'''Metal Church''' was an heavy metal band from Aberdeen, Washington. They originally formed as '''Shrapnel''' in 1980, their first album was released in 1984, and the band's most recent work, ''[[This Present Wasteland]]'', was released in 2008. Metal Church was formed when the thrash metal genre was still evolving. Best exemplified on their early releases, Metal Church's guitar work and vocals were very aggressive while retaining a degree of melodicism that many other American thrash bands had abandoned. Lyrically, the band's themes are usually dark, with early topics such as conflict and fear expanding to philosophical and social commentary later on.  After releasing five full-length albums and touring extensively throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Metal Church disbanded in 1994, but decided to re-form four years later. Having endured numerous lineup changes since, they worked with their third vocalist, and have released four more studio albums and one live album. On July 7, 2009 it was announced on the bands official website that they are calling it quits.