KURDT VANDERHOOF On New METAL CHURCH Lineup: 'It's Really Nice To Be Working With People That Are On The Same Page'

In a new interview with V and Jason Clarke of the Creativity Talkin podcast, founding METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof spoke about the band's new lineup, in which he is joined by longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bass icon David Ellefson (MEGADETH),powerhouse drummer Ken Mary (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, FIFTH ANGEL, ALICE COOPER, HOUSE OF LORDS, TKO, CHASTAIN) and dynamic new vocalist Brian Allen (VICIOUS RUMORS). Regarding how the latest version of METAL CHURCH came to be, Kurdt said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, after we did [2023's] 'Congregation Of Annihilation' [album], we did some touring for a while, and we did a run of Australia. And when we got back, it just kind of fell apart. People didn't like what was going on, I didn't like what was going on for different reasons. Then [drummer] Stet [Howland] quit, and it was just, like, 'You know what? I'm done.' This is no fun. And a band at our level, we don't make enough money to have to put up with not having fun. I mean, we make enough to make it worth our while and we get to do it. So having fun, enjoying what you're doing is part of the pay. But it just was, like, 'You know, this is stupid. I'm not enjoying this now. I don't need this.' So I shut the band down. And I just said, 'Look, guys, I'm shutting it down.' And that was it. And I had no intention of putting it back together again. It was, 'Nah, I'm done.' So, having said that, then a year and a half later, I get these MP3s through [my record label] Rat Pak. But I get these MP3s of someone — at the time I didn't know who it was — singing 'Start The Fire' and 'In Mourning', so it was a David Wayne song and a Mike Howe song. I didn't know who it was. And it was, like, 'Whoa. Who's this?' I'm, like, 'Well, if I ever thought to put the band back together, this guy would be a good singer.' And then it turns out it was obviously Brian Allen, who, through a mutual friend, Todd [La Torre] from QUEENSRŸCHE, a friend of his, was telling Brian, 'Go do a couple of demos and send it to 'em. Send it to the record company.' … So he sent those, and I was blown away. And it was, like, 'Yeah. Well, okay. Cool.' Well then, as things would have it, Rat Pak was working with the ELLEFSON-SOTO project [Ellefson's collaboration with Jeff Scott Soto]. And Dave [Ellefson] had extended to Joe [O'Brien] at Rat Pak that, 'Well, if Kurdt decides to put METAL CHURCH back together, I'd really be interested.' Joe told me that and I'm, like, 'Well, that wouldn't suck. That wouldn't suck.' I mean, Dave and I have known each other forever. And then [former METAL CHURCH and current SAVATAGE drummer] Jeff Plate came in and said, 'Hey, well, if you put it back together, I'll come back. If you got a new lineup, I'll come back.' And it was, like, 'Well, that was easy.' I didn't even have to do it. I didn't even want to. I didn't try. So I was, like, 'Okay, great. So I started writing some stuff, and Jeff started working with us and everything. The whole thing was, like, 'Wow, this is cool.' But then the SAVATAGE reunion really started blowing up and he couldn't stay involved. And that was great. Good for him. And I'm really happy for those guys that they're doing that. So he had to back out. But then within a couple of days I was in touch with Ken Mary. And we're both Seattle refugees. And we knew each other back in the day. [Producer] Terry Date was working on our record, and then next he was working on their on FIFTH ANGEL's first record, so we knew each other and everything. And I was talking with him, and he said he was interested. And it was, like, 'Well, there it is.' There it goes. So [people ask me], 'How did you resurrect the band?' It's, like, I didn't. It resurrected itself. 'Cause I had no intention of [putting it back together]… But it was, like, 'Wow, okay, well, that was really easy.' And having that caliber of people involved, it was, like, well, it really doesn't get much better than that. So I'm not saying no. So we just kept going, and here we are."

Elaborating on his initial reluctance to put METAL CHURCH back together, Kurdt said: "When I decided to end it, it's, like, I don't wanna be one of these bands that's going out on tour, on the 'child support' tour, where the only reason you're out there is [to pay the bills], or to go out there and the only original members is, like, the bus driver. And it's, like, I just don't wanna be that guy. But then you bring in someone from MEGADETH, Ken Mary from Alice Cooper, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM — legit people. I was really worried about the perception of it, of, again, another singer, another lineup change, again. But the fact that Brian sounds like he does definitely made it sound like old METAL CHURCH. So there was a little bit of this as far as the fans were concerned, but I had a feeling that when they found out who it was, and then heard it, I thought it would be more accepted."

