METAL CHURCH’s KURDT VANDERHOOF opens up about singer MIKE HOWE’s suicide

METAL CHURCH's KURDT VANDERHOOF opens up about singer MIKE HOWE's suicide

08-05-2023

In a new interview with Australia’s Metal Mal , METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof spoke about the passing of the band’s singer, Mike Howe, less than two years ago.

Howe was found dead at his home in Eureka, California in July 2021. According to TMZ, Howe‘s official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department told the site authorities were calling it a suicide. He was only 55 years old.

Asked by Metal Mal if he saw any “signs” that Howe was battling severe depression, Vanderhoof said: “It’s an interesting thing because he was going through a rough time. He had gone through a divorce and gone through some stuff which I know hit him really, really hard. So he was struggling with that; the family breaking up and things like that was really hard on him. But we kind of left him alone to deal with it; we didn’t put any pressure on him to do band stuff. ‘Cause I was moving and we had that all set up. So we just let him be. (I stayed) in contact with him, just (to say), ‘Hey, how’re you doing?’ every once in a while, just to see. And when I spoke to him and it was time to start writing a new record, he was doing fine. He was coming out of it, he was feeling good, he was kind of on the mend and was getting some help and things like that. And so he was coming out of it. So I said, ‘Hey, let’s start working on a new record.’ He thought that was a great idea.”

Kurdt continued: “He just went through a real bad time, like we all do. I knew he was struggling a little bit, but… I don’t wanna get too personal about what was going on with him, but he was coming out of it. We spoke, we had a couple of great conversations. Mike was coming back. He was ready to make a new record. So I started writing. And then, all of a sudden… I got him the record. We had a conversation. He listened to it and called me back (and said), ‘Oh, I like this. And I like this. Let’s do something with this.’ Blah blah. The usual process. And then about a week after that, I got the call.”

Regarding how he has dealt with his longtime friend’s death, Kurdt said: “If it would have happened about four or five months prior to that, I probably would have been surprised but not as shocked. But after that, it was like… To be perfectly honest, I still haven’t processed it, because I can’t. I can’t, and so I’m not gonna try. My best friend is gone. And I’m kind of one of the people that, and most artists probably are like this, there’s a certain amount of depression and emotional things that go into creative types — for better or worse. But I don’t understand (and) I can’t relate to the feeling of being so depressed that something like that is the answer. I can’t get my head around that. I don’t understand. So I think there was some… I fully believe that there was some of the antidepressants and some of the chemicals and pills and things that are prescribed to a lot of people had a lot to do with it. That’s just my personal opinion. I think that.

“So I haven’t really processed it,” Kurdt repeated. “I can’t. I don’t know what to think. So I’m just gonna keep moving forward. And it’s not that I’m insensitive; it’s just… I can’t. Especially somebody like that, who was the most kind-hearted, nicest, most loving, caring guy I’ve ever met in my life, for him to be in that much pain, that just breaks my heart.”

When Mike‘s death was first announced, TMZ stated that cops in Eureka got a call just after 10 a.m. on July 26, 2021 reporting an unexpected death at a home. By the time deputies arrived, they found Howe dead at the scene.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

Four days after Howe‘s death, the surviving members of METAL CHURCH shared a statement on social media in which they blamed his suicide on the fact that he “was victimized by a failing health-care system and subsequently poisoned by the venom of Big Pharma,” a term which refers collectively to the global pharmaceutical industry. “In short and in essence, he fell prey to the real ‘Fake Healer’.”

METAL CHURCH will release their new effort “Congregation Of Annihilation” on Rat pak Records.

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.”

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!”

Also watch the previously released official lyrics video for the LP’s first single “Pick A God And Prey” below.

“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”.

“Congregation Of Annihilation” track listing:

01. Another Judgement Day
02. Congregation Of Annihilation
03. Pick A God And Prey
04. Children Of The Lie
05. Me The Nothing
06. Making Monsters
07. Say A Prayer With 7 Bullets
08. These Violent Thrills
09. All That We Destroy
10. My Favorite Sin(bonus track)
11. Salvation (bonus track)

When Lopes‘s addition to METAL CHURCH was first announced in early February, Vanderhoof wrote in a social media post: “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 (via Rat Pak Records)!”

Howe was found dead at his home in Eureka, California in July 2021. According to TMZ, Howe‘s official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Dept. told the site authorities are calling it a suicide. He was only 55 years old.

According to police, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the death and no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.

METAL CHURCH‘s statement was quickly met with criticism from some of the band’s fans who felt that the long-running metal act was using Howe‘s death as a platform to assert its political views. As a result, METAL CHUCH pulled its original post from social media and replaced it with a revised version, in which the musicians said they were “in no way, shape or form referring to anything in relation to vaccinations, COVID or politics. We were saying our brother was hurting and while he was seeking medical care for it, the treatments he was utilizing did not protect him,” they wrote. “Otherwise, he would still be with us today.”

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April 2015.

Prior to joining METAL CHURCH more than three decades ago, Howe spent two years fronting California metal act HERETIC.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with Vanderhoof on a side project Kurdt was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late ’80s: “The Human Factor”, “Blessing In Disguise” and “Hanging In The Balance”. Out of those sessions, 2016’s “XI” was born and captured the sound that made the band fan favorites in the ’80s and mixed it with a new, invigorated sound.

METAL CHURCH‘s latest release was “From The Vault”, which arrived in April 2020 via Rat Pak Records. The effort was a special-edition compilation album that featured 14 previously unreleased songs from the Howe era, including four newly recorded studio tracks, among them a redux of the band’s fan favorite classic “Conductor”.

Howe is not the first singer of METAL CHURCH to die. David Wayne passed away in May 2005 from complications following a car crash. He was 47 years old.

Wayne sang on METAL CHURCH‘s first two classic offerings (1984’s “Metal Church” and 1986’s “The Dark”) before leaving the group and being replaced by Howe.

Left to right in photo: Stet Howland (drums), Steve Unger (bass), Marc Lopes (vocals), Rick Van Zandt (guitars), Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitars)

Social media