Metal Church-Dead to Rights-A Record Review

Metal Church Released their 13th Album, Dead to Rights, on April 10th.

Review by The Pit Contributor Vince Andreasen

Metal Church returns with their 13^th studio release Dead to Rights with a refreshed line-up and refreshed sound. Founding member and guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof has reunited with long term guitarist Rick Van Zandt along with metal heavyweights David Ellefson (Megadeth, Lucid) on bass, Brian Allen (Vicious Rumors, Dark Arena, Trauma) on vocals, and Ken Mary (Flotsam and Jetsam, Alice Cooper, Accept) on drums. This alignment gives Metal Church a sound that makes Dead to Rights feel equally modern as it does nostalgic.

The guitars prominently feature those signature Metal Church riffs providing the nostalgia, while the rhythm section of Ellefson’s signature musicianship and Mary’s fills and footwork bring that modern metal edge to the band. And new singer Brian Allen is a dominant force throughout this record. Yes, he provides those screeching, borderline eviscerating, vocals Metal Church is known for, but with an additional level of earthiness and control that fits extremely well on top of the music. Many past Metal Church records had an abundance of reverb or production elements that made the vocals stand apart from the music at times, and this is not the case throughout Dead to Rights. The result is a very cohesive record featuring 10 no-frills, full throttle, metal tracks that adhere to the Metal Church formula that has made them one of the most lasting thrash metal bands from their era.

The record opens with Brainwash Game that immediately hits home. No slow-burning intro that is so typical amongst their thrash metal peers, instead we get a guitar bend right into a blast beat that sets the tone for everything to come. Every track that follows hits equally hard and I can’t say any of them stand out better than the rest. While the pre-chorus/chorus hook from lead-off single F.A.F.O. may provide the most memorable earworm upon first listen, they all have stand-out moments where I couldn’t help but bang my head and smile.

The synergy between Vanderhoof and Zandt is evident on every track too providing great lead/rhythm combinations and fantastic harmonies when needed. And while most tracks seamlessly transition tempo and dynamics between verses-choruses-and bridges, these transitions are never overdone or venture into prog rock territory. This is a straightforward metal record that maintains its pace from track one through track ten. The production quality is equally excellent, and everything hits you square in the chest when listening at ample volumes, which is highly recommended.

Metal Church once again proves these early 80’s thrash metal pioneers can still make their mark in the modern era. It’s hard to believe this record comes 40+ years into their career, and I’m hoping this may be a taste of more to come from this line-up. Dead to Rights is a solid release and if you have ever been a fan of Metal Church, or fan of 80’s thrash metal in general, give this a listen!