METAL CHURCH
“DAMNED IF YOU DO”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Metal Church are a heavy metal band from the USA formed in the early eighties by guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof. In a career spanning almost forty years, Metal Church have released eleven studio albums and three live albums, with ‘Damned If You Do’ the bands twelfth full length offering.

I became a fan of Metal Church back in 1986 when they “started the fire” with the release of their second album ‘The Dark’. Their hard hitting brand of heavy metal had thrash nuances that made them an instant like for a teenager growing up on the likes of Metallica, Overkill and Exodus. Metal Church have endured line-up changes, break-ups, re-unions and tragedy throughout their forty year career, including the sad loss of their original singer David Wayne (who died 2005). Even through all the turmoil, Metal Church remain a fierce unit, focused on delivering hard hitting heavy metal, with their new album proving to the world that they are still a major force in the worldwide heavy metal scene.

Opening with the title song, Metal Church get their new album underway in typically heavy fashion, all rumbling thunder and melodic mastery. ‘Damned If You Do’ (the song) is a mid tempo foot stomper, a gentle ease into forty five minutes of American heavy metal. Singer Mike Howe is in fine form, his raspy, throaty style giving off a menacing vibe as he snarls “you’re damned if you do”. Injecting a higher dose of intensity, the album rolls on with ‘The Black Things’, inviting proper head banging to begin. The opening double shot has served as an appetiser to the main course, as from song three the album assumes the thrash tinted heavy metal identity Metal Church are truly known for. ‘By The Numbers’ is high tempo and highly infectious, energetic and frenetic with a barnstormer of a chant style chorus. All together now “you’re living, living by the numbers, living, living by the numbers”. Cracking stuff. ‘Revolution Underway’ hints at the American power metal style, as it powers on, high paced and one hundred percent infectious. And then with a massive boom, the album speeds off at high velocity with the staggering swagger of ‘Guillotine’. Fast and furious, ‘Guillotine’ is a galloping gourmet delight, delivering a vigorously vibrant head banging experience.

At a little over three minutes in length ‘Rot Away’ is the shortest song on offer, yet is also one of the heaviest, packing a hefty punch. Hard as nails and as devastating as a wrecking ball, ‘Rot Away’ is gonna brutally smack you hard around the head. ‘Into The Fold’ sees Metal Church roam wide, taking in the scenery that the hard rock and power metal genres have to offer. Catchy and addictive, ‘Into The Fold’ is much more American power metal than the bands signature sound. If you were thinking that after four decades of existence that Metal Church would rely on their past glories to survive, you thought wrong. There is absolutely no retro feel about this offering. Anthemic melodic metal takes front and centre as ‘Monkey Finger’ stamps its way into sight, majestically marching on. Tall and proud, ‘Monkey Finger’ is a break from the albums higher paced assault. And talking of pace, ‘Out Of Balance’ is lightning quick and will have heads violently nodding back and forth. By far and away the best song the album has to offer, ‘Out Of Balance’ also has a cracking sing a long style chorus. And so the album heads for the finish line with the menacing snarl that is ‘The War Electric’. Up tempo, full of energy and highly sing a long able, ‘The War Electric’ is a barnstorming end to a very good album.

Overall, heavy and high tempo thrash tinted metal from one of the pioneering exponents of the American heavy metal scene.

TRACKLIST

Damned If You Do
The Black Things
By The Numbers
Revolution Underway
Guillotine
Rot Away
Into The Fold
Monkey Finger
Out Of Balance
The War Electric

https://www.metalchurchofficial.com/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMetalChurch/

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