Catching Up: 2020 Pt. 10

METAL CHURCH: FROM THE VAULT

My first memory of Metal Church is seeing their albums really close to Metallica's in stores.  I always noted they were also on Elektra Records, so their albums looked very similar.  Yet, I never checked them out, something I wish I would have taken a chance on early on.  Metal Church's sound is much closer to US power metal than thrash metal though, so any similarity to Metallica is superficial.  This release is a compilation of rarities, live songs, covers and other randomness.  It is by no means an essential listen, but there are some pretty strong tracks on it.  Most of the covers and live stuff is skippable, but the first half of unreleased stuff is well worth it for fans of the band.  Metal Church is a massively underrated band, and their abilities are on full display with this release.  It's not a necessary release, but that doesn't mean it is not worth at least checking out. 

VEXING HEX: HAUNT

It is inevitable that when a band strikes it big that there will be copycats.  A lot of bands have looked at the success that Ghost has had and attempted to replicate some part of that.  There's a lot of really shitty bands that have tried the mask and anonymous members approach (looking at you Sleep Token), but I have not heard too many bands try to replicate the sound.  Vexing Hex is one.  While their sound is not exactly metal, they sound like they have tried to capture the same 70's hard rock-isms that Ghost used particularly in their earlier albums.  It is much closer to Blue Oyster Cult than Black Sabbath, not that that is a bad thing.  There are some damn catchy songs here, particularly closing track "Rise From Your Grave".  

COUNTLESS SKIES: GLOW

I am a little bit out of the loop on the trends in metal of late.  I know generally the bands that Liquid Metal is in love with and some of the mainstream crap, but finding the underground stuff has been more difficult over the last few years.  I do still come across stuff.  This is kind of a weird way to get to the fact that it seems to me like melodic death metal of the type that was popular in the mid 2000's (Dark Tranquillity, In Flames, Soilwork and the like) seems to be not as common.  And I am speaking more of what those bands sounded like in the mid 2000's, not the Gothenburg sound popularized by Slaughter of the Soul.  This is probably somewhat natural, there are always trends.  So I was kind of surprised when I heard Countless Skies.  This is the second release from the band, and their last one to date.  This one went a little too far in the direction of the aforementioned sound, and I don't like it as much as their previous album New Dawn, but it is still a decent enough release, particularly for anyone who loved that particular mid 2000's melodeath sound, which I really did.

BATUSHKA: CARJU NIEBIESNYJ

Batushka made some pretty big waves with their 2015 debut, which was a rather stunning album where everything went right and sounded like a black metal mass.  And the band had an impressive visual aesthetic, looking like an Orthodox mass gone very very wrong.  But that's where the good times ended as the band splintered with two members forming bands with the same name and claiming they had rights to the name.  I can't remember which iteration created this release, but unfortunately this release comes across as more of a pale imitation of the original band, despite featuring some of the elements that made that band stand out.  It just does not feel as authentic.  The music is decent enough, but it is not as memorable.  It's a shame what has happened with this group, their first release was one of the best black metal albums of the last 20 years. 

VADER: SOLITUDE IN MADNESS

I feel like I have been too negative in this post, so it's time to end things out on a steamroller.  The long-running Polish death/thrash mavens in Vader released their 15th album in 2020.  This thing clocks in at less than half an hour in length and is just a bludgeoning, pummeling experience of the best sort.  With no song exceeding the four-minute mark, there is very little time to waste here, making this one of Vader's tightest and punchiest albums, just a short, sharp shock to the system.  The band is at the top of their game despite their long career.   

Metal Church: The Dark (1986)

Metal Church never really got the attention they deserved.  They remain one of the more underrated bands in American metal.  Despite being on the same label as Metallica and doing big tours with the thrash titans, they never really seemed to catch on in the same way.  Lineup changes played a big part in that, losing the lead singer just as the band is breaking through is usually catastrophic.  As did the fact that they were a little too melodic for the thrash metal crowd and too thrashy for the traditional metal crowd, so they just never really seemed to fit in anywhere.  Geographical isolation also likely played a part.  They were from Washington, which did spawn groups like Sanctuary and Queensryche, but was still a few years from being a major music scene.

The Dark did reasonably well for the band and it is not hard to see why.  It is a truly dynamic album with equal parts raw aggression and scintillating melody.  Songs like "Ton of Bricks" and "Start the Fire" hit hard with neck-snapping riffs.  On the other hand, "Watch the Children Play" is a spine-chilling track with an absolutely perfect guitar solo.

