It has been 22 long years since '80s thrash metal legends Metal Church last played London so this show has been a long time coming. Formed in 1980, these Americans were known for their energetic power/thrash metal approach, winning metalhead hearts with their first three albums. Following break ups in 1994 and 2009, the band reformed in 2012 and are in the capital on the only UK date on their European tour. This tour sees the return of the band's second vocalist Mike Howe – the bset choice considering original vocalist David Wayne unfortunately passed away in 2005. The Underworld is particularly well-attended – understandable given the resurgence in '80s metal in the past five years or so.
Support comes from Belgium's Bliksem, a youthful thrash act formed in 2007 with two full-lengths to their name. Their take on thrash is particularly contemporary with an achetypical modern guitar tone. Vocalist Peggy Meeussen maybe be a woman but her vocals are peppered with grit not to dissimilar to the likes of classic thrash act Détente's Dawn Crosby. While Meeussen's voice stands out and are to be commended, the backing music is comparatively hackneyed and lacking any particularly memorable phrases, seeing the audience thin out as the set progresses.
The Underworld is packed to the rafters as thrash/power metallers Metal Church take the compact stage opening with 'Fake Healer', the opening song from the band's first album with Mike Howe 'Blessing in Disguise'. His voice sounds fantastic as he reanimates the 1989 classic. His enthusiasm on stage is nearly palpable while the rest of the band's faces are adorned with grins. The commanding guitar work of mainman Kurdt Vanderhoof is insistent and marches forward with absolute heaviness. This opener is followed up with 'In Mourning' from 'The Human Factor', another Howe release and another flawless performance. However, the next song 'Start the Fire' from the second album 'The Dark' excites a significant portion of the crowd as they sing along to the chorus and headbang to the crunchy riffs. Howe does a tremendous job at replicating David Wayne and he is definitely the best vocalist Metal Church can have.
Last year saw the band release 'XI' with metal hymns of a more heavy/thrash metal persuasion but not as dark as their earlier days. Tonight the punters are treated to 'Reset', 'Killing Your Time' and 'No Tomorrow', and their reaction is positive. Unlike most '80s metal acts, Metal Church seem keen to come across as more than a nostalgia act, only performing three songs from the beloved Wayne era but these songs easily attain the largest cheers. The ballad 'Watch the Children Play' receives a stellar rendition tonight with plenty of voices singing along and the futuristic 'Beyond the Black' favourite ostensibly closes the set. The absence of 'Metal Church', 'The Dark', 'Ton of Bricks' and 'Gods of Wrath' is incredibly conspicuous and surprising considering it has been so long since the band has graced London. Nonetheless, the Howe-era playlist generates electrifying performances of the likes of 'Date with Poverty', 'No Friend of Mine' and 'Gods of Second Chances'.
After technical guitar work of 'Beyond the Black', Metal Church leave the stage but the fans do not move. Returning to a hail of applause, they begin their encore with 'Badlands', one of Howe's most popular numbers with dynamic guitar work from Vanderhoof. Before leaving the stage, Howe informs the crowd that the band will be by their merch stand to sign and take photos with any fan after the show. The final song of the night is 'The Human Factor', which storms through the venue with metallic bombast and leaves the Underworld erupting into cheers.
Metal Church in 2016 remains a band worth seeing, with Mike Howe's singing nothing short of astounding. Admittedly, the lack of material from their most crowd-pleasing albums felt obvious and their inclusion would have drastically improved the show. Nonetheless, this was a fine concert and hopefully the band will return before another 22 years.
FUTURE GIGS
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