In a candid and revealing interview with Chris Akin of The Classic Metal Show, vocalist Marc Lopes has once again shed light on the tumultuous circumstances surrounding his departure from the venerable heavy metal outfit Metal Church. Lopes, who fronted the band for their 2023 album "Congregation Of Annihilation," detailed a profound sense of betrayal and disappointment stemming from a severe lack of communication and what he perceives as a fundamental disrespect for his contributions and contractual standing within the group. His account paints a stark picture of internal discord that ultimately led to the dissolution of the lineup he was a part of, just months after the release of their latest studio effort.
A Brief Tenure, A Bitter End
Marc Lopes joined Metal Church in the summer of 2022, stepping into the significant void left by the tragic passing of vocalist Mike Howe in July 2021. The lineup that recorded "Congregation Of Annihilation" featured Lopes alongside founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger, and drummer Stet Howland. The album, released in May 2023, was met with generally positive reviews, marking a new chapter for the band with Lopes at the helm.
However, the stability proved to be short-lived. By November 2023, it was publicly announced that Metal Church was undergoing a significant lineup overhaul, with Vanderhoof and Van Zandt forming the core of a "revitalized" unit. This new iteration included bass icon David Ellefson (known for his extensive work with Megadeth), powerhouse drummer Ken Mary (a veteran of Flotsam and Jetsam, Fifth Angel, and numerous other high-profile acts), and new vocalist Brian Allen (formerly of Vicious Rumors). This announcement came nearly two years after Metal Church had canceled its 2024 tour dates, citing an ongoing back issue suffered by Kurdt Vanderhoof.
Financial and Professional Repercussions
When asked by Akin about the financial and professional ramifications of the last Metal Church lineup’s collapse, Lopes did not mince words. "Oh, yes," he responded with a laugh, acknowledging a significant personal blow. "I would have to say that my anger is really geared towards that aspect. Yeah, it really… I’m gonna use the word… it really fucked things up. I’m just gonna say it straight there. And in all honesty, it’s so sad, ’cause it didn’t have to be that way."
Lopes emphasized his personal philosophy of open dialogue and problem-solving. "I’ve always been the person to bring everybody into a room to have a conversation, no matter what the problem is," he stated. "That’s just how I am. Whether I’m right, wrong or whatever the case may be, a conversation is the adult thing to do and the right thing to do, no matter what the outcome. And that’s all I wanted, to be honest – that’s all I personally wanted."
He suggested that unspoken grievances and a lack of willingness to engage in discussion were at the heart of the band’s implosion. "Everybody had their own point of view or grievances, which is fine. I think the three of us that aren’t there now had some common grievances and questions. And that’s really what we were trying to get to the bottom of, and we couldn’t get a conversation out of that."
The Shifting Narrative of the Tour Cancellation
Lopes also challenged the official narrative surrounding the cancellation of Metal Church’s tour dates. "Well, the tour getting canceled, in the beginning stages of the tour getting canceled and then the whole year getting scrapped, there was a lot of half truths, if barely truths, to that," he explained. He stated that he went along with the cancellations under the assumption that a crucial conversation would follow once things had "simmered down." However, this promised dialogue never materialized. "I went along with it on the idea that a conversation was coming down the road once everything simmered down and we could make some kind of decision, really. I never got that. Nobody got that. And that was wrong."
Contractual Standing and Partnership
A significant point of contention for Lopes appears to be his perceived status within Metal Church. He refuted the notion that he was merely a "hired gun," asserting his position as a partner in the band. "My whole life was based on playing," Lopes said. "That’s what we were doing, and that’s what I was doing. For somebody to just come along and do what they want… Now mind you, this is funny, ’cause sometimes I catch comments from people, and everybody thinks they know better than the people that are there. So when they say, ‘Oh, well, it’s [Kurdt’s] band. It’s his band.’ Yeah, well, yes, obviously, a major part of it, it’s obviously his. But when I joined the band, I was 20% partner in the band, just like everybody else was. So as far as I’m concerned, as a business person on other things that I do, 20% is 20%."
He stressed that while he respected Vanderhoof’s ultimate decision-making authority as the band’s founder, the process of reaching those decisions was fundamentally flawed. "Obviously, all final decisions come down to – it’s him, and that’s totally respectful and understandable. No one ever had a problem with that. But [there are] discussions to be made. Obviously, people have different opinions, and that’s just how it is. There’s no disrespect at all in that matter. So when someone makes one decision for everybody, without anybody having any kind of input or opinion about something, especially when it has to do with livelihoods, that’s a major problem."
