Blessing in Disguise (Metal Church album)


Blessing in Disguise is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metal Church, released on February 7, 1989.
It was the band's final release on Elektra Records. This was the first album not to feature the vocals of David Wayne, due to his departure to form the band Reverend. This release featured new vocalist Mike Howe and guitarist John Marshall, who took over Kurdt Vanderhoof's position. Kurdt Vanderhoof had produced Heretic's final album Breaking Point previously. It seems that this is how Mike Howe came to the attention of Metal Church. David Wayne's new project was made up of the remaining members of Heretic.

Critical and commercial reception

Contemporary reviews were mixed. Don Kaye of Kerrang! judged Blessing in Disguise "a hit-and-miss affair" that does not "live up to the standards set on 1984 debut", lamenting "a lack of direction, an absence of focus that causes the record to fluctuate between greatness and mere mediocrity". He cited "Anthem to the Estranged" and "Badlands" as the best songs, "providing a real showcase for new singer Mike Howe, who elsewhere on the album comes across as a dime-a-dozen screamer." Rock Hard reviewer considered the album "better than the predecessor The Dark", but "still light years away from the landmark Metal Church"; he wrote that Blessing in Disguise is largely missing "the ultimate kick, the esprit, the special", despite being one of "the best-produced albums of recent times", thanks to Terry Date's hard work.
Modern reviews for Blessing in Disguise have been more positive. AllMusic's Jason Anderson considered the album "perhaps the finest Metal Church release", offering "some of the best material in the group's long career" and praised Howe for "bringing a burst of energy that the group used to create some of the best American underground metal of the decade." Martin Popoff in his
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal praised Howe's performance and Date's production, which turned "the band into an updated, renovated tower of strength, a guitar-driven machine set to stun."
Blessing in Disguise entered the Billboard 200 chart on April 8, 1989, two months after its release. The album itself peaked at number 75, and remained on the chart for 15 weeks.

Touring and promotion

Metal Church spent most of 1989 and 1990 touring behind Blessing in Disguise. They embarked a U.S. tour in the spring of 1989 with Meliah Rage, and supported W.A.S.P. on their Headless Children tour. Metal Church played one show in Germany in October 1989 with Fates Warning and Toranaga, and opened for Saxon in Europe in April 1990. They were also a "surprise guest" for Metallica's May 11, 1990 show at The Marquee in London.

Track listing

Personnel

;Metal Church
;Additional musicians
;Production