Great album, was really surprised how much I liked it and kept coming back to it, coming away with new discoveries.
Discuss The My Pals With My Pals
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Great album, was really surprised how much I liked it and kept coming back to it, coming away with new discoveries.
Slammed
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Metal Church would have been a better album if they changed the name of the band.
It's not Metal Church and no matter how Kurdt and Howe try to tell their stories about it feeling like an old band, it's not.
Kurdt needs to step away from doing everything, he needs to swallow his pride and pay for a producer he's too close to the work to be subjective.
In a few interviews with both Kurdt and Howe recently they have talked about how close they are too their roots, even claiming they are writing like they wrote when they wrote Blessing. Well it aint nothing even close to Blessing.
Change is one thing and many bands do it but Metal Church was a thrash band the new album is far from the thrash they are known for and far from the thrash Kurdt claimed he was releasing when he first started writing.
It's not Metal Church and no matter how Kurdt and Howe try to tell their stories about it feeling like an old band, it's not.
Kurdt needs to step away from doing everything, he needs to swallow his pride and pay for a producer he's too close to the work to be subjective.
In a few interviews with both Kurdt and Howe recently they have talked about how close they are too their roots, even claiming they are writing like they wrote when they wrote Blessing. Well it aint nothing even close to Blessing.
Change is one thing and many bands do it but Metal Church was a thrash band the new album is far from the thrash they are known for and far from the thrash Kurdt claimed he was releasing when he first started writing.
Slammed
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The main reason it was such a disappointment for me was because it wasn't the thrash they claimed it was going to be. I like thrash, I listen to a lot of thrash but I also listen to everything for the 50's onwards so it's not the change of music that I object to it's the misguided hope that Kurdt and Howe gave that they were not going to change. If they'd have come out saying that they were releasing a pop record and trying to capture a younger market of top 40 buyers I'd have been fine with it, I would still have listened to the album and decided how much I liked it. But they didn't, they constantly promised something it wasn't ever going to be.
Kurdt should have released most of the songs from the last two albums under the Presto Ballet name and given the entire band a chance to write stuff for Metal Church instead of believing he can do everything himself.
Kurdt should have released most of the songs from the last two albums under the Presto Ballet name and given the entire band a chance to write stuff for Metal Church instead of believing he can do everything himself.
Slammed
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Metal Church always had elements of thrash but even if you want to place them in other genres the current album only fits the pop music genre. It's got so few shades of Blessing, which Kurdt claimed this album was sounding like that it may as well be a new band. The last two MC albums are equivalent of Megadeth's Risk. Songs that may or may not have some merit by themselves but they are songs written to break a mainstream audience without care of the old fans they claim to want to keep. And what's with Monkey Finger. Holy shit talk about going for the world's crappiest song.
I have no problem with Kurdt doing Presto Ballet. I have no problem with Whathisface from Testament doing a jazz record, I have no problem with David Vincent taking over Lemmy's place in Head Cat. It's not the number of bands a person is in that makes a different its when two so obviously different formats become one. If Testament became a jazz I would be critical of what they released. If Head Cat started to have death metal growls, I'd be critical (and probably want to hear it) but Metal Church saying they have a record worthy of old Metal Church and releasing a pop album is why Kurdt needs to step back and hand the producing role over to an independent ear.
I have no problem with Kurdt doing Presto Ballet. I have no problem with Whathisface from Testament doing a jazz record, I have no problem with David Vincent taking over Lemmy's place in Head Cat. It's not the number of bands a person is in that makes a different its when two so obviously different formats become one. If Testament became a jazz I would be critical of what they released. If Head Cat started to have death metal growls, I'd be critical (and probably want to hear it) but Metal Church saying they have a record worthy of old Metal Church and releasing a pop album is why Kurdt needs to step back and hand the producing role over to an independent ear.
Slammed
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Ok pop is a bit harsh but sheesh 30 odd years of Metal Church and buying every album and this is what they deliver, it may as well be pop because it's not Metal Church.
Seriously? Whathisface is an insult? Come on, what world are we living in where that is an insult? I couln't remember his name and I wasn't going to look it up, it's not like everyone reading it wouldn't have known to whom I was referring. If I'd have called him "that dickhead from Testament" fair enough but I didn't, I simply drew a blank on his name. To start picking on such names as an insult really is dredging the barrel. But I suppose in this world where everyone gets a prize for coming last and metal bands release mediocre albums to high praise the word insult is one that has changed definition too.
redfly
Ruled By The Riff
They may have come a lot closer to the first three Howe albums if any of the band was there aside from Kurdt and Howe. This album is a huge disappointment to me. And I love. LOVE , the first three Howe albums, so much so that they have been in regular rotation for 25 years. This album has almost no darkness to it. The solos are very basic and lazy and for the most part sound the same, He sounds like he's channeling The Doors. Plus there is no cool standout bass.
A lot of the songs go almost straight to chorus which makes them sound a bit weak to me, like there really wasn't a lot of thought put in. Even some of the vocals...and I hate to say it really I do. Made me cringe.
One song sounds more like Quiet Riot to me. Monkey Finger really sticks out to me. Monkey finger is an awful song. I'm shocked at how bad it is.
Not to mention that as you pointed out. Some of this is repeated from past albums. Some from Blessing and some from Human Factor.
While yes Kurdt was a big writer on those past Howe albums. It wasn't just him. They all have credits on those albums. Metal Church wasn't just Kurdt and Howe. The magic was with that line up. Also Kurdt wasn't the producer. He can trash these other metal bands production all he want's. And has/does. I find his production to be without power and fullness. Testament, Flotsam and Jetsam, Overkill and Slayer. all have crushing production. You feel the power even on low volume.
The drums are a definite step up from XI. But that's as far as I can go. XI wasn't as thrashy as I would have liked. But at least the songs were good.
