Metal Church has had a revolving door of vocalists, guitarists, bassists and drummers throughout its 42-year career, and Vanderhoof remains the group's sole consistent creative, despite reducing his role strictly to composition in 1986 after tiring of performing. The "classic" lineup of Vanderhoof, vocalist David Wayne, guitarist Craig Wells, bassist Duke Erickson, and drummer Kirk Arrington recorded the band's first two studio albums, Metal Church (1984) and their major breakthrough The Dark (1986). By the end of the 1980s, Vandehoof and Wayne had parted ways with the band and were replaced by vocalist Mike Howe and guitarist John Marshall respectively. Metal Church's popularity continued with their third album Blessing in Disguise (1989), which spawned one of their best-known songs "Badlands". After releasing two more studio albums with Howe, the band called it quits in 1996.
Metal Church reformed in 1998 with most of their "classic" lineup, including Vanderhoof's return to performance, resulting in the Masterpeace album. They endured numerous lineup changes thereafter, releasing three further studio albums while fronted by Ronny Munroe before disbanding once again in July 2009. The group reunited for the second time in October 2012, and released their tenth studio album Generation Nothing a year later. Following Munroe's departure in the fall of 2014, Metal Church considered disbanding for the third time before Howe was rehired in April 2015 as the band's lead singer. He recorded two more albums with the group, which enjoyed a renewed popularity in the mid-to-late 2010s, before his death.
On July 26, 2021, Metal Church announced that Howe had died that morning at his home in Eureka, California, at the age of 55. In October 2021, after announcing the return of his short-lived early 1990s band Hall Aflame, Vanderhoof hinted that Metal Church would continue on with a replacement for Howe. By mid-2022, rumors suggested that Ronny Munroe would rejoin the band, but resulted in him joining Vicious Rumors.
On February 2, 2023, Metal Church announced Marc Lopes as their new lead vocalist. A month later, the band announced their upcoming album, Congregation of Annihilation, would be released on May 26.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Church
Discography
Metal Church (1984)
The Dark (1986)
Blessing in Disguise (1989)
The Human Factor (1991)
Hanging in the Balance (1993)
Masterpeace (1999)
The Weight of the World (2004)
A Light in the Dark (2006)
This Present Wasteland (2008)
Generation Nothing (2013)
XI (2016)
Damned If You Do (2018)
Congregation of Annihilation (2023)
Metal Church
Metal Church Lyrics
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Men did gather secretly beyond a hidden door
They travelled long and travelled far
Dark into the night
Yes, this is the place they've chosen
To build the Metal site.
Congregation rises, starts to chant a hymn
The priest he stands before them, tells them why they are this way
Why they worship metal gods each and every day
By the hand of Oberon, dark into the deep
Love the evil things we do, the secrets that we keep
Metal church, unholy, who'll be the sacrifice
Metal church, the only, don't you know the time is right
Metal church will find you, can't run very far
Metal church inside you, knows just who you are
No use in speaking out against anything we do
While the men of earth they sleep, haven't any clue
Now the story starts again, all the time is lost
Metal Church begins anew
Saving souls that are lost.
Metal church, unholy, who'll be the sacrifice
Metal church, the only, don't you know the time is right
Metal church will find you, can't run very far
Metal church inside you, knows just who you are
The metal church
is a symbolic representation of the power and influence that heavy metal music has over its fans. The lyrics describe a group of men who gather secretly in a remote location to build a church dedicated to metal. The church is a place where fans of metal can gather to worship and praise the genre.
The lyrics suggest that metal is not just a form of music, but a way of life, with its own set of values and beliefs. The priest in the song speaks of the "evil, lust and hatred" that are the roots of every sin, and the secrets that metal fans keep. The imagery is dark and ominous, suggesting that metal is a dangerous and powerful force that can consume those who are not careful.
The chorus of the song describes the metal church as an unholy place where sacrifices are made, and where those who enter cannot escape. The final lines of the song suggest that the metal church is a never-ending cycle, with the story starting again and again, and the metal church always beginning anew.
Overall, the song is a powerful statement about the influence of heavy metal music and the passion that its fans feel for the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Many, many years ago on a distant shore
Years ago, a group of men would meet secretly behind a hidden door, traveling long and far into the night until they found the perfect spot to build their Metal church.
They travelled long and travelled far
The men embarked on a far-reaching journey until they reached the chosen site for their Metal church.
Yes, this is the place they've chosen
The men found the perfect location to build their Metal church.
To build the Metal site
The men decided to construct a Metal church at this location.
Congregation rises, starts to chant a hymn
The people in the Metal church started to stand up and sing a hymn.
Of evil, lust and hatred, the roots of every sin
The hymn the congregation sang was about evil, lust, and hatred, the roots of all sins.
The priest he stands before them, tells them why they are this way
The priest in the Metal church spoke to the people, explaining to them why they had become devoted to this religion.
Why they worship metal gods each and every day
The priest explained why the people worshipped Metal gods every day.
By the hand of Oberon, dark into the deep
The congregation of the Metal church believed that Oberon, the King of the Fairies, guided them into the darkness.
Love the evil things we do, the secrets that we keep
The people in the Metal church embrace the wicked things they do and the secrets that they keep.
Metal church, unholy, who'll be the sacrifice
The Metal church is considered to be unholy, and someone must be sacrificed to please the Metal gods.
Metal church, the only, don't you know the time is right
The Metal Church is the only true religion, and the time is right.
Metal church will find you, can't run very far
The Metal church will track you down, and you can't escape it.
Metal church inside you, knows just who you are
The Metal Church is already within you and knows exactly who and what you are.
No use in speaking out against anything we do
It's pointless to speak out against anything the Metal church does.
While the men of earth they sleep, haven't any clue
As the people of Earth sleep, they remain unaware and ignorant of the Metal church's activities.
Now the story starts again, all the time is lost
The Metal Church's story is beginning anew, and there is no time to waste.
Metal Church begins anew
The Metal Church has started fresh.
Saving souls that are lost
The Metal Church aims to save the souls of those who are lost.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CRAIG STEPHEN WELLS, DAVID WAYNE CARNELL, KURDT YORK VANDERHOOF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind