Metal Church’s Mike Howe Died by Suicide

The death of Metal Church vocalist Mike Howe, who passed away this past Monday, July 26 at the age of 55, has been ruled a suicide.

A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Dept. has now told TMZ that Howe’s official cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to hanging. Cops got a call on Monday morning just after 10am in Eureka, CA reporting an unexpected death at a home, and they found Howe dead at the scene when they arrived.

A previous report that surfaced on Wednesday indicated that “no controlled substances or paraphernalia were located at the scene,” and that drugs and/or alcohol were not suspected as causes of death.

The band announced Howe’s passing themselves on Monday via social media. Their post reads in full:

“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.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please know that help is available. You can visit the website for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 800-273-8255.

Our thoughts continue to be with Howe’s family, friends and bandmates.