Category Archives: Metal Church

Metal Church Officially Welcome Drummer Stet Howland (Ex-W.A.S.P.) To The Band

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Metal Church have have officially welcomed Stet Howland (ex-W.A.S.P.) to the band as their new drummer. He was previously just filling in, but is now a permanent member.

Mike Howe commented:

“I am overwhelmed and grateful that Stet has found his way into the fold and I look forward to many successful and joyful performances together.”

Kurdt Vanderhoof added:

“We are extremely happy to have Stet as our new engine. He is a fantastic drummer and a great guy to work with. But the hazing shall continue relentlessly!”

Howlan, himself, also commented:

“After being home for only a few days from possibly the best tour of my life, I received a conference call from Kurdt and Mike, for a split second I thought to myself ‘Oh shit, what did I do?’ But my concern quickly turned to an unremovable smile when they asked if I would be interested in being a permanent member of Metal Church.

“It’s no secret that Metal Church have always been one of my favorite metal bands and that, in my opinion, they are on the strongest ascent of any band in their genre! And given that the band kicks ass live, has an incredible record label, a rabid fan base, relevant new music, recent Billboard chart positions and first-week CD sales that rival multi-platinum acts, my answer was an unwavering ‘YES’!

“On my maiden journey I was blown away by Mike Howe’s consistent crowd destruction, Kurdt’s ridiculously heavy riffs, Rick Van Zandt’s refusal to make even one mistake and my glue-like bond with Steve (it’s a well-known fact that METAL CHURCH bass player Steve Unger is one of my closest friends and it was Steve who initially suggested me to the band).

“There is understanding, mutual respect and camaraderie present here that is missing in so many ‘famous’ acts. I am honoured to be a member of such a group of people and will do my best to deliver strong performances both live and in the studio.”

Metal Church Recruit Drummer Stet Howland (Ex-W.A.S.P.)

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Metal Church have announced that Stet Howland (ex-W.A.S.P.) will be playing the drums for them on there upcoming summer shows. He will be taking over for Jeff Plate who recently parted ways with the band.

Howland said the following:

“I was contacted by my good friend METAL CHURCH bass player Steve Unger recently after their drummer Jeff Plate stepped down after 12 years of dedicated service. The band has a bunch of summer festival dates as well as other touring for the year.

“When Steve called, the first thing he said was, ‘How busy are you right now?’ I laughed and asked him to get to the point, ’cause anyone who knows me knows that I’m constantly busy. Steve confided that Jeff had given his notice and that they needed a drummer immediately. He said that their new CD is going through the roof and that they have a ton of summer dates. I was very excited, to say the least.

“I became a hardcore fan of METAL CHURCH when they toured with W.A.S.P. on our 2005 ‘Metal Blast’ tour. Our then-guitar player Darrell Roberts and I would stand in the wings watching every show; they kicked ass every single night! Their drummer at the time was Kirk Arrington, a great drummer and guy. We became friends immediately. And as it happens, I’m also old friends with Jeff Plate, METAL CHURCH’s most recent drummer of 12 years. Jeff is a monster drummer and one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. It will be an honor and a privilege to step into his gig.

“I flew to Seattle and jammed with the band last week. We clicked immediately — nothing but big smiles from the first song to the last. It was great!

“It’s a great band, great guys, and they have an excellent aggressive record label behind them. They are still making fresh and relevant music. This is an honor indeed.”

Devour The Day Added To Alter Bridge & In Flames Tour, Metal Church Drop Off

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With Metal Church having parted ways with their drummer, the band have had to drop off their dates with Alter Bridge and In Flames. Devour The Day will be taking their place.

Tour Dates:

04/21 Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
04/22 Orlando, FL – WJRR Earth Day Birthday
04/29 Fort Myers, FL – Monster Energy Fort Rock (with In Flames)
04/30 Jacksonville, FL – Welcome To Rockville (with In Flames)
05/02 Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom (with In Flames & Devour The Day)
05/03 Providence, RI – Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel (with In Flames & Devour The Day)
05/05 Virginia Beach, VA – Lunatic Luau
05/06 Concord, NC – Carolina Rebellion (with In Flames)
05/10 Baltimore, MD – The Hippodrome (with In Flames & Devour The Day)
05/11 Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater (with In Flames & Devour The Day)
05/14 Somerset, WI – Northern Invasion (with In Flames)
05/16 Sault Saint Marie, MI – Dream Makers Theatre (with In Flames)
05/17 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave (with In Flames & Devour The Day)
05/20 Columbus, OH – Rock On The Range (with In Flames)

Jeff Plate Exits Metal Church

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Drummer Jeff Plate has announced his exit from Metal Church. You can read his statement regarding that below.

“Hello everyone,

It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my departure from Metal Church. I came to this conclusion 2 weeks ago, and agreed to hold off on the announcement until Metal Church had made some decisions on what they were going to do.This is obviously not an easy decision. After many conversations with myself, my wife, my family, my management and Kurdt Vanderoof and Mike Howe, I know I am doing the right thing for my future.

I know there will be questions and speculation. The bottom line is time, my time, and how best I manage it. I had to come to terms with the fact that time is just blowing by at the speed of light and there is no time for me to second guess or regret anything I’m doing. At this point in my life I need to be in more control of my time and career. I have a number of things I’d like to do and try, and to do these I have to give up something I truly love and am very proud of.

I cannot thank Kurdt Vanderhoof enough for inviting me into Metal Church. For the past 12 years I have had the honor and privilege of playing some of the best, truly iconic Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal songs ever written. I have recorded 4 records with the band. The latest, “XI”, is not only one of my favorite Metal Church records, but I feel it is the one of the best, if not the best records I have recorded throughout my career.
Also, I cannot thank the Metal Church fan base enough for the tremendous support. I have met thousands of you over the years and you, fans old and new, are simply the best. You have kept this band alive for the past 33 years, and I am sure there is more great music to come.

Metal Church is in a good place, and there are a number of shows and good things coming up this year. This decision is made now to not only let me prepare for the year to come, but also to let Metal Church do the same.
Kurdt Vanderhoof(g), Mike Howe(v), Steve Unger(b), Rick VanZandt(g), Tim Harding(sound and production), and Joe Obrien(President @ Rat Pak Records) have been a tremendous team, and they are also very good friends of mine. I wish them nothing but the best.

I hope to see you all again somewhere down the road. I will keep you posted on my activities. Trust me, I will not sit still for very long.

Thank you, take care.

Jeff Plate”

Metal Church Premiere “Fake Healer” Music Video Feat. Queensrÿche’s Todd La Torre

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Metal Church have premiered a new video for their new version of “Fake Healer” feat. Queensrÿche’s Todd La Torre. This version of the track will appear as a bonus track on the band’s new live album “Classic Live,” which will be released on April 28.

Metal Church To Release “Classic Live” In April

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Metal Church have announced that they will be releasing a new live album titled “Classic Live” on April 28. PIt will come with nine classic tracks that were recorded during their 2016 tour, as well as the bonus studio track “Fake Healer” feat. Todd La Torre (Queensrÿche).

metalchurchclassiclivecd

“Classic Live” Track Listing:

01. “Beyond The Black”
02. “Date With Poverty”
03. “Gods Of A Second Chance”
04. “In Mourning”
05. “Watch The Children Pray”
06. “Start The Fire”
07. “No Friend Of Mine”
08. “Badlands”
09. “Human Factor”
10. “Fake Healer” (bonus studio track) (feat. Todd La Torre)
11. “Badlands” (2015 studio version) (vinyl version only)