Metal Church announced last Thursday, February 2nd, that Marc Lopes , from Ross The Boss and Let Us Prey , is the band's new vocalist. The singer replaces the late Mike Howe , who passed away in 2021 .
In a post shared on social media, guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof wrote: “Yes, the rumors are true, it’s official! Please welcome vocalist Marc Lopes! We auditioned several vocalists and, although they were all great, Marc quickly became the right choice.”
“Both David Wayne and Mike Howe had a unique and irreplaceable quality in their voices, so we weren’t looking for a clone of either of them. We wanted someone new, who could embrace the past and also bring something new and exciting to the sound. Marc brings a very classic and modern touch to the songs and we are eager to release this new album for you later this year! Thank you for your continued support!”
Wayne was also a vocalist for the group who died in a car accident in 2005. Howe's cause of death, however, was different. After ruling out drug and alcohol use , police determined he committed suicide .
“To be honest, I haven’t really processed it. I can’t. I can’t imagine what it must be like to feel like suicide is your only option. And because he was like my brother, and to find out he was in so much pain and it’s too late to try to help, it’s something I can’t understand,” Kurdt told Metal Rules .
Metal Church released a statement days after the musician's death blaming the healthcare system. However, the statement generated significant criticism due to its political opinions. The band denied any political reference and only wanted to say that the treatments used did not protect their colleague.
Now with Marc Lopes taking over vocals, the group is preparing to release a new album in 2023. The guitarist commented: “Yes. I had written a new album, Mike and I had just started the process before he died, so I had a lot of material on hand. I also wanted to complete the album in his honor. I wrote a lot of additional material and it's going in a more aggressive direction.” On January 26th, an audio preview of the new songs .
Metal Church's last album was Damned If You Do (2018).
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