I had to let this new Metal Church album, the first with new singer Marc Lopes, simmer for a while as I can't say I liked it much the first few times I listen to it. I saw a lot of people getting excited, calling it very much in the vein of, when not as good as, the first few classic albums of the band. I won't say they were right, but there's definitely a vibe of the band's early material here.

I find this rocks harder than the last couple of albums, which sounded more easy-listening and even watered down at times. But first things first, new singer Marc Lopes is a good fit for the band, with a vocal style very much like you expect to hear on Metal Church songs, but he has his own thing going as well. I haven't heard him sing the classic material yet, but based on what I hear on this album, I'm sure he can pull it off. Going back to what I was saying earlier about this versus the early albums, I find the latter were heavier and darker, but Congregation of Annihilation does have its moments as well. It's more modern and somewhat cleaner overall, but every now and then there's a song, or even just a passage, that just screams classic Metal Church. It's more melodic and accessible than those early albums, but it rocks hard and heavy enough to make up for that. I can't say I hear a classic in the making, but for the most part the songs are solid, though many of them don't really leave a lasting impression despite being very good while they're on. It's been too long since I listened to the other albums, but this might just be their best post-2000 album, or if not, pretty damn close.