Metal Church's 'Dead to Rights' - Album Review

Lots can change in the space of a few years. In my review of Metal Church's 2023 album Congregation of Annihilation (which can be read here), the band's triumphant comeback album following the death of much-loved frontman Mike Howe, which introduced the excellent Marc Lopes on vocals, I said: 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. Lopes indicated in an interview at the end of 2023 that the band would begin working on their next album the following year - but by 2025 he was saying that he had essentially heard nothing from anyone else in the band for quite a while by that point. This was certainly not a good sign, especially as the band had endured some forced downtime due to some health issues affecting bandleader, principal songwriter, and guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, so the writing seemed to already be on the wall for the Lopes era of Metal Church at that point. Metal Church have been no strangers to line-up changes over the years, but generally their singers stick around for more than one album - but by the end of last year it was clear that Lopes would only get the one bite of the cherry. This is because Vanderhoof announced a new-look and revamped version of Metal Church - retaining only lead guitarist since 2012 Rick van Zandt in the process. As such, Lopes, bassist Steve Unger, and drummer Stet Howland were all, seemingly, unceremoniously removed from the band. Unger and Howland had been in the band since 2003 and 2017 respectively, so the former has been a part of Metal Church for a long time - and I have to say that I was a bit shocked by how the new line-up was unveiled. No tribute was paid to the former members, and I feel that Unger in particularly likely deserved a shoutout, with the line-up change seemingly came as a shock to those members no longer included - as both Lopes and Howland are on record as being very upset by both the decision and the way things were handled behind the scenes. What seemed stranger, too, was that the current Metal Church line-up seemed to have been put together in an attempt to be eye-catching over anything else - at least in terms of the rhythm section. I am not sure that new frontman Brian Allen (Bloodstone; Last Empire; Vicious Rumours; Two Headed Beast; Dark Sky Choir; Trauma) was ever going to turn heads, although he is certainly a long-standing veteran of the metal scene, but the inclusion of bassist Dave Ellefson (Megadeth; F5; Temple of Brutality; Killing Machine; Iron Steel; Angels of Babylon; Altitudes & Attitude; Dieth) and drummer Ken Mary (Fifth Angel; TKO; Alice Cooper; Chastain; House of Lords; Bad Moon Rising; Impellitteri; Flotsam and Jetsam) seem like attempts to get some 'names' in the band. Both Ellefson and Mary are scene veterans and excellent musicians, but, to me, this current Metal Church line-up just seems doomed to fall apart pretty quickly. Allen may well be in for the long hall, although even he has been in and out of plenty of bands, but Mary has been a journeyman for most of his career and Ellefson feels a bit like damaged goods and a bit of a liability these days given his desire to still regularly complain about Megadeth in interviews following his last firing five years ago. Even he has been a bit of a journeyman when not in Megadeth, too, and I just feel that Vanderhoof has broken up what seemed like a pretty stable band line-up (although who can really know what the relationships were like behind the scenes) in an attempt to raise the Metal Church profile with musicians that could well be gone by the time the next album is being considered.

