West Coast metal veterans METAL CHURCH have unveiled a new music video for “Dead To Rights”, the title track from their thirteenth studio album, released in April through Rat Pak Records. The video, available below, features footage from the band’s powerful performance at the Alcatraz Festival in Kortrijk, Belgium, last August, showcasing the full force of METAL CHURCH’s latest lineup in front of one of Europe’s most dedicated metal audiences.

The band’s current lineup features founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH), drummer Ken Mary (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, FIFTH ANGEL, ALICE COOPER, HOUSE OF LORDS, TKO, CHASTAIN) and new vocalist Brian Allen (VICIOUS RUMORS).

The revamped lineup made its live debut on May 17 at San Luis Metal Fest, held at Teatro del Pueblo in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Το άρθρο METAL CHURCH – “DEAD TO RIGHTS” εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.

♦ 7,5/10

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The album delivers Metal Church’s signature heavy, riff-driven sound, from the aggressive opening assault of “Brainwash Game” to the riff-heavy finale “My Wrath.” Fans will also recognize the classic Metal Church style in tracks like “Deep Cover Shakedown,” “The Show,” and “Wasted Time.” The album’s first single, “F.A.F.O.,” released last November, has already amassed over 400,000 views for its official video. Dead To Rights was produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and mixed and mastered by Zeuss at Planet Z.

Kurdt Vanderhoof explains:
“This new album is very special to me for one reason: the band was over, and I honestly didn’t see it being resurrected. But somehow, it brought itself back to life—again! I’m incredibly proud of these new songs; they hit hard. Brian Allen brings the classic Metal Church sound to the vocals, and adding a rhythm section with musicians of the caliber of Dave Ellefson and Ken Mary makes this a force to be reckoned with. If you enjoy classic Metal Church, you’re going to love this record.”

“Dead to Rights” tracklist:

1.Brainwash Game
2. F.A.F.O.
3. Dead To Rights
4. Deep Cover Shakedown
5. Feet To The Fire
6. The Show
7. Heaven Knows (Slip Away)
8. No Memory
9. Wasted Time
10.My Wrath

Metal Church plan to tour extensively this year on the Dead To Rights Tour 2026. A few dates have been announced been announced with more to come. All information on touring plans and links to tickets can be found at https://www.metalchurchofficial.com

Dead To Rights Tour 2026 Dates
Sun, May 17 – San Luis Potosí, Mexico – San Luis Metal Fest
Thu, July 30 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Pumpehuset (w/ Armored Saint)
Fri, July 31 – Ostergotland – Sweden – Skogsröjet Festival
Sat, Aug 1 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Pustervik (w/ Testament & Armored Saint)
Sun, Aug 2 – Lund, Sweden – Mejeriet (w/ Testament & Armored Saint)
Tue, Aug 4 0 Kiel, Germany – Die Pumpe (w/ Testament & Armored Saint)
Wed, Aug 5 – Josefov, Czech – Brutal Assault Festival
Fri, Aug 8 – Cologne, Germany – EssigFabrik (w/ Testament & Death Angel)
Sat, Aug 8, 2026 – Kortrijik, Belgium – Alcatraz Festival
Sun, Aug 9, 2026 – Geiselwind, Germany – Keep It True Festival
Tue, Aug 11 – Karlsruhe, Germany – Substage (w/ Testament & Death Angel)
Wed, Aug 12 – Obertraubling, Germany – Eventhall Airport (w/ Testament & Death Angel)
Thu, Aug 13 – Krakow, Poland – Klub Studio (w/ Testament & Armored Saint)
Fri, Aug 14 – Leipzig, Germany – Parkbuhne (w/ Black Label Society)
Fri, Sept 18 – Westland, MI – The Token Lounge
Sat, Sept 19 – Madison, WI – Blades of Steel Metal Festival

Line Up
Kurdt Vanderhoof – guitarist
Rick Van Zandt – guitarist
David Ellefson – bass
Ken Mary – drums
Brian Allen – vocals

Το άρθρο METAL CHURCH: ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM (“DEAD TO RIGHTS”) εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.

