It’s hard to contrive that Metal Church have not played a show in the UK for 22 years – but alas, they heavy metal legends make a triumphant return to London to a roaring Underworld crowd!
[date]10th May 2016[/date]
[venue]The Underworld Camden[/venue]
[city]London, UK[/city]
[support_bands]Distillator, Bliksem[/support_bands]
Again it’s just hard to believe some of the facts about Metal Church sometimes – apart from overlooking London from their tours for over two decades, there was a time where Metallica actually supported this band in 1990. One would think that this band would be all but forgotten with the UK being omitted for so long.
This is heavy metal we’re talking about though – the genre with the most loyal fanbase in the entire music industry. Fans have come to finally see a Metal Church show tonight, and they are not bitter for being forgotten, but rather psyched about the (somewhat) classic line-up that finally graces London this evening.
That appreciation is all the more apparent when the grandiose march of ‘Fake Healer‘ begins ringing through the speakers, and suddenly the entire Underworld is headbanging to that classic heavy metal riffing that Metal Church were acclaimed for so early in their career.
The tour has obviously been organised around the latest release of ‘XI‘, of course with the band playing some new tracks such as ‘Reset‘ and ‘Killing Your Time‘. To London fans however it just felt like so much more. It had the aura of a reunion show, as the response to classics such as ‘Badlands‘ and ‘Watch The Children Pray‘ almost drowned out the pitch-perfect mix of the Church.
Almost any given moment, the fans would seize the opportunity to belt out their appreciation, chanting ‘Metal Church‘ with every fist in the air. It’s particularly heart-warming to see such a response to a classic heavy metal band that deserves the utmost respect. It hardly dwindles, as that trend is perpetual right until the final notes of ‘The Human Factor‘.
Fantastic show, fantastic fans, and a true heavy metal feel. I’d rather Metal Church not wait another 22 years to perform in London again.
