Former METAL CHURCH singer Marc Lopes has finally spoken in detail about his departure from the veteran metal band — and according to him, it was less a “split” and more a quiet, confusing shutdown followed by an unpleasant surprise.
Lopes joined METAL CHURCH in the summer of 2022 following the tragic passing of longtime vocalist Mike Howe. He recorded one studio album with the band — Congregation Of Annihilation (2023) — alongside founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger, and drummer Stet Howland. The album was well received, and the band returned to the stage in 2023, including a high-profile appearance at the Legions Of Metal festival in Chicago.
But behind the scenes, things were already unraveling.
“For most of 2025 nobody knew what was going on with METAL CHURCH,” Lopes said on The Big Truth Podcast. “And when I said I didn’t know, it was the truth — I did not know.”
The band canceled its 2024 tour due to Vanderhoof’s back issues, and according to Lopes, that cancellation marked the beginning of a long period of silence and unresolved internal conflict.
“There was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that we didn’t make public,” he said. “People get mad, people have disagreements — that happens. But there was no communication for that whole time.”
Lopes admitted that he avoided speaking publicly about the situation because he hoped the band would eventually talk things through.
“I still felt there needed to be conversations before anything could be said,” he explained. “But they never happened.”
That lack of communication, Lopes says, slowly wore him down.
“I worked so hard, and to not get any kind of respect of an answer for anything… that didn’t go over too well with me,” he said. “That messed with me personally more than financially.”
Then, in late 2025, METAL CHURCH suddenly announced a “revitalized” lineup featuring Vanderhoof and Van Zandt alongside David Ellefson (Megadeth), Ken Mary (Flotsam And Jetsam, Fifth Angel, Alice Cooper), and new singer Brian Allen (Vicious Rumors), along with news of a new single and album.
That’s how Lopes says he learned he was out.
“To find out everything on the Internet — that was the ultimate ‘fuck you’,” he said. “That doesn’t fly with me.”
Asked directly whether there was any chance of returning to the band, Lopes was blunt:
“They announced a whole new lineup, new single, new album. Oh yeah — that’s all done,” he said. “They totally bamboozled us. And yeah, it’s pretty disgusting what happened.”
He also pushed back against claims that he knowingly played along or is now playing the victim.
“Nobody fucking quit. Nobody was fired. You just threw it under the table and hoped nobody would notice,” he said. “I’m not playing victim. You’re not in it — you have no idea.”
Still, Lopes insists he’s grateful for the experience and proud of what they accomplished.
“The album did great. The tours were awesome. I have no regret in any of that,” he said. “I’m grateful for the fans, the support — all of it.”
He also credits his work with Ross The Boss for helping him stay grounded during what he describes as a “rough year” emotionally.
Meanwhile, METAL CHURCH founder Kurdt Vanderhoof has told his own version of events, saying that after the band’s 2023–2024 run, internal tensions made continuing impossible.
“Things really fell apart,” Vanderhoof said on The David Ellefson Show. “It wasn’t fun anymore, and if it’s not fun, I’m out.”
The band’s current lineup released its first single, “F.A.F.O.”, in November 2025, produced by Vanderhoof and mixed by Chris “Zeuss” Harris. A new album is expected later in 2026.
As for Lopes, he says the door is closed — not out of spite, but because the way things ended changed everything.
“A simple conversation could’ve avoided a lot of this,” he said. “That’s the moral of the story. Communication is everything.”
“Go enjoy the new record,” Lopes added. “That’s cool. But I’m not there.”
