METAL CHURCH have revealed the complete tracklist for their upcoming 13th studio album "Dead To Rights," due April 10 via Rat Pak Records, and the 10-song lineup promises a bruising return for one of metal's most underappreciated institutions. The tracks are: "Brainwash Game," "F.A.F.O.," "Dead To Rights," "Deep Cover Shakedown," "Feet To The Fire," "The Show," "Heaven Knows (Slip Away)," "No Memory," "Wasted Time," and "My Wrath."
The album represents the debut of a significantly revamped lineup that reads like a who's who of metal's journeyman elite. Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson brings his thunderous low-end presence to the fold, while drummer Ken Mary — whose resume includes stints with ALICE COOPER, ACCEPT, and HOUSE OF LORDS — provides the rhythmic backbone. New vocalist Brian Allen, who previously fronted VICIOUS RUMORS, steps into the notoriously difficult role of METAL CHURCH frontman, a position that has been occupied by several distinguished singers including the late David Wayne, Ronny Munroe, and Mike Howe.
Founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, who has steered METAL CHURCH's creative direction since the band's 1980 formation in Aberdeen, Washington, produced the album alongside guitarist Rick Van Zandt. Vanderhoof's production approach has always emphasized clarity and power over studio trickery, and early indications suggest "Dead To Rights" follows that philosophy. The previously released single "Brainwash Game" delivered a muscular, riff-driven track that recalled the band's classic era without sounding like a mere exercise in nostalgia.
The album title "Dead To Rights" carries a defiant attitude that suits a band entering their fifth decade with something to prove. METAL CHURCH have never received the recognition their consistently strong catalog deserves, and this record — with its stacked lineup and uncompromising approach — seems designed to rectify that oversight.