Metal Church has had a revolving door of vocalists, guitarists, bassists and drummers throughout its 42-year career, and Vanderhoof remains the group's sole consistent creative, despite reducing his role strictly to composition in 1986 after tiring of performing. The "classic" lineup of Vanderhoof, vocalist David Wayne, guitarist Craig Wells, bassist Duke Erickson, and drummer Kirk Arrington recorded the band's first two studio albums, Metal Church (1984) and their major breakthrough The Dark (1986). By the end of the 1980s, Vandehoof and Wayne had parted ways with the band and were replaced by vocalist Mike Howe and guitarist John Marshall respectively. Metal Church's popularity continued with their third album Blessing in Disguise (1989), which spawned one of their best-known songs "Badlands". After releasing two more studio albums with Howe, the band called it quits in 1996.
Metal Church reformed in 1998 with most of their "classic" lineup, including Vanderhoof's return to performance, resulting in the Masterpeace album. They endured numerous lineup changes thereafter, releasing three further studio albums while fronted by Ronny Munroe before disbanding once again in July 2009. The group reunited for the second time in October 2012, and released their tenth studio album Generation Nothing a year later. Following Munroe's departure in the fall of 2014, Metal Church considered disbanding for the third time before Howe was rehired in April 2015 as the band's lead singer. He recorded two more albums with the group, which enjoyed a renewed popularity in the mid-to-late 2010s, before his death.
On July 26, 2021, Metal Church announced that Howe had died that morning at his home in Eureka, California, at the age of 55. In October 2021, after announcing the return of his short-lived early 1990s band Hall Aflame, Vanderhoof hinted that Metal Church would continue on with a replacement for Howe. By mid-2022, rumors suggested that Ronny Munroe would rejoin the band, but resulted in him joining Vicious Rumors.
On February 2, 2023, Metal Church announced Marc Lopes as their new lead vocalist. A month later, the band announced their upcoming album, Congregation of Annihilation, would be released on May 26.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Church
Discography
Metal Church (1984)
The Dark (1986)
Blessing in Disguise (1989)
The Human Factor (1991)
Hanging in the Balance (1993)
Masterpeace (1999)
The Weight of the World (2004)
A Light in the Dark (2006)
This Present Wasteland (2008)
Generation Nothing (2013)
XI (2016)
Damned If You Do (2018)
Congregation of Annihilation (2023)
Beyond the Black
Metal Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The crypt we now taste
In the late 1900's, there is no human race
We split the planet with atomic birth
Man has died
We seal the urn.
Negotiations are over
All that I see is a nightmare
The smoke is blotting out the moon
No, God please stop this bloody slaughter
We are off the beaten track
All the masses are rebelling
To withstand the dark attack
Will we make it back beyond the black?
Tanks are rolling in millions
See them come, and now they're gone
All the mountains are blackened
They said it came from just one bomb
No God please stop this bloody slaughter
Let it all repeat -- attack
All the masses are rebelling
To withstand the dark attack
Will we make it back beyond the black?
Will we make it back beyond?
Out of the crypt with faces marred
Seems the night has won
We unite as one
No more weapons, no more guns
Look out!
Food supplies are worth more than gold
Turn the young into old
With blinded eyes we count the cost
Of everything that we lost
Look out!
Watch out!
Beyond the black!
The song "Beyond the Black" by Metal Church is a post-apocalyptic meditation on the consequences of nuclear war. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a world ravaged by atomic explosions and a population struggling to survive in the aftermath. The first stanza, "The war is over, the crypt we now taste, in the late 1900's, there is no human race," acknowledges the all-consuming nature of the war, as though humanity has been extinguished. The subsequent stanzas provide further insight into the devastation, portraying the struggle for survival, the horror of the conflict, and the hope for better times.
The repeated call for divine intervention, "No, God please stop this bloody slaughter," reveals a sense of helplessness and despair, as the people are unable to prevent the violence that is destroying their world. The final stanzas suggest that beyond the darkness and hopelessness of the present, there may still be a glimmer of hope for a better future, though the cost will be high. The lines "with blinded eyes we count the cost, of everything that we lost" encapsulate this idea, suggesting that the people have learned from their mistakes and are committed to rebuilding a better world.
Overall, "Beyond the Black" is a powerful testament to the danger of nuclear war, an ever-present threat that remains as relevant today as it was when the song was first released.
Line by Line Meaning
The war is over
Negotiations are over
The crypt we now taste
Troops are marching to their doom
In the late 1900's, there is no human race
All that I see is a nightmare
We split the planet with atomic birth
Tanks are rolling in millions
Man has died
See them come, and now they're gone
We seal the urn.
All the mountains are blackened
No, God please stop this bloody slaughter
No God please stop this bloody slaughter
We are off the beaten track
Let it all repeat -- attack
All the masses are rebelling
All the masses are rebelling
To withstand the dark attack
To withstand the dark attack
Will we make it back beyond the black?
Will we make it back beyond the black?
Tanks are rolling in millions
Tanks are rolling in millions
See them come, and now they're gone
See them come, and now they're gone
All the mountains are blackened
All the mountains are blackened
They said it came from just one bomb
They said it came from just one bomb
Out of the crypt with faces marred
Out of the crypt with faces marred
Seems the night has won
Seems the night has won
We unite as one
We unite as one
No more weapons, no more guns
No more weapons, no more guns
Look out!
Look out!
Food supplies are worth more than gold
Food supplies are worth more than gold
Turn the young into old
Turn the young into old
With blinded eyes we count the cost
With blinded eyes we count the cost
Of everything that we lost
Of everything that we lost
Watch out!
Watch out!
Beyond the black!
Beyond the black!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CRAIG STEPHEN WELLS, DAVID WAYNE CARNELL, KURDT YORK VANDERHOOF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind