In the Light - Menchen

Track Listing:
01 Don't Leave
02 Remember My Chains
03 Hole In Your Heart
04 Master Of Destiny
05 The Day That He Died
06 King Or Liar
07 Man Of Pain
08 You're Not Alone
09 Passin' Through
10 Love
11 Crucified
12 King Of Glory
 
Release Date: June 2012
Label: Retroactive Records

Bill Menchen is one of Christians busiest musicians it seems, recording wise at least. He has released so many great projects over the past few years - like reissues of Redeemer, Rev Seven, and Titanic, many of which have had major sections re-recorded to bring them to new life. On top of that, he has continued to church out new music with the bands Seventh Power and most recently Menchen, which is what we have here.


Aside from the Titanic releases, Bill has handled the vocal duties on pretty much all of the other releases. Now, Bill is a great guitarist, a real riff master - but vocally it is a different story. His vocal style is different, and tends to bring about mixed responses from hearers.

In 2008, Bill Menchen teamed up with vocalist Ken Redding (His Witness) and drummer Robert Sweet (Stryper) and released a molten slab of music for the masses which received great reviews.Now, 2012 brings us their sophomore release, again with Ken on vocals and Robert on drums, and again they give us another taste of good old hard and heavy rock with a definite more metallic edge than the first release. The style tends to hang closely into a classic heavy metal style, but occasionally flirts with a doom metal feel at slower moments. 

The album is filled with crunchy riff after riff, and Robert lays down a hard and steady beat to keep it all together, and Ken's mid/lower range vocal style adds additional heaviness to the whole mix.

My only criticism - that stands out to the point of making me mention it - is the monstrous moan in track one, "Don't Leave." It sounds so off key and odd that it really detracts from an otherwise great song. I am not sure if it was intended to sound like that, or somehow got by without being mixed properly to make it sound harmonious, but it appears more than once and just seems so - strange. Other than that, it is another solid release from the riff-monster Bill Menchen.