Metal Church

Metal Church formed in the early 1980s in San Francisco's heavy metal scene and was soon associated with Aberdeen, Washington. The band coalesced around guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, developing a style situated between traditional heavy metal, emerging thrash, and touches of power metal. Their self-titled debut “Metal Church” (1984), followed by “The Dark” (1986), placed them among the fast, aggressive American acts of the era, propelled by David Wayne's vocals and tours with bands like Metallica and Anthrax. With “Blessing in Disguise” (1989) and “The Human Factor” (1991), Metal Church moved toward more structured and melodic songwriting, before a first split after “Hanging in the Balance” (1993). Reformed in the late 1990s, they released “Masterpeace” (1999), “The Weight of the World” (2004), “A Light in the Dark” (2006) and “This Present Wasteland” (2008), featuring first Ronny Munroe and then Mike Howe on vocals. After another hiatus, Metal Church returned with “Generation Nothing” (2013), “XI” (2016) and “Damned If You Do” (2018), and continued despite Mike Howe's death in 2021, introducing singer Marc Lopes on “Congregation of Annihilation” (2023), while remaining committed to a Metal Church sound rooted in the original American heavy metal.