Generation Nothing

Generation Nothing is an album on which METAL CHURCH foregrounds hard-chugging guitars, sturdy rhythm and raw vocals to reaffirm the power of traditional American heavy metal. Marking the close of the period when Ronny Munroe handled vocals, it precedes the band’s later major turning point: the return of Mike Howe. Valuing riff push over complexity and advancing forcefully as if planting each step, it is an earnest record that holds to plain, straight-ahead metal. On “Bulletproof,” “Dead City,” “Generation Nothing,” “Suiciety” and “Scream,” mid-tempo weight and occasional sharp acceleration give the album clear dynamics. On “Noises In The Wall,” “Jump The Gun,” “Hits Keep Comin’,” “Close To The Bone” and “The Media Horse” too, sturdy riffs and straight-ahead heaviness run consistently throughout. Kurt Vanderhoof’s riffs are as sturdy as ever, strongly conveying a classic-metal stubbornness. Undistracted by trends, it plays the core of heavy metal the band believes in head-on — a dependable record.