Metal Church
4 vinyl records found
Metal Church emerged from the San Francisco and Seattle heavy metal scenes in 1980, anchored by guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof's songwriting and a constantly rotating cast of musicians. The band navigated thrash, speed, and power metal territories while maintaining a lyrical focus on conflict, philosophy, and social commentary across fourteen studio albums.
About Metal Church
Metal Church formed in 1980 when Vanderhoof assembled the original lineup in San Francisco. The band briefly operated as Shrapnel after relocating to Aberdeen, Washington in 1981 before settling on the Metal Church name in 1983. That early crew of Vanderhoof, David Wayne, Craig Wells, Duke Erickson and Kirk Arrington recorded the self-titled debut in 1984, which sold substantially on an independent basis before the band inked a deal with Elektra Records. A notable piece of trivia: Lars Ulrich from Metallica briefly auditioned for Metal Church during the band's formation, though he didn't join.
The band's commercial peak came with the 1989 album "Blessing in Disguise" featuring vocalist Mike Howe, which became their highest-charting release and included the MTV-friendly track "Badlands". Metal Church disbanded in 1996 due to management issues and declining sales, reunited in 1998, then cycled through additional breakups and reunions driven by internal disagreements and changing industry conditions. A significant loss came in 2005 when original vocalist David Wayne died following complications from a car accident. The band's most recent substantial reunion began in 2012, with Mike Howe returning to vocals in 2015 after nearly two decades away.
Vanderhoof has remained the only continuous member throughout Metal Church's turbulent history, stewarding the band through constant lineup shifts and industry frustrations. The Groove Hunter currently tracks 4 editions of Metal Church releases, including the self-titled "Metal Church" and the reunion-era album "Masterpeace".
