Curiosity: Chuck and his amulet

Chuck and his amulet

From Empty Words (official Death/Control Denied/Chuck Schuldiner website)

What about that Chuck´s amulet he used in his neck. What does it mean? [Schmidt]

Jane Schuldiner - I know that the amulet comes from the sea and that it was his favorite since he was wearing it in almost every picture, but I don't know the significance of that. I wish I had asked him. I'm trying to find more information on it.

(Death TR Note: Jorge Arnau - member of our team - found a similar Chuck's amulet in Mexico City. More infos coming soon...)

Chuck Memories

Chuck Schuldiner, Terry Butler, Bill Andrews e James Murphy

Death - Streets in New Rochelle NY by Adam Delarede

Death - Streets in New Rochelle NY by Adam Delarede

Death - Streets in New Rochelle NY by Adam Delarede

DEATH: World Exclusive 12-Page Oral History

Decibel Magazine cover: Death and Chuck

We're (Death TR team) very happy and deeply touched by the tribute that Decibel Magazine is doing for the Chuck Schuldiner and Death's memory. We believe that all the fans around the world are sharing the same happiness.

Thanks to all who were involved in this project and who believe that Chuck is MORE than a number. Thanks to all those who believes that Chuck Schuldiner is MUCH MORE than a decade of absence. Thank you very much, Decibel Magazine team!

CLICK HERE: DECIBEL MAGAZINE

Curiosity: Chuck and his other projects

Voodoocult - Jesus Killing Machine

Voodoocult - Jesus Killing Machine (cover)

feat. : Phillip Boa - Vocals

Dave Lombardo - Drums

Chuck Schuldiner - Guitar

Gabby Abularach - Guitar

Waldemar Sorychta - Guitar

Mille Petrozza - Guitar

Dave Ball - Bass

The legends!

NAPHOBIA - Of Hell (1995)

1. To Lead Astray 03:38

2. Pain Infini 02:20

3. Of Hell 05:21

4. Feed the Liar 03:55

5. Fallen Cross 02:04

6. America A.D. 02:26

7. The Ungodly 04:05

8. Technical Fool 03:59

9. As Ancients Evolve 04:03

Total playing time 31:51

Chuck Schuldiner guests on
"As Ancients Evolve"

Gene Hoglan guests on
"As Ancients Evolve" and "The Ungodly"


Thanks for Human Death.

Fan Words: "Chuck, you are my only idol"

Death: Work and Perseverance

By Eren Colak (Death Metal Guitarist)

There is so much thing to write about you Chuck Schuldiner, but actually there is nothing. Well, I’m thinking no word from my heart can explain my love and respect for you. But stil I am going to write.

I have met with you fort the first time on your symbolic album. My friend gave met his wit those words :’ you are listening death metal and this man is inventor of death metal.’. this album was very different for me and still the same way. Why? Because it was the first album i have ever like every song inside. There is not even one per minute has been wasted,and it was a great album. And I have looked at the album’s songs:

1) Symbolic 2) Zero Tolerance 3) Empty Words 4) Sacret Serenity 5) 1000 Eyes 6) Without Judgement 7) Crystal Mountain 8) Misanthrope 9) Perennial Quest.

Chuck: The man of perseverance

Zero tolerance felt warm with name. And I started to listen. İt was soft entrence for extreme metal lover like me, I have to close the song right now,for some reason that I don’t know,I didn’t. Vocal is diffferent from ı used to ,and this man deffinately doing something different. On the entrence short lead and it has different feeling from all other bands i have listened, this group have something different. Proceeds flowing riffs when the song came to 2.04 there was whole other song with ‘fate is your deciding GOD’ those words, but this is the same song, you just enter the solo. But this solo is like no other. And i realise at that moment your capacity of loading feellings to your guitar. Death is certainly different from other bands. And again i picked a song with name, it was Without a Judgement . and again I am not used to this entrence ,there is no hrrr ,grrr on the entrence. This time it was not strange,on the contrary I have accepted. Song is flowing step to step and that moment i tried to ream darkness with my lookings from the couch i lied. And solo was stopped suddenly there was a different part and I felt creepy. For the love of god who is this guy? And I didn’t sleep until mp3 player ‘s battery was died. I had listened again and again. And i'll not write the bad words from my mouth when my battery was dead :)

