Metal Church — Wacken Open Air, 2016

Summer 2016: Metal Church return to the Wacken Open Air stage, the world’s largest metal festival, for a full concert marking the comeback of singer Mike Howe more than twenty years after his departure. Filmed by the festival, this live concert runs through a dense twelve-song set drawn from the catalogue of the American power/thrash metal pioneers: “Fake Healer”, “Watch the Children Pray”, “Badlands” and “The Human Factor”. In front of the German crowd, Mike Howe (vocals), founder Kurdt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt on guitars, Steve Unger on bass and Jeff Plate on drums deliver a tight, high-voltage performance. The footage documents the energy of an open-air festival live set and a cult band reconnecting with its audience. An essential live concert for fans of 1980s heavy metal reignited on Wacken’s main stage in 2016. The set spans the band’s career, from the opening “Fake Healer” to the closing “The Human Factor”, and showcases a reunited line-up whose chemistry had been sharpened by extensive touring. For those discovering Metal Church, this filmed performance is a faithful introduction to one of American metal’s most respected names.