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Remembering Chuck Schuldiner on the 10th Anniversary of His Death

Jason Le Miere — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:27:26 +0000

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of Death frontman Chuck Schulinder. Schulinder, who battled with brain cancer, was a pioneer in death metal and continued to work on music with his new band Control Denied right up until his untimely death.

“Music was Chuck’s focus. It was the thing that gave him strength,” Control Denied drummer Richard Christy told Guitar World. “It was inspiring to see somebody going through something so hard and still playing guitar and writing music. Chuck was just so committed. He gave it everything he had.”

Schulinder had first been diagnosed with cancer after a tumor was discovered following initial complaints of neck pain. Despite nearly half the tumor being removed in 2000, his illness returned. However, Schulinder has left a powerful legacy, particularly in the death metal scene.

“With regard to death metal, he contributed a standard of musicianship that people are still aspiring to,” says writer Don Kaye. “He was a pioneer who tried to take the music in an interesting and progressive direction. And in that way, coming along when he did, he crystallized the genre.”

To read the full tribute to Schulinder, head over to our sister mag’s site, GuitarWorld.com, and look for an original article on Death in the January/February issue of Revolver, on stands now.

Deadliest Cuts: The Top Five Death Songs

Jason Le Miere — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:00:41 +0000

The latest remastering of Death’s back catalog, 1993′s Individual Thought Patterns, comes out today. In celebration, here are the top five songs by the legendary death metallers, according to our technology editor and the managing editor of our sister publication Guitar World, Jeff Kitts.

“Zombie Ritual”
Album: Scream Bloody Gore
An early demo track given new life on the band’s groundbreaking debut album.
Sample lyric: “Vomit for a mind, maggots for a cock/With his ax the corpse will chop.”

“Torn to Pieces”
Album: Scream Bloody Gore
Tracks like this hinted at Chuck Schuldiner’s penchant for melodic brutality.
Sample lyric: “Pray if you want/Pathetic rancid cunt/Face reality/Death your final plea.”

“Pull the Plug”
Album: Leprosy
The group’s defining moment in the days before it morphed into a prog/death-metal terror.
Sample lyric: “End it now, it is the only way/Too cruel, that is what they say.”

“Spiritual Healing”
Album: Spiritual Healing
A sprawling thrashterpiece buried beneath a mudslide of bad production.
Sample lyric: “Blinded by the twisted ways you live/Kill for religion, will the Lord forgive?”

“The Philosopher”
Album: Individual Thought Patterns
Precision riffing and jazzy bass work—uncommon elements in the death metal of its day.
Sample lyric: “Where is the invisible line that we must draw to create individual thought patterns?”