Metal Church--The Dark (1986) Rating--6.3

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Moreso brooding power metal than the power/thrash they would evolve into, Metal Church offers up a decent-if-unspectacular platter on this second release. Singer David Wayne absolutely shines in his slower moments, but most of the time he's shrieking entirely too much, taking away from the instruments' work.
"Start the Fire" is heavy, and is built around a thick bar chord riff. "Psycho" has similar chops in a mid-section shift, and the title track flashes forward a couple of years to give signs of the fast-paced thrash the band will soon feature.
The one track that bolsters this album is the excellent and atmospheric "Watch the Children Play," which moves from acoustic sounds from the dungeon to an absolutely crunching and head-driving chorus. Due to its slower nature (as mentioned before), Wayne shines here in grueling and menacing fashion.

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TRACK LIST: Ton of Bricks/Start the Fire/Method to Your Madness/Watch the Children Pray/Over My Dead Body/The Dark/ Psycho/Line of Death/Burial at Sea/Western Alliance

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