Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Metal Church Biography:

Formed Seattle in 1982, Metal Church consisted of vocalist David Wayne, guitarists Kurdt Vanderhoof and Craig Wells, bassist Duke Erickson, and drummer Kirk Arrington. Their 1985 self-titled debut album, recorded when the thrash/speed metal genre was still evolving, made a huge splash on the scene, as did its similar follow-up, The Dark. However, the band really hit its stride when Wayne left and was replaced by Mike Howe on 1989's Blessing In Disguise; Vanderhoof left after the album due to his dislike of touring and was replaced by Metallica guitar tech John Marshall. Vanderhoof remained the group's designated composer on 1991's The Human Factor, possibly the band's most socially conscious album. However, the advent of alternative rock and problems with their record label contributed to a loss of direction on 1993's Hanging in the Balance, and Metal Church ended up disbanding. In 1999, the group's original lineup – Wayne, Vanderhoof, Wells, Erickson, and Arrington – reunited and released the album Masterpeace. Live appeared early the following year.

~ Steve Huey

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Much like the English punk movement before it, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal invaded hundreds of American garages in the early '80s and launched countless bands across the nation. It is interesting to note, however, that while in major cities with thriving punk rock this phenomenon manifested itself in the form of thrash metal (for example, L.A.'s Metallica, New York's Anthrax), in secondary capitals, up-and-coming bands generally boasted a more mainstream metal approach. Such was the case with Phoenix's Armored Saint, Connecticut's Fates Warning, and Seattle's Queensryche, but Metal Church (also from Seattle) seemed determined to cover both angles on their powerful 1985 debut. But while the complex songwriting and aggressive riffing seen on trad metal epics like "Beyond the Black," "Gods of Wrath," and "Metal Church" are about as good as it gets, thrashier moments like "My Favorite Nightmare," "Battalions," and the appropriately named instrumental "Merciless Onslaught" still needed a little work. In fact, the band's incredibly tight musicianship is a highlight all on its own, and vocalist David Wayne's piercing screech (similar to Accept's Udo Dirkschneider) was considered very hip at the time, believe it or not. Concluding with a full-throttle cover of the Deep Purple standard "Highway Star," this album remains an overlooked classic of straight-ahead American-bred heavy metal.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Metal Church's excellent debut had impressed critics and fans alike with its ferocious blend of classic metal and thrash. But by the time they released its follow-up, 1986's The Dark, the band seemed to be struggling with their direction and wrestling with internal problems. The fact that they were collectively one of the most unattractive bands ever (even by heavy metal standards) didn't help matters either, especially in image-conscious America, so it was no surprise when the band's appeal remained firmly confined to the metal underground. Which is too bad, since The Dark's first half contained some of the group's best material, including the brutal intensity of "Start the Fire" and "Method To Your Madness," as well as what was probably their best-known song, the astoundingly heavy epic "Watch the Children Play." Extensive touring with Elektra labelmates Metallica had also motivated the band to develop their thrashier inclinations, resulting in vicious moshers like "Ton of Bricks" and "Over My Dead Body." Too bad they couldn't maintain this clip for the album's second half, which pretty much stalls after the moderately interesting title track. And sadly, there would be no shot at redemption, as Metal Church would soon have to deal with a number of career-crippling lineup changes which would splinter the original group for almost 15 years.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Perhaps the finest Metal Church release, Blessing in Disguise offers some of the best material in the group's long career. New vocalist Mike Howe joined up with the band for the recording of this 1989 Elektra release, replacing the departed David Wayne and bringing a burst of energy that the group used to create some of the best American underground metal of the decade. Metal producer extraordinaire Terry Date (White Zombie, Def Tones) dials up some fiery guitar and drum sounds adding an awesome sonic element to the group's fine arrangements and ultra-heavy riffing. Standout cuts include the massive and cathartic "Anthem to the Estranged" and "The Spell that Can't be Broken." Both cuts (as well as the rest of this release) feature excellent guitar work and an uncompromising allegiance to all things heavy that Metal Church continually gained respect for throughout the Seattle band's career.

by Jason Anderson, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

There's often a fine line between hard rock and heavy metal, but with Metal Church, there was never any doubt – they were always very much a metal band. When major record companies were quick to sign faceless Warrant clones and Poison imitators, Metal Church stuck to its guns and never lost its integrity. After five or six years with Elektra, the headbangers moved to Epic with The Human Factor. Much of the writing is quite substantial, and Metal Church tackles social and political subjects with inspired results on songs ranging from "Date with Poverty" and "Flee From Reality" to "The Final Word" (which addresses the flag-burning controversy of 1991 and asserts that the U.S., whatever its faults, is still the best place to live). The Human Factor shows that Metal Church was an exciting band, and certainly one of substance.

by Alex Henderson, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Disregard anything you heard about the album and don't let the lame cover fool you as this album is nothing short of a masterpiece. Hell, the Church included Gods Of A Second Chance and No Friend Of Mine on their 2016 Mike Howe reunion tour, so you know there are some fond memories there. So give it a chance and be prepared to indulge yourself with some of the best playing and songwriting in the entire Metal Church catalog.

