A Light in the Dark

A Light in the Dark is the eighth album on which METAL CHURCH plays traditional American heavy metal built on sharp riffs, low, heavy rhythm and strong vocals. Carrying on from The Weight of the World, it shows the lineup with Ronny Munroe settling into a stable period. Munroe’s forceful singing and Kurt Vanderhoof’s hard guitars continue to lead the record, and the songs, unembellished, register first through their chug and the pressure of the rhythm section. On “A Light In The Dark,” “Beyond All Reason,” “Mirror Of Lies” and “The Believer,” switches between mid-tempo weight and driving passages give the album tension. On “Disappear,” “Temples Of The Sea,” “Pill For The Kill,” “Son Of The Son” and “More Than Your Master” too, heavy riffs and clear melody consistently coexist. It also shows an awareness of its own history, including a re-recording of the early classic “Watch the Children Pray.” Believing in the band’s inherent hard-edged strength over passing trends, it is a consistent, earnest work.