UMUR
"Masterpeace" is the 6th full-length studio album by US power/heavy metal act Metal Church. The album was released through Nuclear Blast America in July 1999. It´s the successor to "Hanging in the Balance" from 1993 and features a couple of lineup changes since the predecessor as guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof and lead vocalist David Wayne have returned to the fold replacing Craig Wells and Mike Howe respectively. Both returning musicians were part of the original incarnation of Metal Church, who recorded the first couple of albums.
While Howe is a strong vocalist in his own right, Wayne is just one of those singers who transcends being just technically skilled and having a strong voice. He has a personal sound and a rawness and authenticity to his performance that only the best are able to deliver. The return of Vanderhoof is also great, and it´s interesting to hear him use the mellotron on "Kiss for the Dead" a few years prior to his involvement with progressive rock act Presto Ballet. Stylistically the material on "Masterpeace" is not anything like Vanderhoof´s future act though (maybe except for the epic and semi-progressive "They Signed in Blood", which share some similar progressive traits), and the listener is treated to the trademark US power/heavy metal Metal Church sound. Not much has changed since the early- to mid 80s, but that´s not really necessary either, when you master your craft like Metal Church do.
They are an exceptionally well playing unit, and there is bite and passion behind the performances. Sure there are softer and more melodic moments on the album (like the melodic hard rocking "Into Dust" or the power balled "Kiss for the Dead"), but the softer moments are outnumbered by the energetic and aggressive (yet still melodic) US power/heavy metal tracks, so the balance is just right. One of the highlights of the album is the quite brilliant opening track "Sleeps With Thunder" (the Aerosmith cover "Toys in the Attic" is also a standout track, although not necessarily a highlight), but "Masterpeace" is a high quality release through and through. Strong and memorable songwriting, high level musical performances, and a powerful, detailed, and organic sounding production. The involved parties have often since called the album and the subsequent tour a disaster (Wayne had severe substance abuse issues and drummer Kirk Arrington had serious health issues which affected his playing while on tour), which led to the band breaking up again, but to my ears there´s nothing wrong with the quality of "Masterpeace" and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is fully deserved.