Metal Church's 'Damned if You Do' - Album Review

Given the sheer amount of music that there is in the world, especially in the long-living hard rock and heavy metal genres, it is not surprising that even some of the bigger bands in the genre occasionally pass me by. There just, sadly, is not enough time in the world to listen to and appreciate every band - but every so often you just have to force yourself to go back and pick up on one that you have previously missed out on. The American heavy metal act Metal Church is one such band. Metal Church are a band that I have been aware of for quite some time, but have never had the drive or need to really investigate their large back catalogue. Part of me has always wanted to delve into their history, but other bands have always seemed more worthy of my attention. This all changed recently however when the band were announced to be performing at the 2019 edition of Bloodstock Open Air - a festival for which I already had a ticket for. Sometimes things are just meant to happen at specific times, and it seemed that now was the perfect time to jump onto the Metal Church wagon. I purchased the band's 2016 album XI and enjoyed it, but I felt that my 'proper' introduction to the band would be their then-upcoming new album Damned if You Do. I did not have long to wait, and earlier this month I purchased the album and looked forward to getting stuck in. Damned if You Do is the band's twelfth album overall and, as far as I can tell, is a good representation of the band's back-to-basics heavy metal sound. There are occasional hints of things like thrash and US power metal in Metal Church's sound, but overall the band just play good old-fashioned heavy metal in the style of bands like Judas Priest and Accept. Metal Church have had quite a lot of line-up changes over the years, and only guitarist and main songwriter Kurdt Vanderhoof remains from the band's 1980 genesis, but the sound has remained very similar throughout their near forty year career. The band's line-up on Damned if You Do is similar to the one that performed on XI two years ago, with frontman Mike Howe, lead guitarist Rick van Zandt, and bassist Steve Unger once again joining Vanderhoof. The three have history with the band, none more so than Howe who's original stint with the band in the 1980s and early 1990s led to some of their best-received albums. The only new face here is drummer Stet Howland (W.A.S.P.; Belladonna; Lita Ford), a musician of considerable pedigree who has replaced the band's long-time drummer Jeff Plate. Not long after joining the band last year, Howland was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully however the treatments seem to have been successful, and earlier this year he announced that his cancer was in remission. Damned if You Do is his first bit of studio work since this illness, and his hard hitting style familiar to fans of those underrated 1990s W.A.S.P. albums is on display here in full force.

The album opens up slightly strangely, with some tribal chanting in the form of humming, but when a powerful Vanderhoof guitar riff kicks in you can be reassured that you have put on the right record! The title track is the album's first song, and it is filled with everything that makes Metal Church great. It is a fast-paced track, with Howland's heavy double bass drumming making an instant impact, and Howe's paint stripping vocal delivery sounds fantastic. He is such an unassuming and distinctly un-metal looking guy, but he has the voice of a demon and his slightly harsh high-pitched delivery is reminiscent of Rob Halford in the early 1990s. van Zandt handles the main guitar leads throughout, and adds a slow, deliberate solo part-way through that is quite different that what is expected in a faster piece. It works well however, and adds another side to what would have otherwise been a fairly one-dimensional song. This is not a criticism however, as it kicks off the album in fine fashion and sees the band sounding fresh and hungry. The Black Things follows and opens with some haunting clean guitar melodies, which soon morph into a heavier main riff that keeps the same style. While still a fairly speedy track, it does not feel as fast as the previous effort and maintains a more deliberate pace throughout which allows van Zandt to throw in lots of little guitar leads here and there to compliment Howe's deep vocals. His verse delivery here is in a much lower register than his usual higher-pitched sound, but as he moves towards the melodic chorus he opens up a little to showcase his more usual style. There is even a little bit of King Diamond in his delivery and variation here, and it helps to make the song one of the album's highlights. The chorus is a really catchy moment, and the haunting guitar lines that permeate throughout the song help to create an interesting atmosphere that is different from usual. By the Numbers is one of the album's lead singles, and is more straight-ahead than the previous song - and it packs a huge punch as a result. Vanderhoof's main riff is extremely catchy, but the thing that stands out the most throughout this song is the rumbling bassline from Unger. So often in metal the bass is lost in the mix, here he sounds powerful and full-bodied. I think it helps the song to sound even more powerful and that, mixed with some excellent vocal melodies throughout, is probably why this is one of the album's most instantly-memorable pieces. The chorus is pretty anthemic, and I would not be surprised to see the song becoming a new live staple for the upcoming tour.

