A Light in the Dark
A Light in the Dark is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Metal Church, released on 16 June 2006 through Steamhammer. It follows The Weight of the World from 2004 and comes before This Present Wasteland in 2008. The record is the third in their catalogue to put the cruciform Gibson Explorer on its cover.
It marks a few changes in the band's story. Jeff Plate makes his first appearance behind the drum kit, while Jay Reynolds plays guitar on a Metal Church album for the last time. The track "Watch the Children Pray 2006" is a tribute to David Wayne, the band's original vocalist, who died on 9 May 2005 after a car crash led to gangrene in his legs. For listeners who follow the band's thrash-leaning side, it's a turning point worth hearing.
A Light in the Dark: tracklist and credits
11 tracks · 1:00:26Tracklist
- 1A Light in the DarkKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe5:29
- 2Beyond All ReasonKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe5:40
- 3Mirror of LiesKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe4:27
- 4DisappearKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe6:03
- 5The BelieverKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe5:33
- 6Temples of the SeaKurdt Vanderhoof9:48
- 7Pill for the KillKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe4:30
- 8Son of the SonKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe4:44
- 9More Than Your MasterKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe4:49
- 10Blinded by LifeKurdt Vanderhoof and Ronny Munroe3:33
- 11Watch the Children Pray 2006Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells5:50
- Produced by
- Kurdt Vanderhoof
- Recorded at
- The English Channel, The English Channel Studio (Olympia, Washington)
- Mixed by
- Mark Greer, Kurdt Vanderhoof
- Labels
- Steamhammer, SPV/Steamhammer
- Length
- 1:00:26
Line-up
- Jeff Plate · membranophone
- Jay Reynolds · guitar
- Steve Unger · bass guitar
- Kurdt Vanderhoof · guitar, keyboard
- Ronny Munroe · lead vocals
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 16 June
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz; also seen: 2006-05-29 (wikidata)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 16 June 2006 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 16 June 2006 | |
| Wikidata | 29 May 2006 |
3 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XE | Steamhammer | 693723998725 | other |
| 16 June 2006 | DE | Steamhammer | 693723998725 | original |
| 24 October 2025 | XW | Reaper Entertainment | 5021732376053 | remaster |
Cover art sources
deezer · native: native 1800x1800
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1800×1800 | native: native 1800x1800 |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 170×170 | upscaled |