Released: April 10, 2026
Metal Church entered Dead to Rights with three new members occupying the places listeners notice first. Brian Allen took over the vocals, while David Ellefson and Ken Mary replaced the entire rhythm section. Kurdt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt still provided the guitar identity, but that alone could not guarantee a convincing record. The question hanging over the album is simple: can three newcomers work their way inside Vanderhoof’s songs and become an actual band?
“Brainwash Game” answers part of that immediately. Vanderhoof’s main riff has the clipped, angular movement that has always separated Metal Church from straight-ahead thrash, while Mary shifts the drums underneath it instead of hammering one pattern through the song. Ellefson’s bass follows the guitar when the riff needs more weight, then becomes easier to pick out during the transitions. Zeuss’s mix gives everything room. The guitars remain thick, but the kick, snare, and bass do not collapse into the same low-end block.
Allen has the hardest job because every Metal Church singer gets measured against David Wayne and Mike Howe. His rasp naturally recalls Wayne, especially when he bites down on the short phrases in “F.A.F.O.,” but his best work comes when he stops living at full volume. In “No Memory,” he moves from a firm middle register into a sharp upper cry, lifting the chorus without turning the song into a vocal contest. He also knows when to let a riff finish its thought. That matters on an album where the guitars often change direction between vocal lines.
The new rhythm section changes how those guitars land. “Deep Cover Shakedown” settles into a slower, rolling groove, with Ellefson and Mary creating enough movement underneath the chorus to keep it from becoming a simple stomp. “Heaven Knows (Slip Away)” starts with Mary out front, then breaks into a gallop that runs against the worn-down language of the lyric. The words describe repetition, guilt, and a mind coming apart; the band plays as though it is trying to outrun all three. That friction gives the song its character.
Vanderhoof’s riffs provide the frame, and Van Zandt supplies the melodic release, but the arrangements make room for more than speed. “Feet to the Fire” is built around a serrated mid-tempo figure. During its quieter centre, the rhythm guitar keeps moving under the bass and drums, so the song never loses its shape before the main riff returns. “The Show” takes an even stranger turn. Its hard-edged opening sections give way to a calmer progressive passage that pulls back the guitars and exposes Ellefson’s bass. The detour slows the song without draining its energy, then makes the returning riff sound sharper.
The lyrics stay blunt. “Brainwash Game” deals with media manipulation and repeated narratives; “F.A.F.O.” reduces consequence to a four-letter slogan; “My Wrath” draws a line after patience has run out. The point lands quickly. Allen sells the words through attack and timing, clipping some lines against the riffs and stretching others over the bar. That directness suits music built from hard turns, gallops, and choruses meant to connect on first contact.
So, can these three newcomers become an actual band inside Vanderhoof’s songs? Yes. The clearest proof sits in the quieter middle of “The Show”: Ellefson steps forward, Mary eases the song into another gear, and Allen leaves space around them before the guitars pull everything back. That interaction matters more than resemblance to any former era. By the time Mary drives “Heaven Knows (Slip Away)” into its gallop and Allen cracks open “No Memory,” nobody sounds like a temporary replacement. They sound like the band that made Dead to Rights.
Written by Rob Joncas for DeadNoteMedia.
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