by Ed RivadaviaUnlike many of their Christian metal colleagues of the '80s (Stryper, Barren Cross, etc.), Louisville, Kentucky's Bride continue to preach their message of faith, uninterrupted by personnel and stylistic about faces, going on two decades now. Originally calling themselves Matrix, brothers Dale (vocals) and Troy Thompson (guitar) began writing songs as early as 1983, but it would take them three years of anonymous labor -- recording demos to sell at concerts and through Contemporary Christian Music magazine -- to attract the attention of Refuge Records. When they did, the label went so far as to create a new imprint -- appropriately called Pure Metal -- specifically for the band, which by this time also featured guitarist Steve Osborne, bassist Scott Hall, and drummer Stephan Rolland. There followed two albums: 1986's Show No Mercy and 1987's Live to Die, whose nasty titles and aggressive, Judas Priest-inspired songs belied the ...