Ronny Munroe is up early on a Saturday morning, feeding the ducks in the back yard in the outer suburban ring of the Puget Sound region. Not exactly the picture one might associate with a heavy-metal singer.

Munroe is among the countless number of musicians who have been active in the local metal scene since the early 1980s, a time when international attention was drawn to the area by Metal Church and Queensryche.

Munroe was attending Fife High School when Metal Church emerged from Aberdeen, relocated to Kent and garnered international acclaim with their debut album.

For 20 years he paid his dues, fronting groups playing original material and cover bands. Metal Church broke up and reunited on several occasions during this time, going through lineup changes along the way. When they reformed five years ago Munroe joined the group and has recorded three albums with them since then. The latest, “This Present Wasteland,” came out in September.

Shortly after its release founding member Kurdt Vanderhoof, one of the group’s two guitarists, announced he would need time off from music for treatment of back problems.

Vanderhoof had encouraged Munroe for some time to do a solo project. With Metal Church’s plans to tour in support of their new album on hold, this offered an opportunity for Munroe to do so.

He assembled a group of musicians to perform and record with. They include guitarist Rick Van Zandt, who recently joined Metal Church.

They played a show last month at King Cat Theater in Seattle and plan to do three shows in Mexico in the near future. Live shows include Metal Church songs and Munroe’s original material.

They recorded three songs recently for Munroe’s solo album, which has a working title of “The Fire Within.” They have 15 original songs to choose from for the album, which Munroe expects to release next spring. He and Vanderhoof will co-produce it.

In Metal Church, Munroe realizes he is following the original singer, the late David Wayne, and his replacement, Mike Howe. The style he utilizes, therefore, is in keeping with the same realm as his predecessors. “That is what I am expected to do.”

On his solo material he can go in some different directions. Munroe said these songs show a wider vocal range, bigger choruses and different melodies compared to his work in Metal Church.

He writes the lyrics and comes up with melody lines, while Van Zandt is writing some of the music.

Munroe is looking forward to playing a benefit show at the Royal Bear on Dec. 20. It will raise funds to assist Alex Macomber, 18, who is fighting a rare blood cancer.

Munroe knows someone who is a friend of Macomber’s family. Macomber just had a stem cell transplant and the medical bills are considerable.

Munroe was moved by hearing of Macomber undergoing a round of chemotherapy one morning and attending a heavy-metal concert that evening despite severe nausea.

“He is a true metalhead,” Munroe said of the teenager. “That says a lot about a person’s character. He is not going to let this bring him down.”

Munroe said he likes to play benefit shows, although he sometimes has to turn down some requests when they conflict with his busy schedule.

Some of the local metal musicians in Munroe’s age range have recently found themselves back playing again after long periods of time away from the band scene. Some needed a break from the personality conflicts or the heavy partying that tend to revolve around rock music.

Not so with Munroe. “I have been striving to make a living at music,” he remarked. “In the last few years that has come true.”

For more information visit www.ronnymunroe.com or www.myspace.com/ronnymunroe.

Ronny Munroe plays the Royal Bear in Algona Dec. 20. The show begins at 9 p.m. and the bill includes Mechanism, Shades Of Sanity and Silver. Cover charge is a $10 donation.