Metal Church's 'Congregation of Annihilation' - Album Review

In a just world, the California-hailing five-piece (whom have become more associated with Washington state over the years) Metal Church would be talked about in the same breath as many of the big hitters of the hard rock and metal worlds. Since forming in 1980, and particularly since releasing their heralded self-titled debut album in 1984, there is no denying the influence that they have had on both traditional heavy metal and the thrash scene which would explode later in the decade. Too fast and furious to fit nicely alongside the traditional US metal scene of the early 1980s and not really abrasive enough to truly be called thrash, Metal Church somewhat fell through the cracks. They are a well-liked band with plenty of fans, but given the quality of their original run of albums before splitting in 1996 Metal Church should really be bigger than they are. A possible reason as to why Metal Church failed to cut through in the manner deserved was the fact that they have never really been able to keep a line-up together for an extended period of time - which certainly would have cost the band some momentum in the early days. Metal Church has always been spearheaded by guitarist and principal songwriter Kurdt Vanderhoof - with many other singers, guitarists, bassists, and drummers coming and going from the band over the years. Even Vanderhoof stepped back from active duty between 1986 and 1996, although he kept working with and writing for the band behind the scenes, meaning that Metal Church is one of those bands with a long list of previous members - so it must have been hard to keep up with all the chopping and changing in the pre-internet days. Vanderhoof's songwriting has ensured that Metal Church stayed on track, though, and the band's catalogue has remained solid despite all of the line-up changes - with a host of strong albums having been released since the band returned from hiatus in 1998. The band's last album, 2018's Damned if You Do (which I reviewed here), was one of the first Metal Church albums that I heard. I do not think that it was actually the first - but it was certainly the first that I heard around the time that it came out, and it proved to be another strong entry in the band's discography. Sadly, though, things have not been plain sailing for Metal Church since Damned if You Do's release - as in 2021 news broke of the tragic death of long-time frontman Mike Howe. Whilst Howe was not Metal Church's original singer, he had been associated with the band for a long time - and was a real fan-favourite. Many wondered if Metal Church would carry on following his death, but earlier this year Vanderhoof announced that Marc Lopes (Meliah Rage; Let Us Prey; Ross the Boss) had joined the band and that Metal Church's thirteenth studio album was on the horizon. This album, in the form of Congregation of Annihilation, was released back in May - and it was clear from the off that Metal Church have overcome Howe's passing and have hit the ground running with Lopes. Congregation of Annihilation is the band's most aggressive album for sometime, and a big part of this is down to Lopes - whose unhinged and powerful vocal performance dominates.

The nine-song album is pretty concise and does not outstay its welcome. In that sense, and given Lopes' vocal delivery, the album reminds me somewhat of the band's earliest work - when David Wayne was the frontman. All of the songs here are enjoyable, but perhaps the best two kick things off - with Another Judgement Day perfectly setting the tone with a brief drum barrage and a tight riff which feels pretty pacey despite it retaining plenty of crunch. A brief guitar lead injects some traditional heavy metal flair, but in the main the song is very vocal-focused. The verses are built around a variation of the opening riff, albeit slimmed down to allows Lopes' voice to shine, whilst the chorus does not change tack significantly - but is characterised by Lopes pushing himself further and ending the vocal melodies with a high-pitched scream. This song is clearly designed to spotlight his talents, with the rest of the band taking a bit of a backseat. The grooves throughout are excellent, though, with Vanderhoof's riffs being typical of his hooky and heavy style, whilst the occasional lead guitar bursts from Rick Van Zandt, contributing to his fifth Metal Church album, are busy yet tasteful. The song essentially gets to the essence of Metal Church's core sound and re-establishes it with Lopes at the helm - and those fearing that he would not fit within the band's model will certainly be pleased with the results. The album's title track follows, and it opens somewhat slowly. The first riff is pretty lumbering, and it seems as if the song is going to take more of a doom path, but things soon speed up - and the song is one which showcases why Metal Church had such a big influence on thrash. Vanderhoof and Van Zandt trade riffs back and forth throughout, and the pace is kept high thanks to a strong performance from Stet Howland on the drums. The verses are snappy, then, which brings a more aggressive delivery out of Lopes - but it is the chorus where the song really shines. The chorus here is very thrashy, with some gang vocals from the band acting in a call-and-response manner with Lopes - who really lets rip with some throat-shredding screams that really showcase his personality. I really like the over-the-top approach he has taken here, and he clearly 'gets' the Metal Church spirit already. Throw in a guitar solo section which switches back and forth between Vanderhoof and Van Zandt, and the song feels like a future Metal Church classic complete with plenty of hooks and a big attitude. Pick a God and Prey is up next, and it was the song which introduced the fans to the Lopes era when it was released online a few months ago. The faster pace of the previous song is retained, but the song overall feels less thrashy - and there is a strong NWOBHM influence throughout thanks to some occasional twin guitar leads and a prominent presence for long-time bassist Steve Unger. The bass really drives everything here, whilst the guitars crunch along to provide a strong rhythm - stepping forward when needed to inject some early 1980s leads into the track. Howland lays into his double bass drums here, too, and the song steams along at a decent pace - but feels tougher thanks to the crunching riffing and a somewhat more grounded vocal performance. Lopes screams less here, and instead goes for a grittier, less varied delivery on the whole - but it suits the song's overall crunch, and allows the foot-stomping chorus to shine appropriately.