Noel Stefan Stoyanoff, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

In the wake of Metal Church's artistically successful comeback album Masterpeace, Nuclear Blast issued Live, a concert album recorded in 1986 while the band was touring in support of their second album, The Dark. As such, it features the original lineup and much of the most popular material from the group's first two albums, as well as the odd cover tossed in for variety. It's not essential, but it is an interesting document that fans will probably want to hear.

by Steve Huey, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

This was Metal Church’s first attempt at making an official live record, and let me tell you, the energy is there, but the sound is lacking. The drums are WAY out in front drowning out the guitars. It sounds as of the producer must have been high, or drunk or something because the sound is just awful. It is even worse than some bootlegs that I have heard, seeing that this was most likely recorded off of a soundboard. Despite the sound, this live record is THE only recording featuring selected songs from the highly underrated 1994 epic “Hanging In The Balance” as well as classics such as “Watch The Children Pray” sung with master vocalist Mike Howe, formerly of LA thrash band “Heretic” from 1987 until their uneventful demise in 1988, when Howe joined Metal Church. Ironically, former singer David Wayne took the remaining members of Heretic and formed his own band “Reverend”, named for his stage moniker back in the Metal Church days.

The disc contains ripping live versions of classic tracks such as the aforementioned “Watch The Children Pray” the 1989 single “Badlands” and the popular 1986 single “Start The Fire”. Despite the number of good songs, I still think that it could have included the epic “End Of The Age” or the Vicious “A Subtle War” or the amazing David Wayne era track “Method To Your Madness”, in place of “Start The Fire” or even “Hypnotized”. The set was good, but the band could have improved upon it by doing what most bands do, record it at a number of venues and choose the tracks you want, and blend them together. Somewhat like a tour retrospect in the vein of “Flight 666: The Soundtrack” by Iron Maiden. The venue, judging by the sound quality, sounds like it was done at a small club like Blondie’s in Detroit (for those of you who do not know, it housed about 200 people at the legal capacity).

Seeing that this was done in Japan, the crowd is real strange. A real memorable moment is at the beginning of Badlands, the crowd sounds like they gasp in shock, then it goes silent. Then they start cheering again. Or you hear the faint sound of cheering, and then it stops, like they all just sat down and are watching the show. I thought the crowd at shows in Michigan (Iron Maiden Detroit 2000 bootleg, I was there, Cheap Trick Harpo’s 1986 bootleg) were lazy and weird, but Japan, by far takes the lead for the strangest crowd. Just go and look at the Queensryche Japan 1984 bootleg. The crowd just fades out suddenly.

Overall the record has its ups and downs. The sound defiantly blows chunks, but all that matters is that the energy is there. The band sounds as if they are playing their hearts out in this high energy performance. This is a rare, Japan only CD that MC doesn’t even list as a part of their discography, so pick it up while you still can. I believe that it was initially released in limited numbers, making the record so rare. The record is not completely unlistenable, but the sound just irks me a tad. K.G

by kgerych1995, metal-archives.com

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Metal Church actually sound more focused on the comeback album Masterpeace than they did on their last record, Hanging in the Balance; part of the reason may be an increased energy level due to the fact that this original lineup had not played together in over a decade. The record doesn't really break much new stylistic ground for the band – one might say it even regresses to their mid-'80s style, before David Wayne departed – but that's not the point; this is classic-style power/speed metal done pretty well by one of the genre's better bands.

