Metal Church may have gone through more line up changes than your average person has had hot dinners but one thing that has always remained a vital force has been their music. Now, this reviewer won’t testify to having listened to all fourteen albums, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the music on Dead To Rights is a great addition to sit alongside those classic early albums.
With a line up now featuring metal luminaries as David Ellefson (Megadeth), Ken Mary (Fifth Angel, Impelliteri, Flotsam and Jetsam), and new vocalist Brian Allen you can see a certain pedigree. Accentuated by the ever present Kurdt Vanderhoof, and the seeds are planted for a rather vigorous assault of the senses. With a powerful mixture of thrash, power metal, and old school riffing, it’s a welcome back to classic metal.
Tracks such as the barnstorming opener ‘Brainwash Game’, or the fantastic title track demonstrate an innate understanding of how to create metal which is powered by melody but also rips your face off. Searing choruses play off fiery riffs, with Allen’s vocal performance bringing to mind Udo Dirkschneider in his pomp. ‘Deep Cover Shakedown’ features a rattling rhythm section which helps drive the song into its soaring chorus. ‘Feet To The Fire’ is a bit of a plodder which introduces a mellow middle eight which aims for the right places but doesn’t quite work. ‘The Show’ almost drowns in its self importance but is actually a bit of a grower. A dark track which insinuates its way into your soul. Very heavy.
To counteract this is the rollicking ‘Heaven Knows (Slip Away)’, which makes no attempt at being anything but itself. Galloping riffs, vocals aiming for the classic Halford scream (but never quite making it), and a chaotic rhythm section, it’s head-banging manna after previous slower tracks. ‘No Memory’ aims for the middle of road rock banger, and pulls it off with some aplomb. The fireworks of the earlier tracks may have died down but they continue to give it a good go on ‘Wasted Time’ but it very much feels like the album is treading water now. ‘My Wrath’ does finish the album off on a high though as it sneers its way through its tumultuous way. It’s a last gasp of defiance from a band who have seen it all over the years.
For a band this far into their career, and essentially a new one carrying the legacy of the old Dead To Rights is a decent enough album. There are more highs than lows, with only a few tracks outstaying their welcome. It certainly deserves to be heard and hopefully will find a home with Metal Church fans old and new. That they still breathing fire after all these years, albeit in a different guise, is worthy of your entry alone.