The Unanswered Calls and Emails
Lopes’ primary grievance centers on the lack of basic communication. "I don’t care [what anybody] says, because I can tell you right now, I don’t B.S. … I have nothing to hide," he declared. "That’s the best thing about all of this, and I always try to tell everybody: I have nothing to hide. There’s no skeletons in my closet. I have no weight on my shoulder. There’s nothing you could come at me with. There’s nothing. Good luck. You know what I mean? Good luck. So I have no reason to B.S. about anything."
He articulated his frustration with the silence that followed the band’s perceived hiatus. "Speaking only for myself in this, my biggest gripe was that I was not allotted the respect to have a conversation. And none of my phone calls or none of my e-mails or nothing was ever answered. No matter what – are we doing this? Are we not doing this? Whatever. Just tell me. What’s going on? I’m kind of, like, running around here."
Contradicting Narratives on the Band’s Status
Lopes directly countered Vanderhoof’s statements in recent interviews, where the guitarist claimed he "shut the band down" and had no intention of reviving it, suggesting the current lineup "just happened" to coalesce. "He’s telling people the band was ended," Lopes retorted. "No, it wasn’t ended. At the moment, it was, like, ‘Yeah, we’re not gonna do anything for right now. We need to talk about a lot of stuff, ’cause things aren’t cool, and they need to be talked about.’ And that never happened."
Creative Contributions and Uncredited Work
Further underscoring his commitment and contribution, Lopes clarified his role in the songwriting process for "Congregation Of Annihilation." "I wasn’t a hired gun. I was part of the band. Big difference. I wrote every song on [‘Congregation Of Annihilation’] – every song," he asserted. "No singer in that band ever wrote every song with [Kurdt]. I spent a year of my life almost every day on the phone with him working on this album. Just me and him. I mean, I did so much work on that record that I got no credit for. But it was for the greater good. I was part of the team. So, yeah, it definitely hurts [for it to have ended the way it did]."
He reiterated that his disappointment stemmed from a lack of respect, not ego. "It’s not about ego and it’s not about pride," Lopes added. "It was about respect. And I never did anything to not get it. And I think that’s been the underlying seething point for me, because I never grew up like that, I never do that to anybody else."
The Founder’s Perspective and the Label’s Role
In contrast, Kurdt Vanderhoof, speaking to Jimmy Kay of The Metal Voice earlier this month, described a situation where "things got ugly" after the band’s Australian tour in 2023. He claimed that the record company, Rat Pak Records, had "got done" with the band, and he himself was "not having any fun." Vanderhoof stated he "shut the band down," informing everyone that he was "done." He also indicated he made it clear he would not engage in derogatory public statements, hoping former members would reciprocate. "So, obviously some people decided to go a different route. That’s on them. That’s fine. But I shut the band down. It was done. So when it started back up again, it wasn’t by me starting it up. I really had no intentions. I didn’t wanna go run auditions and put out and start looking [for new musicians]. I was done. It was, like, ‘Another lineup? Another singer? Really? Come on. This is stupid.’ But it just happened."
Vanderhoof also addressed Lopes and Howland’s claims of being blindsided. "That’s on them," he said. "I’m sure they think I could have done it differently. We had a big discussion about it, but there was no point. Enough was said. I’m, like, ‘Okay.’ I was clear. The label lost interest. They weren’t interested in working with us anymore. So it was, like, ‘Well, there’s no point in going on. I’m done. I’m shutting this down. Best of luck to you.’ There you go."
Learning the News Via the Internet
Lopes recounted a particularly galling aspect of his dismissal: learning about the new lineup and the band’s reformation through online announcements. Speaking to Scott Davidson of Chicago’s Rebel Radio, he stated, "Yeah, we basically found out on the Internet, pretty much… When they announced that they had a new lineup and a new tune [was released], that was [when we first found out]."
A Pattern of "Threats to Fold"
Reflecting on the period following the tour cancellation and the subsequent silence, Lopes recalled a recurring pattern within the band’s history. "It’s interesting. It depends on who you ask. My interpretation of it was there were definitely some issues going on business-wise that needed to be discussed. Certain people reacted in a certain way. At the time, it was just kind of, like, ‘All right, let this thing simmer down and then have a conversation.’ That was my take on it. And then when Kurdt canceled the tour, we went along with it, the reasonings that were said to the public, we went along with it in hopes of having conversations down the road – because [we] needed to."
