Metal Church is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Metal Church. The album was originally released by the independent record label Ground Zero in 1984. Based on the success of the album, the band was signed to a recording contract by Elektra Records, who reissued it in 1985. The cover art depicts a cruciform Gibson Explorer hidden in shadows and smoke.
| Metal Church | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Studio | Steve Lawson Productions, Seattle, Washington | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:51 | |||
| Label | Ground Zero | |||
| Producer | Metal Church, Terry Date | |||
| Metal Church chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 7/10[2] |
| Rock Hard | 10/10[3] |
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Kurdt Vanderhoof, except where noted; all music is composed by Vanderhoof, David Wayne and Craig Wells, except where noted
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beyond the Black" | 6:23 | |
| 2. | "Metal Church" | 5:03 | |
| 3. | "Merciless Onslaught" (instrumental) | Vanderhoof | 2:54 |
| 4. | "Gods of Wrath" | 6:41 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Hitman" | Wayne, Vanderhoof | 4:39 | |
| 6. | "In the Blood" | 3:31 | ||
| 7. | "(My Favorite) Nightmare" | 3:12 | ||
| 8. | "Battalions" | Wayne, Vanderhoof, Kirk Arrington | Vanderhoof, Wells | 4:53 |
| 9. | "Highway Star" (Deep Purple cover) | Ian Gillan | Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice | 4:39 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Big Guns" (demo) | 3:23 |
Notes
edit- The first vinyl pressing includes a t-shirt
- The vinyl release by Steamhammer contains a bonus track titled "Big Guns"
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the album's liner notes.[4]
- Metal Church
- David Wayne – vocals
- Craig Wells – lead guitar
- Kurdt Vanderhoof – rhythm guitar
- Duke Erickson – bass
- Kirk Arrington – drums
- Production
- Terry Date – producer, engineer
- Jack Skinner – mastering
- Saulius Pempe – photography
- Willie Mackay – executive producer
- Kurdt Vanderhoof – logo design
- Ground Zero Entertainment - management
References
edit- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Metal Church - Metal Church review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 221. ISBN 978-1894959315.
- ^ Trojan, Frank (1984). "Review Album: Metal Church - Metal Church". Rock Hard (in German). No. 9. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
- ^ Metal Church (LP sleeve). Metal Church. Elektra Records. 1985. 60471-1.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
edit- Review of Metal Church at Play It Loud!