The 1980’s were unquestionably the formidable years of heavy metal. During that time there were a few bands whose names carried influence and clout within the scene. One of those bands is west coast based pioneers Metal Church. Forming back in 1980, the band has released ten studio albums and history shows them as one of the more influential bands of the thrash metal sub-genre. Combining melody with atmospheric dark undertones Metal Church has a sound and style unique and tight. Through the years founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof has kept Metal Church alive, sustaining line-up changes, and a few intermediate breaks to pursue other projects. Now steadfast for the past decade with a consistent line-up and four straight solid studio albums, including their most recent Generation Nothing (2013), the band proves to still be a force in the metal world. With the weekend a day away metalheads arrived in droves to catch Metal Church on Thursday March 6th at Revolution in Amityville, NY.
Opening up the evening was a series of local acts including Magus Beast, Sunlord, and Martyrd. Each brought an aggressive brand of metal along with a strong local following.
New York City based Martyrd took the the stage directly prior to Metal Church showing dedicated followers and potential new fans exactly what they are all about. Mixing various forms of metal ranging from thrash to progressive to death metal, their sound can best be described as heavy, aggressive, and powerful. Vocalist Aaron Pollard sang with roughness where needed, a touch of darkness, and energy bursts throughout. The melodic nature of their tunes won the crowd over by the end of their set with stage presence and some pounding tunes. Their single “Faceless” is available now on iTunes.
With Revolution packed wall to wall with eager fans, Metal Church took the stage with 1986 song “Tons of Bricks”. Thrashing with force Vanderhoof and company did not let up through a set of classic and newer tunes. Vocalist Ronny Munroe hit all the right notes with his classic metal delivery of intensity and vibrato. By the time the band broke into “A Light in the Dark” the room was shaking with pumped up metal fury. The excitement level was so high some of the younger audience members stormed onto the stage and sang a verse with Munroe before diving back into the pit.
Keeping a balance of songs from their lengthy career Metal Church offered such tracks as the darker “Badlands” and “Gods of Wrath”. The timing of each members performance was spot on with precision and emotion. Jeff Plates drumming and Steve Unger’s bass playing struck you right in the chest giving songs like “Watch The Children Play” vitality. The combined guitar work of Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt blazed all night long especially through contrasting favorites such as “Beyond the Black” and “Metal Church”.
Screaming for more the audience was treated to an encore of seldom performed, until recently, “The Human Factor” and the often covered Deep Purple classic “Highway Star”. Filled with exuberance and fight, just like heavy metal was intended, Metal Church showed the diverse audience exactly why they are important to the past, present, and future of the genre.
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