We’ve just learned the news about the passing of Metal Church lead singer Mike Howe from the bands Official Facebook Page. I’ve shared a photo that we took of the musician back in 2016 during an incendiary performance at the B.B. King Blues Club. The bands statement and additional thoughts are below the photo.

From Metal Church:
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.

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Mike was a member of the band Heretic before joining Metal Church after the departure of David Wayne in 1988. He would perform with the band until 1996 and then “retire” before Metal brought him back into the fold in 2016 and the album “XI”. No COD was cited at the time of this memorial post but he was 55 years of age. The albums he recorded with Metal Church are listed below for you to immerse yourself in his work once more.

Metal Church:
Blessing in Disguise (1989)
The Human Factor (1991)
Hanging in the Balance (1993)
XI (2016)
Classic Live (2017)
Damned If You Do (2018)
From the Vault (2020)

Though I didn’t listen to a whole lot of Metal Church over the years, I was able to see Mike Howe perform with the band a few times and I greatly enjoyed what he brought to the table. There was a great energy in his performances and he engaged the crowd by getting right in their faces. It was awesome to watch that when the band can get right up to you during an exciting set. Mike is the second lead singer from the band to have passed as David Wayne passed some years ago. PiercingMetal wishes to extend the deepest of condolences to his family, friends, band mates and worldwide legions of fans during this terrible time. Thank you for the music Mike, you have left us far too soon with many more songs to sing. May you Rest In Peace.

Official Artist Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Howe