Southern Hospitality

Long in the tooth but still snarling, Disciple infuses Southern Hospitality with the same mix of Christian faith and hard rock aggression that has sustained them for nearly two decades. Kevin Young remains at the helm as lead vocalist, still capable of volcanic vocal eruptions. His ornery sort of fervor is matched here by Brad Noah’s note-shredding riffage and Tim Barrett’s agile (and surprisingly nuanced) drumwork. Southern Hospitality offers a smorgasbord of assorted musical motifs — the menu includes seething metal (“Romance Me,” “Liar”), muscular power ballads (“Whatever Reason”), and gnarly Southern blues-rock (“Lay My Burdens,” “Whisper So Loud”). Young conveys a feverish joy in the title tune, turns almost apoplectic with panic in “321” and testifies with sweat-drenched gratitude in “Phoenix Rising.” Like their contemporaries P.O.D., Disciple is capable of unexpected tenderness amidst the sturm und drang of their sonic assaults. At this point in their career, Disciple isn’t the flashiest act on the block, but the band’s solid virtues and undeniable chops give them a credibility that’s hard to deny. Southern Hospitality is worth accepting.