Metal Church -

Metal Church was an American metal band that formed in San Francisco in 1980, then reset in Aberdeen, Wash., one year later under guitarist and principal writer Kurdt Vanderhoof. The catalog begins with the 1981 demo Red Skies, followed by the 1984 Ground Zero debut Metal Church and the Elektra albums The Dark and Blessing in Disguise.

Their second phase produced The Human Factor on Epic in 1991 and Hanging in the Balance on Mercury in 1993 before the first breakup in 1996. Metal Church later re-formed in several lineups and added eight more studio albums between 1999 and 2023, from Masterpeace through Congregation of Annihilation.

Members: Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitar, 1980-87, 1998-2009, 2012-present), Kirk Arrington (drums, 1982-2006), Craig Wells (guitar, 1982-94), Duke Erickson (bass, 1982-2001), David Wayne (vocals, 1982-88, 1998-2001), John Marshall (guitar, 1988-2001), Mike Howe (vocals, 1988-94, 2015-present)

Background

Guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof formed Metal Church in San Francisco during 1980 after his run with Seattle punk act The Lewd carried him south. That first version passed through several players, included a brief audition stretch with Lars Ulrich. Vanderhoof took the band name from his San Francisco apartment, a room friends had already nicknamed the metal church.

Red Skies

Metal Church released the demo Red Skies in 1981 as an independent cassette. The tape presents the first recorded Metal Church lineup in instrumental form across three tracks and 14 minutes of music. Guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof and guitarist Rick Condrin shape the attack above bass and drums.

A1. “Red Skies” (4:55)
A2. “Merciless Onslaught” (3:04)
A3. “And Heads Will Roll” [aka “Put the Chains On”] (6:10)

Metal Church recorded Red Skies in San Francisco during 1981. Bassist Steve Hott and drummer Aaron Zimpel completed the lineup.

Second Lineup

Vanderhoof returned to Aberdeen in 1981 and rebuilt the band around musicians from the Grays Harbor scene. Bassist Duke Erickson and drummer Kirk Arrington already knew each other from school ensembles in Hoquiam, and Arrington also went back with Vanderhoof to the pre-Metal Church band Tyr. The Washington lineup first worked under the name Shrapnel. Drummer Tom Weber and singer Mike Murphy entered that early version, Craig Wells soon took the second-guitar slot, Murphy exited, Weber gave way to Arrington, and David Wayne arrived after his run with local bar band The Brats. That chain of changes locked in the first durable lineup: Wayne, Wells, Vanderhoof, Erickson, and Arrington.

The new band wrote original material, moved its working base toward the Seattle suburbs, and cut the Four Hymns demo in 1983. “Deathwish” reached a wider Northwest metal audience through the Northwest Metalfest compilation, and Shrapnel soon gave way to the restored Metal Church name. Ground Zero head Willie McKay financed the next step, which pushed the band from local tapes and regional bills toward the sessions for their first album.

Metal Church

Metal Church released their debut album, Metal Church, in October 1984 on Ground Zero.

Craig Wells and Kurdt Vanderhoof trade dense riff blocks and sharp lead breaks while Duke Erickson and Kirk Arrington lock the backbeat. Kurdt Vanderhoof, David Wayne, and Craig Wells wrote most of the album; “Merciless Onslaught” credits Vanderhoof alone, “Hitman” credits Wayne and Vanderhoof, “Battalions” credits Vanderhoof and Wells, and “Highway Star” credits Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice.

“Beyond the Black” opens with clean guitar and sampled voices before the band drops into a heavy mid-tempo drive. “Metal Church” tightens the verse around muted picking and fast bass motion, then lets Wayne stretch the title into a long howl over the riff. “Merciless Onslaught” strips the record down to a fast instrumental charge built on double-bass hits and dense guitar traffic. “Gods of Wrath” lowers the temperature with clean passages and a slower vocal line before the chorus brings the weight back. “Hitman” and “(My Favorite) Nightmare” sharpen the attack through quicker tempos, active fills, and tighter rhythmic turns, while “Battalions” closes the original program with gang-shouted lines, a steadier vocal line, and a broader anthem shape. The Deep Purple song “Highway Star” ends the album in a rougher, heavier recast.

A1. “Beyond the Black” (6:23) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
A2. “Metal Church” (5:03) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
A3. “Merciless Onslaught” (2:54) — Vanderhoof
A4. “Gods of Wrath” (6:41) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells

B1. “Hitman” (4:39) — Wayne, Vanderhoof
B2. “In the Blood” (3:31) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
B3. “(My Favorite) Nightmare” (3:12) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
B4. “Battalions” (4:53) — Vanderhoof, Wells
B5. “Highway Star” (4:39) — Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice

Metal Church recorded Metal Church at Steve Lawson Productions in Seattle with co-producer and engineer Terry Date. Jack Skinner mastered the album, and Willie Mackay handled executive production.

The cover shows a cruciform Gibson Explorer in shadow and smoke. Kurdt Vanderhoof designed the logo, Saulius Pempe supplied the photography, and the first vinyl pressing included a T-shirt. European Steamhammer copies added the demo “Big Guns.”

Elektra issued “Gods of Wrath” (b/w “Highway Star”) as a promo 12-inch in 1985.

The Dark

Metal Church released their second album, The Dark, on October 6, 1986, on Elektra.

Wells and Vanderhoof stack chugging riff lines, narrow harmonized leads, and clipped solo breaks under David Wayne’s high, biting vocal line, while Erickson and Arrington drive with hard accents and quick double-kick bursts. David Wayne, Kurdt Vanderhoof, and Craig Wells wrote most of the album; “Ton of Bricks” adds Erickson and Arrington, “Method to Your Madness” adds Mark Dodson, “Psycho” adds Arrington, and “Line of Death” adds Erickson and Arrington.

“Ton of Bricks” opens the album with a blunt rush and immediate impact. “Start the Fire” follows with bright lead figures and a hard, chant-ready chorus line. “Method to Your Madness” gives Wayne his loosest, most unstable vocal turn over denser riff traffic and a broader lead break. “Watch the Children Pray” lowers the temperature through slower chord rises and a broad refrain. “The Dark” and “Psycho” tighten the pressure through jagged riff cuts and vocal lines that veer toward mania, while “Western Alliance” closes the program with fast riff changes and metallic clatter inside the break.

A1. “Ton of Bricks” (2:59) — Arrington, Erickson, Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
A2. “Start the Fire” (3:45) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
A3. “Method to Your Madness” (4:57) — Dodson, Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
A4. “Watch the Children Pray” (5:57) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
A5. “Over My Dead Body” (3:33) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells

B1. “The Dark” (4:12) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
B2. “Psycho” (3:34) — Arrington, Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
B3. “Line of Death” (4:43) — Arrington, Erickson, Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
B4. “Burial at Sea” (5:00) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells
B5. “Western Alliance” (3:20) — Vanderhoof, Wayne, Wells

Metal Church recorded The Dark at Steve Lawson Productions in Seattle with producer, engineer, and mixer Mark Dodson and engineer Terry Date. George Marino mastered the album at Sterling Sound in New York.

Kurdt Vanderhoof supplied the cover concept. Don Brautigam painted the sleeve, Bob Defrin handled art direction, Aaron Rapoport shot the photography, and the package carries a dedication to Cliff Burton.

Elektra issued “Start the Fire” as a single on October 8, 1986. Elektra also issued “Watch the Children Pray” as a white-label promo 12-inch in 1986 with the LP vocal edit on both sides. The album reached No. 92 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 23 weeks.

Blessing in Disguise

Metal Church released their third album, Blessing in Disguise, on February 7, 1989, on Elektra.

Longer song forms and broader harmonic turns reshape the band’s attack on Blessing in Disguise. New singer Mike Howe brings a higher, cleaner line, and new guitarist John Marshall enters the twin-guitar front while the established rhythm section drives the backbeat under dense riff blocks, acoustic breaks, and extended solo passages.

“Fake Healer” opens with a heavy mid-tempo lurch, large chord weight, and a looming atmosphere. “Rest in Pieces (April 15, 1912)” pushes Howe into sharper upper-register lines, while “Of Unsound Mind” threads counterpoint vocals through the chorus and folds in a more intricate guitar pattern. “Anthem to the Estranged” stretches toward ten minutes with a subdued vocal line and a slower, broader rise. “Badlands” lifts side two through acoustic-electric interplay, stacked leads, and a stronger climb across its second half.

A1. “Fake Healer” (5:55) — Vanderhoof, Wells
A2. “Rest in Pieces (April 15, 1912)” (6:38) — Vanderhoof, Wells
A3. “Of Unsound Mind” (4:44) — Marshall, Wells
A4. “Anthem to the Estranged” (9:31) — Vanderhoof, Wells

B1. “Badlands” (7:21) — Vanderhoof, Howe, Wells
B2. “The Spell Can’t Be Broken” (6:46) — Vanderhoof, Wells, Marshall
B3. “It’s a Secret” (3:47) — Wells
B4. “Cannot Tell a Lie” (4:17) — Vanderhoof, Wells, Marshall
B5. “The Powers That Be” (5:22) — Vanderhoof, Wells

Metal Church recorded Blessing in Disguise at Kajem/Victory Recording in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, from August 29 to October 4, 1988, with producer, engineer, and mixer Terry Date and engineer Joe Alexander. Howie Weinberg mastered the album at Masterdisk in New York. The sleeve uses Darryl Estrine photography.

Elektra issued “Fake Healer” as a promotional CD single in 1989 with an edit and the LP version. Blessing in Disguise reached No. 75 on the Billboard 200 and No. 39 in Germany.

“Badlands” appeared as a promotional 12-inch and promotional CD in 1989, and the song also received a video.

Discography: