METAL CHURCH – THE FINAL SERMON: LIVE IN JAPAN 2019
In the great scheme of things, it could be argued that Metal Church never quite had the credit they deserved. Singer Mike Howe’s death in 2021 gave a chance for some much-needed reflection as to how good they were and if anyone was in any doubt, then this will sort it.
“The Final Sermon – Live In Japan 2019″ Finds them in fine form and “Needle And Suture” and the classic metal of “Fake Healer” are superb examples of that. The way Howe spits the lyrics on “Date With Poverty” – best seen as a kind of bridge between metal and thrash – and “No Friend Of Mine” , a real explosion of a track, is a joy,
It ends with a lengthy “Badlands” and as it does, if you’ve seen the band live – as I did only once – you can perhaps cast a wistful glance back to it. If you didn’t, then this is a hell of a place to start.
The molten metal on the cover is replicated by the volcano of noise inside.
Rating 8.5/10
IRONFLAME – KINGDOM TORN ASUNDER
Andrew D’Cagna is one of those metal lifers. Also in Brimstone Coven and Icarus Witch – both of whom have been reviewed on these pages – he returns his focus to his first love here.
“Kingdom Torn Asunder” is everything you’d want from a classic metal album too, right from the moment that “Blood And Honor” kicks it off. Think Helloween and you wouldn’t be too far away.
The solos screech, and the riffing of “Soul Survivors” or “Mistress Of Desire” is essentially perfect and the love of the craft shines through on “Riding The Dragon”.
Even the song titles give it away. “Shadow Of The Reaper” lives up to its moniker. Interestingly, “….Asunder” should have been released previously but the death of D’Cagna’s business partner meant they shelved it – releasing “Where Madness Dwells” first as those songs better suited the mood.
In that case, the phrase “good things come to those who wait” has never been better meant. And as the CD bonus track “Exile Of The Sun” changes pace to finish, then the only conclusion to reach is that “Kingdom Torn Asunder” is exceptional.
Rating 9/10
COUGHIN’ VICARS – CURSES AND PRAYERS
Coughin’ Vicars are a kind of Liverpool Supergroup of the underground. Napalm Death, SSS, Cold Ones, Salem Rages are just some of the bands members have populated, and if MV is not familiar with all of these, then the sound the good reverends make is much less harsh than the first two.
Instead “Lo And Behold” – a kind of intro here – and “Anti Faction” are an 80s brew. Post something probably, but I never understand that stuff.
I do know, though that “Rips Of Rain” has a kind of Joy Division vibe, and “Reverse The Wound” is the sort of thing that Therapy? would make if they listened to a load of Gang of Four Records on repeat. Ending with the longest one, “Thief Of Joy” is an almost prog outing at over four minutes, there’s something cold, grey and industrial about Cougin’ Vicars. A simmering anger at 2024 in the north, and “Curses And Prayers” is never less than enticing.
Rating 8/10
LINDA GAIL LEWIS – ROCKABILLY QUEEN
There’s only one place to start here. “I Knew You Were Leaving”, the gorgeous single on which Linda Gail Lewis reflects on her brother Jerry Lee’s passing.
Superbly sung, brilliantly played and timeless. In that respect it’s the album in a nutshell, because here – with a band including Slim Jim Phantom of Stray Cats and guitarist Danny B Harvey – “Rockabilly Queen” lives up to its name.
Many of these have been done before, but Wanda Jackson’s “Funnel Of Love”, “Baby, Please Don’t Go” and a quite brilliant “Train Kept A Rollin’” see the stamp of originality given to them so it doesn’t matter, as they sound so fresh.
The originals like “Diggin’ My Way Out Of Hell” might as well be covers anyway so classic do they sound – the piano solo here is perfect – and by the time they’ve all finished “Boogie Woogie Throwdown” (key line “it sure ain’t a hoedown”) then there’s a suspicion that “Rockabilly Queen” might be well named.
Rating 8.5/10
