--- title: "Metal Church" type: "MusicGroup" url: "https://themetalnet.com/band/metal-church" genre: "Heavy Metal" country: "United States" formed: 1980 --- # Metal Church **Metal Church** is a heavy metal band, from United States, active 1980 to present. Metal Church is an American heavy metal band formed in 1980. Originally based in San Francisco, California, they relocated to Aberdeen, Washington the following year and briefly called themselves Shrapnel. Led by guitarist and songwriter Kurdt Vanderhoof, the band has released fourteen studio albums and is considered to be an integral part of the then-emerging Seattle heavy metal music scene of the 1980s, as well as pioneers of the thrash metal, speed metal and power metal genres. They achieved considerable popularity that decade, with two of their first three albums entering the Top 100 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The band's early lyrical topics, such as conflict and paranoia, later expanded into philosophical, political and social commentary. Biography source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Church ## Facts | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Name | Metal Church | | Genre | Heavy Metal | | Parent genre | Heavy Metal | | Origin | San Francisco, United States | | Formed | 1980 | | Releases in catalog | 14 | ## Genres [Heavy Metal](https://themetalnet.com/genre/heavy-metal) · [Thrash Metal](https://themetalnet.com/genre/thrash-metal) · [Power Metal](https://themetalnet.com/genre/power-metal) · [US Power Metal](https://themetalnet.com/genre/us-power-metal) ## Line-up | Musician | Instruments | Years | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Kurdt Vanderhoof](https://themetalnet.com/musician/kurdt-vanderhoof) | Guitar | 1980 to present | Current | | [Stet Howland](https://themetalnet.com/musician/stet-howland) | Membranophone | 2017 to present | Current | | [Rick Van Zandt](https://themetalnet.com/musician/rick-van-zandt) | Guitar | 2008 to present | Current | | [Steve Unger](https://themetalnet.com/musician/steve-unger) | Bass guitar | 2004 to present | Current | | [Ronny Munroe](https://themetalnet.com/musician/ronny-munroe) | Lead vocals | 2004 to 2014 | Former | | [Jeff Plate](https://themetalnet.com/musician/jeff-plate) | Membranophone | 2006 to 2017 | Former | | [David Wayne](https://themetalnet.com/musician/david-wayne) | Lead vocals | 1981 to 2001 | Former | | [Jay Reynolds](https://themetalnet.com/musician/jay-reynolds) | Guitar | 2004 to 2012 | Former | | [Craig Wells](https://themetalnet.com/musician/craig-wells) | Guitar | 1981 to 1994 | Former | | [Mike Howe](https://themetalnet.com/musician/mike-howe) | Lead vocals | 1988 to 2021 | Former | | [Duke Erickson](https://themetalnet.com/musician/duke-erickson) | Bass | 1981 to 2001 | Former | | [John Marshall](https://themetalnet.com/musician/john-marshall) | Guitar | 1986 to 2001 | Former | | [Kirk Arrington](https://themetalnet.com/musician/kirk-arrington) | Membranophone | 1981 to 2006 | Former | | [Mike 'Sport' Murphy](https://themetalnet.com/musician/mike-sport-murphy) | Lead vocals | 1981 to 1981 | Former | ## Discography | Year | Release | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | 1984 | [Metal Church](https://themetalnet.com/album/ab8f58b0-abbc-3371-8241-d08ff430ba45) | Album | | 1986 | [The Dark](https://themetalnet.com/album/ba34ff55-6065-33a4-8396-cef7969e1c2b) | Album | | 1989 | [Blessing in Disguise](https://themetalnet.com/album/09122de0-6ff4-3c92-a96d-bd1b2c2727cc) | Album | | 1991 | [The Human Factor](https://themetalnet.com/album/b5c24a2c-1cc8-30b1-9e73-fb4dfa82f7ed) | Album | | 1993 | [Hanging in the Balance](https://themetalnet.com/album/cb5cedf6-adf5-34fe-87b8-f29947936675) | Album | | 1999 | [Masterpeace](https://themetalnet.com/album/4ad3e0b7-075d-3d68-92a5-939bb0eaab9d) | Album | | 2004 | [The Weight of the World](https://themetalnet.com/album/45fb7dc1-7b71-3bb6-bf5b-94ed780c92df) | Album | | 2006 | [A Light in the Dark](https://themetalnet.com/album/068151ba-c90c-33b3-bf8b-2feed3db83b2) | Album | | 2008 | [This Present Wasteland](https://themetalnet.com/album/d626d9d5-bdb5-31a4-b3db-e35c8e9ac004) | Album | | 2013 | [Generation Nothing](https://themetalnet.com/album/521bb588-89da-42c4-80b6-770906cfc8a8) | Album | | 2016 | [XI](https://themetalnet.com/album/9bd585a7-d88a-4a89-87fe-874f4c206500) | Album | | 2018 | [Damned If You Do](https://themetalnet.com/album/12d65d6d-6e7e-4ec3-9b50-1d6aad86682f) | Album | | 2023 | [Congregation of Annihilation](https://themetalnet.com/album/0bfdc468-a97d-46c1-ac1f-2d92bc8dce58) | Album | | 2026 | [Dead to Rights](https://themetalnet.com/album/eb9845e4-2f46-4b04-8829-6a0b8e52518c) | Album | ## Related bands - [Megadeth](https://themetalnet.com/band/megadeth) (listened together) - [Judas Priest](https://themetalnet.com/band/judas-priest) (listened together) - [Iron Maiden](https://themetalnet.com/band/iron-maiden) (listened together) - [Metallica](https://themetalnet.com/band/metallica) (listened together) - [Motörhead](https://themetalnet.com/band/motorhead) (listened together) - [Anthrax](https://themetalnet.com/band/anthrax) (listened together) - [Testament](https://themetalnet.com/band/testament) (listened together) - [Black Sabbath](https://themetalnet.com/band/black-sabbath) (listened together) - [Accept](https://themetalnet.com/band/accept) (listened together) - [Dio](https://themetalnet.com/band/dio) (listened together) - [Overkill](https://themetalnet.com/band/overkill) (listened together) - [Ozzy Osbourne](https://themetalnet.com/band/ozzy-osbourne) (listened together) ## Official and external links - metal archives: https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Metal_Church/371 - facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMetalChurch - spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0exvkfkATkqWOJgugTjJhP - x: https://twitter.com/metalchurchis1 - instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MetalChurchOfficial/ - deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/266681 - apple music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/612150 - youtube: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCSRf9xcJTj7fFzCp5FwM1Dw --- Source: [TheMetalNet https://themetalnet.com/band/metal-church](https://themetalnet.com/band/metal-church). Catalog data from MusicBrainz and Metal Archives. Full site index: https://themetalnet.com/llms.txt