Wayne

After the original lineup of Metal Church reunited and delivered the comeback album Masterpeace in 1999, musical differences between the members still persisted. Lead vocalist David Wayne, pushing for a heavier, more straightforward sound, wound up exiting in 2000; he first re-formed Reverend, the band he'd started after his initial departure from Metal Church, and then -- while still keeping Reverend going -- formed a completely different band, called Wayne, with ex-Metal Church guitarist Craig Wells. The other members included guitarist Jimi Bell, bassist Mark Franco, and drummer B.J. Zampa. Wayne signed with Metal Church's reunion label Nuclear Blast, and -- somewhat confusingly -- released an album titled Metal Church in 2001. While Wayne (the singer) explained that the title was meant to show what he thought a new Metal Church record should sound like (i.e., a continuation of the group's first two albums, the Wayne-fronted Metal Church and The Dark), his former bandmates were not amused. Nonetheless, the album was fairly well-received, often earning favorable comparisons to Masterpeace. ~ Steve Huey