METAL CHURCH guitarist and founder KURDT VANDERHOOF says the band's debut performance with its overhauled lineup was a triumph. "That went amazing. It really, it really did," he said of the show.
The reconstituted METAL CHURCH made its live bow on May 17, 2026, headlining San Luis Metal Fest at the Teatro del Pueblo in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The new lineup pairs Vanderhoof and fellow guitarist Rick Van Zandt with a heavyweight rhythm section: former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and drummer Ken Mary (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, FIFTH ANGEL, ALICE COOPER), fronted by new vocalist Brian Allen of VICIOUS RUMORS.
Vanderhoof was especially enthusiastic about his new singer. "He was selling it and he was fronting the band," the guitarist said. "Looks like we got ourselves a rock and roll band."
The fresh start follows a difficult stretch for Vanderhoof, who was forced to cancel METAL CHURCH's 2024 tour dates after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis. "Muscles all over, from my neck down to my feet, are all in knots," he said of the condition. He has since been undergoing sports-medicine treatment in Phoenix and reports significant improvement, clearing the way for the band's return to the stage.
The lineup change arrives on the heels of new music: METAL CHURCH released their latest album, "Dead To Rights," on April 10 via Rat Pak Records. The record was produced by Vanderhoof and mixed by Chris Harris.
One of the pioneering acts of American power/thrash metal, METAL CHURCH have weathered numerous lineup shifts as well as the 2018 death of longtime vocalist Mike Howe. With Allen now installed up front and Ellefson anchoring the low end, Vanderhoof appears confident the band has found firm footing for its next chapter.