He further elaborated on what he described as a pattern of "threatening to fold the band" whenever disagreements arose. "Believe me, when I was in the band, I heard threatening to fold the band about six times. Anytime there was a disagreement, it was, like, ‘Let me take my ball and run.’ It got a little annoying, so no one ever took it serious, because it never was." This history, Lopes suggested, contributed to the lack of urgency in addressing the issues that ultimately led to the band’s fragmentation.
The Silence and the Disrespect
The lack of response to his attempts at communication became a significant source of frustration. "And I constantly was always trying to reach out to find out – that was just from me. I mean, the other two guys, I don’t speak to them, but I was just, like, ‘What are we doing here? What’s going on?’ And no one would ever answer. And I was just, like, ‘Well, that’s kind of messed up. Why are we not having any kind of conversation?’ So one year goes by and still nothing. And I’m, like, ‘Wow, that’s really weird.’ I mean, I don’t understand. At least go, ‘Hey, you know what?! We’re not doing this no more. We’re gonna go in a different direction’ or whatever. But not even that. So, I kept going on, and that was it. We just never had any kind of conversation. And about the two-year mark, when the album was at the two-year anniversary. I finally got a message back and it was, like, ‘Yeah, you know…’ I’m not gonna say what was said, but it was kind of, like, ‘Good luck with everything,’ or whatever. And I was, like, ‘What?’ There was no explanation for what was said. I was kind of, like, ‘Well, what do you mean?’ And I got no answer. [Laughs] So I was, like, ‘Okay, this is kind of weird.’ So I’m trying to get what’s going on, and I was not getting any return calls, which – I’ll be 100% honest – was super disrespectful, and that don’t fly with me, man."
A Plea for Directness
Lopes concluded his thoughts on the matter with a direct plea for integrity. "You know what?! If you don’t wanna do it, that’s cool. Whatever, man. You wanna be that way and take your ball and run into your little corner, that’s cool, dude. But at least be man enough to say it. Let’s have a man-to-man conversation. That’s all I wanted. And I never got it. And I have every right to be annoyed by that. And that’s what annoys me. And to have that all come out on the Internet, and then them B.S.ing in these interviews, it’s just not cool, man. But it is what it is. It is what it is."
No Regrets, Just Disappointment
Despite the acrimonious end, Lopes expressed no regret about his time in Metal Church. "It was awesome," he stated. "We did a lot of cool stuff. We did more in seven months on the road than that band had done in years. And we were doing things different. Business was good. A lot of people didn’t see the same way of things, and that’s kind of where it fell apart."
He specifically highlighted the lack of communication directed towards long-standing members. "I think one of the things that really was most disrespectful was you have someone like Steve who was in the band for 22 years," Lopes said. "And he never got a phone call [letting him know he was no longer in the band]. That is not cool… Definitely some serious lack of communication, for sure. So that kind of thing, I just don’t really think a lot about a person that does stuff like that. It’s just not an honorable thing to do. And that’s not how I function as a human. And I feel everyone deserves respect, whether you agree or not. So that’s where any kind of animosity comes from, is that."
The Echoes of Discontent
The fallout from Lopes’ departure has reverberated through the metal community. In January of this year, Lopes had previously described Metal Church as "a shit show" and criticized Vanderhoof for his alleged lack of integrity and "cowardice" in avoiding direct confrontation over band issues. He reiterated that discovering the band’s fate through the internet was "the ultimate ‘fuck you.’"
Drummer Stet Howland, a member of Metal Church for eight years, also weighed in on social media, corroborating Lopes’ account. He stated, "Marc was 100% accurate. Though 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." Howland further characterized Vanderhoof as a "great riff writer, good hearted guy, total business disaster… And honestly, as amazing as the music was, business wise the whole thing was kind of a clown show behind the scenes."
Howland’s perspective highlighted a perceived decline in the band’s operational integrity following the passing of Mike Howe, stating, "I’m sad to say that the honor and integrity of the band was buried with Mike Howe. What remains today, now matter how wonderful it looks from the outside, is a rudderless mess."
Metal Church’s latest album, "Dead To Rights," was released on April 10 via Rat Pak Records. The LP was produced by Vanderhoof and mixed and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris. The band made its live debut with the new lineup, featuring Brian Allen on vocals, on June 3, 2023, at the Legions Of Metal festival in Chicago, Illinois. The band’s initial live performance with Marc Lopes was on June 3, 2023, at the Legions Of Metal festival at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois.