We shall see, but, for now, the focus is on the product of this new Metal Church line-up: fourteenth studio album Dead to Rights. Congregation of Annihilation was likely the heaviest Metal Church album since the early days, with Lopes certainly channelling the spirit of original frontman David Wayne throughout - and Vanderhoof reintroduced some thrashier elements into his songwriting. Dead to Rights feels a bit more varied overall - with the band covering a bit more of their history in the process. I do not think that it is as strong as the last album - but even with my line-up misgivings there is plenty here to enjoy. The first two songs, which were released prior to the album coming out, are perhaps two of the best cuts here - and it is telling that they follow the high-octane formula of the previous album. Brainwash Game kicks off with a riff and a hard-driving drum pattern which sits somewhere between mid-paced traditional metal and thrash - whipping up quite a bit of energy whilst ensuring something of a groove and plenty of weight remains. There is very little standing on ceremony here, as the band crash in from the moment the album starts - and it is not long before Allen starts to sing. He perhaps feels less crazed than Lopes, but I do think that he does a good job throughout the album. He is probably a more versatile singer, and he can deliver layered and unhinged vocals as the faster chorus later shows - but his verse delivery here is perhaps a little cleaner overall. He nails the overall Metal Church feel, though, and considering that he is the band's fifth frontman in their history he does a good job to make his own stamp on the material here. The riffing from Vanderhoof is very typical of the core Metal Church approach, too, whilst Ellefson's bass is quite high in the mix to add a high-gain attack beneath the guitar rhythms. A brief instrumental section later introduces van Zandt proper for the first time on the album with some melodic soloing. F.A.F.O was the album's lead single, and it was released the day the new line-up was revealed. This song ups the pace and channels a thrashy sound from the off, with some busy drumming from Mary and a pretty hooky main riff that still manages to feel pretty heavy. If anyone thought that Allen held back somewhat during the last song, here he really lets rip - with some throat-shredding verse vocals showcasing some of that crazed sound that Lopes exhibited on the last album. In fact, this song would have sat nicely on that album - and it is good to see the band continuing such a level of heaviness throughout at least part of this release. As if to double down, too, Allen pushes things even further during a tough chorus - which features fast-paced, machine gun vocal lines alongside some punchy gang vocals. Throw in a shredded solo and the song is one of the album's over highlights in my opinion. The title track follows, reining in some of the intense nature of the opening two cuts - with Vanderhoof instead delivering a much more melodic opening guitar riff which sets a strong, mid-paced groove from the off. There is still plenty of heaviness here, as there is throughout the album, but this is  a track which does not channel much of a thrash feel - so it feels quite different from the last album and somewhat channels the sound of the Howe era more than the Wayne era. Despite this, Allen still adds plenty of grit to his vocal delivery - and actually delivers quite a few gravelly high-pitched screams during the piece which remind me a little of Tim 'Ripper' Owens somewhat. He sounds especially intense during the verses, despite the riffing behind him being groovier and with more room to breathe, whilst the chorus is a bit more straight ahead - with simple gang vocal refrains and a tight drum groove that nicely plays off Vanderhoof's hooky riffing. Despite reining in some of the toughness, a return to the more melodic vibes of the Howe era is a nice surprise.

Deep Cover Shakedown sits somewhere between the album's first two songs and the title track - with a riff that overall feels heavier than that which featured in the title track whilst a mid-paced approach is largely retained. In some ways, songs like this have been Metal Church's bread and butter for years. They have always been something of a hard band to categorise, as they have never really felt like a bona fide thrash band despite clearly having an influence on the genre. They have often felt heavier than most traditional metal bands from the 1980s, too, so they cover quite a lot of ground. This song essentially sums all of that up - with a crunchy yet melodic riff driving everything, a mix of simple drum grooves and busy fills with faster footwork thrown in, and a harsher vocal delivery which is still pretty easy on the ear. Unlike the previous three songs, though, the chorus here is perhaps somewhat less interesting - which means that, despite the strong riffing and grooves, this song feels like a little step down compared to the opening trilogy. Feet to the Fire feels a bit more interesting overall arrangement-wise. Rather than hitting the ground running, this time the main riff seems to fade in somewhat - with a percussive drum groove from Mary soon joining it. The combination of this main riff and the busier drumming gives the song something of an off-kilter feel - especially when the verses move along at a surprisingly slow place. Mary's drumming itself feels fast in isolation, but the chord progressions atop it are much slower - and this gives the song a different overall vibe. I am not sure that I liked this contrast at first, but over a few listens the song has grown on me - and the chorus is pretty interesting with some big, drawn out vocal notes from Allen against the grinding guitar backing. There is also a more dynamic approach throughout, with a clean guitar-led bridge section later to change up the pace further - before some more in-your-face riffing takes over. Those wanting the band to really rock out again will enjoy The Show - a faster track which returns more to the intensity of the opening two songs here and the last album. Those thrashy vibes which the band have often injected into their music are utilised in a big way here, and the song feels aggressive and energetic from the off thanks to some busy riffing and Ellefson's powerful bass playing. I enjoy on this album how Ellefson's bass tone really stands out during the faster cuts. He is perhaps less obvious during the more mid-paced numbers, but the mix really favours him when things speed up - and the riffing here feels extra powerful as a result. Despite the song's pace, though, this is another with more of a dynamic feel - with another slower-burning bridge section, this time with chiming guitar leads and some prominent and busy bass playing. The song is hard and heavy for much of its run time, though, whilst a lengthy and shredded van Zandt solo only confirms this mood later on. A drum fill then introduces Heaven Knows (Slip Away), a track that returns to a more mid-paced and spacious arrangement that recalls the Howe era somewhat. The main riff just feels a bit more airy and less thrash influenced, although the song overall is still pretty heavy. Mary's jerky double bass drum patterns do drive everything, but the guitar tone overall is a little lighter - to allow the vocals to shine and more space for lead guitar playing. Generally, lead guitar moments on this album are reserved for a designated solo spot - but this song plays a bit more fast and loose with the lead guitar, allowing for a few more bursts of melody. As such it is a bit more melodic and free-flowing as a result - despite some pretty intense vocals from Allen at times.

