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
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