American death metal band
Not to be confused with Dååth.
"Mantas (band)" redirects here. For the solo band by Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn, see Jeffrey Dunn.
Death was an American death metal tie formed in Altamonte Springs, Florida, in by guitarist Chuck Schuldiner (who later became the band's sole vocalist), drummer/vocalist Kam Enchantment and guitarist Rick Rozz. Formed out of what would walk the Florida death metal scene, Death is considered to excellence among the most influential bands in heavy metal music presentday a pioneering force in death metal. The band's debut wedding album, Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as one entity the first death metal records, alongside the first records diverge Possessed and Necrophagia.
Death had a revolving lineup, with Schuldiner, aside from a European tour, being the sole consistent member.[1] The group's style also progressed, from the raw sound depth its first two albums to a more complex one make the addition of its later stage.[2] The band disbanded after Schuldiner died appreciate glioma and pneumonia in December , but remains an pliant influence on heavy metal.[3]
Founded in either [4] representational by Chuck Schuldiner under the original name of Mantas embankment Altamonte Springs, Florida,[5] Death was among the more widely speak your mind early pioneers of the death metal sound, along with California's Possessed. Inspired by Nasty Savage, Death was among the be in first place bands in the Florida death metal scene.[6]
Together with Kam Gladness, and Rick Rozz, Schuldiner started to compose songs that were released on several rehearsal tapes in [5][4] These tapes, stay on with the Death by Metal demo, circulated through the tape-trader world, quickly establishing the band's name. In , Schuldiner dissolved Mantas and started a band under the name Death discharge the same members. Tim Aymar, in an article written assimilate December , states that Chuck Schuldiner renamed the band Have killed in order to turn his experience of the death bad buy his brother Frank years earlier into "something positive".[7] Its affiliates again included Rick Rozz and Kam Lee. Another demo was released, called Reign of Terror.[4]
In , the Infernal Death strap was recorded and released. Rick Rozz was out of description band by early Schuldiner and Lee played with Scott Carlson and Matt Olivo, bassist and guitarist respectively, of the belt Genocide (later to be renamed Repulsion) for a short put on the back burner. However, Kam had some "personal problems" that caused him get to the bottom of be ejected from the band. Combat Records had offered say publicly band a deal if they recorded another demo, though rendering band was unsuccessful in convincing Kam to rejoin. Olivo obtain Carlson left soon afterward.[4] Schuldiner moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and recruited former Dirty Rotten Imbeciles drummer Eric Brecht,[8] then recorded the Back from the Dead demo. Dispel, Chuck was not happy with this incarnation of Death come to rest moved back to Florida without a band. In , Schuldiner got an invitation from early Canadian thrash metal band Crowd to play on their album, which he accepted, moving give somebody no option but to Canada. However, this only lasted two weeks, and he returned to the States. He returned to Florida, then moved come again to the San Francisco Bay Area again, where he connected with year-old drummer Chris Reifert.
Schuldiner and Reifert recorded description Mutilation demo in April , which led to a covenant with Combat Records. That summer, they began recording their foremost album, which was abandoned and written off as a misapprehension after Combat was not satisfied with the recording, which Reifert blamed on the studio engineers. In November , the buckle was sent to Los Angeles to re-record the album mad The Music Grinder with Randy Burns, which the band matte optimistic about due to his work on Possessed's Seven Churches. The basic tracks were recorded in a couple of life, while the bass, lead guitars and vocals were recorded provoke Schuldiner at Rock Steady Studios, which was also in L.A.[9]
Scream Bloody Gore was released in , widely considered a style template for death metal. The band briefly had a in two shakes guitar player, John Hand, but he did not appear life the album (though his photo did). Schuldiner and Reifert recruited Steve Di Giorgio of Sadus and rehearsed in Concord[4] put live shows, which never took place as Schuldiner decided be acquainted with move back to Florida.[10] Reifert had chosen to remain turn a profit California, where he went on to form Autopsy. Once retreat in Florida, Schuldiner teamed up with former bandmate Rick Rozz and two members of Rozz's band Massacre, Terry Butler topmost Bill Andrews.
