O God Save Us All is the ninth studio album from Christian metal group Disciple released on November 13, 2012 in CD & Digital format. The first single released was the song "Draw The Line", which hit No. 45 in the Billboard Christian Songs chart. The album shares a Hard Rock sound, alike the albums Disciple and Back Again. It brings full energy in some of the songs, and has some soft-rock songs. The cover artwork features the Chi Rho image.
The album debuted No. 5 in the Billboard Christian Albums chart and No. 9 in the Hard Rock chart.
History
The studio recording was announced in early 2012: "About to go into the studio to work on some new stuff. Who's ready for some new Disciple jams?!".
On April 2, it was posted that they will be writing some new songs because their "4thirty1" tour was canceled and they would have more time to record. Two months later, a picture was published in their Instagram account which showed the band members in a photo shoot in Nashville.
On September 21, it was announced that new pre-sales packages are coming soon. They also announced the end of 4 Nights Live In California video sales.
On September 30, the pre-sale packaging was released for download, which included three songs. The rest of the album was made available three days before its release. The pre-sale deal included "Draw the Line", "O God Save Us All", and "Outlaws".
Promotion and release
Days after the disc announcement, six Pre-Sale packages were available, Package "A", "B", "C", "D", "E," and the "Ultimate Fan" package Each Pre-Sale Pack included the digital download, but the biggest pack included a phone call from the band's leader Kevin Young, the Digital Download, the CD signed, a hat and a shirt exclusive between other things. The Pre-Sale packagings were available for three weeks, and all of them, had a special cost for a Live Stream Concert, made the night before the album releasing. Disciple also made a "Release Party", to celebrate the new album release worldwide.
Critical reception
Alt Rock Live's Jonathan Faulkner noted that " Musically there's something for every generation of Disciple fans" because "The instrumentation may also surprise some long time listeners" showing that "Lyrically Disciple continues to age like a fine wine." Faulkner wrote that "...with the release of O God Save Us All Kevin Young and Disciple have once again proven their staying power." Faulkner concluded with saying that "If you're looking for both a powerful and moving addition to your music collection look no further than Disciples latest O God Save Us All. It should keep old fans satisfied and draw in new and make a good addition to any collection."
CCM Magazine'''s Matt Conner wrote that "From the lead riffs of 'Outlaws' to the emotional pomp of 'Draw the Line,' Disciple is clearly a band that's found its groove."
Christian Music Zine's Tyler Hess said that "Now, after all these years, with new members, they have finally released the album that actually sounds like a successor to 2005′s Disciple, adding a little bit of the radio friendliness from their most recent release, in the form of O God Save Us All." Hess wrote that he had "...to admit that I’d much rather hear the more aggressive side of Disciple than the ballads, but there isn’t a bad track on the album, even if it’s on the softer side as a whole. They know what works for them and what their audience wants, if you’re cool with it not having the edginess of the old days, then O God Save Us All will make your ears happy."
Cross Rhythms' Stephen Luff wrote that "All in all, there are tracks here which will stick with you well after the CD finishes."
Indie Vision Music's Lee Brown said that "Disciple has been around for a while. Because of this, it’s hard for anything they do now to feel completely unique. That being said, if O God Save Us All is more of the same, it’s more of the same done better. The album really shines in Disciple’s discography for several of the following reasons. First of all, the message of the album is laid out like a story that unfolds with each new chapter. The music is balanced and the flow of the album is very well done. There is a nice mix of radio-friendly, ballad, and too-hard-for-radio screaming. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that a song or two feel a little bit like Disciple’s great This Might Sting a Little album."