MetalMonthly.com has issued a new interview with METAL CHURCH frontman Ronny Munroe regarding their upcoming release, This Present Wasteland. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

MetalMonthly.com: Would you day it is more progressive like A Light In The Dark, or is it more reminiscent of the old school roots of Metal Church?

Munroe: "Actually, things got a bit simpler. We went back to basics on quite a few of the songs. I mean Kurdt (Vanderhoof)did that is. It is great. There weren’t a lot of screams vocally on A Light In The Dark, so there are a few good screams on this one and a lot of background harmony vocals. Which we did not have a lot of, if any on A Light In The Dark. There was very little with that. This time we had a bit more time. Normally, you get the gun to your head from the record company. This time we said, 'No, we are not going to let that happen. We are going to take the time to do it right and not deliver it until we were satisfied' and that is the case."

MetalMonthly.com: You just changed hands in the guitar department. What transpired with Jay Reynolds? Did he quit?

Munroe: "We just parted ways. He is off doing different things in his life. The new guitar player is Rick Van Zandt, who is a very accomplished player. He played with me in ROTTWEILER and also he is my guitar player in my solo band, as well."

MetalMonthly.com: As a vocalist, did you want to go back to the old school Metal Church? Because Metal Church is one of the first thrash bands that really started it all.

Munroe: "First of all, if you were talking to Kurdt right now, he would thank you a lot for saying that. Because as far as Metal Church being one of the innovators of thrash metal, they really don't get mentioned in all of these recent movies, documentaries, and things like that. Metal Church never gets mentioned. That is kind of sad. For Kurdt, I think that should get mentioned a lot more. So for Kurdt 'He thanks you for that.' As far as the vocal style, yeah know I am an eighties guy. I went through all of that stuff. That is really the music that I love. It is kind of just really my vocal style. We tried to see where the music would lead us as far as when Kurdt was writing. Basically, this is just what came out. It is his reminiscent of the old days."

MetalMonthly.com: How did you come up with the title This Present Wasteland?

Munroe: "We were kind of tossing things around like wasteland. Basically, because what we were talking about was is the way things ran these days as far as the music industry with computers and downloading and this and that. So that is kind of what is behind it. It is what Kurdt came up with This Present Wasteland.

MetalMonthly.com: What is the theme behind the artwork? I did see the artwork cover with the cross.

Munroe: "Yes, there is a cross on the field. But the shadow of it is the Metal Church guitar cross. So you just got to think about that a little bit. That was Kurdt's vision from the very beginning when he started Metal Church not to necessarily be a Christian band but just always have a positive message. So basically, we just sort of stuck with that because that is the kind of lyrics that I write as well. There is enough negativity in the world without me adding to it."