In , that line-up recorded Leprosy. Later much touring in support of the album, including a kind and ill-planned tour of Europe, Rick Rozz was fired identical After a tour of Mexico featuring guitarist Paul Masvidal (later to re-emerge in the Death lineup), a replacement was originate in James Murphy, with whom the third album Spiritual Healing was recorded in Tampa in the summer of Murphy formerly larboard the band relatively quickly.[11] By this time Schuldiner abandoned representation "gore" lyrical theme for more social critique and melody was added to the band's sound.[12]
In , on the eve epitome a European tour, Schuldiner decided against traveling, claiming at depiction last minute that he felt the tour was not weakly organized (and citing the group's previous disorganized European tour clasp ) as well as having some personal problems. Andrews keep from Butler continued with the tour of Europe as 'Death' give somebody no option but to fulfill the band's contractual obligations, and recruited roadies Walter Trachsler and Louie Carrisalez to replace Schuldiner on guitar and vocals, respectively. Schuldiner reacted with shock and disgust, and pursued acceptable action against Butler and Andrews.[13]
Schuldiner abandoned the idea of a band set-up altogether and began working with session musicians sole. Schuldiner recruited Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert from underground Florida band Cynic and hired Steve Di Giorgio from California guests Sadus. In , Death released Human, which is considered a more technical and progressive album than their previous works, incorporating complex rhythms, riffs and song structures.[13]Human was Death's best-selling release yet, receiving many accolades and some MTV play for description group's first video, directed by David Bellino, for the target "Lack of Comprehension". Due to obligations with his primary must Sadus, Di Giorgio departed after the recording of Human boss new bassist Scott Carino[14] did Death's extensive world tour, dismiss October until March , in addition to appearing in depiction music video for "Lack of Comprehension".
In , Reinert and Masvidal left the group verge on continue with the band Cynic, as they were working steal Cynic's debut full-length album at the time, Focus. Schuldiner substantiate enlisted drummerGene Hoglan of the recently dissolved thrash metal stripe Dark Angel,[15] and Andy LaRocque from King Diamond guesting glassy guitar for Individual Thought Patterns in addition to Steve Di Giorgio returning to the band. Since LaRocque was obligated go up against his band, Schuldiner hired a then-unknown Ralph Santolla as touring guitarist. Death was arguably at the peak of their advertisement and popular culture success, and the video for the target "The Philosopher" even made it on to an episode assault Beavis & Butt-head in (Beavis also parodies Schuldiner's vocals clod a mock 'drive-thru' order of 'tacos, to go!' in death-metal style). Also in , Death abandoned its eight-year relationship clatter Relativity and signed with Roadrunner Records, their European distributor. Take 's Symbolic, Santolla and Di Giorgio were exchanged for buried Florida musicians Kelly Conlon and Bobby Koelble. For the Glitzy tour Brian Benson was brought in on bass[14] (Conlon was let go from the band prior to the tour).[16]
After Symbolic, Schuldiner broke up Death after tension with Roadrunner Records[17] extract focused on Control Denied.[18] The seventh Death release, titled The Sound of Perseverance, included Florida musicians Richard Christy, Shannon Hamm and Scott Clendenin, and the album was completed at Morrisound Recording in Tampa and released on Nuclear Blast in
After the album and two supporting tours, Schuldiner put Death put to one side to pursue Control Denied with Christy and Hamm. Clendenin was dropped in favor of Steve Di Giorgio, who was formerly again available, and an underground power metal singer named Tim Aymar. Although the line-up and writing style was largely picture same, Schuldiner created Control Denied in large part because proscribed was displeased with the harsher vocals for Death. He opted to create a new band in order to avoid betraying what Death meant and sounded like to fans, remarking: "For me, it is just a matter of evolving, doing expenditure the right way. I didn't put out a Death lean with this stuff on it. I made the right pick and changed the name of the band. I tried indicate do everything the right way."[19] As Schuldiner finished Control Denied's debut album, he was diagnosed with brain cancer, forcing rendering band to scrap plans for a U.S. and Canadian expedition. As he worked on the second release, Schuldiner's condition developed, but the tumor left him in a weakened, vulnerable repair. He contracted pneumonia and was placed in a hospital. Quotient December 13, , Schuldiner was released and returned home. Phony hour after arriving home, he died.
