Metal Church - Blessing In Disguise
Tracklist
01. Fake Healer02. Rest In Pieces (April 15, 1912)
03. Of Unsound Mind
04. Anthem To The Estranged
05. Badlands
06. The Spell Can't Be Broken
07. It's A Secret
08. Cannot Tell A Lie
09. The Powers That Be
Line-up
Mike Howe - vocals
Craig Wells - guitars
John Marshall - guitars
Kirk Arrington - drums
Duke Erickson - bass
Guest musicians
Kurdt Vanderhoof - guitars
Mike Howe - vocals
Craig Wells - guitars
John Marshall - guitars
Kirk Arrington - drums
Duke Erickson - bass
Guest musicians
Kurdt Vanderhoof - guitars
Additional info
Producer, mixing, engineering: Terry Date.Mixing, engineering: Joe Alexander.
Mastering: Howie Weinberg.
Assistant engineer: Trish Finnegan & Brian Stover.
Photography: Darryl Estrine.
Staff pick by
ScreamingSteelUS
Found in 18 lists
ScreamingSteelUS
Heavy/Thrash/Power
Jul 28, 2021
As talented a vocalist as David Wayne was, his departure from Metal Church was a true blessing in disguise, for it opened the door for the man who has always been my favorite MC vocalist: Mike Howe. His distortion was beautiful, his articulation was savage, and he was one of the proudest members of the lineage of gravel-voiced frontmen alongside folks like Zetro and Bobby Blitz. Even after 20 years of absence, when he reunited with Metal Church for XI and Damned If You Do, two very strong late-career records, Mike's tone was still rich and his delivery forceful. At only 55, he sadly joins the ranks of those gone from us too soon.
Blessing In Disguise has long been in competition with the self-titled album for my favorite Metal Church work, and while of course the killer riffs and rhythm work throughout make it solid gold, Mike's shredded howl sells every song so well. Perhaps I should have picked The Human Factor as a tribute, because Mike truly had a human factor in his singing that drove the lyrics to the heart more than your average head-bangers could, especially on that album, but Blessing In Disguise has "Badlands," one of my all-time favorite songs, and there's not much better you can do than that.
Rest in peace, Mike.
Blessing In Disguise has long been in competition with the self-titled album for my favorite Metal Church work, and while of course the killer riffs and rhythm work throughout make it solid gold, Mike's shredded howl sells every song so well. Perhaps I should have picked The Human Factor as a tribute, because Mike truly had a human factor in his singing that drove the lyrics to the heart more than your average head-bangers could, especially on that album, but Blessing In Disguise has "Badlands," one of my all-time favorite songs, and there's not much better you can do than that.
Rest in peace, Mike.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Dream Taster, RaduP, Deadsoulman, Starvynth, Daniell, nikarg, BitterCOld, Yaniv
Endorsed by: Dream Taster, RaduP, Deadsoulman, Starvynth, Daniell, nikarg, BitterCOld, Yaniv
Top lists
Comments
Comments:
12
Visited by
418 users
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Posts: 21  |
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Posts: 350  |
Posts: 350
This is a real jewel - powerful emotional vocals, perfect arrangements, good analogue sound ...
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Posts: 349  |
Posts: 349
Am I the only one convinced that Badlands is one of the best songs ever?
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Posts: 143  |
Posts: 143
Probably the best Metal Church album, even if I like very much the first album too thanks to its great atmosphere and the magnificient Gods Of Wrath. But as a whole album maybe Blessing In Disguise is better.
---- We are just a moment in time A blink of an eye A dream for the blind Visions from a dying brain I hope you don't understand
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Posts: 1389  |
Posts: 1389
The best of the best. Every song here is amazing one way or another. I remember being hugely biased towards this album because I was more into David Wayne -era stuff, but songs like "Fake Healer", "Badlands" and "Anthem To The Estranged" changed my mind for good. I don't understand why these guys are so overlooked, Blessing in Disguise in particular.
---- You've got a lot of guts. Let's see what they look like!
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 Posts: 3333 |
Posts: 3333
Strong album. I don't think that the songwriting is totally amazing for the whole 54 minutes and one thing I can't totally appreciate -- as with the previous album -- is the heavy bass emphasis in the production. The album has some strong songs, Badlands, maybe quite obviously, being the personal favorite.
---- My vision is augmented
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 Posts: 1571 |
Posts: 1571
There are instant hits and some slow burners on this album, but it has quite possible the most meaningful riffs and the singing is incredible. I didn't realise how high Mike Howe sings until I tried to sing along... Excellent record.
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 Posts: 3450 |
Posts: 3450
Wow this is great - pure fucking heavy metal  This is my first time listening to something from Metal Church other than their excellent debut. Like others have said, the vocalists - both for the first two albums and here - are exceptional  These guys are certainly overlooked
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Posts: 5659  |
Posts: 5659
I haven't listened to this one in a really long time, forgot how great it is. 
---- I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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Posts: 845  |
Posts: 845
Starting off with a real banger then it get´s a bit weaker just to finish off great. I prefer the more Heavy Metal styled songs. Faves: Fake Healer (best on record), Anthems To The Estranged, The Spell Can´t Be Broken and The Power That Be
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