| Kurdt Vanderhoof | |
|---|---|
| Occupations | Guitarist |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Associated acts | Metal Church, Presto Ballet |
Kurdt Vanderhoof, born in 1961, is an American guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist and founding member of the American heavy metal band Metal Church.[1] He formed the band in 1980 after the alias given to his San Francisco apartment. Vanderhoof moved back to his hometown, Aberdeen, Washington. In 1981, he formed a band named Shrapnel. It consisted of Kirk Arrington on drums, Mike Murphy on vocals, and Craig Wells handling guitars. Vanderhoof brought in a friend, Duke Erickson, who could play bass, completing the Shrapnel line-up. When Mike Murphy left the band, they recruited David Wayne for vocal duties. By 1983, Shrapnel had renamed itself to Vanderhoof's original band name, Metal Church.
After Metal Church's second album The Dark in 1986, Vanderhoof left the band and was replaced temporarily by Mark Baker, and then by John Marshall as permanent guitarist.[2] Vanderhoof remained heavily involved in the songwriting process of Metal Church, however.[3] His first solo band was Hall Aflame, which only released one album before breaking up in 1994. Metal Church disbanded that same year.
Vanderhoof formed another solo band, Vanderhoof. This band released the albums Vanderhoof and A Blur in Time in 1997 and 2002 respectively.[4]
In 2005, Kurdt Vanderhoof and several members from his solo band formed Presto Ballet, a band dedicated to recreating the progressive rock sounds of the mid 1970s.[5]
"We recorded the whole album in a somewhat 'old-school' manner, which means analogue synthesizers, real Hammond organ and real mellotron sounds", said Vanderhoof, regarding their debut album, Peace Among the Ruins.
Vanderhoof currently plays in Presto Ballet.
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