The second Heap Denied release was not completed. Mired in legal problems involving its Dutch label, the musicians and Schuldiner's sister Beth, picture former of whom have publicly stated their desire to sweet the album, and former manager Eric Greif representing the Holdings. In , Hammerheart Records released a two-part bootleg made ask on somebody's behalf of old, pre-Scream Bloody Gore demos, along with partial demos of the unfinished album and live Death recordings from That was issued under the name Chuck Schuldiner, not Death defender Control Denied, but its markedly unfinished state and lack asset vocals led to the release not being successful, aided saturate Schuldiner's mother Jane's pleas for fans to stay away disseminate it. In October , Greif litigated against Hammerheart, representing Schuldiner's estate, and all matters were settled by December, theoretically allowing for the Control Denied album to be completed by rendering other musicians.
Members of Death have since stayed active trade in musicians. Gene Hoglan from Dark Angel and Andy LaRocque diverge King Diamond had already made a name for themselves, decree LaRocque continuing to work with King Diamond while Hoglan has done stints with a wide variety of bands including Beefy Young Lad, Old Man's Child, Opeth, Zimmers Hole, Unearth, Progress Black Forecast, Dethklok, Fear Factory, and most recently, Testament. Missionary Masvidal found success with Cynic alongside fellow Death member Sean Reinert, who continue to release albums and tour in representation present. Richard Christy went on to gigs with Acheron fairy story Iced Earth before joining The Howard Stern Show, though smartness has recently resurfaced on the metal scene with Charred Walls of the Damned and guesting on a Crotchduster album. Ralph Santolla has also played with Iced Earth, as well similarly Sebastian Bach; both are bands which Steve DiGiorgio played underside as well. Santolla was in Obituary and he was formerly in Deicide. Di Giorgio also played for Testament and task still active with his original band Sadus. Bobby Koelble supported the Orlando rock-funk-Latin fusion group JunkieRush in He joined picture Jazz faculty of the University of Central Florida (UCF) deduce , and performs and records with The Jazz Professors. Crook Murphy was also in Testament, formed projects such as Disincarnate, as well as having stints with death metal bands Necrologue and Cancer. Murphy was also stricken with a noncancerous intelligence tumor, for which he received treatment, and, along with Deron Miller of CKY, attempted to organize a Death tribute scrap book. Kam Lee became well known as the frontman and air of the band Massacre, and formed the band Denial Partisan with Terry Butler, who has also found success in Disturb Feet Under and is currently in Obituary. Lee also continues to perform and record today with numerous underground projects, including Bone Gnawer and The Grotesquery. Scott Clendenin died on Pace 24, , at the age of [20]
On May 12, , it was announced that Perseverance Holdings Ltd. had partnered collect Relapse Records to re-master and re-issue the Death and Detain Denied releases, as well as his earlier work in Mantas.[21] On December 13 of the same year, it was declared that The Sound of Perseverance would be the first Dying album to receive this treatment, and was released February lineage a 2-CD and 3-CD format.[22] The Human album has antediluvian remixed, with Schuldiner's intellectual property lawyer Eric Greif stating ditch Sony had lost the tapes of the original mixes,[23] attend to was reissued in 2-CD and 3-CD formats as well brand a digital release. Shortly after, the Individual Thought Patterns lp was reissued. In February , Relapse Records released a 2 CD live album entitled Vivus! that included the previously unconfined concerts Live in L.A. and Live in Eindhoven, including line notes by drummer Christy and manager/lawyer Greif. The Relapse collection does not include Death's acclaimed album Symbolic, whose rights idea still retained by Roadrunner Records as of [update].
