Just when it seemed like the sermon was over for good, Metal Church has miraculously risen from the grave. In a revealing new interview, founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof detailed the collapse and subsequent resurrection of the legendary heavy metal outfit, explaining how a lineup featuring bass icon David Ellefson and vocalist Brian Allen came together almost by accident.
Speaking on the latest episode of “The David Ellefson Show” podcast, Vanderhoof admitted that the band was effectively dead following a turbulent run of shows two years ago.
“It was a couple years ago, after we just did our Australia run. And when we came back, things just really fell apart,” Vanderhoof confessed. “Stet [Howland, former drummer] quit, Stet left, ’cause he wasn’t happy with the way business was going. The other two guys kind of felt the same. I felt the same for different reasons… I let everyone know, ‘Hey, I’m shutting this down. Sorry. I’m done with this. This is not working.’ And, basically, I thought we were done.”
However, the universe had other plans. Approximately 18 months after pulling the plug, Vanderhoof found himself presented with unsolicited opportunities that were too good to ignore. The catalyst was new vocalist Brian Allen (Vicious Rumors), whose audition tape arrived via a recommendation from Queensrÿche frontman Todd La Torre.
“He had pushed Brian to send some kind of audition tapes… And all of a sudden Joe [O’Brien at Rat Pak Records] sends me a couple of MP3 files,” Vanderhoof recalled. “And it was ‘Start The Fire‘… And I started playing ‘Start The Fire‘, and I was, like, ‘Is this an unreleased vocal track of David Wayne?’ I was, like, ‘Wow. All right.’ And then I listened to the other one, and it’s, like, ‘Well, he’s singing the Mike Howe stuff too.'”
The dominoes continued to fall with the addition of Ellefson and powerhouse drummer Ken Mary (Flotsam and Jetsam, Alice Cooper). Mary‘s inclusion was a full-circle moment for Vanderhoof, as the two had shared the Seattle scene in the mid-80s. Interestingly, Vanderhoof revealed that former Metal Church drummer Jeff Plate was initially slated to return but had to bow out due to the Savatage reunion.
“Jeff Plate was initially gonna be involved… but then as the thing started, the Savatage reunion just took off, and I couldn’t be happier for him,” Vanderhoof explained. “And then Ken Mary became available… Ken Mary being available and interested in doing it just made perfect sense.”
The revitalized lineup—rounded out by longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt—has already hit the ground running with the release of their aggressive new single “F.A.F.O.” (F**k Around Find Out) last month. The track, produced by Vanderhoof and mixed by Chris “Zeuss” Harris, is the first taste of a full-length album currently scheduled for a 2026 release via Rat Pak Records.
“It’s the band that wouldn’t die. So I’m embracing it, and it’s really great,” Vanderhoof concluded. “And to have somebody like Dave, and then also to bring Ken Mary on, and then to have Brian, who’s just really nailing the Metal Church sound. It’s, like, ‘Well, this is definitely worth doing.'”
Metal Church plans to tour extensively in 2026 to support the new record.
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