Regarding his expectations for the new METAL CHURCH lineup, Kurdt said: "We've got some work to do. We've gotta get out and prove ourselves and show that we're a real band, go out and kick ass and do that. That's fine. We're up for it. It's a really good time and it's really nice to be working with people that are on the same page. I mean, we don't have to explain how the business works to anybody. Everybody's been through it now. We all know how the business has changed now. We all know that this is the way it is now. And so far we're getting along famously and everybody's excited and we're having fun and we're all happy to be doing it… I couldn't be happier about it. And I like the record and I think it came out great. And I think we're really anxious to get out and start playing live."

Last month, Kurdt told Pete Pardo and Lynne Versaci of Sea Of Tranquility about the dissolution of the METAL CHURCH lineup that recorded "Congregation Of Annihilation": "Well, about two years ago, maybe a little over two years ago now, we did a Australia run. And the shows were fine, but we got back. Things got ugly, and the whole thing was just turned into a mess. And then [there was] a whole bunch of stuff flying around. Stet didn't like the way business was going, so he left. And the other guys didn't like it either. I didn't like the way things were going at all. It just wasn't any fun anymore. And a band at our level, if you're not having any fun — that's part of the pay. And if you're not having any fun anymore… Nobody makes a lot of money anymore, so you gotta be able to afford to do what you're doing and enjoy it… So I shut the band down, I was, like, 'This isn't worth it anymore.' The record company lost interest in us; [they] didn't wanna work with us anymore. Both European and American labels, they were just, like, 'They're done.' And I'm, like, 'Okay, there's no reason to go on.' So I shut the band down. And I made a point of saying, 'Look, I'm not gonna say anything derogatory about anybody in the press or anything like that, and I hope you would do the same.' But apparently some people decided not to do that. So, that's on them, not me."

Asked if he was happy with "Congregation Of Annihilation", which came out in May 2023 via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe),Kurdt said: "Yeah. Oh, yeah. It's a fine album. It's good. Yeah, it had some great moments, and it was fine. It was just a bunch of business stuff and a bunch of things like that just wasn't working for anybody, myself included. And so it was, like, 'Eh.' And then when labels and people like that aren't really [into it, I was], like, 'Okay, I don't think I wanna do this anymore either. There's no point.' So I shut the band down, and I thought it was done — again… And I keep trying to kill it. It's like the band that won't die… So, again, I had no intention of doing it anymore. I was done. I was, like, 'All right. We did that. We're not getting along. Okay, I'm done.' And then not having interest [from] the label, there was just no point. So I shut it down. I was still working with Rat Pak with PRESTO BALLET and HALL AFLAME and a couple of other things. So I still had my deals with them on my other projects. And so I was working with them. And then just out of the blue one day, Joe at Rat Pak sent me a couple of files from this guy doing METAL CHURCH songs… Well, he did 'Start The Fire' and 'Date With Poverty', I believe. And Joe just said, 'Hey, listen to these.' And I did. And it was, like, 'Is this like an unreleased track of [late METAL CHURCH singer] David Wayne?' kind of thing. When I heard 'Start The Fire', I was, like, 'Wow, who is this?' Anyway, so that turned out to be Brian Allen, who, I didn't know at the time, was a guy I knew from Portland. I didn't know him, but we knew him from Portland when he was in a JUDAS PRIEST tribute band, and we did some shows with him back over the last 10, 15 years. So I was, like, 'Wow. I had no idea.' And he did such a great job with it, I was, like, 'Well, if we ever decide to put the band back together, there's our singer,' 'cause he can do the David Wayne and Mike Howe [late METAL CHURCH singer] stuff. And so he said, 'Great. Okay. Isn't that nice?' And it was completely unsolicited. It was Todd La Torre who told Brian to send [Joe the files]. And I'm, like, 'Okay, cool. That was quite impressive, to say the least. So a little time goes by and then Rat Pak's working with ELLEFSON-SOTO. So he put out their record, and so he's in contact with Dave Ellefson and working with him. And as that comes up, Dave offered his services: 'Oh, well, if METAL CHURCH ever wants to get back together. I'd love to be involved. I'd love to play bass.' … And it was, like, 'Wait, what? Wait, Dave Ellefson would wanna… Really? Okay.' Well, then it was starting to get interesting. And soon after that, or right about the same time, Jeff Plate said, 'Well, yeah, if you ever wanna do that, yeah, I'd love to get re-involved again. Sure. That'd be great.' I'm, like, 'Okay. Again, here I am saying this is the final tour. We're not doing anything, the farewell tour or whatever.' … So long story endless, suddenly there's Brian Allen, the singer, which would be the most important part of that. Then Dave bringing a certain credibility to it. And then Jeff coming back. I was, like, 'Okay.' So I kind of started putting some songs together, songs started happening. But then the SAVATAGE thing took off, which I couldn't be happier for [Jeff] and all of those guys… So [Jeff] couldn't continue [with METAL CHURCH]. Lo and behold, Ken Mary, an old friend of ours from Seattle, who is a transplant down here as well, reaches out to me for some other complete other reason, and I'm, like, 'Are you still in FLOTSAM?' He goes, 'Yeah, yeah. But we don't work on all that much.' 'Hey, well, [I'm] kind of thinking about maybe seeing if I… I kind of started putting METAL CHURCH back together, but Jeff is really busy with the SAVATAGE reunion.' And he's, like, 'Yeah. Oh, I'd love to do that.' I'm, like, 'Okay.' So it was kind of a no-brainer at that point. So there you have it."

