Dimensions (Believer album)
Encyclopedia
Dimensions is the third album by the Christian technical thrash metal band Believer, released in 1993 on both Roadrunner Records
and R.E.X. Records
. The album's last song, "Trilogy of Knowledge", is split into four separate parts and tells of the life of Jesus Christ. All the lyrics are stated exactly from the Bible, and includes opera vocals, orchestral instruments, acoustic guitars, distorted guitars, and more. Although the album was critically lauded, the band disbanded the following year, but reformed in 2005.
.
The album was released in 1993 and turned out to be the band's most technical, progressive, and ambitious album. Both Roadrunner Records
and R.E.X. Records
released it with a different cover art.
The lyrics on Dimensions deal with philosophy. For example, on the song "Dimentia" the lyrics deal with the philosophical paradoxes and the ponderings of Sigmund Freud
, Thomas J. J. Altizer
, Ludwig Feuerbach and Jean-Paul Sartre
about the existence of God. The song specifically quotes Altizer's The Gospel of Christian Atheism, Sartre's Being and Nothingness, Feuerbach's The Essence of Christianity
, and Freud's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
.
The symphonic metal suite
”Trilogy of Knowledge”, divided to three chapters and an intro, is an over 20 minute epic and Biblical story about life of Jesus Christ and knowledge of good and evil. ”Trilogy of Knowledge” once again featured the orchestral compositions of Scott Laird and soprano vocals by Julianne Laird Hoge.
Jeff Wagner stated in the book Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal that "as tech metal albums go, it is a masterpiece of frigid guitar tones, warped riffs, and constant tempo changes," and "with Dimensions, Believer had borne a dense, challenging monolith of progressive metal that has few equals, even years later."
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
and R.E.X. Records
R.E.X. Records
R.E.X. Records was an independent record label founded by Doug Mann and Gavin Morkel, which operated from 1987 until running into financial difficulty in 1995. Operations were based in Chicago until 1990 when the company moved to Nashville...
. The album's last song, "Trilogy of Knowledge", is split into four separate parts and tells of the life of Jesus Christ. All the lyrics are stated exactly from the Bible, and includes opera vocals, orchestral instruments, acoustic guitars, distorted guitars, and more. Although the album was critically lauded, the band disbanded the following year, but reformed in 2005.
Recording
The preproduction of Dimensions was recorded at Trauma Studios, and was produced by The Trauma Team and Ted Hermanson who did the engineering, assisted by the drummer Joey Daub. Wyatt Robertson and David Baddorf left Believer before the band began recording Dimensions. Jim Winters joined as bassist and also played some guitar parts during the recording sessions. On this album, Glenn Fischbach played cello, Scott Laird played violins and violas, and Julianne Laird Hoge performed soprano vocals. The album was mastered at The Hit Factory, DMS, New York, by Chris Gehringer. The cover art and illustration was done by Dave McKeanDave McKean
David McKean is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician....
.
The album was released in 1993 and turned out to be the band's most technical, progressive, and ambitious album. Both Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
and R.E.X. Records
R.E.X. Records
R.E.X. Records was an independent record label founded by Doug Mann and Gavin Morkel, which operated from 1987 until running into financial difficulty in 1995. Operations were based in Chicago until 1990 when the company moved to Nashville...
released it with a different cover art.
The lyrics on Dimensions deal with philosophy. For example, on the song "Dimentia" the lyrics deal with the philosophical paradoxes and the ponderings of Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
, Thomas J. J. Altizer
Thomas J. J. Altizer
Thomas Jonathan Jackson Altizer is a radical theologian who incorporated Friedrich Nietzsche's conception of the "death of God" into his teachings.- Education :...
, Ludwig Feuerbach and Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
about the existence of God. The song specifically quotes Altizer's The Gospel of Christian Atheism, Sartre's Being and Nothingness, Feuerbach's The Essence of Christianity
The Essence of Christianity
The Essence of Christianity is a book written by Ludwig Feuerbach and first published in 1841. It explains Feuerbach's philosophy and critique of religion. Feuerbach's theory of alienation would later be used by Karl Marx.- Influence :...
, and Freud's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is a philosophical work written by the Scottish philosopher David Hume. Through dialogue, three fictional characters named Demea, Philo, and Cleanthes debate the nature of God's existence...
.
The symphonic metal suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
”Trilogy of Knowledge”, divided to three chapters and an intro, is an over 20 minute epic and Biblical story about life of Jesus Christ and knowledge of good and evil. ”Trilogy of Knowledge” once again featured the orchestral compositions of Scott Laird and soprano vocals by Julianne Laird Hoge.
Reception
While some fans preferred Sanity Obscure over Dimensions, the critics considered Dimensions as the album that separated Believer from average thrash metal groups, and praised the album's musical output. Tom MacMillan of The Phantom Tollbooth claims that "Believer's last offering to the musical world proved a metal classic" and "Dimensions is one of the greatest progressive metal albums of all time." Rating the album 5/5, MacMillan writes:Jeff Wagner stated in the book Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal that "as tech metal albums go, it is a masterpiece of frigid guitar tones, warped riffs, and constant tempo changes," and "with Dimensions, Believer had borne a dense, challenging monolith of progressive metal that has few equals, even years later."
Track listing
- "Gone" (K. Bachman/ J. Winters) - 5:47
- "Future Mind" (K. Bachman/ J. Daub/ J. Winters)- 5:34
- "Dimentia" (K.Bachman/ J. Daub/ J.Winters/ D. Man)- 5:36
- "What Is But Cannot Be" (K. Bachman/ J. Daub/ J.Winters/ D. Man) - 5:28
- "Singularity" (K.Bachman/ J.Winters/ D. Man) - 4:24
- "No Apology" (K.Bachman/ J. Daub/ J.Winters/ D. Man/ D. Baddorf) - 4:55
- "Trilogy of Knowledge: Intro: The Birth" - 2:17 (S. Laird/ K. Bachman/ J. Daub/ J. Winters)
- "Trilogy of Knowledge: Movement I: The Lie" - 5:27 (S. Laird/ K. Bachman/ J. Daub/ J. Winters)
- "Trilogy of Knowledge: Movement II: The Truth" - 6:46 (S. Laird/ K. Bachman/ J. Daub/ J. Winters)
- "Trilogy of Knowledge: Movement III: The Key" - 6:21 (S. Laird/ K. Bachman/ J. Daub/ J. Winters)
Personnel
- Kurt Bachman - vocals, guitar
- Joey Daub - drums, assistant engineer
- Jim Winters - bass, guitar
- Scott Laird - violins, violas
- Glenn Fischbach - cello
- Julianne Laird Hoge - soprano
- William Keller - speaking voice
- Ted Hermanson & The Trauma Team - production and engineering
- Chris Gerhinger - mastering
- Dave McKeanDave McKeanDavid McKean is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician....
- cover art (Roadrunner version)