That day I was become Death fan. After that i start to search your albums. In order of the line i had listened ,Spiritual Healing, The Sound Of Perseverance, Individual Thought Patterns, Human, Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy. You are the greatest musician ever on my thoughts. When i read your interview you said ‘’ I'm just a guy from a band and i think Death is a metal band". YOU! You invented death metal with your heavy metal love. And you said ‘ ı am just member of group İt was not right ‘ you are the father of death metal.’. Certainly you are a musician that can reveal the ethics of art. You Chuck Schuldiner ! You are always like a big brother for us. You told us the truth with your lyrics. Not witchs ,angels and demons, you told us life and death...

I will not able to hear your vocal, I will not able to watch your movements on the stage and I will not able to feel even one note from your guitar. And it is very hard for me and source of sadness. I can give everything to be there: Eindhoven or L.A... But it’s not a problem. Because you are living in every song that I listen, because your songs are alive. Those songs will no die and I won’t be bored from listening your songs,million times.

Because of that reason you are my only idol. I play my guitar for keep your repution alive. I have effected from you, every riff and melody that i write. You can use 3-4 songs materials in one song. Your name must be kept alive on doomsday because you deserve it. I wish you could live life that you gave your guitar.

Thanks for your heritage that you gave us!!

----

Turkish:

Chuck: Music and strong

Senin için yazılacak o kadar çok şey var ki Chuck Schuldiner, ama aslında hiç birşey yok. Hani düşünüyorum da, yazabileceğim hiçbir şey sana olan sevgi ve saygımı anlatmaya yetmez. Olsun ama yazıcam birşeyler.

Seni ilk olarak Symbolic albümünle tanıdım. Arkadaşım vermişti: Bak sen Death metal dinliyorsun bu adam Death metalin kurucusu diyerek. Bu albüm benim için çok farklıydı. Niye mi ? bütün şarkılarını beğendiğim ilk albüm olduğu için ! İsraf edilmiş tek bir dakikası olmayan harika ötesi bir albüm ! Albümün şarkılarına baktım:

1) Symbolic 2) Zero Tolerance 3) Empty Words 4) Sacret Serenity 5) 1000 Eyes 6) Without Judgement 7) Crystal Mountain 8) Misanthrope 9) Perennial Quest.

Zero Tolerance isim olarak sıcak geldi bana. Dinlemeye başladım. Extreme metal sevdalısı ben için yumuşak bir girişti bu, direkt kapatmam gerekiyordu o an da şarkıyı, ama bilmediğim bir sebepten kapatmadım. Vokal de alışık olduğum katlı brutal vokallerden farklıydı, bu adam kesinlikle farklı birşeyler yapıyordu... Girişte kısa bir lead girdi daha önce dinlediğim hiç bir grupta olmayan garip bir duygu taşıyordu, bu grupta farklı birşeyler vardı ! Riffler ilerledikçe akıyordu şarkı 02.04 e geldiğimde fate is your deciding GOD diyerek resmen farklı bir şarkıya giriş yapmıştın, ama hayır aynı şarkıydı bu, soloya girmiştin sadece. Ama bu solo da daha önce dinlediğim sololara benzemiyordu ki ! O an farketmiştim işte senin gitarına duygu yükleme kapasiteni. Death kesinlikle diğer gruplardan farklıydı. Yine isimlere bakarak Without Judgement'ı seçtim dinlemek için. Yine alışık olmadığım, pata küte hrrr grrr olmayan bir giriş. Bu sefer garipsememiştim, aksine benimsemiştim. Şarkı adım adım ilerliyor bense uzandığım kanepeden gözlerimle karanlığı delmeye çalışıyordum. Derken solo kesildi bir anda. Garip bir part girmişti, tüylerim diken diken oldu içim ürperdi. TANRI AŞKINA KİMDİ BU ADAM ? O gece mp3 playerımın pili bitene kadar uyumadım. Tekrar, tekrar, tekrar ve tekrar şarkıları dinleyip durdum. Pilim bittiğinde ettiğim küfürleri de buraya yazmayacağım :)

O gün Death fanı olduğum gündür. Sonra albümlerini araştırmaya başladım, sırasıyla: Spiritual Healing, The Sound Of Perseverance, Individual Thought Patterns, Human, Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy albümlerini bulup dinledim. Sen gelmiş geçmiş en büyük müzisyendin artık benim gözümde. Ama Röpörtajlarını okuduğumda "I'm just a guy from a band and i think Death is a metal band" demiştin. SEN ! Heavy Metal sevginle Death Metal'i türetmiştin ama ben sadece bir grubun elemanıyım bana Death Metal in babası denmesini doğru bulmuyorum demiştin ! Sen kesinlikle sanat etiğini ortaya koyabilen nadir müzisyenlerdendin. Sen Chuck Schuldiner ! her zaman bize bir abi olmuştun. Yazdığın şarkı

sözlerinde bize hep gerçekleri anlattın. Cadıları, şeytanları, melekleri değil, hayatı ve ölümü....

Mr. Schuldiner: Thanks for all, man!

Ben senin Vokalini duyamayacağım, seni sahnede izleyemeyeceğim, gitarından çıkacak herhangi bir notayı hissedemeyeceğim. Gerçekten içimde bir ukte bu. Neler vermezdim eindhoven da, l.a da seni dinleyen kalabalığın arasında olmak için bir bilsen... Ama sorun değil. Sen zaten dinlediğim her şarkında yaşıyorsun, çünkü senin şarkıların yaşıyor. Ölmeyecek şarkılar, milyon kere dinlesem sıkılmayacağım şarkılar...

İşte bu yüzden sen benim tek idolümsün. Senin namını yaşatmak adına çalıyorum gitarımı. Yazdığım her riffde her melodide ve her soloda senden etkileniyorum. Sen ki tek şarkıda 3-4 şarkılık materyal harcayan adam ! İsminin kıyamete kadar yaşatılmasını hakediyorsun. Gitarına verdiğin hayat kadar yaşayabilseydin keşke...

BİZE BIRAKTIĞIN MİRAS İÇİN ÇOK TEŞEKKÜRLER!

Paul Masvidal's day

Paul Masvidal (edit by Alexe Emilia)

The Death TR team would like to congratulate the musician Paul Masvidal for his birthday. Paul was alongside with Chuck and Death during the recording of the album Human. Besides being an exceptional musician, this Puerto Rican vocalist and guitarrist of Cynic is also a great soul.

About Fan Words

Charles Michael 'Chuck' Schuldiner

Hey guys! What's up? Let's share our stories about our admiration for Chuck's work. Send us an email with your story: how did you find Chuck's work (Mantas, Death and Control Denied)? What are your feelings about Chuck? Send your answer to deathtr3@gmail.com

Please don't forget to put your name and send us your picture attached. Thanks!

Looking back: Chuck Schuldiner - Lost All Credits

Evil Chuck: memory and soul

By EMPTY WORDS (official Death/Control Denied/Chuck Schuldiner website)

Magazine: Rock Hard / Germany

Article: Chuck Schuldiner /

Alle Sympathien verspielt?

Written by: Arno Polster

Published: March 1991

Every Death fan knows that guitarist/vocalist Chuck Schuldiner didn't start the European tour with Kreator again. Louis Carrisalez, who initially would go on tour as Bill's drum technician, had to pay for it as vocalist. Bass player Terry Butler and drummer Bill Andrews abandoned DEATH just shortly before the tour started. The two are planning to get things going together with Bill's former band Massacre. What's the matter with Chuck? How does the future of DEATH look like? Those questions were personally answered by Chuck. After several requests I finally got to speak to a very talkative Mr. Schuldiner on the phone...

Chuck, tell me, how are you doing? Here in Germany everybody is very worried about you.

Chuck Schuldiner: "I'm fine, I've almost finished making some new songs. Besides, I am trying to clear my name. I don't think the Death fans know at the moment what is going on between me and the band. I am still here. I just came back from Miami where I played some stuff together with the drummer of Cynic (Sean Reinert/YK). He will help me out on the next album because, unfortunately, I don't have a band at the moment. Thank God I still have some friends in this business standing by me and helping me. It's been a while since "Spiritual Healing" was released so it's about time to make a new album. The new CD will be more sensitive and personal.... yet very hard. At the end of February I will start recording it."