It is clear from listening to the album that the band as then-constructed had limitless talent.  The guitar work of Kurdt Vanderhoof and Craig Wells was peerless, particularly with regard to the guitar solos.  David Wayne was one of the best vocalists the band ever had, and they have had a number of great singers.  His ability to meld outstanding vocal range with Udo Dirkschneider-style rasp is truly amazing.  And the rhythm section does some terrific work as well. 

This is one of the more famous albums by Metal Church and it lives up to its reputation.  It is a fantastic album that exists somewhere in the area between thrash metal and traditional heavy metal.  Understanding that it does not fit in neatly with any given subgenre is important to grasping what makes it so damn good. 

Metal Church: Damned if You Do (2018)

I have never understood why Metal Church is not more popular.  Sure, the band's first couple of albums are generally considered classics, by those that have heard them, but there are not nearly enough of them.  After those two, Metal Church managed to continue putting out solid to excellent releases for the next thirty years and counting.

Part of the problem with Metal Church not being better regarded is the fact that the band has changed singers several times.  David Wayne was the frontman on those first two classic albums but Mike Howe has probably been with the band the longest.  Howe has an incredible voice of his own, but is not quite as talented as Wayne.  But since most of the albums I own have Howe on vocals, he is the voice I associate with the band.

Well, enough of that.  This is actually the first Metal Church album I have heard since 2008's This Present Wasteland, which was a tad disappointing due to the presence of neither Wayne nor Howe on vocals.  After I saw them live a year or so ago, I was impressed enough that I considered checking them out again, so when this album dropped, I decided to take a chance.  I may have to revisit some stuff because this album is, by and large, fantastic.  Every song on the album is full of great riffs and catchy hooks.  Of particular note are the anthemic "Revolution Underway" and the title track.

Guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof remains the driving force behind the band, and has become an accomplished songwriter.  Most of the songs here have standard structure, but that only aids in the infectious quality of the songs.  Lead guitarist Rick Van Zandt has come into his own as well, playing well-placed solos and leads that add variety to Vanderhoof's crunchy riffs.  Howe's vocals complete the melodic trio.

Damned if You Do is proof that good old-fashioned melodic heavy metal still exists.

Initial Impressions: Metal Church: Metal Church

When I was just getting into metal and looking for Metallica albums, I often saw Metal Church albums right around the same area. I often wondered what the band sounded like, because they were on the same label as Metallica Elektra, and had a somewhat similar name, in that both bands have "metal" in their name. Lars Ulrich even tried out for the band on drums at one point and was instrumental in getting them signed to their label. Nevertheless, it would be years before I actually picked up an album by the band. I don't really have an explanation, that's just how it worked out.

Despite their association, Metal Church is not terribly similar to Metallica musically. Metal Church was an early band considered thrash metal, but their style was more closely related to 1980's American power metal or traditional metal than thrash metal. They were heavily influenced by the NWOBHM, but not as much by punk, and they did not play nearly as fast as other early thrash metal acts like Metallica, Slayer, and Overkill.

This is the band's self-titled debut album. It features the sound that the band would become known for. It is melodic and heavy, but not nearly as harsh as other thrash metal acts of the time. The music is mid-paced, but lively. The riffs are memorable and catchy. There are frequent guitar solos. The vocals are typically delivered in a harsher raspy singing voice similar to NWOBHM acts.

This is a classic metal album and it's not hard to see why. The songs are very well-written and infectious. All of the individual musicians are extremely competent. Metal Church's career lasted approximately 25 years and though they never had much mainstream success, they were a beloved band in the metal underground.

Metal Church Breaks Up

This is a shame. Metal Church rose to prominence close to the same time as Metallica. They have always been a pretty damn good power/thrash metal band. Now, they have called it quits, potentially mostly as a result of their label SPV's money problems. You see people, if you would stop downloading all the damn time and actually buy albums, quality bands like this would not have the problems that they do.

"The situation with SPV is NOT the reason that we have decided to stop; it is just one small part of the trouble this band has had in trying to keep going. SPV has always been great to us, and it's very sad that they are not going to be around in the same capacity anymore. Our original statement didn't make that point clearly, and we apologize to SPV for any confusion."

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=123317

Pretty sad. I only just recently got into this band after last years Wasteland. It's sad to see a great band hang it up. Good luck in the future.