𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
July 22, 1999 — Metal Church released their sixth full-length studio album Masterpeace in North America via Nuclear Blast America and SPV/Steamhammer in Europe. (Listen)
Masterpeace features the return of David Wayne, absent since The Dark (1986), being the band's final studio album to feature him before his death in May 2005.
(𝙳𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚍 𝚆𝚊𝚢𝚗𝚎, 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙵𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚗 𝚁𝚒𝚓𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗, 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚓𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚕, 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝟻, 𝟷𝟿𝟿𝟿)
All original members recorded on Masterpeace except guitarist Craig Wells and drummer Kirk Arrington.
(𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑, 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙵𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚗 𝚁𝚒𝚓𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗, 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚓𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚕, 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝟻, 𝟷𝟿𝟿𝟿)
Jeff Wade (the "friendly ghost") filled in for Arrington on the album and on tour. This was the second Metal Church album to feature the cruciform Gibson Explorer on a cover, the first being the band's 1984 debut.
While talking to Eonmusic’s Eamon O’Neill, Kurdt Vanderhoof criticized the failed reunion for the album;
"Masterpeace, which I like to call 'Disasterpeace'. The whole thing was a great idea, but when we tried to put together, it just didn't work. We got forced into doing some stuff, and, I swear, when we played Wacken Open Air with David Wayne, the whole thing fell apart with having all the original members. They literally forced us into doing that, and I was telling the management and record company, 'Look, this is a bad, bad idea.' We played, and we sucked — I mean, it was horrible. I was, like, 'Fuck you. I told you, and I warned you that this is bad.'"
When asked about the reunion, Vanderhoof explained;
"Well, David Wayne couldn't sing anymore — he was fucked up on drugs; prescription drugs, because that's 'different.' It was fun to play with John Marshall, but Kirk couldn't do it because of his health, and that's when I had to cut ties with Kirk. He didn't play, and he barely played on the record, and it took forever to get that done. It just didn't work. It was a horrible feeling. We did a tour and it was awful. We're still recovering from that now."
He then added;
"Literally, Masterpeace, that era was when I decided I am never, never doing that again."
Side Note:
David Wayne died on May 10, 2005 from complications following a car crash.
R.I.P. David Wayne (January 1, 1958 – May 10, 2005)
Kirk Arrington died on May 22, 2023 from health issues.
R.I.P. Kirk Arrington (January 23, 1962 - May 22, 2023)
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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