On the heels of the recent announcement of their 12th full-length studio album Damned If You Do, METAL CHURCH have released the first music video for the title track “Damned If You Do”. The song is quintessential METAL CHURCH and showcases the sound that has garnered the band fans all around the globe with its driving guitar riffs, punishing drum beat and instantly recognizable vocals. The performance video can be seen on KNAC.COM HERE.
“I hope the fans enjoy this first video, it really sets the tone for the entire album, We are doing our best to keep metal alive METAL CHURCH style. We’d be damned if we didn't!” exclaims vocalist Mike Howe.
The West Coast metal veterans will release their latest studio album Damned If You Do via Rat Pak Records on December 7, 2018 and will also be available in Europe via Nuclear Blast and Japan via KING Records. From the haunting opener “Damned If You Do” to the final hard-edged track “The War Electric”, this new album is sure to resonate with METAL CHURCH fans from the band’s early years while garnering new ones. Songs like “By The Numbers”, “Guillotine” and “The Black Things” are sure to become instant favorites. The latest release is the follow up to their highly successful 2016 album XI, which saw the return of legendary frontman Mike Howe. Damned If You Do is a cross between the band’s iconic Blessing In Disguise and The Human Factor and is available in various formats and bundle configurations including a limited Blue, Black & white vinyl pressing with an alternate track sequence. There is also an Ultimate Fan Bundle that includes a personal “Thank-you” phone call from Mike Howe, exclusively available at: http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/metal-church. The album is also available for pre-order via iTunes at: http://smarturl.it/metalchurchitunes and fans that pre-order digitally will receive the first track “Damned If You Do” instantly.
Damned If You Do also features new drummer Stet Howland (ex-WASP, Lita Ford). Stet first arrived after the departure of long-time drummer Jeff Plate, but soon after joining the band was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Miraculously his treatments for the aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma worked and he was able to begin recording the new album.
Speaking on the new single and video, Stet Howland comments: “From my first listen of the "Damned If You Do" demo, I was blown away. From Mike’s ‘hummm’ intro to Kurdt’s bad ass guitar riff to the infectious chorus, I was hooked!! If I were any more excited people would have to call me ‘shit legs’. Ha Ha Ha.”
The track listing for Damned If You Do is:
- "Damned If You Do"
- "The Black Things"
- "By The Numbers"
- "Revolution Underway"
- "Guillotine"
- "Rot Away"
- "Into The Fold"
- "Monkey Finger"
- "Out Of Balance"
- "The War Electric"
Born out of the West Coast Metal scene of the 80's, METAL CHURCH quickly became one of the standout talents of the genre. After signing a deal with Elektra records, they released two critically acclaimed albums, their self-titled release Metal Church and The Dark. With the heavy metal scene starting to rise in the U.S., METAL CHURCH set out on a very successful tour with label mates METALLICA. They tackled political and social issues of the day with the releases of Blessing In Disguise and The Human Factor. At a time when heavy metal bands moved from the underground and became part of the hair band/pop fad, METAL CHURCH stayed true to their roots. In March of 2016 METAL CHURCH released their eleventh studio album XI that reached #57 on the Billboard top 200 and also landed on several other charts around the globe.