by Steve Huey, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Ah, Metal Church. Once one of America's most promising heavy metal bands, originally colleagues (rivals, even) of the mighty Metallica – has any other band's career been as marked by internal chaos, confusion, and, let's face it, commercial indifference, as that of these Seattle natives? The odds are slim, and yet, conversely, has any metal outfit proved as doggone persistent at the same time? Surely that must count for something, and with the realization that 2004's The Weight of the World amazingly celebrates the group's 20th anniversary (even though it's only their seventh studio album in all that time), there's at least some cause for celebration – right? Well, if truth be told, that'll depend on the listener. Most of the expected Metal Church trademarks (pure American metal charged with occasional thrashing nuances) are readily available here – as are the band's maddening tendencies for songwriting inconsistency, matching every memorable turn like "Hero's Soul" or "Sunless Sky" with an equally forgettable outing like "Wings of Tomorrow" or "Bomb to Drop." Never mind that original vocalist David Wayne has once again departed from the fold (after taking part in the nearly-complete classic lineup reunion seen on 1999's Masterpeace) and left lone remaining founders, guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof and drummer Kirk Arrington, to pick up the pieces; new recruits Ronny Munroe (vocals), Jay Reynolds (guitar) and Steve Unger (bass) acquit themselves ably enough, for the most part. If anything, the only weak link is Munroe, whose echo-enhanced presence is curiously reminiscent of Saxon's Biff Byford, but doesn't always have the power or presence to match the surrounding onslaught. And still, longtime supporters will most likely enjoy almost all of the songs they hear here as prototypical Metal Church – which leaves less enthusiastic old-timers and new arrivals alike left to ponder what all the fuss was about.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Throughout the career of Metal Church, guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof has always been considered the leader of the band, and their 2006 release A Light in the Dark, proves it once and for all. Being the only original member left in attendance by this point, Vanderhoof knows exactly what Metal Church fans look for in each release, and on their ninth release overall, the group plays largely by the rules. Despite the absence of familiar faces, the sound is unmistakably Metal Church – Vanderhoof can still riff with the best of 'em, while singer Ronny Munroe and drummer Jeff Plate sound almost precisely like original members David Wayne and Kirk Arrington, respectively. Turning a blind eye to modern-day metallic trends, A Light in the Dark could easily be mistaken for a thrash metal release of the '80s – back when Master of Puppets was turning the metal world upside down – as evidenced by such tracks as the album-opening title track and "Beyond All Reason." And closing the album is a re-recording of Metal Church's best-known track, the eerie "Watch the Children Pray," which is dedicated to Wayne (who passed away in May of 2005) and sticks closely to the original recording.

by Greg Prato, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

It is no exaggeration to say that Metal Church has been a revolving door over the years. The Pacific Northwest outfit has had quite a few lineup changes along the way, which is not unusual for metal bands – and on 2008's This Present Wasteland, guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof is the only person remaining from Metal Church's original early-'80s lineup. All of the other participants are 2000s arrivals, including lead singer Ronny Munroe, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger, and drummer Jeff Plate. But here's the good news: with Vanderhoof obviously in the driver's seat, this 2008 edition of Metal Church is quite faithful to the spirit of Metal Church as they sounded in the '80s. Sure, some longtime fans might argue that without the participation of Craig Wells, Duke Erickson, Kirk Arrington, or the late David Wayne (who died in 2005 from complications resulting from a car crash), the band that Vanderhoof oversees on This Present Wasteland isn't really Metal Church. But in fact, Vanderhoof sees to it that the classic Metal Church sound of the '80s – a tough and hard-driving yet melodic mixture of Dio, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, and Iron Maiden – is alive and well on engaging tracks like "Breathe Again," "Monster," "A War Never Won," and "The Company of Sorrow." Munroe (the band's fourth lead vocalist) is perfect for Metal Church, and he fits right in with a gruff vocal style that owes a lot to Ronnie James Dio, David Coverdale, and Bruce Dickinson. This Present Wasteland falls short of essential, but it's a solid and well-executed effort that underscores Vanderhoof's ability to keep the Metal Church of 2008 faithful to the spirit of Metal Church as they sounded 20 years earlier.

by Alex Henderson, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

After a 5 year break, Metal Church is back with Generation Nothing released from Rat Pak Records. To start with, Metal Church has always been among my top bands list although I lost interest in the band for the last almost 20 years. In fact, my latest favorite release was Blessing in Disguise released in 1991 and the last high-class release was, I believe, Hanging in the Balance released in 1993. So, although I think Metal Church has been one of the major cornerstones of US Metal, their production for the last 20 years were not very impressive.

This is their 4th release with Ronnie Munroe and I sometimes get the feeling that he is trying too hard to get close to David Wayne’s voice. Also, the fans can see a bit Flemming Rönsdorf (ex-Artillery) and the legendary UDO, in his vocals. As a huge fan of David Wayne, I also loved Mike Howe, who had a very different style than Wayne. And I believe that, David Wayne was David Wayne and a resembling voice will not add value to Metal Church. I wish Munroe did not sing in a David Wayne-ish style. However, I also have to admit that, this is the best performance of Ronnie Munroe in his Metal Church career. He also contributed to the production with lyrics in 4 songs. And as usual, the mastermind is Kurdt Vanderhoof who is left as the only original member.

To go through the album; first of all, I found the album a little lame and too straightforward! The thrash here is always fast and never loses tempo. However, despite the aggressive and uncompromising thrash sound, the album lacks catchy riffs and melodies. Most of the songs just play in the background and you don’t stop and say “hey, this is great”. I believe the songs are just average thrash songs which we can hear from some newcomer NWOTM bands. Of course, I wish to hear more from Metal Church with great musicians in the line-up.

My frustration gets bigger after hearing “Noises in the Wall”…but this is in a positive way. This song is truly epic, by far the best track of the album and can be listened over and over again, taking us back to the glory days. This is what frustrates me; they can still write songs like this but only one hit in album is not so well. Of course, there are some other good songs like; Bulletproof, Dead City or Scream. But, as I said before, this album does not hold space in your memory, it just streams…

And…one more critic is for the cover; I think album covers is a vital part of this music and the cover art should reflect something from the Band or album. The album cover is really poor and does not give anything about the spirit of the music.

Rating is 60 out of 100 but still don’t miss Noises in the Wall; this album is worth buying even just for this song.

by gollum666, metal-archives.com

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

In a very interesting twist of fate, ex-Metal Church frontman David Wayne would go on to form this band with former members of the great Heretic, whose vocalist Mike Howe would replace David Wayne in Metal Church…

Right!

So, this is the debut EP featuring four tracks, and it was simply not to be surpassed by anything the band would do on their subsequent full-lengths or the Gathering of Demons EP. Each song is a meticulously constructed slower piece of thrash metal with Wayne's charismatic, haunting high-pitched sneer vocals preaching their doctrines of libel and decay. Essentially, had Metal Church gone to a more thrash direction after The Dark, this is what you might have ended up with. The band are no slouches either, after the excellent Heretic album Breaking Point I had high expectations for their riff writing abilities and they do not disappoint at all.

The songs focus on important social issues and absolutely no bullshit. The lyrics tear off quite nicely as Reverend Wayne points his skeletal fingers at you from the pulpit and begins to fill your head with the fury. "Power of Persuasion" proclaims the ills of inner city struggles, the disintegration of civilization through greed and temptation. "Dimensional Confusion" has a grooving bass below a catchy, simple riff, and Wayne just flies over the top. "Wretched Excess" crunches along, I love the sort of psycho gang shout 'murder' along to his chorus. "Ritual" ends the EP, with Wayne hissing along almost like a Gremlin version of Udo. It also has some amazing melodic riffing.

The production is nice and dense, the guitars are simple but chunky, the bass is nice and popping loud, the drums rock and Wayne sounds great as usual. The first full-length The World Won't Miss You wasn't bad by any means, but I was a little let down after the quality of songs on this EP. At his best, as on this EP, Wayne was a true metal god, and listening to this again, he is certainly missed. It's also a travesty that the band's tribute MySpace page doesn't feature any of these tracks…

by autothrall, metal-archives.com

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

After switching from Caroline to Charisma, Reverend provided its first full-length album (as opposed to simply an EP) with the blistering World Won't Miss You. Without a doubt, the headbangers enjoyed stronger guidance and better A&R at their new label. Reverend's sound hadn't changed – the band still brought to mind Judas Priest, as well as Testament (without being as fast). But the writing had improved, and lead singer David Wayne is more confident on such dark and morbid offerings as "Hand of Doom," "Leader of Fools" and "11th Hour." Although many of the favorable responses to these songs came from the thrash community, Reverend continued to favor a slow, melodic heaviness that set them apart from thrash and speed metallers. But as many assets as this CD had, the best was yet to come.

by Alex Henderson, allmusic

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Well look who's back. It's David Wayne with his band Reverend. Or wait, I can't say that it's his band, cause there have been different vocalists in it. But it does not matter. That's not the point of this review is it?

The album is pretty manifoldly. Some songs are very speedy, while others are more on the slower, melodic side. All in all a very good mix, because if an album only has full speed through the whole thing, then it will get boring pretty quick!

