Drugs and Alcohol Ruled Out in Death of Metal Church’s Mike Howe

The metal world is still mourning the passing of Metal Church vocalist Mike Howe, who passed away the morning of Monday, July 26, at the age of 55. Metal and rock musicians have been paying tribute to Howe all week, who served two stints as vocalist for the band.

No cause of death has been publicly disclosed, but a new report indicates that drugs and/or alcohol are not suspected as being factors in what is being labeled a “sudden death.”

TMZ reports that “no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene.” They add that the Humboldt County cops got a call on Monday morning just after 10am in Eureka, CA reporting an unexpected death at a home, and that they found Howe dead at the scene when they arrived.

Metal Church released a statement on Monday revealing the sad news:

“It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy metal music. Mike Howe passed away this morning at his home in Eureka, California. We are devastated and at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy and the Howe family’s privacy during this most difficult time.”

Howe served two stints as the vocalist of Metal Church; from 1988 to 1995, and from 2015 to the present.

On behalf of everyone at MetalSucks, we wish Howe’s family, friends and bandmates all the best during this difficult time.