Fresh off their recent tour and return from Australia, the band found themselves at a creative crossroads — until an unexpected spark reignited Kurdt’s drive to move Metal Church into a bold new chapter. Reconnecting with the musicians who now form the updated lineup led to immediate chemistry in the studio and the creation of the blistering new track “F.A.F.O.”.

Produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and mixed/mastered by Zeuss at Planet Z, the single’s intensity inspired the band to continue writing, ultimately giving rise to a brand-new Metal Church album, scheduled for release in 2026 via Reaper Entertainment in Europe. Further details will be announced soon.

Kurdt Vanderhoof explains:
“After 45 years, the fact that we have new music coming in 2025 feels like a miracle. There was a time when I honestly didn’t think Metal Church would continue, but we’re back—and this lineup is firing on all cylinders. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have a new single on the way; that alone makes this moment incredibly special. ‘F.A.F.O.’ is an aggressive thrasher, and I think the fans are really going to dig it. We certainly do—otherwise it wouldn’t be Metal Church”.

Metal Church will tour extensively in 2026, with festival appearances already confirmed and more to be announced.
Tour information and ticket links:
https://www.metalchurchofficial.com

Wed, Aug 5, 2026 — Josefov, Czech Republic — Brutal Assault Festival

Sat, Aug 8, 2026 — Kortrijk, Belgium — Alcatraz Festival

Sun, Aug 9, 2026 — Geiselwind, Germany — Keep It True Festival

Connect with Metal Church at:
Website: https://www.metalchurchofficial.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMetalChurch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metalchurchofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/metalchurchis1

Το άρθρο METAL CHURCH: NEW LINE-UP, NEW SINGLE εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.

N.Y.C. — the powerhouse trio featuring Tommy Bolan (WARLOCK), Stet Howland (W.A.S.P., METAL CHURCH), and Steve Unger (METAL CHURCH) — channels the unfiltered spirit of an era when “badass” actually meant something. This is the sound of a time when action heroes were leather-clad renegades, not anxious teens, and heavy metal proudly flipped off the pop charts. Expect thunderous riffs, explosive adrenaline, and a zero-compromise attitude forged in the molten collision of metal, action movies, and old-school shooters like Doom.

Bolan sums it up best: “The title song — a crisp ‘I’m fed up and sick of everything!’ Simply a respawn of the good old Do It My Way — and if you get in my way, I’ll run you over and drop a building on you. A feel-good song for everyone who’s had enough!”

Staying true to the band’s signature fusion of crushing riffs and cinematic world-building, the new video unfolds inside the blazing cathedral of the Heaven ’N’ Hell Bar. This time, the gates swing open to reveal a darker dimension — a glimpse into a scorched, post-apocalyptic cityscape that perfectly expands on the Doom-inspired visuals first unleashed in “Heavy As Hell.”

Once again helmed by Academy Award–winning Hollywood veteran Walter Schulz, the video extends N.Y.C.’s groundbreaking series of virtual performances, brought to life through the power of Epic’s Unreal Engine.

“The approach to the N.Y.C. music videos has been a unique new way and possibly a future industry standard to produce content for this type of material,” says Schulz.

Markus Liedtke, CEO and founder of AMNET (Adrenalizing Media Network),adds: “Every gamer knows Epic’s Unreal Engine — but we’re taking it to the next level. With our N.Y.C. music video project, we’re redefining how artists, gaming, and entertainment merge into a new kind of global franchise”.

The Heaven ‘N’ Hell Bar first came to life at San Diego Comic-Con (CCI 2023) in the exclusive comic book NRCity Stories Extreme: Chapter 0 – A Painful Birth, marking the moment N.Y.C. stepped into their ever-expanding narrative universe.

