Artist: Metal Church
Album: Metal Church
Year: 1985
Genre: Power Metal / Speed Metal
Describing
one of your all-time favorite records on the planet should be easy. Well, if the person describing it doesn’t
want to sound like a blabbering teenage fanboy, it’s honestly not that simple. Yet, to this very day, that is precisely how
the debut record from Metal Church makes me feel and harkens back to a time
when music ruled my world; where all that mattered was filling my head with
more and more and trying to find that next “all-time favorite record.” The radio show Metal Shop was the culprit responsible
for my introduction to the Washington-based juggernaut Metal Church. 14-year old me would rabidly wait for the
nationally syndicated show to hit the airwaves, ready to tape it on my
less-than-stellar boombox so I could listen repeatedly if necessary. One night the song “Gods Of Wrath” roared
through the speakers without an introduction.
I eagerly waited for the DJ to solve the mystery of who the band was
that just clobbered me. As soon as the
name Metal Church was announced, it became my mission to find something by them
as soon as humanly possible. Luck was on
my side as the band had been signed to Elektra Records after being snatched off
their original independent label. Due to
the explosion caused by Ride The
Lightning, major labels were taking notice and signing heavier, less
traditional and ballad-oriented metal.
Good for me! My local Harmony
House record store had a cassette copy.
Goddamned
if Metal Church didn’t knock the cover off the ball on the first swing. Very soon, Metal
Church became an album I listened to front-to-back, multiple upon multiple
times, memorizing every nuance of the record including studying the inlay card
like it was a final exam. Later, I did
the same thing with the LP. Much like
the debuts from Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate and Metallica, there
is an intangible quality that isn’t exactly glaring at the moment you first
heard it, but you know you’re listening to something special that set them far apart from other releases. Metal Church is in that same gang of
heavyweights. Their combination of
prowess and passion is blatant as their thrash-tinged power metal claws its way
out of the speakers. Kurdt Vanderhoof
provides a master’s level class in how to write riffs that count. Kirk
Arrington puts on a drumming clinic.
Some drummers play to fill a rhythmic necessity, others make it an
instrument, and Mr. Arrington’s performance is one of the more tasteful and
compelling I have heard in the metal arena.
While the world was praising Lars Ulrich (dear god), they should have been
worshiping this guy. Listen to the opener "Beyond The Black" to hear the perfect combination of precision and power. The controversy
with Metal Church was always David Wayne’s (RIP) vocals. It’s one of those love it or hate it
scenarios with a bit of, “can he actually sing?” added in. I for one think he can and believe his style
was unique. The man really sounded like
three different people during the album.
Leather-lunged singing, thrashed out screeching and somber crooning were
all in his skill set, which he used wisely throughout the album.
Metal Church took cues from NWOBH, power metal and thrash and waded in each area without being pigeonholed as any of them. Terry Date’s masterful production of this album still stands today and captured the strength of this band. A task many producers had not mastered by 1985. Modern metal bands in a similar vein wish their albums could sound this good. The record is a true heavy metal experience consisting of dynamic playing, stellar songwriting and constantly varying in degrees of intensity. Yet, no matter how incredible any album may be, there are always a weak link or two in the chain, and Metal Church isn’t without theirs. The song, “In The Blood” sounds a touch odd and out of place on the record and the cover of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star,” even though they add a nice aggressive touch to the original, is unnecessary. I definitely would have preferred to hear another original from their early demos. But that’s me being picky, since I never skip over those songs when I’m blasting this record. In one form or another, Metal Church are a band that has existed through the highs and lows of metal’s popularity and just released another album in the past year. Although their debut is easily their most impressive and best release, they have an extensive catalog that you could blindly choose an album from and know you’re going get a quality listen.
Metal Church took cues from NWOBH, power metal and thrash and waded in each area without being pigeonholed as any of them. Terry Date’s masterful production of this album still stands today and captured the strength of this band. A task many producers had not mastered by 1985. Modern metal bands in a similar vein wish their albums could sound this good. The record is a true heavy metal experience consisting of dynamic playing, stellar songwriting and constantly varying in degrees of intensity. Yet, no matter how incredible any album may be, there are always a weak link or two in the chain, and Metal Church isn’t without theirs. The song, “In The Blood” sounds a touch odd and out of place on the record and the cover of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star,” even though they add a nice aggressive touch to the original, is unnecessary. I definitely would have preferred to hear another original from their early demos. But that’s me being picky, since I never skip over those songs when I’m blasting this record. In one form or another, Metal Church are a band that has existed through the highs and lows of metal’s popularity and just released another album in the past year. Although their debut is easily their most impressive and best release, they have an extensive catalog that you could blindly choose an album from and know you’re going get a quality listen.
Listen to "Battalions" here.
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