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Metal Church @ Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany (6/12/2017)

Artist: Metal Church in Germany
Venue: Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
Opener: n/a
Date: 6/12/2017
Label: Rat Pak Records

Three subways, a regional train from Hessen to Bavaria, one taxi, and ½ mile of walking, and I finally made it to Aschaffenburg, Bavaria. An intimidating trip to take alone as a stranger in a strange land, but well worth the trek.

Backwoods Germany is a strange place to see the very American Thrash legends Metal Church, but it was probably one of the most packed shows. Another group with the energy of fully functional teenagers. Mike Howe is back on lead vocals and has the same range that made his early albums with Metal Church classics. The other change in lineups since the last album/tour cycle didn’t slow the guys down as Stet Howland killed on drums and will, hopefully, be a permanent addition. Those only now following the bands activity should know that Howeland replaced Jeff Plate (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) a few short months ago.

“Fake Healer” was an easy choice to get the crowd going and despite the remote location, this was a fair size audience for Church to hold Metal services. I was honestly shocked at how many enthusiastic fans came out to see them. At the end note of every song, the audience was screaming for “Metal Church” until the band relented and played their next hit. Seismic activity could probably be read as far away as London.
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“A Light In The Dark” by Metal Church

Artist: Metal Church
Title: “A Light In The Dark”
Label: SPV Records
Release Date: 6/27/2006
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 3.5/5

Attention head bangers it is time for Church – Metal Church that is, and with “A Light In The Dark” we find the band still going strong and creating solid Metal under the watchful creative direction of Kurdt Vanderhoof (the group’s sole original member). Lead singer Ronny Munroe proves his salt with his second outing in the band on powerful numbers like “Mirror Of Lies” and the epic “Temples Of The Sea”, a tune that runs just short of ten minutes. Ronny has the required Metal powers when needed but he also shows the ability of just being an impressive Rock singer with a wide range of vocal styles. He was the perfect person to fill the role of singer in this band and I am sure going forward he will establish quite a fan base for himself. Another change in the group is that the new album also features the talents of Jeff Plate on drums. Jeff replaces Kirk Arrington who left due to health complications in 2006, and brings with him the expertise of working with Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Chris Caffery. Plate’s style is something that long time fans will appreciate as he is no stranger to playing quality Metal. The group is rounded out by Jay Reynolds and Steve Unger who handle the second guitar and bass duties on the recording and have been members of the band since the previous album “Weight Of The World”. Regardless of the band being comprised of a completely new lineup they still manage to deliver the goods and are perfect for those listeners who are seeking a Classic Metal sound without it being retro or dated. Metal Church was always a pure entity when it came to the genre and since their formation in 1981 has influenced many bands that followed them.
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