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METAL CHURCH “Dead To Rights”
METAL CHURCH “Dead To Rights”
By Iron Sheik
No God can stop this slaughter! Laying bare a vast wasteland of sound, METAL CHURCH in 2026 hits all the right notes like those bricks they dropped on us back in the 80s. My favorite METAL CHURCH song has been “Over My Dead Body” which to me locks in on an intensity that summed up the David Wayne era. Aaahhhh, for great music like that again! Welcome to the METAL CHURCH gathering in 2026, and like that fire started many many years ago, “Dead To Rights” burns intensely.
METAL CHURCH is Kurdt Vanderhoof on guitar and keyboards joined by long running lead guitarist Rick Van Zandt. Ken Mary joins on drums and has played on albums from CHASTAIN to ALICE COOPER as well as numerous others. David Ellefson on bass who of course is making his way on the 20s metal scene since being ejected a few years back from a band he helped co-found (I wonder who that could be?--Dr. M), and relative newcomer powerhouse vocalist, Brian Allen. Pedigrees aside, we have the most musically accomplished bottom end with the past standing tall, and as well stretching back into the early 80s. Brian Allen has been making a name for himself since 2017, and he fits easily into the METAL CHURCH as a great singer who at moments mirrors David Wayne, while at other moments echoing Mike Howe. Yet he still sounds distinct.
First single “F.A.F.O.” is a fierce slab of metal which whetted the appetite upon first hearing it a couple months back. Newest single “Brainwash Game”, which opens the album further whets the appetite upon its release just prior to the album dropping. With intense leads, stellar vocals, and a tight bottom end, METAL CHURCH are charging forward in 2026. “Feet To The Fire” is my favorite track on the album. It was hard to decide, but it stands out to me with its hypnotic groove. “My Wrath” in its breakdown leading into the solo has a cool psychedelic sounding moment. Bonus track “Yesterday Begins” is more about letting Brian Allen's vocals soar. It also lets the band tread a more current style ballad of sorts. It is an excellent closing track that drops the speed and expands on the “Watch The Children Pray” sonic area. Open to close the music is excellent throughout with an intensely tight bottom end coupled with great fretwork and vocals. All with top-notch writing. It locks in on the Brian Allen era with a great start.
Like a ton of bricks, “Dead To Rights” will catch you up in its onslaught. Merciless as it is because of the band's razor sharp precision. I do not think I have ever anticipated a new METAL CHURCH release as much as I have with “Dead To Rights”. It does not let the listener down; it surely did not let me down. Reaching into a bygone era to bring a familiar sound forward makes this album the fresh piece of metal that it is. A must have for any metalhead's collection. I hope this lineup of METAL CHURCH continues on because they have a chemistry as a supergroup nowadays that does not always work. Not only did this probably look like a good supergroup idea on paper, but the resulting music sure proves it being an even better idea in reality. Heavy, in your face is “Dead To Rights”! Long live the METAL CHURCH!
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