No Memory is somewhat similar, opening with a bit of a strident guitar barrage before Mary starts to lay down another quite staccato double bass drum groove. Like the last song, this drum pattern acts as the main driving force throughout - with the guitar riffing largely more power chord based to allow for some chugging rhythms and pleasing note changes as opposed to something busier and more intense. Unlike the last song, though, this lead guitar moments are reined in again - meaning that this piece is very much more of a groove and riff machine. It feels quite simple in that regard, although there are parts that see the pace speed up to something of a chorus crescendo - with Allen's vocals getting more higher pitched as this climax is approached. This little trick does not exactly break the mould, but it works well to give the song a point of difference - and another fairly hard driving yet pretty melodic number feels at home on the album. Wasted Time immediately feels heavier than the previous two songs, with a much more intense and tougher-sounding mid-paced riff opening things up. Mary is perhaps less busy here, but his double bass drum accents do add to the overall heaviness - as he generally goes for a groovier approach here instead to allow the heaviness to shine. There are a couple of points of difference here, though. Firstly, this is one of the few more mid-paced numbers here where Ellefson's bass playing is much more noticeable. He really adds a lot to the feel of the main riff thanks to the edge on his overall tone. Secondly, this is another song with a bit more of a liberal approach to lead guitar. There are a few screaming leads during the verses and chorus here to shake things up - culminating in a later solo which is appropriately shredded given the song's tough overall atmosphere. The album then comes to a close with My Wrath, a song which picks up the pace again - going for a much thrashier overall sound once more. Given that there are more mid-paced and similar songs here than out and out faster tracks, the fact that the album ups the pace again to close things out is welcome. This song is perhaps not as thrashy as some of the other faster cuts here, but it remains suitably intense. Mary's drumming is punchy rather than the fast-paced assault that thrash generally demands, although there are some pretty fast sections that see him really lay into his double bass drums. This mix of punch and speed works well, then, and the overall energy of the song allows Allen to let rip - and his vocals here are some of the most intense since the early stages of the album. It is a pretty blistering song to end things with, in many ways allowing the album to end how it started. It is a pretty hooky song overall, though, with a chorus that is perhaps a bit more melodic than some of those in the the band's other faster songs. Despite my concerns with the line-up, and I would be very surprised if this line-up lasted for any meaningful length of time - Vanderhoof has once again written a number of strong songs here which the new-look Metal Church have turned into a very enjoyable album. As I said, I still prefer the previous effort - but this album is a bit more diverse and perhaps melodic in spots. It does not feel as fresh nor as vital as the barrelling last effort - but this album covers more of the band's history than the previous one, so it may have a wider appeal and may coax back some who prefer the Howe era sound.

The album was released on 10th April 2026 via Reaper Entertainment. Below is the band's promotional video for F.A.F.O.