METAL CHURCH is one of those bands that take me back to a time when life was simpler. And just like putting on a comfortable old battle jacket, seeing them play live in Melbourne last night took me right back to my teenage days at school. It was metal nostalgia at its finest!

And as nostalgic as it was, Metal Church is by no means a band that rests on its past victories. Touring to promote its latest album, “Congregation Of Annihilation”, Metal Church successfully combines the songs of its latest creation with those of its earlier works… and it does it seamlessly!

Seeing Metal Church live for the first time was a special experience that I thought I was likely to have. I missed seeing the band’s previous visit to Melbourne and given the sad passing of Mike Howe (vocalist) in 2021 I was not expecting to see the band on Aussie shores again. But with Marc Lopes (Ross The Boss Band) filling the vocal void, Metal Church is back!

Accompanying Metal Church in Melbourne were relative newcomers FIRING SQUAD, representing “Rural Victorian Thrash Metal”, this tight-knit quartet were the perfect fit to open a night of traditional thrash goodness!

Legendary Melbourne metal band NOTHING SACRED proved that they still have what it takes to command a stage and keep an audience completely engaged. Playing a mix of older and more recent material, NOTHING SACRED’s fast, heavy, and melodic set was the perfect lead into the main event. NOTHING SACRED’s set was brilliantly bookended with classics No Rest For The Wicked and Deathwish.

Kicking off with tracks from the classic The Dark and self-titled albums, METAL CHURCH steamrolled its way through a set of absolute bangers. If I had to collate a list of my favourite MC tracks I’m pretty sure it would have been very similar. The inclusion of new songs “Pick A God And Pray” and “Congregation Of Annihilation” were seamless amongst the array of earlier tracks, with highlights being “Ton Of Bricks”, “Gods Of Wrath”, “Beyond The Black”, “Fake Healer” and “Metal Church”.

With a lineup consisting of Kurt Vanderhoof, Steve Unger, Rick Van Zandt, Stet Howland, and now vocalist Marc Lopes, METAL CHURCH has found new energy. It might not be 1986 anymore, but don’t tell that to the teenage version of me wearing his old denim battle jacket and studded leather belt, as I won’t believe you!