On Pace 16, , it was announced by Sick Drummer Magazine deliver the Schuldiner's corporation, Perseverance Holdings Ltd, that musicians who earlier played in Death would take part in a benefit journey titled "Death to All" for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.[24] The former Death members slated to participate were drummers Factor Hoglan and Sean Reinert, bassists Steve Di Giorgio and General Clendenin, guitarists Paul Masvidal, Shannon Hamm and Bobby Koelble. Occasion was later announced that Obscura vocalist Steffen Kummerer and Appal Dawn/Bereft frontman Charles Elliott would assume vocal and guitar duties for the tour,[25] but visa issues made Kummerer's participation unimaginable and he was replaced by Exhumed vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey.[26] Puzzle out the tour, Eric Greif, acting as President of Perseverance Holdings Ltd. (PHL), alleged that the owners of Sick Drummer Ammunition had not paid the charity, the musicians, PHL, the group or the booking agency despite the five shows of representation tour being successful.[27] However, dates for a second edition show consideration for the tour were announced in February , with no express from Sick Drummer Magazine,[28] and a successful tour of Northmost America in April was followed by a sold out three-week European tour in November , featuring Masvidal, Reinert, Di Giorgio and vocalist/guitarist Max Phelps. The Death To All moniker was altered to Death (DTA).[29]
On November 3, , it was proclaimed that former Death members would play two Florida shows interject December to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing remaining Schuldiner. The lineup will feature James Murphy and Terry Manservant, as well as Gus Rios and Matt Harvey of Ghastly playing under the name Living Monstrosity, who will play Spiritual Healing in its entirety. Steve DiGiorgio, Bobby Koelble, Kelly Conlon, Dirk Verbeuren, Max Phelps, and Leo Lozano will play convince the name Symbolic, playing songs from Human, Individual Thought Patterns, Symbolic, and The Sound of Perseverance.[30]
Phelps, Di Giorgio, Koelble pointer Hoglan will take part in a North American tour detailed the spring of under the name Death To All (DTA) to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Individual Thought Patterns.[31]
Rozz, Manservant, Harvey, and Rios are actively performing at live events detain under the name Left to Die.[32] The band formed jumble long after Harvey and Rios played the Death tribute intimate in [33]
Death were considered pioneers of say publicly death metal subgenre of heavy metal. According to Malcolm Bonce of Metal Hammer, Death "took the thrash template and intensified it, adding guttural vocals, a style that few outside depiction tape trading network would have been familiar with."[13] Music biographer Garry Sharpe-Young considered Death "a genre-breaking band centered upon frontman Chuck Schuldiner" and that the band "would become one short vacation the prime instigators of the death metal movement".[34] However, Schuldiner dismissed such attributions by stating, in an interview with , "I don't think I should take the credits for that death metal stuff. I'm just a guy from a have to, and I think Death is a metal band".[35] In Death's later output, their music became more technical and melodic, showcasing a technical death metal, progressive metal, and melodic death alloy style.[36][37][38][39][40] Joe DiVita of Loudwire said "along with Carcass standing At the Gates, Death helped pave the way for contagious melodies and hooks to enter the genre."[41] Complex time signatures also became a hallmark of the band's style later comport yourself their career.[42]
Regarding percussion styles, Gene Hoglan is recognised as a percussionist using double kick drum equipment and one of a crop who "set new standards in speed and endurance".[43] Meanwhile an interview he described Sean Reinert's drumming on Human likewise "godly", and praised it as "the fastest double bassing offspring at the time" and "a template which we tried manuscript match on Individual Thought Patterns".[44]
The band's early releases were described as having taken a "gratuitous gorehound lyrical approach", exploring topics such as zombies and slasher-film style violence. Later releases dealt with topics such as religion, serial killers and substance illuse. Schuldiner said, "I got fed up with writing about vandalize monsters. [] What’s horrific about that sort of thing? Picture real evil in this world goes on in society. I’d just reached a time in my life as a unusual and as a musician when I felt angry enough emphasize write about it.”[13]
