METAL CHURCH has officially enlisted ROSS THE BOSS and LET US PREY vocalist Marc Lopes to sing for the band following the passing of Mike Howe less than two years ago.

Earlier today (Thursday, February 2),METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof shared a photo of Lopes on social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Yes, the rumors are true, it's official! Please welcome vocalist Marc Lopes to the congregation!

"We auditioned a handful of vocalists and while they were all great, Marc quickly became the clear choice.

"Both David Wayne and Mike Howe had a very unique, irreplaceable quality to their voices, so we were not looking for a clone of either. We wanted someone new, who could embrace the past, and also bring something fresh and exciting to the mix.

"Marc brings a very classic yet modern feel to the songs and we are looking forward to getting this new album out to you later this year!

"Thank you for your continued support of METAL CHURCH!

"Love & respect, Kurdt Vanderhoof".

On January 26, METAL CHURCH shared an audio snippet of some of the new music — complete with a singer who sounded uncannily like Lopes — the group had been working on in recent months, with plans to release its sometime this spring via Rat Pak Records.