Revolution Underway is another slightly more atmospheric piece, but it still packs a punch with a slightly galloping rhythm throughout and the occasional burst of Iron Maiden-esque twin lead guitar harmonies. Metal Church are a more a in-your-face band usually, with Vanderhoof's big riffs driving everything, but this occasional deviation into a more melodic territory is most welcome. As a result, this song is extremely memorable and Howe's vocals are definitely given more of a chance to breathe. He sounds great throughout this album, but I think this song showcases some of his best work because he is not always having to compete with the sledgehammer riffing. He sounds particularly evil during the choruses, with plenty of big harmony vocals to add to his snarling delivery. The song's lengthy instrumental section is also very good, and features some excellent and varied lead work from van Zandt. Again there is little of the traditional metal shredding here, but a more deliberate delivery which suits the song's overall more melodic feeling. Guillotine is heavier, but still maintains a melodic feel with short bursts of lead guitar. Overall however, this song has much more of a thrash influence than many of the other songs here with a big guitar riff driving everything and Howland's drumming never letting up. Songs like this are always enjoyable however, and showcase the band really firing on all cylinders. Howe unleashes some pretty high-pitched vocal screams during the abrasive choruses, and the rest of the band work flat out to keep the song steaming forward. There is a slightly slower section towards the middle of the song which features a strong creeping guitar riff, but it soon ramps back up to the fast pace which works so well. Rot Away is another faster piece, and features a riff that sounds like something Metallica would have come up with in the early days of their career, before a steaming verse kicks again that is driven by a pounding bassline and some razor sharp vocals. It is no secret that bands like Metal Church were very influential on the thrash movement of the mid-1980s, and songs like this showcase why they held such a sway. There is a thrashy attitude here, but it is still perfectly encased in a traditional heavy metal shell. The little ascending guitar leads that surface here and there throughout the song are really memorable too, and add a little bit of flashy melody to what otherwise is a very hard-hitting piece. Into the Fold opens deceivingly slow, but this little bout of clean guitar does not last long before Howland lays into his snare for a big roll and another muscular guitar riff kicks in. This is not as fast-paced as some of the other pieces here though, with more of a powerful mid-paced feel - especially during the choruses. The paces changes throughout however, which makes this one of the most diverse songs on the album, and van Zandt's occasional bursts of shredding make up some of the fastest moments. Much of the soloing throughout this album is a slower, so having some moments of unshackled shredding here makes a welcome change.

Monkey Finger is more of a mid-paced tune that is driven by a deliberate Vanderhoof riff and Unger bassline. It is probably at perfect headbanging tempo, so I can see this one being played live on the band's upcoming tour. It is also this song that makes me realise how well-produced this album is. You can hear everything on the album extremely clearly, with the bass nice and punchy and the drums loud without being overpowering. All of this is wrapped up in an overall sound that is just raw enough to make it feel like a metal record, and polished enough to make it easy on the ear. Vanderhoof has produced the album, so should be congratulated on his efforts. This more mid-paced tune is a perfect representation of the album's sound, and is a great example of how this sort of music should sound. Out of Balance ups the speed again, and is a real late-album highlight for me. The riffs are very catchy here, and Howland's punchy drumming really helps to drive everything forward. It is a tougher sounding piece too, with occasional bursts of gang vocals to add power, and Howe's lead vocals do not often reach his higher registers - instead staying in his tougher mid range. The chorus here is also very catchy in a very basic way. It has an almost AC/DC-esque simplicity about it which makes it very memorable, and another song that I can certainly see the band playing live with an audience really getting behind the gang vocals. Sometimes a simple sing-a-long is all that you need, and this song certainly ticks that box for this album. The album's closing number, The War Electric, is another faster number - but one that has also gone for melody with lots of interesting vocal quirks and snappy riffing that instantly gets into your head. Howe's King Diamond-esque vocals are back, but the song is not as atmospheric as examples early in the album so he does not sound as creepy here - just full of energy. There chorus here is very memorable, with some shrill vocals and driving drums, but it is the song's lengthy guitar solo that is probably the highlight for me. van Zandt starts off slowly, before exploding into a fast-paced shredding run that sounds great. While not the most memorable of songs on the album, it's high energy certainly helps to album to end on a high, and is sure to keep any metalhead headbanging to the end. Overall, Damned if You Do is a strong album from Metal Church and one that has been a good entry point for me in the band's catalogue. I am looking forward to seeing the band live at Bloodstock in August, and in the meantime I shall dive into the band's back catalogue and see what other gems I can unearth.

The album was released on 7th December 2018 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for By the Numbers.