Kurdt Vanderhoof (born June 28, 1961) is an American guitarist, best known as the rhythm guitarist and founding member of the heavy metal band

Metal Church Metal Church is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1980. Originally based in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, they relocated to Aberdeen, Washington the following year and briefly called themselves Shrapnel. Led ...

Biography

As early as 1976, Vanderhoof actively networked with local musicians in his hometown of

Aberdeen, Washington Aberdeen ( ) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,013 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is the most populous in Grays Harbor County and the region's economic center, bordering t ...

, and formed a band called Tyr, with Kirk Arrington on drums and Vanderhoof on rhythm guitar. In 1978, he joined Seattle

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

band, The Lewd, adopted the stage name "Blobbo," playing bass guitar, then switching to guitar the following year. The Lewd relocated from Seattle to San Francisco in 1980. After his departure from The Lewd, Vanderhoof formed Metal Church, whose name was inspired by a nickname given to his San Francisco apartment. He later moved back to Aberdeen, with a vinyl single of "Kill Yourself" as proof of his time with the Lewd. In the summer of 1982, he formed Shrapnel, a heavy metal cover band consisting of Tom Weber on drums, Duke Erickson on bass (both from Hoquiam), vocalist Mike Murphey, ("Muff", from Montesano) and a guitar player Vanderhoof knew from Aberdeen High School. Shrapnel played four events to warm up, including a party at

Pacific Lutheran University Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) is a Private university, private Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran university in Parkland, Washington. It was founded by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants in 1890. PLU is sponsored by the 580 congreg ...

. The other guitar player quit after a religious experience that led to unwillingness to cover '' The Number of The Beast'' by

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...

. Craig Wells took his place, and Kirk Arrington, Tyr bandmate, eventually replaced Weber on drums. When Murphey left the band, they recruited

David Wayne David Wayne (born Wayne James McMeekan; January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American stage and screen actor with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life and career Wayne was born in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen M ...

for vocal duties. By 1983, Shrapnel had become Metal Church, using Vanderhoof's original S.F. band name. After Metal Church's second album, '' The Dark'', in 1986, Vanderhoof left the band but nevertheless remained heavily involved in songwriting.Metal Church at No Life 'Til Metal
/ref> He said he left to focus on learning "how to make records" from a production and engineering standpoint. Metal Church disbanded in 1994. Vanderhoof's next band, Hall Aflame, released a single album, ''Guaranteed Forever,'' before breaking up in 1994. Vanderhoof later formed the band, Vanderhoof, releasing albums ''Vanderhoof'' and ''A Blur in Time'' in 1997 and 2002 respectively. In 2005, Vanderhoof and former bandmates started Presto Ballet, a band dedicated to recreating the

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

sounds of the mid-1970s. They released their debut album ''Peace Among the Ruins'' that same year, with Vanderhoof commenting: "We recorded the whole album in a somewhat 'old-school' manner, which means,

analog synthesizer An analog synthesizer () is a synthesizer that uses Analogue electronics, analog circuits and analog signals to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s, such as the Trautonium, were built with a var ...

s, real

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

and real

mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls i ...

sounds". Vanderhoof reformed Hall Aflame in 2023 with original bassist, Brian Smith, adding vocalist Scott Nutter and drummer Bill Raymond. Their new album ''Amplifire'' will be released by RatPak Records on May 3rd, 2024. In August 2024, Kurdt signed on to compose his first score for filmmaker Billy Henrickle’s feature documentary on the life and career of BMX legend and Hollywood stuntman Eddie Fiola.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vanderhoof, Kurdt 1961 births American heavy metal musicians Living people Metal Church members Musicians from Washington (state) People from Aberdeen, Washington American rhythm guitarists