Defenders Of The Faith, le forum Metal

METAL CHURCH has officially enlisted ROSS THE BOSS and LET US PREY vocalist Marc Lopes to sing for the band following the passing of Mike Howe less than two years ago.

Earlier today (Thursday, February 2),METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof shared a photo of Lopes on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Yes, the rumors are true, it's official! Please welcome vocalist Marc Lopes to the congregation!

"We auditioned a handful of vocalists and while they were all great, Marc quickly became the clear choice.

"Both David Wayne and Mike Howe had a very unique, irreplaceable quality to their voices, so we were not looking for a clone of either. We wanted someone new, who could embrace the past, and also bring something fresh and exciting to the mix.

"Marc brings a very classic yet modern feel to the songs and we are looking forward to getting this new album out to you later this year!

"Thank you for your continued support of METAL CHURCH!

"Love & respect, Kurdt Vanderhoof".

On January 26, METAL CHURCH shared an audio snippet of some of the new music — complete with a singer who sounded uncannily like Lopes — the group had been working on in recent months, with plans to release its sometime this spring via Rat Pak Records.

West coast thrash metal veterans, Metal Church, will release their 13th studio album, Congregation Of Annihilation, on May 26 via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe).

The new album marks the first release since the tragic death of legendary frontman Mike Howe, who passed in July of 2021. It also marks the first album with new vocalist Marc Lopes (Ross The Boss / Let Us Prey) who came on board in the summer of 2022 and features the current lineup of founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger and drummer Stet Howland.

The new songs are a return to the band’s musical roots harkening back to the vibes of the self-titled first album and The Dark. Congregation Of Annihilation was produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and is now available for pre-order in various bundle configurations in North America here.

Of the album, Kurdt Vanderhoof comments: “This new album is starting a new chapter in the Metal Church legacy. I really love this album. It's a fresh approach for us in one way, but also a return to the very beginnings of Metal Church as part of the New American Thrash Metal movement. This record contains some of the most aggressive songs we have recorded. I hope the fans will like it as much as we do.”

Marc Lopes adds: “I am beyond honored to be part of carrying on this legacy into a new era of Metal Church. Working with Kurdt and a band that was a huge influence of mine growing up was a surreal experience to say the least. For me there was no point in trying to imitate what was already done to perfection. So, with respect to the past, we moved forward to a new chapter and here we are!”

Congregation Of Annihilation features nine all new tracks from Metal Church and continues to build upon their iconic sound the band established over three decades ago. Infused with intelligent lyrical content, thundering guitar riffs, and Marc’s aggressive soaring vocals, Congregation Of Annihilation furthers the bands sonic evolution up to the next level and is guaranteed to enthrall metal music fans around the world.

From the first guitar riff of album opener “Another Judgement Day” through the driving outro of album closer “All That We Destroy,” it is clear Metal Church is back and better than ever. “Congregation Of Annihilation,” “Children Of The Lie” and “These Violent Thrills” showcase the sonically charged songwriting that made the early Metal Church albums such fan favorites.

Haunting musical opuses “Me the Nothing” and “Making Monsters” each puts the musicianship that Metal Church was known for on full display in 2023.

The album also features two bonus tracks: “My Favorite Sin” and “Salvation”. The band’s first single is the anthemic “Pick A God And Prey” and a lyric video for the song can be seen below.