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    HM Magazine #114/Focused
    Focused — Bow cover

    Focused

    Bow

    (1993)

    Reviewed by Ryan Clark

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    Label Tooth & Nail RecordsHM Magazine #114July/August 2005
    hardcoremetalcorethrash metal

    When I first started to realize that Christian heavy music wasn’t all Whitecross and Petra (no offense to the aforementioned), I started a search for bands that might really change my outlook on the belief that Christian bands could never contend with their secular counterparts. The record that gave me new insight on this ideal was Focused’s Bow. Not only was this my primary introduction to excellent Christian heavy music, but it was my introduction to the hardcore scene as well. When I think of the best mouthpiece for Christians during the height of the hardcore movement, I think of Focused. The lyrics on Bow will give you chills. The music seemed to draw inspiration from bands like Slayer and the songs were well executed and to-the-point. I had never heard anything quite like Bow and haven’t been quite so excited about a record since. Finally there was a band that spoke about the beliefs that I had, and there was nothing cheesy or cliché about them. This record definitely changed my life.

    Other coverage for this album

    Heaven's Metal #46Reviewed by Doug Van PeltI haven't heard an album start off this powerfully for a long, long time. Opening with a passion-spitting speech that is as good an ending as it is a beginning, when this angry voice shouts the following words at you, you simply feel the urgent need to obey: "...Put your knee in the dirt and bow to the God that holds your blood red destiny in the palm of His awesome hands. It's your choice!" What…

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    Also in HM Magazine #114

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