vote
7.5
- Band:
METAL CHURCH - Duration: 01:35:49
- Available from:
- Label:
-
Reaper Entertainment
Spotify not available yet
Even though a lot of time has passed, the premature death of iconic singer Mike Howe is still a hard blow to digest, especially for all those who consider themselves fans of good old classic heavy metal, as it is undeniable that, in the career of the American band Metal Church, he played a fundamental role in some of their most important albums.
It is probably also in his memory that the band has decided today to release a live album entitled “The Final Sermon”, recorded during the performance in Kawasaki, Japan, in August 2019, where the band was at the time to promote what was its studio album at the time, namely “Damned If You Do”, released in December 2018.
It is in effect a summary of everything that Metal Church have represented up to that point, with a setlist that would still be very tempting today in view of a future performance, performed with care by the combo of musicians we know well, including Mike himself, who with his ringing throat has always provided interpretations that are more than thrilling to all those who have had the fortune of seeing him live.
There is no shortage of his signature anthems such as “Fake Healer”, “Badlands” and the closing “Anthem To The Estranged” (included as a bonus track in the digital version), but also songs originally recorded by his predecessor David Wayne, including “Start The Fire” and “Watch The Children Pray”, which have never suffered in any way from being performed by a different vocalist than the one who recorded them in the studio, considering the level we are talking about. Furthermore, it is very nice to notice the enthusiasm of those present, ready to sing and continue the sentences pronounced by Mike himself when he turns the microphone in their direction.
The proverbial tear falls on more than one occasion while listening, even with a hint of serenity given by the fact that the band has decided to continue, also making an excellent album – “Congregation of Annihilation” – in recent times; an album that is configured as a continuation of what is a career full of great metallic ideas, which in live settings still unleash all their potential, regardless of whether it is a real concert, or a live recording like the one we are talking about, whose performance is even more optimal thanks to the work of the German Reaper Entertainment.
Without dwelling too much on the analysis of a product that basically speaks for itself, we take this opportunity to pay our respects once again to the legendary Mike: with a bit of melancholy, we can say that the so-called 'final sermon' was recited in a more than valid way, even if it took five years to be able to test its quality. If you are a regular at the legendary 'church of metal' we recommend you take a trip to Japan lasting just under an hour and a half, as you could get excited once again listening to a voice that will still accompany our evenings, thanks to works like this.
The only negative note is the presence of two bonus tracks only for the digital version of the album, which could leave a bitter taste in the mouth of buyers of the physical format.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM