This past Monday, July 26, Metal Church singer Mike Howe unexpectedly passed away at 55 years old. After a brief stint as the singer of Los Angeles power metal band Heretic, Howe joined Metal Church in 1988 as the replacement for David Wayne. The pairing was one for the ages, resulting in three metal masterpieces: Blessing in Disguise (1989), The Human Factor (1991), and Hanging in the Balance (1993). Howe would leave the band in 1995, before returning 20 years later for a reunion tour and two more successful outings: XI (2016) and Damned If You Do (2018). Condensing the Howe era of Metal Church down to 10 tracks was a near impossible task. I could’ve easily made this list Blessing in Disguise plus one song, or just ranked The Human Factor or Hanging in the Balance. It took a while, but I feel I’ve compiled a list that appropriately honors Howe and his contributions to this American metal staple. Feel free to list your favorite Howe era songs in the comments below.
10. “Soul Eating Machine”
If I were to rank the five Howe albums, XI would come in last. That said, it’s much stronger than many of their peers’ comeback albums released within the same timespan. This is demonstrated on the cut that kicks off our list, “Soul Eating Machine”. I feel like this song is what Anthrax was going for on Worship Music (2011), but done even better. It’s a straightforward old school metal song with intricate melodies, pedal to the metal soloing, confrontational lyrics, and the unmistakable vocals of Howe. He may have been gone for two decades, but Howe’s vocals may have well been cryogenically frozen since the Blessing in Disguise days. They sure sounded like it!
9. “By the Numbers”
I’m not sure exactly where I was when I first heard the news of Metal Church’s second reunion era album, Damned If You Do. I just remember hearing “By the Numbers” ahead of the album’s release and thinking this one song alone blew all of XI out of the water. Metal Church has found a comfortable niche playing thought provoking heavy metal the past 30 years, but when it’s time to thrash, boy can they do so. “By the Numbers” is one of the finest mosh pit anthems of the past decade released by any band, old or new. I strongly regret not hearing them play it live.
8. “Date with Poverty”
For The Human Factor, Metal Church toned down the thrash and power metal of past releases and went full steam ahead towards a traditional metal path in the vein of Judas Priest and Armored Saint. Not only this, but their lyrics became more socially conscious than ever. Some of the themes explored include exploitation, child abuse, patriotism, corrupt politicians, and in the case of “Date with Poverty”, America’s wealth gap. In the 30 years since this album’s release, these themes have become even more relevant in today’s society than they were then. On “Date with Poverty”, Howe’s aggressive delivery makes us believe he’s a working class hero who’s reached the end of his rope. It also features one of the greatest ad-libs of all time: “I’m so fuckin’ broke I can’t even afford to pay attention.”
7. “The Spell Can’t Be Broken“
If “The Spell Can’t Be Broken” teaches anything, it’s that not all thrash riffs have to be played at lightning speed to be effective. John Marshall and Craig Wells’ riffing is brutal and unrelenting, even at midtempo. The vitriol in Howe’s voice almost acts as an additional guitar, tripling the already bludgeoning assault. Such extreme music calls for extreme lyrics. “The Spell Can’t Be Broken” chronicles the bleak hellscape that is the unending 9 to 5 grind, comparing the practice to an evil ritual which, you guessed it, can’t be broken. Such damning lyricism foreshadowed what was to come on subsequent releases.
6. “Waiting for a Savior”
Metal Church’s fifth album, Waiting in the Balance, had everything going for it. It wasn’t just a musical continuation of the traditional sound cemented on The Human Factor, but an expansion of it. The band broadened their horizons by incorporating elements of hard rock and progressive rock to further their sonic palette. The only thing holding it back? A downright atrocious album cover. Many passed on this album for this very reason. It’s too bad because they missed out on an album of standout tracks, including this melancholic metallic beauty, “Waiting for a Savior”.
5. “In Harms Way”
There’s no denying Mike Howe’s vocal abilities. When it came to delivery, range, tone, and power, he was up there with the best of the best. One trick he had up his sleeve that many lacked was the ability to become the character he’s singing about. We already discussed his performance as the working poor on “Date with Poverty”. On “In Harm’s Way”, Howe assumed the role of an abused child for a 7 minute masterpiece. From its alternation between soft and heavy passages, to its poignant lyrics, everything about this song is spine-chilling. Most metal bands could spend their entire careers attempting to write a piece so meaningful and still not come half as close.
4. “Anthem to the Estranged”
Metal Church always had an ability to pen lengthy pseudo-progressive compositions. This goes all the way back to their self titled debut with the epic “Gods of Wrath”. Blessing in Disguise took these tendencies to the next level, as is showcased on the nearly 10 minute “Anthem to the Estranged”. The song opens with a gentle acoustic section before transforming into a multi-faceted prog metal beast that stands up to the finest Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate compositions. Not many metal bands of the time were interested in singing about people who had it all, only to lose everything and resort to a life of begging. Metal Church did. Howe hits it out of the ballpark conveying this story of a man who went from rags to riches to rags again.
3. “End of the Age”
If “Anthem to the Estranged” is the prog metal epic circa 1989, “End of the Age” is the prog metal epic circa 1993. This isn’t just me rattling off the years each song was released. “End of the Age” shows the stylistic changes that had taken place within rock and metal over the course of just a few short years. It also captures the full scope of Howe’s vocal prowess. He opens the song in a clean, calming low register. As the song progresses, he keeps his voice clean and takes us up to midrange and low upper range. Perhaps it’s just his delivery on this song, but Howe’s clean midrange and low upper range sounds eerily like 70s Geddy Lee. About halfway through, Howe adds his signature grit and texture to create a menacing effect, before resolving back to the low register that opened the song. It takes serious talent to utilize multiple voices effectively, let alone in one song.
2. “Fake Healer”
Those colossal riffs that open “Fake Healer” are anything but coincidental. They signaled a new era for Metal Church: An era that saw Mike Howe step in on vocals, John Marshall step in on guitars, and founder Kurdt Vanderhoof step back to assume songwriting duties. What better way to mark this new beginning than with a scathing takedown of the medical industry? “Fake Healer” is another one of those classic Metal Church songs which, unfortunately, only becomes more relevant as the years go by. Howe spits absolute venom on this one and continued to do so live when I saw the band on their 2016 reunion tour.
- “Badlands”
Chances are you clicked on this list knowing “Badlands” was going to be #1. Are you really surprised? It’s the definitive Howe era Metal Church song. It was also the closest they came to MTV and rock radio airplay. “Badlands” was heavy and intense enough to appeal to thrashers, but melodically accessible enough to appeal to mainstream metalheads. Just as I couldn’t imagine the first two Metal Church albums without David Wayne, I can’t imagine this song without Mike Howe. His desperate vocals are the figurative cherry on top. To think that voice has been silenced forever is utterly heartbreaking, but I hope this list helps with the grieving process. Rest in power Mike.