So DEATH will continue to exist?

Chuck Schuldiner - "Oh, yes!!! DEATH is the only name I can come up with. I gave birth to that name in 1984 and I have every right to it. As long as I make the songs I will continue under this name."

Tell us why you didn't come to Europe.

Chuck Schuldiner - "A lot went wrong back then. It seemed the whole world was turning against me. Still, as the tour was going for three weeks, I tried to come over. However, Bill and Terry weren't too happy about that. It really hurt me. After all, DEATH is still my band. I really would have loved to come to Europe. At that time I wasn't able to and those two knew. I thought they were my best friends, but I was wrong. At all times musicians are replaceable, friends are not. I am getting sick and tired of the whole matter. Besides, it bothers me the way people look at musicians. When you're in a band you are expected not to have any personal problems. You have to be perfect, without mistakes. However there's a life outside the band. I've been through a lot in the past years and now I hope I've learned from it."

Which personal problems did you have?

Chuck Schuldiner - "No drugproblems! I had some troubles with some people in the business and some personal problems as well. I came to a point on which I thought everything was doomed to fail. As if the devil was in it! I needed distance to get things in perspective again. The moment however was more than inconvenient."

Chuck kick ass: Early years

Your fans were quite irritated you didn't come. After all it wasn't the first time you cancelled...

Chuck Schuldiner - "As I said; a few things I see different now and I don't expect my fans to understand me. Thank goodness I still have some friends that do care about me and try to understand my situation. I received some nice letters of people wanting to support me. That helped me! I can expect from the majority of the fans that they shall hate me for it and they shall not understand me. Understanding that I am just a human being like them. People shouldn't try to create an image, a perfect one because you play in a band. We are not rich, you don't make much money with this kind of music. Not enough by far to be financially undependant. Of course I know I have lost a lot of fans, I don't expect them to understand me and if they hate me for it and destroy all my albums, let it be. I merely can tell what happened and when they do understand that's cool, when not, quite rightly as well. I am not a spoiled Rock Star. However some people for unexplainable reasons, do think that way about me. I am a normal, friendly kind a guy. Not a complex personality and not at all "evil". You can get along great with me as long as I am not having a million problems....... I think I am just misunderstood because of everything that happened. Regrettable!!! I remember the times the death metal scene was a lot smaller and everybody knew each other. From that time I still have friends left, real friends, who stand by me at the moment. However, I've lost some too. I have learned to value friendship a lot more."

Read the full article here.

Curiosity: Chuck and his job before Death

Dell Taco: No way, man! Thanks Chuck!

From Empty Words

Can you name some jobs that Chuck had before he made a living as a musician? I am curious to know what things in his life had an impact on his music writing. [Doug]

Jane Schuldiner: In his early teens Chuck worked at a place by the name of Dell Taco, at least I think that was the name. He worked there for just a few months. He hated it with a passion! Since he was very involved with his music by that time, we asked him to just concentrate on that.

Chuck Memories (Control Denied Era) Final

Chuck Memories (Special)

1997 - Orland (FL)/ Control Denied Promo

Control Denied: Job & dream

Control Denied guys: Chris and Chuck RIP

Control Denied: Big family

Dudes and a real team

Together as one: Control Denied

Chris, Tim, Chuck, Shannon and Scott

Chris and Chuck: Rest in Peace, brothers!

Chris

Shannon, Steven and Richard

Chuck and Tim

Yeah man! It's real yet: Control Denied

Story to Tell: Italian Chuck's fan wins official contest

Samantha Nekro: Real Chuck's fan

The Death TR team would like to congratulate the Italian friend Samantha NekroVenere Alessi for winning the contest of the tribute to Chuck, offered by the Death Official group. Sam and Johnny Lester were the winners and both won a copy of the Control Denied (Official)'s 'Fragine Art of Existence' Deluxe 2CD Reissue. Congratulations, guys!

 Check it the Samantha's cover:

More Details Revealed For The Sound Of Perseverance Deluxe 3-Disc Reissue and Re-Mastered Demo Track Posted Online

Chuck Schuldiner

News from Empty Words

A re-mastered demo version of “Story To Tell“ taken from the TSOP re-issue has been posted online at this location. “Story To Tell“ appears on the second disc of the re-issue that features all previously unreleased demo material. The complete track listing for the re-issue is as follows:

Disc 1: (classic re-mastered TSOP album)

1. Scavenger Of Human Sorrow

2. Bite The Pain

3. Spirit Crusher

4. Story To Tell

5. Flesh And The Power It Holds

6. Voice Of The Soul

7. To Forgive Is To Suffer

8. A Moment Of Clarity

9. Painkiller

Disc 2:

1. Spirit Crusher - 1998 Demos (No Bass)

2. Flesh And The Power It Holds - 1998 Demos (No Bass)

3. Voice Of The Soul - 1998 Demos (No Bass)

4. Bite The Pain - 1998 Demos

5. A Moment Of Clarity - 1998 Demos

6. Story To Tell - 1998 Demos

7. Scavenger Of Human Sorrow - 1998 Demos

8. Bite The Pain - 1997 Demos

9. Story To Tell - 1997 Demos

10. A Moment Of Clarity - 1997 Demos

Disc 3:

1. Bite The Pain - 1996 Demos

2. Story To Tell - 1996 Demos

3. A Moment Of Clarity - 1996 Demos

4. Bite The Pain w/ Paul Payne on Vocals - 1996 Demos

5. A Moment Of Clarity w/ Paul Payne On Vocals - 1996 Demos

6. A Moment Of Clarity w/ Chuck on Vocals - 1996 Demos

7. Story To Tell w/ Chuck on Vocals - 1996 Demos

8. Bite The Pain w/ Shannon Hamm on Vocals - 1996 Demos

9. A Moment Of Clarity - 1996 Demos (Instrumental)

10. Bite The Pain - 1996 Demos (Instrumental)

11. Story To Tell - 1996 Demos (Instrumental)

12. Voice Of The Soul - 1996 Demos (Instrumental)

13. A Moment Of Clarity - 1996 Demos (Instrumental)

Chuck Memories (Control Denied Era) Part II

Scott and his barbecue

Shannon Hamm

Big Chuck: workaholic

Chris Williams

Evil Chuck Schuldiner

Chuck: BIG CHEF!

Control Denied team and dudes

All of the pictures from Altamonte Springs in 1996 are of the original Control Denied lineup before there was a confirmed singer. They were taken at Chuck's house/home studio/rehearsal room, etc.

We rehearsed there from early 1996 through mid-late 1997. Then we started rehearsing in downtown Orlando with Richard as Death, working on Perseverance and material from past records. The 2 pictures of Chuck and I in his living room (Pic1&2)are the first pictures ever taken of us together, so they mean a lot to me. Anyway, have a killer weekend and "LET THE METAL FLOW!!!"

Shannon

See more pics here!

Chuck Memories (Control Denied Era) Part I

Chuck and Shannon

Evil Chuck and Big Shannon: Killer!

Shannon, Scott, Chris and Chuck: Control Denied dudes

Scott and Shannon

Our guitar hero: Chuck Schuldiner

Control Denied rocks!

Charles Michael: Our eternal Chuck

All of the pictures from Altamonte Springs in 1996 are of the original Control Denied lineup before there was a confirmed singer. They were taken at Chuck's house/home studio/rehearsal room, etc.

We rehearsed there from early 1996 through mid-late 1997. Then we started rehearsing in downtown Orlando with Richard as Death, working on Perseverance and material from past records. The 2 pictures of Chuck and I in his living room (Pic1&2)are the first pictures ever taken of us together, so they mean a lot to me. Anyway, have a killer weekend and "LET THE METAL FLOW!!!"

Shannon

Symbolic Memory

"Trapped inside a life which is not yours. Spirits within causing terror, fear and darkness..." - Evil Dead (Chuck Schuldiner/Scream Bloody Gore - Death 1987).

"A mind shared by an uninvited stranger. Which comes and goes as choose to appear should we not prepare for the uncertain. Mysteries of our life, of our destiny. See things that are not there." - Flattening of Emotions (Chuck Schuldiner/Human - Death 1991)

Chuck the Human

Chuck Schuldiner: The Human

Death TR brings you this special article about Chuck Schuldiner. It was written by Eric Greif (lawyer for Chuck’s legacy & former manager of DEATH) and it's a courtesy of the March 2011 edition of ROCK TRIBUNE. Eric sent us his article. We would like to say that this article is particularly special to us because it was written by someone who has become a good friend. Eric Greif has been teaching us the importance of perseverance. Take a look and hear The Sound of Perseverance!

Chuck the Human

There is of course quite a lot of activity in the Chuck Schuldiner camp these days. This is due to a couple of factors that I’m sure are obvious to any casual metal observer. First, the way Chuck’s legacy is run has changed somewhat and is now a far more organized endeavour. At some point, my old friend and adopted sister Beth Schuldiner asked me if I’d change my life a little and come in to take over the pilot’s job of plotting the course for everything related to DEATH and CONTROL DENIED. This wasn’t a difficult task to imagine myself doing, but at the same time was a very big change for me in my personal life. The second thing is that now, almost ten years from the time Chucky died, an entire new generation of young fans of Chuck’s music has blossomed.

Now, after spending more than a year putting Chuck’s posthumous career in order – with a new label (Relapse Records), the sorting out of issues with former labels, ending illegal merchandising operations, and organizing the possibility of completing CONTROL DENIED’s final work – I find myself doing a lot of interviews and giving my perspective on not only what is happening now, but my own personal thoughts on the man behind it all, Charles Michael Schuldiner.

I always try and bring the DEATH story back to a narrative on Chuck the Man. I guess I do this because of so much adulation about Chuck the Myth, or maybe even the small but vocal horde who have reacted negatively to the false (but good natured) portrayal of Chuck the Deity. I think if my friend Chuck Schuldiner was alive today, he would scratch his head and wonder how he could be perceived in so many ways. He would have been extremely flattered by all of the attention, but on the other hand it would mystify him as to how his death would seem to have turned him into a God-like figure or, as someone has written, a Metal Messiah. The bottom line for me is that Chuck was a human being, just like any of us, albeit with an enormous, far-reaching musical & lyrical gift.

Charles Michael Schuldiner

I first met Chucky in Milwaukee at Metalfest, in the summer of 1987. It was the first gig of the Leprosy line-up. Scream Bloody Gore had been out a couple of months by then and there was already a buzz around the band and the record. But more than that: there was a buzz about the charismatic dude behind it all. I did feel that buzz surrounding him when we first shook hands and spoke. Six months later and he was back in Milwaukee, this time me promoting a much smaller DEATH show, allowing for us to speak longer and in greater depth. Immediately we saw eye to eye and I knew I wanted to work with him and, after a drive in my Dodge Daytona, I was the new manager of DEATH. We were young and self-confident. We were human beings with a shared vision, musically and mentally. I liked this guy a lot.

Over the course of Chuck’s career, there was a lot of press surrounding his own personal life, much of it based on rumour or innuendo. This is what has prompted me to say these few words about Chuck’s humanity. In numerous ways he was a fragile soul who worried about the same things as many of us. He had bouts of anger, jealousy, or downright meanness. But these were tempered with great kindness, generosity and, of course, genius. The guy I knew could indeed fly off the handle and go berserk. But the next minute he could be buying me a gift or standing in the freezing cold in a t-shirt signing autographs, with that devilish smile never faltering.

Our own up & down relationship was covered in the press and I think that Blabbermouth.net’s Borivoj Krgin referred to it as a ‘gruesome collaboration’. I guess it was gruesome because Chuck & I were an unbeatable team that liked to be brutal with record companies, shitty promoters, and assholes. But on the other hand it was gruesome because we fought like some brothers do, even taking each other to court twice. Beth Schuldiner has said to me that in order to hate you have to also love, and this is why Chuck & I were like brothers. We were brothers, actually.