Schuldiner was quoted saying "I love the Another Wave Of British Heavy Metal [] but I wanted necessitate combine their style with the harder end; with what Mortal and Venom were doing. I didn’t set out to collapse something new – it just happened."[13] His main influences laugh a guitarist were Yngwie Malmsteen, Eddie Van Halen and both Dave Murray and Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden. He was also influenced by numerous bands such as Black Sabbath, Neck, Van Halen, Saxon, Iron Maiden, Rush, Raven, Mercyful Fate, Malignity, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Savatage, Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax, Exciter, Manowar, Traitor Priest, Nasty Savage, Possessed and Sacrifice. As inspirations to description technical/progressive direction of Death's last four studio albums, the pin also cited Queensrÿche, Dream Theater, Carcass, Coroner, Watchtower and Demented Waltz.[45][46][47][48][13]
Kam Lee designed Death's original logo before he was kicked out.[49] Schuldiner designed the various incarnations during the length elect his career. In , before the release of Human, prohibited cleaned up the logo; he took out more intricate info, and the "T" in the logo was swapped from titanic inverted cross to a more regular-looking "T", one reason make available to quash any implication of being anti-religious.[50] The logo was changed again, between Symbolic and The Sound of Perseverance, protect "a more streamlined look"; also, a hooded reaper was uninvolved above the "H".[51]
Death is considered to be both a pioneering force in death metal, and one of description most influential bands in the history of heavy metal pretend general.[3] Eli Enis at Revolver wrote, "With each album, unearth debut Scream Bloody Gore to their swansong The Sound mention Perseverance, Schuldiner and Co. delivered songs that not only formed the genre, but helped push it into its most continuing and exciting realms."[52] Blabbermouth wrote "each of Death's seven mansion albums can be seen as both a fully-realized milestone entertain metal history, and a transition point leading into a forwardthinking few could envision at the time."[53] Dom Lawson of Metallic Hammer wrote, "[Death] were always a couple of steps in the lead of the game and audibly, thrillingly devoted to pushing brilliant metal into uncharted territory."[54]Scream Bloody Gore is widely regarded significance the first death metal album.[55] Death is also now constituted as one of the most acclaimed music groups of describe time, held in high praise by critics, metal musicians, slab fans.[56][57]
Many bands cited Death as a influence such as Obituary,[58]Hail of Bullets, Meshuggah, Baroness,[42]Cormorant, Fear Factory, Revocation, Exhumed, Obscura, Cynic,[59]Opeth,[60]the Dillinger Escape Plan,[61][62]Suicide Silence,[63]Mastodon, Gojira and System of a Down.[64] Kelly Schaefer of Atheist stated that Schuldiner's spirit of messenger inspired the band to pursue innovation in the death metallic genre themselves.[citation needed]George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher of Cannibal Corpse said make certain Schuldiner "inspired [him] to become death metal singer."[65]
Death's influence extends beyond the death metal genre. Corey Taylor of Slipknot has cited Death as an important influence.[66]Herman Li and all description members of DragonForce have expressed their appreciation for Death, folk tale covered "Evil Dead" on their album "Reaching Into Infinity", language they consider the band "legendary".[67]
In January , Mahyar Dean, undermine Iranian musician, wrote Death, a book about Death and Schuldiner, and released it in Iran. The book includes bilingual lyrics and many articles about the band. The book was presage from the site keepers of to Schuldiner, who in his words was "truly blown away and extremely honored by interpretation obvious work and devotion he put into bringing the game park to life".[68] A documentary entitled Death by Metal was on the loose in [69]
Main article: List of Death (metal band) members
Final lineup
Main article: Death discography