What Have We Been Listening to in July?
Two heavy metal stalwarts command our attention alongside an unexpected detour into the smooth waters of Yacht Rock.
Heavy Metal Stalwarts
The focus this month has centered on two veteran acts delivering new material that honors their legacy while pushing into fresh territory: Armored Saint's Emotion Factory Reset and Metal Church's Dead To Rights.
Armored Saint — Emotion Factory Reset
Our favorite track is by far "Bottom Feeder." It carries a galloping, lunging riff reminiscent of something off Symbol Of Salvation or Revelation — that unmistakable Armored Saint urgency that defined their peak era. However, it is still taking time to process the full album. This is a dense offering requiring multiple listens.
Emotion Factory Resetis not an immediate grab. It demands patience. The layering is substantial, the song arrangement structures vary considerably from track to track, and there is a compositional ambition here that rewards attentive repeated listening rather than surface-level consumption. We gave it four stars for that layering and structural diversity alone — a recognition that the album's depth will continue to reveal itself over time.
Metal Church — Dead To Rights
Metal Church, on the other hand, is an immediate impact album. Ex-Vicious Rumors singer Brian Allen fits the band hand in glove. His voice carries the right combination of grit and melody that Metal Church has always demanded from its front line — and he delivers without hesitation.
We appreciate that Ken Mary is involved in the project. His recent drumming with Fifth Angel and the work he's done on recent Flotsam & Jetsam material demonstrates a player who understands power metal dynamics intimately, and that sensibility suits Metal Church well. The only issue: at times we would appreciate some odd meter and variety on the beats. The pocket is solid, but a few rhythmic curveballs would elevate the material further.
David Ellefson's addition on bass is welcomed — his presence lends a professional gravity to the low end. A decent listen overall, and a promising chapter for the band's next era.
The Yacht Rock Detour
The rest of our July listening has been occupied by an entirely different sonic landscape. We have been immersed in Yacht Rock — specifically Ned Doheny, Bill LaBounty, early Doobie Brothers, and post-prog Ambrosia material.
What unites these artists is a shared commitment to layering and exceptional audio engineering, particularly impressive given when these recordings were made. The production values on late-1970s and early-1980s West Coast pop hold up remarkably well — warm analog fidelity, tasteful session musician arrangements, and vocal harmonies that reward close listening on quality equipment.
It is a compelling contrast to the heavy metal focus earlier in the month: two genres separated by attitude and instrumentation, yet connected by a shared dedication to craft and sonic detail.