As the other guy who reviewed this album said: The best part of this album is Wayne's vocals. They are totally mind blowing. I don't understand how someone can scream like he does in the song "Warp The Mind" or sing so melodic like he does in "Blessings" or "Play God" for that matter. It is amazing that a vocalist has this ability, for there aren't that many of those. He is one of my favourite vocalists at least, and that says a lot. I know what good singing is, and so does David Wayne, or did because now he's dead. R.I.P Wayne.

The guitars aren't bad either. The dudes who play it surely know what they are doing. They are best at riffing. The shredding is OK, but that's about it. It's not exactly like on "The Dark" or any other Metal Church album, but it is enough to give the songs the energy they need. The riffs on "Butcher Of Baghdad" is something you all should check out. That's my favourite track from the album. Everything fits perfectly in the song!

The drumming is pretty good. To say it like this, the guy knows how to play both fast and technical. He's better than Lars Ulrich to say it like that. Not that that's so hard of course. He knows what he's doing at least. And some of that drumming on the faster songs on the album is damn great!

The production is pretty clear actually. Not all albums had this kind of production at that time. I really liked this production actually. Don't know if I would have liked this album so much if it had been produced differently.

The music is a mixture of power and thrash metal. Mostly thrash though. Most of the stuff on the album is good. Songs like “Heaven On Earth” and “Promised Land” didn’t interest me much. They at least show that they have variation in their music, and that is a good thing.

So if you're a fan of old school thrash metal, then I recommend this for all of you thrashers out there. OK, some songs might bore you a little, but just listen to the faster songs. There are some ballads that I like, but that's just me. If you don't like 'em, skip!

Highlights:
Butcher Of Baghdad
Play God
Warp The Mind
Fortunate Son (Great cover of a Creedance classic)
Death Of Me

by ShadeOfDarkness, metal-archives.com

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Who said crazy controversies couldn't happen in metal? David Wayne, the brilliant vocalist that started one of the best bands in heavy metal history, Metal Church, went out on a limb while making this solo album. The band name was named after his last name, Wayne. The album name: Metal Church, which was very controversial. Not to mention it pissed most of the guys off in Metal Church. After Wayne's departure in Metal Church, another talented vocalist named Mike Howe lifted the band up with three more perfect albums. A bit of jealousy on Wayne's part? Maybe.

Wayne would rejoin Metal Church to create a live album and a full-length album, Masterpeace, which was all but a masterpiece. In fact Metal Church hit an all time low with this album. Wayne left the band again and even went out of his other solo band, Reverend, to make this album. Even the cover of the album pokes at Metal Church, with the headstone cross guitar lying in the cemetery.

With such a controversy thus created, how did the music fair? Lets just say this album should have been Masterpeace. Armed with master guitarist Craig Wells, old time member of Metal Church, Wayne created an album that is full of heavy metal and ranks up their with at least The Dark. It is not really a bad album; it has it's good songs, while others could be removed from the album. Basically what we have is Metal Church like songs, but really more technical. There are a lot of cool riffs on this album -they are just littered everywhere. Wayne's vocals are also really amazing on this album. This is very familiar with his work with Metal Church.

The songs are rooted with lyrics of death and horror, which is an ever present theme in David Wayne's writing. Another thing I like is how each song brings something different to the platter. This offers a lot of variation and not a lot of repetition, so it doesn't get boring quick. Like the song D.S.D. offers a slow tempo, but still allowing it to be dark and powerful. The next song Nightmare Part 2 speeds it up really fast -brilliantly. Ballad For Marianne is a brilliant song because it is one of those Metal Church soft songs. You know the ones that are slow and get heavy during the chorus and solo. These songs were good with Metal Church and they're still good now. So basically a couple of songs can go, including the cover of Mississippi Queen. There are just some songs that can not (or rather should not) be done in metal. If you love Metal Church's first two albums you will love this album. Like I said before, this should have been Masterpeace.

by PowerMetalGuardian, metal-archives.com

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

Reformation of the Church! Yes! Heavy metal history needs some rewriting right about now. Once you lay eyes and ears on the majesty of Metal Church at their peak, it'll be hard to resist spreading the good word. Metal history will be rewritten … Full Descriptionand Metal Church, circa the Howe era, will warrant a proud and pounding chapter indeed. This DVD was filmed in 1991 during the band's prime at the Dynamo Festival in Europe. Witness the past with over 100,000 screaming true metal heads.

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close

×

Metal Church, Reverend & Wayne: CD & Video Collection (1985 - 2013)

Close