''Extraction from Mortality'', also known as ''Extraction'', is the debut studio album by the American

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

band

Believer Believer(s) or The Believer(s) may refer to: Religion * Believer, a person who holds a particular belief ** Believer, a person who holds a particular religious belief *** Believers, Christians with a religious faith in the divine Christ *** Bel ...

. It was released on

R.E.X. Records R.E.X. Records, also known as R.E.X. Music, was an independent record label founded by Doug Mann and Gavin Morkel, which operated from 1987 until running into financial difficulty in 1995. Operations were based in Chicago until 1990 when the com ...

in 1989. In 2010, ''

HM Magazine ''HM Magazine'' is a monthly, digital and print on demand publication focusing on hard music and alternative culture of interest to Christians. It is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The magazine states that its goal is to "honestly and accurat ...

'' ranked it #33 on the Top 100 Christian metal albums of all-time list.

Recording

In high school, the band leader Kurt Bachman met Scott Laird, who was studying his first year as a music instructor. When Believer was recording the title track for ''Extraction from Mortality'', the band asked Laird to compose an

orchestral An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...

intro for the song. In 1989, Believer was signed to R.E.X. Records which published ''Extraction from Mortality''. The album was mostly distributed to Christian bookstores but quickly gained popularity for Believer. The album was noted for its technicality and aggression, and especially the song ”Shadow of Death” is one of the all-time favorites among Believer fans. "Unite" starts with an intro that contains industrial music elements and bizarre sound samples. The last song, "Stress", is a humorous, laid-back tune that advises listeners not to worry about things they can not do anything about. ''Extraction from Mortality'' gained notice among non-Christian metal fans, and Believer was signed to Roadrunner Records in 1990. However, R.E.X. Records would release Believer's later records to Christian market while Roadrunner's distribution was aimed at a broader audience. An unreleased demo song titled "The Chosen" appeared on the compilation albums ''East Coast Metal'' in 1988 and ''Classic Metal'' in 1990. A remixed version of "Vile Hypocrisy" was included on the compilation album ''Argh!!!'' in 1991. For years ''Extraction from Mortality'' was hard to find, and copies sold for high prices in internet auctions. A label called M8 re-issued the album in 2001, printing 2000 copies of it; this release contains the remixed version of "Vile Hypocrisy" and "The Chosen" demo song as bonus tracks. The print sold out soon after. In 2007, the Polish label

Metal Mind Productions Metal Mind Productions (MMP) is a Polish record label founded in 1987. The label focuses on rock and heavy metal. MMP is also publisher of ''Metal Hammer'', the largest and the oldest heavy metal magazine. As a concert agency, it organises Met ...

re-released ''Extraction from Mortality'' in a remastered

digipak Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case ...

version with 2000 copies; this release does not have the two bonus tracks.

Track listing

:song re-recorded from ''The Return'' demo (1987)

Personnel

;Believer * Kurt Bachman - Vocals, Guitars * Dave Baddorf - Guitars * Howe Kraft - Bass * Joey Daub - Drums ;Additional musicians * Scott Laird - Violin, Viola ;Production * Doug Mann - Producer, Mixer * Paul Krueger - Mixer

References

{{Authority control Believer (band) albums 1989 albums R.E.X. Records albums