XI (Metal Church album)

XI
Studio album by Metal Church
Released March 25, 2016 (2016-03-25)
Recorded 2015
Genre Heavy metal, thrash metal
Length 47:08
Label Rat Pak Records
Producer Kurdt Vanderhoof, Chris "Wizard" Collier
Metal Church chronology
Generation Nothing
(2013)		 XI
(2016)
Singles from XI
  1. "No Tomorrow"
    Released: January 5, 2016
  2. "Killing Your Time"
    Released: February 11, 2016
  3. "Reset"
    Released: March 18, 2016

XI is the eleventh studio album by the American heavy metal band Metal Church. It was released on March 25, 2016,[1] and is the band's first album in 23 years (since Hanging in the Balance) to feature vocalist Mike Howe. XI was considered a comeback for both Metal Church and Howe since the latter's retirement from the music industry after the band's first breakup in 1995; the album received generally positive reviews, and was their first studio album since 1989's Blessing in Disguise to enter the Billboard 200 chart, where it peaked at number 57,[2] the band's highest chart position in their career.

Background

In 2014, a year after the release of the band's tenth album, Generation Nothing, longtime vocalist Ronny Munroe announced he was quitting the band. In April of the next year, it was announced that former vocalist Mike Howe had rejoined the band. This lineup subsequently recorded and released a new version of the song "Badlands" (from the band's 1989 debut album with Howe, Blessing in Disguise).[3]

Over the course of 2015, the band announced its intention of releasing another album featuring Howe. In January, 2016, Metal Church released a video for a new song, "No Tomorrow" as the album's first single, with the band announcing a title and track listing for the album at the same time.[4] Another video, for the song "Killing Your Time" was released in February.[5] On March 18, one week prior to the album's release, the band released a lyric video for "Reset."[6]

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]

XI has received mostly positive reviews. Metal Underground rated the album four stars out of five and called it "a must buy for long time and new fans of the band and should be placed on the mantle in the same light as Howe, Phase One."[8] AllMusic writer James Christopher Monger gave XI three-and-a-half out of five stars, and states that it "feels a bit more lived-in and immediate than 2013's so-so Generation Nothing." Monger finished his review, saying that "Metal Church seem to have finally found the sweet spot between the thrash-kissed days of yore and the more traditional yet no less meaty metal stylings of their 21st century incarnation."[7]

Commercial performance

XI sold 11,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States, and debuted at number 57 on the Billboard 200 chart,[2] making it their highest chart position, and their first entry on the Billboard 200 chart in 27 years (since Blessing in Disguise). It also became the band's highest-charting album in Germany, peaking at number 34,[9] and becoming their first album to chart there since Hanging in the Balance reached number 79 in 1994.[9]

Track listing

All music by Kurdt Vanderhoof; All lyrics by Vanderhoof and Mike Howe[10]

No.TitleLength
1."Reset"  3:53
2."Killing Your Time"  5:06
3."No Tomorrow"  5:08
4."Signal Path"  7:12
5."Sky Falls In"  7:01
6."Needle and Suture"  4:38
7."Shadow"  4:08
8."Blow Your Mind"  6:28
9."Soul Eating Machine"  4:41
10."It Waits"  5:15
11."Suffer Fools"  4:54
Total length:47:08

[11]

Personnel

Credits adapted from album liner notes[10]

Metal Church
Production

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[12] 51
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] 94
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[14] 77
French Albums (SNEP)[15] 153
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 30
UK Albums (OCC)[18] 25
US Billboard 200[19] 57

References

  1. ↑ "Metal Church To Release 'XI' Album In March". Blabbermouth.net. January 5, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Metal Church's 'XI' Lands On Billboard Chart". Blabbermouth.net. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Metal Church: New Version of 'Badlands' Featuring Return of Mike Howe (Audio)". Blabbermouth.net. June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  4. ↑ DiVita, Joe (January 5, 2016). "Metal Church Reveal 'XI' Album Details, Serve Up New Song 'No Tomorrow'". Loudwire.com. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Metal Church: Lyric Video for New Song 'Killing Your Time'". Blabbermouth.net. February 11, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Metal Church: Official Lyric Video for 'Reset' Song". Blabbermouth.net. March 18, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Monger, James Christopher (March 25, 2016). "XI – Metal Church". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Metal Church - "XI" CD Review". metalunderground.com. March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". GfK Entertainment Charts. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  10. 1 2 XI liner notes. Rat Pak Records. 2016. p. 4.
  11. ↑ "Rat Pak Records - Metal Church". RatPakRecordsAmerica.com. Rat Pak Records. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Metal Church – XI" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Metal Church – XI" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Metal Church – XI" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums - SNEP (Semaine du 25 Mars)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Metal Church – XI" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Metal Church – XI". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Metal Church | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Metal Church – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Metal Church. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
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