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Listen to Metal Church, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!

Metal Church

Metal

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Top Songs By Metal Church

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Metal ChurchMetal Church
Listen to Gods of Wrath by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
Gods of WrathMetal Church
Listen to Beyond the Black by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
Beyond the BlackMetal Church
Listen to Watch the Children Pray by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
Watch the Children PrayMetal Church
Listen to Merciless Onslaught by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
Merciless OnslaughtMetal Church
Listen to Start the Fire by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
Start the FireMetal Church
Listen to Fake Healer by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
Fake HealerMetal Church
Listen to Badlands by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
BadlandsMetal Church
Listen to Ton of Bricks by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
Ton of BricksMetal Church
Listen to Hitman by Metal Church, see lyrics, music video & more!
HitmanMetal Church

Latest Release

Listen to This Present Wasteland by Metal Church
ALBUMThis Present WastelandMetal Church

More albums from Metal Church

Listen to Congregation of Annihilation by Metal Church
ALBUMCongregation of AnnihilationMetal Church
Listen to From the Vault by Metal Church
ALBUMFrom the VaultMetal Church
Listen to Damned If You Do by Metal Church
ALBUMDamned If You DoMetal Church
Listen to Classic Live by Metal Church
ALBUMClassic LiveMetal Church
Listen to XI by Metal Church
ALBUMXIMetal Church
Listen to A Light in the Dark by Metal Church
ALBUMA Light in the DarkMetal Church
Listen to The Weight of the World by Metal Church
ALBUMThe Weight of the WorldMetal Church
Listen to Masterpeace by Metal Church
ALBUMMasterpeaceMetal Church
Listen to Hanging In the Balance by Metal Church
ALBUMHanging In the BalanceMetal Church
Listen to The Human Factor by Metal Church
ALBUMThe Human FactorMetal Church
Listen to Blessing In Disguise by Metal Church
ALBUMBlessing In DisguiseMetal Church
Listen to The Dark by Metal Church
ALBUMThe DarkMetal Church
Listen to Metal Church by Metal Church
ALBUMMetal ChurchMetal Church

Metal Church's Popular Music Videos

Music Video

Watch In Harms Way music video by Metal Church
In Harms Way
Metal Church
Watch Date With Poverty music video by Metal Church
Date With Poverty
Metal Church

Artist Playlists

Metal Church Essentials
Metal Church Essentials
San Franciscan titans who profoundly influenced thrash and speed metal.
Metal Church Essentials

About Metal Church

Listen to Metal Church, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Hometown
San Francisco, CA, United States
Formed
1980
Genre
Metal
Formed in San Francisco in 1980, Metal Church consisted of vocalist David Wayne, guitarists Kurdt Vanderhoof and Craig Wells, bassist Duke Erickson, and drummer Kirk Arrington. Their 1985 self-titled debut album, recorded when the thrash/speed metal genre was still evolving, made a huge splash on the scene, as did its follow-up, The Dark. However, the band really hit its stride when Wayne left and was replaced by Mike Howe on 1989's Blessing in Disguise; Vanderhoof left after the album due to his dislike of touring and was replaced by Metallica guitar tech John Marshall. Vanderhoof remained the group's designated composer on 1991's The Human Factor, possibly the band's most socially conscious album yet. However, the advent of alternative rock and problems with their record label contributed to a loss of direction on 1993's Hanging in the Balance, and Metal Church ended up disbanding. In 1999, the group's original lineup -- Wayne, Vanderhoof, Wells, Erickson, and Arrington -- reunited and released the album Masterpeace. The ensuing years saw the group undergoing numerous lineup changes and assorted members tending to other projects. In 2004, the band issued their seventh full-length LP, the critically acclaimed Weight of the World, which marked the debut of new vocalist Ronny Munroe. Tragically, former vocalist David Wayne died the following year from complications resulting from a car accident. 2006's A Light in the Dark included a re-recording of 1986's "Watch the Children Pray" as a tribute to their fallen comrade. Shortly after the release of 2009's This Present Wasteland, the band announced that they would be going their separate ways once again. A reunion show in 2012 eventually led them back to the studio. The resulting Generation Nothing, their tenth studio long-player, arrived the following year, and the aptly named XI appeared in early 2016, marking the return of vocalist Mike Howe. A concert album culled from the XI tour featuring Howe appeared the following year under the title Classic Live. Continuing their prolific run, they issued their 12th set, Damned If You Do, in late 2018. Vocalist Mike Howe died at his home in Eureka, California on July 26, 2021. He was 55 years old. Kirk Arrington, the group's original drummer, died on May 22, 2023, at the age of 61. ~ Steve Huey

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Members of Metal Church include, or have included, Kurdt Vanderhoof, Craig Wells, Jay Reynolds, Ronny Munroe, Jeff Plate, David Wayne, John Marshall (of Metal Church), Brian Lake, Jeff Wade, and Mike Murphy.