Metal Church – Congregation of Annihilation (Rat Pak Records)

 

I was actually exposed to the live show with Marc Lopes prior to hearing this album.  The show was great, and Marc certainly passed a live audition.  The band was very tight live, and put together a great set list.  This made of course the hopes to be high for this album.

Congregation of Annihilation is a solid metal album.  It’s heavy, the performances are great, and once again Marc Lopes shines brightly.  His voice is a lot closer to David Wayne than any other Metal Church singer.  Lopes can hit the high notes, get bottom heavy, or create an out-of-control scream.  Great frontman in every way possible.

While the album sounds great while you listen to it, it’s difficult to remember any of the songs once it is over.  The melodies in those songs aren’t just as catchy as they used to be.  Other than that, it is a good listen, just not a lasting one.

Metal Church’s current set list was mainly based around the first three albums, highlighting the David Wayne era specifically.  It was great to hear these songs.  When a track from the new album was introduced, it blended well as a part of the set.  Once again, it wasn’t a memorable song, but at the time it sounded heavy.

When listening to the records, one can experience a lot of different moods.  The songs are well structured with a lot of breaks and transitions.  The delivery is top notch, and the production is great too, but the hooks are a different story. 

Metal Church survived the death of two of its prominent singers, this album is a good response to a heavy trauma this group had experienced.  At this point, Congregation of Annihilation is a fair statement, but of course this could change in the future.

Mark Kadzielawa

Ratt – The Atlantic Years 1984-1990 (Atlantic/BMG)

 

Ratt helped to define what became the traditional American heavy metal of the 1980s.  MTV was a new medium at the time, and provided a big break for bands like  Quiet Riot and Ratt.  It was difficult to get away from the Round and Round video clip at the time, and of course many other great clips followed throughout the decade.  Ratt were a very capable band with outstanding musical abilities, and an excellent singer.  The combination of great players, and the ability to write catchy songs was enough to sustain a successful career.

This box concentrates on the albums the band did for Atlantic Records, which was also the most successful and productive time for Ratt.  Out of the Cellar was the first big album for group in 1984.  It produced a massive MTV smash, Round and Round, and quickly elevated Ratt as an arena headliner.  It was a solid record with plenty of great songs.  In many ways, Out of the Cellar, was the album that defined Ratt for years to come.  Invasion of Your Privacy was a solid follow up.  The band was still hot and writing quality material. Lay It Down and You’re in Love were massive hits.  Ratt was a household name in heavy metal at that point.  Dancing Undercover came out in 1986, and it was a much heavier record than the previous two, but still produced some very popular songs.  Dance, Slip of the Lip, and Body Talk were frequently played on the radio, and MTV.  Reach for the Sky was the last Ratt album in the 80s.  It came out in 1988, and produced two great hits, Way Cool Jr, and I Want a Woman.  While it was a great album, it didn’t capture the metal audience as much as the previous records.  It was a also the last time Ratt headlined arenas in the United States.  By the time Ratt released Detonator, things began to deteriorate.  Guitarist, Robin Crosby, was gone after the Japanese tour, and by the time the band hit the road in the United States, the musical tastes started to change.  The age of grunge was upon the heavy metal heroes of the 80s.  By 1992, singer, Stephen Pearcy left the band, and it was all over for Ratt.  The band reformed in 1996, and continued to perform until being put on hold recently.

For this writer, this set of records represents a trip down the memory line.  The time frame captures the high school years, and beyond.  A time where one can be fascinated by such sounds, music, and the overall glamour.  Seeing Ratt t-shirts in high school was a common occurrence.  The band was incredibly popular and appealing to the kids like myself.  These records represent more than just music to anyone who was growing up during those years.  It was a lifestyle, the identity that gave everyone involved a sense of belonging.  Putting that aside, Ratt albums aged well, and they still rock and can be enjoyed by just about anyone who loves traditional heavy metal.  Having that personal experience helps, but it’s not necessary to like the music that stands healthy on its own.

The Atlantic Years 1984-1990 is beautifully packaged box.  The albums are issued as digipacks, which makes the box very handy.  You can take it with you just about anywhere, and rock out to your favorite cuts or albums.  There is also a vinyl version of this box being released simultaneously. These records come from a very revolutionary time in music that could never be repeated.

Mark Kadzielawa

Tygers of Pan Tang – Bloodlines (Mighty Music)

 

Tygers of Pan Tang is a heavy metal band from the early 80s, and you’d think by now they’d have their best years behind them.  Not the case here at all, Bloodlines, is an absolute winner.  The more you listen to this album, the more you want to listen to it.  This is catchy heavy metal at its best.

There were many Tygers of Pan Tang line ups over the years, but there is one common denominator that is constant.  Guitarist, Robb Weir, is the man who is in charge here, and it’s hard not to be impressed with what he’s been doing over the last few years.  There is definitely quality control here, and you know that Weir had something to do with that.  He’s got himself a very compatible group of players who can do justice to the brand.

Jack Meille is a fantastic vocalist, and he makes each song interesting and memorable.  Guitarist, Francesco Marras is credited on many of the tracks included here, as is drummer, Craig Ellis.  The record sounds like a solid team effort, and when you look at the song credits that statement is being reflected.  Tygers of Pan Tang is operating on all cylinders, no stopping this band.

Bloodlines has plenty of great tracks that have hit qualities.  The opener, Edge of The World, is definitely a fire starter.  In My Blood has a great charisma to it, Fire on the Horizon is pumping with vital energy.  There simply isn’t a bad song here.  All of them rock in equal capacity, you just have different favorites on different days. 

Tygers of Pan Tang has a great legacy to live up to, and when you release album this good, it only solidifies all of your previous achievements.  Seeing the band live playing this album in its entirety would be very satisfying, yet you still have to fit the classics from the golden age.  That’s got to be a headache trying to come up with a well-balanced set list, but that's the least of our worries.  Bloodlines is an excellent album from start to finish!

Mark Kadzielawa