Metal Riot

photo by Morgan Y. Evans at The Chance in Poughkeepsie

We are very sad to convey that the energetic, funny and incredible Mike Howe of METAL CHURCH has died.

The band posted the following yesterday: “It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy metal music. Mike Howe passed away this morning at his home in Eureka, California. We are devastated and at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy and the Howe family’s privacy during this most difficult time.”

Mike Howe was Metal Church‘s vocalist between 1988 and 1995, and then again between 2015 and present day.

Our resident biggest Metal Church fanatic Andrew Johann Datoush (‘Drewdas Priest’), who covered the band for us a few times over the last decade, has some touching words about Mike:

I am absolutely devastated right now and I can’t believe that I’m actually having to write this. This sucks so much. The metal world lost a true giant today. An incredible front man with a voice unlike any others. I’ve said it many times over the years that METAL CHURCH was always a top favorite band, even with all their singer changes over the years, I always remained a hardcore fan. The Mike Howe albums were especially instrumental in converting me to the ‘Church’ when I picked up my first album of theirs on a whim at our local FYE Store. That first album for me was Blessing In Disguise , and that opening track “Fake Healer” immediately smacked me in the face and hit like no other band I was listening to at the time ever had before.

I recall getting it shortly after I had entered the 8th grade. I remember that well because it was Mrs. Cooke, my 8th grade science teacher, who started writing me up for listening to music in class rather than listening to her go on about whatever the hell she was talking about. From there, I got every album I could get my hands on, which at the time weren’t very many. A couple with David Wayne singing, but the Mike Howe albums were the ones that really did it for me at the time, and those were sadly limited to only a few albums. (We didn’t start getting METAL CHURCH albums again til the mid 2000s, but nothing involving Mike’s voice again til 2016!).

I was fortunate to meet Mike Howe a few times over the years, and he was always a pleasure to be around. Always willing to stop and shoot the shit with fans, take pictures, and even be accepting of that overgrown starstruck fanboy who went right in for the hug immediately upon meeting him. I had no idea I was even doing it until we were right in the midst of it, and he laughed it off, patted me on the back and joked “so this is how we’re doing this, huh?” Really funny moment for me that made my awkwardness in meeting him ok.

The next time I met him, it was the Nuddy in Poughkeepsie. They were having a pre-show meal. I was finishing up and paying my bill when I saw them, and walked past just saying hello, and when Mike looked up, I jokingly said “I’ll get you on that repeat hug later”, which he laughed at, and he mentioned it to me again later after the show when I went up to get some merch signed. “I guess you’re here for that hug, right?” So, I guess that kinda sums up my personal relationship with Mike. Grow up idolizing his band, eventually see him when he comes back to the scene, make an awkward but hilarious first impression, meet him every time he’s in town since, and have a series of jokes about an awkward hug every time we met since. While I am deeply saddened that the party is over, I’m overly thankful to at least have been accepted into the party at all. Mike Howe was a tremendous talent that leaves behind a hell of a legacy. – AJD 7/26/21

RIP my sweet friend. I have no words for this loss. Love and respect to you always. #mikehowe #metalchurch #legend4ever pic.twitter.com/CfZczC1g4h

— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) July 27, 2021

So sorry to hear of the passing of Mike Howe from @metalchurchis1 I can’t say I knew him well, but I did spend a weekend with him and the band in the studio while they were recording his first album with the band (Blessing In Disguise) back in 1988. Gone way too soon #RIPMikeHowe pic.twitter.com/EpzuSR8nFz

— Mike Portnoy 🤘 (@MikePortnoy) July 27, 2021

RIP Mike Howe @metalchurchis1 & deepest sympathies to his bandmates. Such a great guy & talented singer. 💔 pic.twitter.com/V4RN4P6kcr

— Don Jamieson (@realdonjamieson) July 27, 2021

So #sad to hear the #terrible news of the passing of the one and only #MikeHowe of @metalchurchis1. Such a big loss!
What a great guy and fantastic singer! You will be missed sooooo much! We will never forget you!
R.I.P., my #friend!!
❤️🙏❤️😭❤️
Much #love, #Doro pic.twitter.com/POChaiTC5W

— DORO (@DoroOfficial) July 27, 2021

So sad to hear of the untimely passing of Mike Howe (centered) of @metalchurchis1. I finally met him for the first time this photo was taken in Vegas 04/19. Condolences to his family, friends and fans! pic.twitter.com/C9yIx0iH2J

— Jeff Scott Soto (@jeffscottsoto) July 27, 2021

My family always wanted me to attend church a little bit more, so when I saw METAL CHURCH on the Chance website, I knew I had to go. It’s what my family wanted. Probably God too, and who am I to argue?

It’s been said that METAL CHURCH is the only church. Good enough if you ask me.

The date was September 9th, 2017, and the congregation huddled outside in the unseasonably chilly air outside The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, NY as we awaited our heroes, METAL CHURCH to arrive for the show, which also doubled as a party for Chris Caffery’s birthday. The cold air, the crack head trying to sell a fake “front row” ticket to the show, and the fact that the venue didn’t let anyone into the building for nearly an hour past the door time wasn’t enough to deter any of us. In fact, the “front row” ticket was the joke of the night for many of us as we yelled out in between songs “I got front row!” (the entire front of the stage is GA).

More BELOW.

I’m not going to go too crazy with a long ass back story here like I normally would. You guys know why you’re here reading this post! The fact that Metal Riot hasn’t asked me to stop writing about my love for METAL CHURCH yet is nothing short of a miracle, which I believe we should be expecting miracles when the METAL CHURCH is involved. If you want the backstory, you can check back with my review of the phenomenal new album, XI. (editor’s note: We love Metal Church and encourage Drew in his allegiance, though we agree that it is a miracle…that Aberdeen produced both Metal Church AND Kurt Cobain).

This posting will be a tale of a dashing young metalhead (Me), a slew of kick-ass bands, and the return of one of metal’s greatest voices.

More below.

For months, we sat and waited. Who was it going to be? Someone known? Someone unknown? Who was going to be the new singer for the legendary METAL CHURCH? Well, after waiting what felt like an eternity, we got an answer that certainly did not disappoint. What we got was former METAL CHURCH singer, Mike Howe making his return. METAL CHURCH was always a favorite of mine growing up. Each singer brought something different to the band.

When the announcement was made, I already had my mind made up to do a Deep Cuts on these guys, but how to do it was hard to grasp. What songs should I pick? What era or eras? As I sit here writing this, my roommate is watching The Incredible Hulk and we are trying to decide who was the better Bruce Banner. Was it Edward Norton or was it Mark Ruffalo? In the standalone Hulk film, Norton was untouchable, Ruffalo wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. However, Norton would have been unlikely to have the comedic side to him to go toe to toe with Tony Stark, which wouldn’t have been nearly as effective as Ruffalo being in the Avengers movies. The point of me bringing up the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Well, I did just see Age Of Ultron twice (wasn’t it awesome??), but most importantly, I had to illustrate the point that all 3 METAL CHURCH singers, like both Hulk actors, were perfect for their eras, and can’t be topped when it came to what they brought to the table during their time. That being said, I can’t single out a single singer for one of my favorite bands, and will be doing one song from each era.

See BELOW.