guests : disciple

As a professional rock band, it doesn't hurt to be prolific, but it's far more important to grow and develop -- to learn from past triumphs and failures and to use accumulated experience to craft songs that are passionate, modern and from the heart. In their 14 years together, Knoxville, Tennessee band Disciple, has matured from an aggressive metal band to a quartet with a strong sense of melody and penchant for the unexpected. The band's last album Disciple was full of driving rhythms and tuneful hooks, but with their new album Scars Remain, Disciple has incorporated exceptional songwriting with a level of intensity they haven't displayed in years.

"The songs are a lot heavier than anything we've done in a while," says singer Kevin Young. "I'm screaming as well as singing and the songs are enjoyable to play. We're very excited to play them live."

They're not just powerful, they're also eclectic. The title track starts with a chugging rhythm and a muted, repeated lick before bursting into a powerful riff - laden with squealing harmonics. "Regime Change" weaves and surges through angry buzzing guitars and an angular tempo before bursting into a sing-along chorus, and "Someone" charges full-speed into a lightning storm of blazing guitars and longing vocals, pausing only for a radiant refrain before bursting into the next verse. But while Scars Remain is Disciple's heaviest, most crushing record, it's also their most dynamic. "After the World" is a rock ballad awash with acoustic guitars and harmonized vocals and "No End at All" is slow and sentimental, flush with pristine musicianship and echoing production.

"We cover the spectrum musically because we love all kinds of music," Young says. "We consider a little of everything as our influences -- Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Bon Jovi, Metallica -- You name it. We try not to categorize ourselves, and we don't try to cater to any particular style. We just go with what we feel, and sometimes it's really heavy and sometimes it's kind of slow."

In addition to featuring strong writing, Scars Remain contains some of Young's best lyrics to date. As the album title suggests, many of the songs are about searching within and examining the blemishes and baggage that define character and personality.