Metal Church - A LIGHT IN THE DARK (Steamhammer)
Metal Church
A LIGHT IN THE DARK
Steamhammer
There used to be a day when the release of a new METAL CHURCH album was a true highlight for me. Basically from The Dark through The Human Factor you could say that the band was one of a handful of metal acts that I could count on to crush my skull with regularity. From that point though they output has become spotty at best with just two albums in the last 15 years, both of which left me less than inspired. Now that the band is pared down to just one stalwart member in Kurt Vanderhoof I greeted A Light In the Dark with some skepticism.
This sucker has been in my hands for a couple of weeks now and each day that goes by it grows in my estimation. It left me flat after the first couple of listens, but with repeated spins new doors and nuances seem to open for me. I still dont think that it matches up with the bands best albums, but it goes a long way to establishing that METAL CHURCH still has some things left to say. The first thing that places this album above the mostly timid and boring Weight of the World is the vocal work of Ronnie Munro. He seemed almost out of place and slightly intimidated on WOTW, but here he has settled into a groove all his own. Sounding like a nice mixture of the bands two near legendary singers David Wayne and Mike Howe (where the hell did this guy go, easily one of my top 10 singers of all time) Munro accomplishes what he failed at previously, leaving his own stamp on the songs. You could say its because this time around the songs are just better though, and you would probably be right in saying so.
There is much more of the trademark crunch that we have come to expect from this band. Unfairly labeled as just another thrash band back in the day, METAL CHURCH made the transition to an intelligent power metal act long before contemporaries like METALLICA, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH did so. Albums like The Human Factor, Blessing In Disguise and Hanging In the Balance picking up where JUDAS PRIEST should have gone as they entered the 80s. While this is nowhere near as lyrically inspired as those albums it shows that Vanderhoof still has issues to confront. Every song on A Light In the Dark grew on me to some degree with repeated listens. Best of the lot being the spirited title track, the galloping Beyond All Reason and Mirror of Lies as well as the biting Pill for the Kill. With David Waynes recent passing a remaking of the classic Watch the Children Pray would seem like a fitting tribute to the man. I am not sure I necessarily agree with that though. The song is easily the bands most recognizable tune and was rendered perfectly haunting by Wayne back in 1986. Munro is not able to pull off the same level of horror and desperation. So all it makes me want to do is go dig out my old copy of The Dark, which may have been the intention all along.
PITRIFF RATING 8/10 - METAL CHURCH is never going to make another The Human Factor anymore than METALLICA is going to poop out another RIDE THE LIGHTNING. I have to keep telling myself this subliminally so that I dont cast too critical of an eye towards new albums. (although this method went horribly wrong for St. Anger) By doing this I was able to give A Light In the Dark a chance to make its own mark on my psyche, and that is exactly what it did. This is a solid album that will win you over if given a chance.
Metal Church
A LIGHT IN THE DARK
Steamhammer
There used to be a day when the release of a new METAL CHURCH album was a true highlight for me. Basically from The Dark through The Human Factor you could say that the band was one of a handful of metal acts that I could count on to crush my skull with regularity. From that point though they output has become spotty at best with just two albums in the last 15 years, both of which left me less than inspired. Now that the band is pared down to just one stalwart member in Kurt Vanderhoof I greeted A Light In the Dark with some skepticism.
This sucker has been in my hands for a couple of weeks now and each day that goes by it grows in my estimation. It left me flat after the first couple of listens, but with repeated spins new doors and nuances seem to open for me. I still dont think that it matches up with the bands best albums, but it goes a long way to establishing that METAL CHURCH still has some things left to say. The first thing that places this album above the mostly timid and boring Weight of the World is the vocal work of Ronnie Munro. He seemed almost out of place and slightly intimidated on WOTW, but here he has settled into a groove all his own. Sounding like a nice mixture of the bands two near legendary singers David Wayne and Mike Howe (where the hell did this guy go, easily one of my top 10 singers of all time) Munro accomplishes what he failed at previously, leaving his own stamp on the songs. You could say its because this time around the songs are just better though, and you would probably be right in saying so.
There is much more of the trademark crunch that we have come to expect from this band. Unfairly labeled as just another thrash band back in the day, METAL CHURCH made the transition to an intelligent power metal act long before contemporaries like METALLICA, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH did so. Albums like The Human Factor, Blessing In Disguise and Hanging In the Balance picking up where JUDAS PRIEST should have gone as they entered the 80s. While this is nowhere near as lyrically inspired as those albums it shows that Vanderhoof still has issues to confront. Every song on A Light In the Dark grew on me to some degree with repeated listens. Best of the lot being the spirited title track, the galloping Beyond All Reason and Mirror of Lies as well as the biting Pill for the Kill. With David Waynes recent passing a remaking of the classic Watch the Children Pray would seem like a fitting tribute to the man. I am not sure I necessarily agree with that though. The song is easily the bands most recognizable tune and was rendered perfectly haunting by Wayne back in 1986. Munro is not able to pull off the same level of horror and desperation. So all it makes me want to do is go dig out my old copy of The Dark, which may have been the intention all along.
PITRIFF RATING 8/10 - METAL CHURCH is never going to make another The Human Factor anymore than METALLICA is going to poop out another RIDE THE LIGHTNING. I have to keep telling myself this subliminally so that I dont cast too critical of an eye towards new albums. (although this method went horribly wrong for St. Anger) By doing this I was able to give A Light In the Dark a chance to make its own mark on my psyche, and that is exactly what it did. This is a solid album that will win you over if given a chance.