When I see that Chuck is portrayed in deity terms, I have to stop and smile and remind people that this was a guy who would spit when he got mad and would laugh hysterically at pranks. He loved challenging people to eating spicy chicken wings and would jump up & down on a bed like a little kid when we’d be confined to a hotel room or make up silly parody rhymes to songs. He liked beer. He described the shapes of his ‘toilet logs’ and we analyzed such things like others check their horoscopes. He was also a dedicated musician who helped create a genre of metal music, whose talent made me shake my head in awe. Even people that didn’t know who he was would stop to stare at him when he walked down the street.

Ultimately his humanity was confirmed in the fact that he got sick and eventually died from that malady. It was cruel and it was unfair, not only to his family but to the music fans of the world. I miss Chuck the Songwriter because of all the songs that were never written. But mostly I miss Chuck my Friend, the guy who would phone me up in the middle of the night to tell me about a horror movie he had just enjoyed or scream at me on the phone if he was mad.

Eric Greif and Chuck Schuldiner: friendship and business

One thing that Beth and I agreed upon recently was trying to present Chuck to the world as a human. Former DEATH guitarist Paul Masvidal said it best that it is because of Chuck’s humanity – his vulnerability – that his genius best shines; we’re able to see that such extraordinary creativity came not from the top of a Mount Olympus but out of the garage of an average American teenager who one day picked up a guitar and made it do great things that has an impact on many, many people all around the world, even almost ten years after his tragic death.

ERIC GREIF, lawyer for Chuck’s legacy & former manager of DEATH

Looking back: About the music more and more

By EMPTY WORDS (official Death/Control Denied/Chuck Schuldiner website)

Chuck Schuldiner: Brilliant and complex

Magazine: Metal Hammer / Germany

Article: Music? Nicht immer, aber immer öfter.

Written by: Robert Müller

Published: July 1993

Some time ago, when we met in Florida, Chuck defined the message of the new Death album, "Individual Thought Patterns", as a credo for the music and against the industry of the music business. First of all the album is technically brilliant and complex, yet very heavy and aggressive.

And furthermore....?

If I see things the right way, Death, since their last album "Human", developes as a "normal", musically orientated band. "Psycho Monster" Chuck Schuldiner actually has deserved nothing less than headlines with style, defining Death Metal, but until recently, the magazines only have been filled with tour cancelations. "Death will never come to Europe", was one of the many heard sayings. But in the meantime, 3 tours proved it not to be true. So it's about time, by means of the new CD "Individual Though Patterns", to let the music speak for itself. It is in every way, very worth the effort. The words coming out of Chuck's mouth must be seen as accompanying notes. Let's start with the just ended festival-tour in Germany.

Point-blank: how was it this time?

Chuck: "It was amazing! For me, personally, it was the best time I ever had being on tour. During the last tour there was just only one concert that we didn't have under control. Overall, I had the impression that the people just wanted to enjoy an evening with good music."

How does the new line-up, (next to Chuck, also Steve DiGiorgio (b), Andy LaRocque (g) and Gene Hoglan (d)) look like? Is it a lasting one, or is there talk of the so called characteristic Death decomposition symtoms?

Chuck: "Up till now it lasts. I can't look in the future unfortunately, but as it appears and as I see how the mood is in the band at the moment, it will last. I hope so, because it is, as well musically as personally the best I ever had. This album gives me much more a round off feeling. The songs flow over in each other easily, it's very organic. It's much less straight forward than "Human", and there are many sneaky bends on it"

Maybe he is right about this, although I think most of his lyrics are based on personal experiences. But about the partly half-hearted character of the music business, there truly is no doubt about it indeed.

Chuck: "I hope that I won't have to write this kind of tedious lyrics anymore. But I truly went through hell, and that just had to come out once. Besides, there are so many other musicians feeling absolutely the same. Everbody is fed up with the whole fucking business, with all the rumours and media pranks, always forgetting that it's about the music."

Did you find a way, in the meantime, to deal with all these kind of things?

Chuck: "I have a good lawyer."

Are you still feeling misunderstood by a great part of the press?

Chuck: "You know what's funny? A lot of people read this crap, but when it comes to a point, it doesn't matter to them at all. The press has to understand, that their consumers can rise above it as well. The fact that I ran into a lot of people at the concerts, with nothing but positivity towards the music, gives me a lot of courage."

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