Metal Church’s cover of Nazareth’s “Please Don’t Judas Me” is now available to stream below. The track will be featured on a new limited edition compilation CD called “”Deep Cuts & Rarities,” which is set to be released on May 18.
Metal Church’s Stet Howland (ex-W.A.S.P.) has revealed that his cancer is now in remission. He recieved the good news after a recent PET Scan.
Howland said the following:
Holy crap do I have some good news to share today!
Friday I got a PET Scan to see where I’m at with the cancer situation. Today I got my results, I am officially in remission!!! There was no detectable cancer in my body!!! I nearly shit myself I was so happy. Needless to say there were tears of joy here at my house. Lol. (Myself included).
I want to thank each and every one of you who showed love and support for me and my family. Every message, call, donation, etc, meant the world to me. I am beyond thankful for all of it, and for all of you.
I lost 6 months of my life and every hair on my body to a dreadful disease that usually takes good people’s lives. The financial doom that came with it will follow me for a while, but honestly in my opinion huge financial debt can not be weighed against the value of life itself. So now I owe hundreds of thousands of dollars, big fucking deal. Lol. That’s a gift when compared to the alternative. (Death).
Again, I thank you all for the incredible love and support. My wife to be Heidi saved my life at the onset of this nightmare and remains in my corner til this day. She is amazing. I’m one thankful guy right now. Soooo very thankful.
Wishing you all a great day!
The BIGGEST LOVE to all.
“Carry on”YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Metal Church’s Stet Howland (ex-W.A.S.P.) has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This news comes after the drummer was hospitalized last month.
Howland commented:
“In layman’s terms, it’s essentially a form of cancer in my blood. And while it is a very aggressive form of cancer, it is also very treatable with an 80% cure rate. In my case, I’m one of the lucky ones whom my doctors are confident of knocking this shit completely out of me!
“I have gone from actually feeling like death to feeling fairly strong, all in just under one week of treatment. It’s been a rigorous and constant IV fusion cocktail that hasn’t been exactly fun. But if this is what it takes to get back to my family, and to get back to my routine, I find it well worth it.
“We started treatment based on the doctors’ initial diagnosis, as they were confident of what they were dealing with. They knew I had a form of lymphoma but the actual details didn’t rear their head until yesterday as we had to await test results.
“I’m once again blown away and thankful for all the positivity, love, and well wishes from family, friends and fans worldwide. I have heard from some people that I never knew if I would ever hear from again. Friends from school and all walks of life have reached out. The outpouring of love has been overwhelming, to say the least. I have been feeling like crap off and on for over a year now wondering why; now we all know.
“I will be discharged next week and heading back to Vegas, where I will begin tracking the new METAL CHURCH record with a vigor and thankfulness that I don’t know if I’ve ever felt in my life.
“The 2018 METAL CHURCH calendar is already starting to fill up, and I’m going to be out there whooping ass at every single one of them!
“I consider myself a very lucky man who has done many great things in my life. I have been blessed to play in several iconic bands in my career. But my current METAL CHURCH gig is the unrivaled pinnacle of it all.”
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 have premiered a new video for their song “Reset.” This song is from the band’s latest studio album “XI.”
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.”
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)
