Metal Church have a long history behind them and somehow I found myself stumbling headfirst into it with this release. So I'm 22 years late... Better late than never I say.
Metal Church play vintage Heavy Metal. The songs are guitar driven and rely on a tight rythm section, gut-wrenching riffs and Ronny Munroe's rough voice. No keyboards are necessary to build the potent dark atmosphere that surround the songs. The tone in Ronny's voice fits the music very well. He goes from the rough leathery vocals to the ocassional high scream when needed. Jeff Plate on drums is the latest addition to the band and he does a great job here, keeping things tight while adding great details. The inventive bass playing by Steve Unger deserves a special mention as well. He lays a strong base and drives several songs that extra bit forward.
Among the songs are many lurkers that go by unnoticed for a while and then suddenly they jump out from behind the curtain and slice their sharp fangs across your face. The album is mostly made up of good, solid songs that take time to get under the skin, but there are also a few instant killers. The album is a definite grower and takes time to open up, but it worth the effort.
A personal highlight is the tense
Beyond all reason. The song has an interesting construction, good atmosphere and many small details that stand out, like the ultra tight instrumental section, 3:58 - 4:22 in particular. There is not time for more than a quick breath before
Mirror of Lies speeds off. A fast and powerful song that doesn't take many surprising turns along the way. A bit anonymous at first but it grows slowly.
Disappear on the other hand has an interesting way of evolving. It builds tension from the start and progresses into a changing metallic beast that convinces you to sit back and listen one moment and the next to get up and headbang.
The Believer has a very nice bridge section that builds great tension but the rest of the song doesn't quite manage to use it. The slightly crazed
Pill for the kill has an in-your-face approach that works very well. Again the bass commands my attention for most of the song. And again a great build-up to the chorus brings a strong tension to the song. The fast and furious
Son of the Son keeps on the edge with aggressive guitar work and it brings its message with conviction.
Temples of the sea is a 10 minute "epic" that gently welcomes the listener before getting heavy. The enticing bass play around the 2 minute mark always lures me into a trance-like state. Great guitar riffs rule the second part of the song as the song starts picking up speed and overall this is an excellent song.
More than you master would probably have benefitted from being a bit shorter since it starts struggling after the halfway mark.
Blinded by Life is marginally better, but also has the feeling that is is not quite as good as the rest.
Watch the children pray is a great song and by now I'm convinced to go out and hunt down the older albums.
The production is excellent, with every instrument audible. It isn't too polished and underlines the feel of the album well. The lyrics are worth spending time on and deal mostly with being misled and finding the right path. They touch upon issues of deceit, self control, beliefs, inner turmoil and facing the fear. The artwork in the booklet manages to capture the right tone as well.
While listening I find myself wishing for a little more variety between the songs as well as some more captivating melodies, but in the end this is a righteous Metal album that should be checked out by all those yearning for some good old school, hard hitting Heavy Metal. It is good to hear bands like these today.
Written by
Steen Saturday, July 22, 2006
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