This album, as Slammed has said reminds me much more of a rock record akin to Presto Ballet. And does not cut it for me at all. And isn't even close to the early Howe albums. Howe deserves better than this.
I think they have the equivalent of love blinders on because it's been so long since they worked together and they are having fun. So everything sounds good to them.
Just my opinion of this album.
redfly
Ruled By The Riff
Problem is, is that they are billing it as a return to form in every interview. And Kurdt is trashing a lot of bands alluding to how great he thinks he is. Many of the veteran bands have not only kept it up. But gotten even more ruthless. Flotsam's new stuff is killin it. If I band changes, whatever I can take it. But when you're saying it's as good as and like the old stuff when it clearly isn't. Well, that's not cool. And frankly underscores the contribution of the classic Howe line up. Again, in my opinion. If you like it. That's great. I'm genuinely happy for you.
Slammed
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Yes, it's the constant telling us that it was a return that sucked. Sure if one was inclined they could try to ignore all the press, they could say they don't read it and therefore don't make opinions based on what the rest of the metal community do. But lets face it we are all sitting here on a forum day in and day out discussing albums, bands and what goes on in metal. If we didn't read all that garbage on the news websites we wouldn't know albums were coming out. If we only relied on band/label websites to give us news we'd think every album was great. So we all have some influence from the press and to read that a band is producing stuff that is like their old stuff but ignoring those comments when they finally release something that is well below, that is selective at best.
If Damned If You Do was released under the banner of Kurdt and Howe Jam in the Garage it would be different because they aren't riding on the name and making old school fans believe they created something old school fans want. It wouldn't make the songs better or worse, but it wouldn't have diminished what was an old school legacy the two of them claimed to be upholding. Even if you don't want to admit to reading the press and have skipped over all the references to what they claimed they were doing, there is no old school fan that would favourably compare this to their classic material, material worthy of the name METAL CHURCH.
Slammed
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Slammed
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Oh okay fair enough, was just making sure since you're you know... ancient.
Told you there wasn't enough BM albums to make a top 10
1. Vargrav - Netherstorm
2. Archgoat - The Luciferian Crown
3. Faustcoven - In the Shadow of Doom
4. Valdrin - Two Carrion Talismans
5. Profanatica - Altar of the Virgin Whore
6. Truchło Strzygi - Pora Umierać
7. Doomentor - Opus Diabolae
8. Moenen of Xezbeth - Ancient Spells of Darkness...
9. Panopticon - The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness
10. Spectral Wound - Infernal Decadence
HM:
Haunt - Grimoires of Undead Power
Blood of Serpents - Sulphur Sovereign
Insignium - Infamie und Urgewalt - Wenn Altes Sich Erhebt
Runeshard - Dreaming Spire
Ifernach - Gaqtaqaiaq
Uruk - Nihilistic Warfare in Inhuman Realms
Mooncitadel - Moon Calls to Wander the Winter's Majesty
Doden Grotte - Old World is Dead
Dagorath - Evil is the Spirit
no country for old wainds
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redfly
Ruled By The Riff
Oh yeah, if it hadn't been under the MC name I wouldn't have a problem. Even in the MC name I'm only comparing it to the Howe albums. The Wayne and Monroe albums are completely different. But every interview is about the legacy of MC and how they can finally make music with more dynamics because Howe is back. I don't hear the dynamics on this album. There are not really any standout tracks to me. Just songs that sound like they were left over from XI. And for a reason. And to me this album is a thin addition. And not worthy of sitting beside Blessing, Human Factor and Hanging In The Balance. All you really need to do is put any of those albums on.
If you like a band, especially one that has had this much buzz with a loved singer coming back to music after 25 years. I don't see how you can't read the interview's and want to know about an upcoming or recently released album. I pre ordered this and waited months for release, reading and listening to every interview they had. Because that's what I do with bands I love.
And all I've read and heard from Kurdt is how great he thinks he is at writing and producing and how bad he thinks all the other bands sound.
I think he's been extremely arrogant, which I guess is fine..if you can back it up. He hasn't in my opinion. They really talked this up. But I don't think it's delivered to what their core audience is. They actually seem to have forgotten what that means. This album is hard rock to me. Some because of the songs themselves and some of it because of the production and thin guitar tone. Even the songs that might have been heavy and energized are neutered by the tone and production.
Slammed
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These are all reasons I think they should have chosen another producer. It's not that Kurdt and Howe can't do it themselves, although lets face it producing and mastering a CD in today's climate is pretty fucking easy, it's all to do with them not doing it because they were too close. Produce other bands, co-produce your own stuff but get an independent source in to run over what you do. There is no way in the world if they got a decent producer in and told him/her they wanted something similar to old Metal Church that that person would have given them this album.
redfly
Ruled By The Riff
Exactly. Kurdt is too close. If they had gotten someone like Sneap or used Terry Date again. This would have been the comeback everyone deserved and hoped for.
I only listened to a bit of the album on Youtube, I now have the whole album queued up to listen to though. Really liked what I heard.
Slammed
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If they had used Sneap, KK might not being a whining little twat constantly crying....oh hang on yes he would.
It's really going to be hard to step up and listen to the next album, even if they do get a producer in to oversee. After the last two albums it's going to be impossible not to listen without prejudice. I understand some people will be waiting with baited breath, those who think this album really qualifies as something good, but I honestly don't think most of those people actually understand what MC really was.
What I do find interesting though is that those who have reviewed Damned as a great album have not really gone into detail about why it was good. Sure they have said it sounds good, or it's got some good riffs, or even that that it's such a great follow up from the last one. But none of them seem to have really put much depth in their reviews. Maybe it's a sign of the reviewers, maybe we should all rely on Metal Injection reviews only
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