Believer United States

""Transhuman" marks somewhat of a new musical direction for this band, and there are not a lot of thrash metal elements left (well, "Clean Room" and "Ego Machine" are pretty thrashy), and the focus has been moved to experimentation and progressiveness, as the band make use of odd time signature and offbeat grooves along with unusual and sometimes even dissonant chords - the oddball track "Ego Machine" very much being the climax of the album (and my favorite track) with all its twist and turns. Other tracks, lie "G.U.T." and "Transfection" include electronic effects (and "Currents" is even an all out electronic soundscape kinda thing), and all of this is coupled with nu metal-like vocal melodies in the choruses (the chorus of "Lie Awake" sounds like Linkin Park).

The production is very polished, but that is not a problem here, because it allows for the details to shine through. The album is both very varied but also very consistent in sound and focus (althou gh I've read some review accusing the band of being unfocused).

An interesting and challenging listen, but probably also a disappointment to fans of the band's older releases.

(review originally posted at metalmusicarchives.com)"

"Believer´s return after a very lengthy break is very welcome in my world. Gabriel is without a doubt one of the best releases this year for me personally. We´re talking prog-related thrash metal of the highest standard. Brutal production, caustic vocal delivery, and top notch musicianship. The variation between compositions is good which makes Gabriel an album you can listen to again and again without getting tired of it. And don´t let the Christian metal tag scare you away. The lyrics are not preachy but rather info on how Believer sees the world. Fans of technical thrash metal are recommended to check this one out."