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October 12, 2008 |
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01. A Light In The Dark
02. Beyond All Reason
03. Mirror Of Lies
04. Disappear
05. The Believer
06. Temples Of The Sea
07. Pill For The Kill
08. Son Of The Son
09. More Than Your Master
10. Blinded By Life
11. Watch The Children Pray 2006 (For David Wayne)
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It's been twenty two years already since METAL CHURCH released their self-titled debut, followed by automatically being assimilated into the rest of the Thrash Metal explosion, along with other formations such as ANTHRAX, EXODUS, MEGADETH, SLAYER, OVERKILL and of course METALLICA who they toured with as support soon thereafter. At the time the audacity of METAL CHURCH also prompted them to record a steroid-loaded cover of DEEP PURPLE's classic, "Highway Star", which to me will always be remembered as one of the highlights of the early '80s. Their previous release in 2004, "The Weight Of The World", left me somewhat frustrated as I expected much more from these Thrash veterans and I won't deny that with time, I have become way more attached to METAL CHURCH's first two releases. However, a glance at the old-school cover-art of the new disc, "A Light In The Dark", gives hope for something more in the vein of the band's earlier catalog.
From listening to the title track, "A Light In The Dark", the first impression is that there seems to be more horsepower in the sound of METAL CHURCH than I've heard in a long time. The voice of Ronny Munroe, who proves that he doesn't have to try to copy the late David Wayne (RIP) in order to fit the music of METAL CHURCH. As the album progresses with the following track, "Beyond All Reason", there is obviously no reason to get too enthusiastic. Despite the level of technicality of Kurdt Vanderhoof and Co., who do not have to prove anything as musicians, the truth is that there is a definite lack of inspiration when it comes to the songwriting here. Unfortunately from then on, there isn't much to expect from tracks such as the faster-paced "Mirror Of Lies", the DIO-inspired "Disappear" or even the killer riffs on "The Believer". This album is entertaining at best but still misses the edge needed to blow the long-time fan away.
Special mention can be made to the excellent nine-minute plus ballad "Temples Of The Sea", with its old-school atmosphere, which seems to be a return to the roots of METAL CHURCH when the early '80s Thrash movement used to rule the world of Metal. Sadly though, the next few tracks, "Pill For The Kill" and "Son Of The Son", don't keep up. Fortunately, "More Than Your Master", turns out to be another gem, proving that when it comes to good songwriting, METAL CHURCH still can pull it off. The album officially closes with "Blinded By Life", followed by a 2006 version bonus cover of METAL CHURCH's ultimate classic "Watch The Children Pray", originally released on "The Dark" in 1986 and dedicated to the memory of David Wayne.
Even if "A Light In The Dark" brings more to the game than its predecessor, "The Weight Of The World", only a few compositions actually stand out, and is likely to leave you hungry. But don't get me wrong. This album is far from being bad. However, when we remember the potential METAL CHURCH has been able to display over the years, this is just not good enough.
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