Children of the Lie builds on the NWOBHM vibes of the previous song, with the opening riff feeling very Diamond Head-esque - and the overall crunch generally present in the band's sound has been somewhat toned down here. The song is still pretty heavy, but it feels less aggressive than anything on the album up to this point - with the guitar tones being somewhat more old-school sounding, and Howland's drumming being more punky and less intricate. As such, the song feels less involved than the opening few numbers, but there is a pleasing rhythm and attitude throughout. Lopes again feels somewhat more reined in here - but his more streamlined performance suits the song's more old-school sound, and he has a slightly cleaner edge to his delivery at times here which is welcome. Unger's bass is once again pretty high in the mix, which is something I have noticed about Metal Church's album's before, and he really feels integral to the band's rhythmic approach despite having two guitarists. Unger always finds space to play with, and he compliments the guitar riffing perfectly - and perhaps particularly stands out here thanks to the more toned down approach taken. Despite this, though, the song does get a bit heavier towards the end, with a raging final third which sees Lopes harshen up his voice somewhat briefly - before a more atmospheric instrumental section featuring bluesy guitar leads, a strong bassline, and simple synths brings the song to a close. Me the Nothing somewhat opens as the previous song ended, with some subtle keyboard textures and clean guitar melodies - but this vibe is relatively short lived as the song soon morphs into a lumbering mid-paced rocker which expands on the band's classic sound somewhat. The crunch that was toned down a bit somewhat on the last song returns here, but the pace is overall a lot more deliberate - and the arrangement feels a bit more dynamic. The verses mix heavy riffing and atmospheric clean guitar melodies to create a bit of a grungy feel that works well - whilst Lopes uses the slower pace to inject some real character and menace into his delivery. The chorus retains the same overall pace, but the synths from the intro return to add depth. Metal Church are not generally a keyboard-heavy band, but the synths are used to good effect here - and allow for a bit of a different sound overall, despite Lopes really letting rip during the pulsing chorus. A slow-burning dual guitar solo only further adds to the song's overall atmosphere, and the mid-paced, hard-driving song provides a welcome change of pace despite still maintaining a heavy sound. Making Monsters returns to something more typical of the band's core sound, although a brief bass-heavy intro first sets a slightly strange 1990s alterative rock tone. This vibe is short lived, though, and a faster-paced riff soon crashes in, and the song becomes another somewhat thrashy song packed full of attitude - and it is another that showcases a bit of a punk edge. The verses certainly feel pretty punky overall, with a prominent bass presence and some frantic Howland drumming. Depth is added by some chiming clean guitar chords, though, which do offset the punky vibes somewhat - but the unsettling feeling they create adds an extra dimension to the piece. The chorus is more typical, though, with a full-bodied guitar attack and plenty more vocal histrionics from Lopes. He really lets rip during parts of the chorus - and the faster pace allows his unhinged side to shine.

One of my favourite late album cuts follows, though, as Say a Prayer With 7 Bullets is a real hook-fest which sums up everything that is great about Metal Church. The main riff is another that borrows from the NWOBHM somewhat, with an upbeat hooky vibe established from the off, but there is still plenty of crunch. The song does not feel as old-school as some of the other NOWBHM-influenced songs here, and it retains the band's trademark more aggressive approach. The faster pace of the song allows the verses to really steam by, with riffs that showcase why bands like Metallica found a lot to like in Metal Church's approach, whilst the chorus builds on the NWOBHM-esque riff from the song's opening to create one of the album's hookiest moments. Lopes somewhat sings in tandem with the rhythm of the riff - and this allows for an interesting vocal melody - his voice perfectly balancing a melodic edge with aggression. As such, the chorus is one that has stuck in my brain from the off - and the song remains a real favourite despite multiple listens. Another solo section which sees both Vanderhoof and Van Zandt shredding later pulls everything together - and the song really deserves to become a future live staple for the band. These Violent Thrills is somewhat similar, but the riff feels more aggressive overall - and the song feels is frantic, instead going for a steaming pace which somewhat sits between mid-pace and something more thrashy. As such, there are some pretty big grooves throughout - but the real standout performer here is Lopes. He does a great job throughout the whole album, but it feels as if he picked These Violent Thrills to really showcase his range. Some of his screams here sound like what Tim Owens might have tried during his time with Iced Earth, and the overall crunch of the song allows him to really let rip. The song is less musically-interesting than some of the other cuts here, but that only serves to highlight the vocals more - and Lopes has grasped the opportunity to show off with both hands. The album then comes to a close with All That We Destroy, a similar-sounding song overall - but this one tends to leave the NWOBHM vibes behind to go for something more hard-driving and American in tone. It is the sort of song which showcases why the band's first couple of albums were so well received back int the 1980s - as there would not have been too many genuinely heavier albums out in the wild at that point. The riffing here is snappy and muscular, but some depth is added during a chorus which goes for a slightly more atmospheric feel with some clean guitar melodies sitting behind the riffing - which means that the song is another that feels a little more dynamic than the norm. Lopes is less full-on here, but he still screams occasionally - adding a harsher edge to some of the more atmospheric moments. There are more memorable songs here, but the crunching track does well to re-establish the band's classic sound one last time before the album comes to a close - leaving listeners wanting more. Overall, then, Congregation of Annihilation is something of a triumph - and a great example of a band overcoming adversity and delivering something strong. It is great to hear the band so fired up here, and Lopes has proved to be an excellent hire. I really hope that this is the start of a prolific and successful chapter in the long history of Metal Church, as I want to hear more from this line-up going forward.

The album was released on 26th May 2023 via Reaper Entertainment. Below is the band's official lyric video for Pick a God and Prey.