Still dishing out the reliable anthems they’ve specialized in since the early ’80s, San Francisco’s Metal Church embrace their age on XI—on opener “Reset” they wail about turning the page on their final stage. Yet they’re as dynamic as ever, shaping songs into smart, idiosyncratic structures. The downcast “Soul Eating Machine” and totally rockin’ “Suffer Fools” kick back at foes, but “Shadow,” sung from the viewpoint of its titular gray cloud “sneaking up behind you,” might swing hardest.
- Overkill
- Flotsam and Jetsam
- Armored Saint
- Testament
- Exodus
- Sacred Reich