a show. We don't hide before a show. It bugs me when I see bands get that rock star complex."