Reviewed by Solomon (6/19/02):
"Metal Church": now, there's a name that doesn't leave questions of style to the wind. The band made its mark on metal history with two, hard-hitting power metal classics, the self-titled debut (1984) and The Dark (1986). For the third album, Blessing In Disguise, the band went through a set of significant lineup changes. Vocalist David Wayne left the band to form his own ensemble, Reverend, and, oddly enough, founder/guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, who continued to write for the band, was replaced by Metallica roadie John Marshall. Mike Howe, former vocalist for L.A.'s Heretic, took over on vox for this album. Despite a severe shake-up in the roster, Metal Church forged ahead with another album of intense power/prog metal that contains several choice cuts. Funny how MC shared the same label as heavyweights Metallica, watching that band achieve greater heights of stardom while watching themselves stay in the "almost famous" catagory. 1989 was smack dab in the middle of metal's golden years, and with producer Terry Date behind the wheel, you'd think Blessing would have pushed the band into the big-time, but things don't always work out that way. Actually, Date's touch on Blessing isn't as loud and potent as his work on subsequent Overkill and Pantera records. Every song is not a total revelation, either, but this is some solid power/speed/prog metal from Seattle's underdogs.
Opener "Fake Healer" grabs you by the sack and doesn't let go. The incredibly heavy, chugging riff in the verse is what pushed me into buying this puppy way-back-when in the first place. Many may swear by David Wayne as Church's "true" singer, and justifiably so, but Howe's gutsy bellowing is a righteous match for the band's sound, particularly on a pile-driver like "Fake Healer." Chalk one up for originality, as not many metal bands use the Titanic sinking ("I'm the king of the... AAARRGGHH!") as lyrical subject matter. "Rest In Pieces (April 15, 1912)" rocks, and "artsier" tracks like the epic "Badlands" establishes the band's kinship with fellow Seattle proggers like Queensryche and Sanctuary. "Anthem To The Estranged," the album's ten-minute masterpiece, is truly a metal milestone and is worth the price of admission alone. Arranged in classic metal "ballad" fashion (clean intro, heavy part, more clean stuff, you know the drill) "Anthem" is an underrated gem, featuring some very decent clean singing from Howe and featuring a dramatic guitar chorus that reigns among the Greatest Riffs In The Universe.
After "Badlands," the album starts to dip a little, although "The Spell Can't Be Broken" has plenty of snarl and "The Powers That Be" is a fun, upbeat, Maidenesque closer. Blessing may not be as close to fans' hearts as the first two MC releases, but this is a quality, heavy release from a band that never received their full due.
"Metal Church": now, there's a name that doesn't leave questions of style to the wind. The band made its mark on metal history with two, hard-hitting power metal classics, the self-titled debut (1984) and The Dark (1986). For the third album, Blessing In Disguise, the band went through a set of significant lineup changes. Vocalist David Wayne left the band to form his own ensemble, Reverend, and, oddly enough, founder/guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, who continued to write for the band, was replaced by Metallica roadie John Marshall. Mike Howe, former vocalist for L.A.'s Heretic, took over on vox for this album. Despite a severe shake-up in the roster, Metal Church forged ahead with another album of intense power/prog metal that contains several choice cuts. Funny how MC shared the same label as heavyweights Metallica, watching that band achieve greater heights of stardom while watching themselves stay in the "almost famous" catagory. 1989 was smack dab in the middle of metal's golden years, and with producer Terry Date behind the wheel, you'd think Blessing would have pushed the band into the big-time, but things don't always work out that way. Actually, Date's touch on Blessing isn't as loud and potent as his work on subsequent Overkill and Pantera records. Every song is not a total revelation, either, but this is some solid power/speed/prog metal from Seattle's underdogs.
Opener "Fake Healer" grabs you by the sack and doesn't let go. The incredibly heavy, chugging riff in the verse is what pushed me into buying this puppy way-back-when in the first place. Many may swear by David Wayne as Church's "true" singer, and justifiably so, but Howe's gutsy bellowing is a righteous match for the band's sound, particularly on a pile-driver like "Fake Healer." Chalk one up for originality, as not many metal bands use the Titanic sinking ("I'm the king of the... AAARRGGHH!") as lyrical subject matter. "Rest In Pieces (April 15, 1912)" rocks, and "artsier" tracks like the epic "Badlands" establishes the band's kinship with fellow Seattle proggers like Queensryche and Sanctuary. "Anthem To The Estranged," the album's ten-minute masterpiece, is truly a metal milestone and is worth the price of admission alone. Arranged in classic metal "ballad" fashion (clean intro, heavy part, more clean stuff, you know the drill) "Anthem" is an underrated gem, featuring some very decent clean singing from Howe and featuring a dramatic guitar chorus that reigns among the Greatest Riffs In The Universe.
After "Badlands," the album starts to dip a little, although "The Spell Can't Be Broken" has plenty of snarl and "The Powers That Be" is a fun, upbeat, Maidenesque closer. Blessing may not be as close to fans' hearts as the first two MC releases, but this is a quality, heavy release from a band that never received their full due.
