Congregation of Annihilation

Congregation of Annihilation is an album on which METAL CHURCH, welcoming a new vocalist, plays the aggression of US metal head-on once more. For a band that has weathered many vocalist changes across a long history, setting a new voice at its core here is a strong renewal of that tradition. Sharply chiseled riffs, forward-leaning drums and anger-tinged vocals create strong tension song by song, and while the old style is kept, the sonic outline is refined to feel fully modern. The band’s core around Kurt Vanderhoof holds firm. On “Another Judgement Day,” “Congregation of Annihilation,” “Pick a God and Prey” and “Say a Prayer with 7 Bullets,” heavy mid-tempos push pressure to the front while the faster songs push a thrash-like edge. On “Children of the Lie,” “Making Monsters,” “These Violent Thrills” and “All That We Destroy” too, aggression and construction coexist at a high level. What matters is that the change of vocalist is treated not as special staging but as pure forward drive for the band. Carrying a long history while opening the next chapter, it is a strong-willed strike.