Kurdt went on to say that the first two songs that were released from METAL CHURCH's upcoming "Dead To Rights" album, "Brainwash Game" and "F.A.F.O.", are "getting a great response, and people seem to like" it. "But it's a really good bunch of guys [we have in the band now]," he explained. "And again, I had no intention of doing it. And so we made a record. We're really happy with the record. And so I guess we're back at it. It was kind of unplanned. It was resurrected by itself. So, yeah, I'm really happy. I'm still a little bit surprised of how it came together 'cause it wasn't on my radar. So that's basically, a very Reader's Digest, condensed version of how it happened. But that's basically it. And I know a lot of people, they want a lot of the dirt and stuff like that, and a couple of the other guys like to talk smack about what happened. Whatever. That's fine. I'm gonna keep to my promise, and if you guys wanna [talk smack], that's on you guys. That's fine. 'Cause I can't stand those Internet fights when this guy, formerly of this band, and this guy [says], 'He did this' and 'he did that'. I'm not doing that. No, I'm not doing that. If they have an issue, that's fine. They have their opinion, I have mine. But I'm not airing my stuff in public."

"Dead To Rights" will be released on April 10 via Rat Pak Records. The LP was produced by Vanderhoof and mixed and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z.

METAL CHURCH plans to hit the road extensively this year on the "Dead To Rights" tour.

Singer Marc Lopes joined METAL CHURCH in the summer of 2022 as the replacement for Howe, who tragically passed away in July 2021. Lopes's first and only studio album with METAL CHURCH was the aforementioned "Congregation Of Annihilation".

METAL CHURCH made its live debut with Lopes on June 3, 2023 at the Legions Of Metal festival at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois.

This past January, Lopes described METAL CHURCH as "a shit show" and blasted Vanderhoof over the way the band's recent lineup changes were handled. He went on to say that Kurdt had "no integrity" and accused the guitarist of displaying "cowardice" by "not confronting any of the issues, whether good or bad." He added that he had "to find out everything on the Internet" about what was actually going on with METAL CHURCH. "That was the ultimate 'fuck you'. And that does not bide well with me personally, which will be addressed in another time," he added.

Stet, an in-demand metal drummer who has also pounded the skins for W.A.S.P., BLACKFOOT and Lita Ford, briefly addressed his eight-year stint with METAL CHURCH in a social media post. He wrote in part: "After seeing recent [METAL CHURCH] interviews, Marc's statement, and Kurdt's response. There's clearly MANY things that need to be said. But in short, Marc was 100% accurate. Tho[ugh] he barely shared the tip of the iceberg of the bullshit, and he was much more kind than I'm going to be. There's truths that need to be told and facts that need to be shared. I'll be as kind as I can, but I'll be dissecting and explaining a shitshow."

Photo credit: Rick Moyer