So what would it sound like if AC/DC threw down with JUDAS PRIEST in a back-alley brawl while MOTÖRHEAD roared by on a Harley? That’s N.Y.C. — and their debut album “Built To Destroy” captures that chaos in full force. It’s loud, unapologetic, and couldn’t care less about making friends.

Fronted by Queens-born guitarist and vocalist Tommy Bolan — the shredding powerhouse behind WARLOCK’s platinum classic “Triumph & Agony” — N.Y.C. also features Stet Howland (W.A.S.P., METAL CHURCH) on drums and Steve Unger (METAL CHURCH) on bass. Together, they embody the sound and spirit of New York City itself: raw, gritty, defiant, and ready to rise straight from the gutter.

The band’s debut album “Built To Destroy” was produced by Tommy Bolan and released through Adrenalizing Media Network, which also serves as executive producer. The record was tracked at Deep End Music Studios and mastered in Los Angeles by Robert Vosgien.

Το άρθρο N.Y.C.: METAL CHURCH, EX-W.A.S.P. AND WARLOCK MEMBERS JOIN FORCES εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.

Everything ends. Even in the legendary realms of heavy metal, where myths and legends intrude into everyday reality on a daily basis. Members and fans of American metal giants METAL CHURCH became painfully aware of this when they lost their legendary singer and frontman Mike Howe in July 2021. From 1988 to 1994 and again from 2015, Howe was the frontman of one of America’s most beloved and cherished metal institutions, recording groundbreaking and essential works such as “Blessing in Disguise” and “The Human Factor”.

Mike Howe was an outstanding singer, a charismatic frontman and for many the voice of American heavy metal. On July 26, 2021, Howe died at the age of 55 at his home in Eureka, California. The world lost a unique voice and talent that day. His legacy will live on, of course, in his many friends, followers and fans, in his classic albums and in the memories of his bandmates. On the third anniversary of his tragic death, Reaper Entertainment will make its own contribution to the memorial altar of a true icon: a live album titled “The Final Sermon”, recorded during his last performances – on August 24 and 25, 2019 at Club Citta in Kawasaki, Japan.

“The Final Sermon” not only shows Howe at his vocal peak, singing, screaming and belting like there’s literally no tomorrow, but also a band in captivating form. Thrash guitar pioneer and founder Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger, drummer Stet Howland and live bassist Bobby Ferkovich were on top form during those two long nights in Japan, a tight-knit metal machine ready for anything. 14 songs underscore their status as quintessential American metal overlords, a band that pulls out all the stops musically while embodying a political, socially conscious, philosophical mindset. Current bangers like the furious “Damned if you do”, classics like the menacing wall of riffs of “Fake Healer” and early classics like “Beyond the Black” show a band that is aware and proud of their past, but comfortable in the present. This is not a veteran group bragging about past glories, but a band that is still a hungry and dangerous wolfpack four decades into their career.

That’s the beauty of METAL CHURCH. Formed in 1980 in the burgeoning Bay Area metal scene, the band even had Lars Ulrich audition for the drummer’s position before he left to form another Bay Area band. Their debut album “Metal Church” (1984) is one of the great classics of American heavy metal and launched an international career. The band played with all the big four of thrash (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax), appeared on MTV’s “Headbanger’s Ball” and shaped the American metal landscape like no other. The band is still alive and kicking today, but the legendary era of the eighties and early nineties will never be surpassed by the mark that singer Mike Howe left on the band: “The Final Sermon” is living proof that, even if all idols eventually fall, their legacy lives on. Through all of us.

“The Final Sermon” will be released on July 26th, 2024 on CD, Vinyl and Deluxe Boxset.

Tracklist:
1. Damned If You Do
2. Meedle and Suture
3. Fake Healer
4. In Mourning
5. Human Factor
6. Date with Poverty
7. The Black Things
8. Gods of A Second Chance
9. Start the Fire
10. Watch the Children Pray
11. Beyond the Black
12. By the Numbers
13. No Friend of Mine
14. Badlands

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