In 1984 I was turned on to a new metal band out of America’s West Coast—a region recently aflame from the nuclear birth of Thrash Metal. The cover depicted a moss-covered, cruciform Gibson Explorer in what looks like a graveyard. It is one of the greatest heavy metal albums ever recorded. I was 20 years old at the time. I would never be the same. For over 40 years later the band has adorned their latest album cover, “The Final Sermon (Live in Japan),”with the same cruciform Gibson Explorer. This time it is erupting from a volcano of lava, but instead of molten rock I imagine it’s molten metal.

METAL CHURCH also has the reputation of turning over their lineup as often a five-dollar bill at a stripper joint. Perhaps it’s down to Kurdt Vanderhoof’s vision for the band or maybe it’s just good ol’ Satanic black magic. Either way through all their changes the band has remained amazingly consistent. Come to think of it, METAL CHURCH is more like a project than a regular band. They have also cycled through some incredible talent. One of the great talents they hosted was Mike Howe (RIP 2015) who was with the band 1988 to 1995 and 2015 to 2021.

On July 26, 2021, the third anniversary of Howe’s untimely death, METAL CHURCH released “The Final Sermon (Live in Japan)” via Reaper Entertainment. The 14-track album showcases Howe’s impressive vocal prowess with recordings from his last performances on August 24 and 25, 2019 at Club Citta in Kawasaki, Japan. While the album has a runtime of one hour and twenty minutes, its material spans four decades of metal history with tracks from their 1984 self-titled debut to the 2018 “Damned If You Do,” which was to be Howe’s last studio album.

The recording and mix of “The Final Sermon (Live in Japan)” are surprisingly good. I say this because so many live albums are foggy approximations of crispness of a studio recording. But thanks to the gods, technology has finally caught up with us. You can experience the subtle acoustic nuances in “Watch the Children Play” and the enormous vocal swells of “Beyond the Black” as well as all the glorious riffage and solos from the twin guitar attacks of Vanderhoof and van Zandt. Standout tracks are “Damned if You Do,” “The Black Things,” “Beyond the Black,” and “Fake Healer” . . . and only partially because they are some of my favorite METAL CHURCH numbers.

Every METAL CHURCH fan will have their favorite era. Mine was 1984 – 1991. I have loyally bought all the METAL CHURCH releases, but those first four albums were fire. Mike Howe performed on at least two of those albums as well as “XI” in 2016 and “Damned if You Do” in 2018. Listening to “The Final Sermon (Live in Japan)” it feels like no time has passed since those Mike Howe days and those albums. A fitting tribute to a legendary vocalist.