Something About The New Metal Church Feels Completely Off

Let’s not pretend the music industry is a charity, but something about the current state of Metal Church feels entirely corporate.Stet Howland just dropped a massive, multi-part reality check on Facebook, and he didn’t hold back. We’re talking about a guy who usually keeps things tight and professional, but he finally reached his limit with Kurt Vanderhoof and Joe O’Brien over at Rat Pak Records.According to Stet, the moment the guys in the band started asking basic questions—specifically, “Where is our money?”—the higher-ups completely cut them off. Two years of absolute silence. No birthday mentions, no acknowledgement of their chart-topping success with Congregation of Annihilation, nothing. It’s like that entire lineup was just wiped from the history books because they wanted a peek at the ledger.Some fans aren’t surprised at all. They’ve been saying for a while that Metal Church stopped being a cohesive band a long time ago and turned into a revolving-door project. When you see guys like David Ellefson stepping in, it starts looking less like a brotherhood and more like a collection of high-profile hired guns.But not everyone is buying the drama. A lot of legacy fans think this is just the reality for journeyman musicians. You get hired, you play the gigs, you collect your paycheck, and you don’t expect a Christmas card from the guy who owns the logo.But when a guy says the fallout and financial strain from a legendary band actually contributed to his own divorce? That’s not just industry grumbling. That’s deep.Is Metal Church even a band anymore, or is it just a brand name controlled by a few people at the top? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cmspn.substack.com/subscribe