WHAT IF... DEATH/Chuck Schuldiner Edition
- jaybroderick
- Jun 27
- 5 min read
By: Jay Broderick - Death (the band), or perhaps more specifically, founding member Chuck Schuldiner... one of the most influential in the metal genre! So much so, and without purpose, Schuldiner founded a heavy metal subgenre that has taken a life of its own. Chuck Schuldiner, the Godfather of Death Metal! The man is one of the most iconic figures in metal music in our lifetimes... well, at least those born before Schuldiner's untimely death in 2001. And it certainly wasn't his intention. Isn't that usually the way? Death... our ultimate demise... but also a band that transformed heavy metal music. So many things could have been different. So I ponder... "What If"...
1) Charles Schuldiner was born on May 13th, 1967 to Jewish and American parents in New York. He was the youngest of 3 children, the other 2 a brother named Frank and a sister named Bethann. When he was 1 year old, the family moved to Florida where life really began for the future musician. Despite the 7 year age difference between the 2 brothers, Chuck was very close with his older brother. Sadly, Frank was killed in a car accident at the far too young age of 16. As any child losing a sibling at such a young age, 9 year old Chuck was devastated. In an effort to ease his grieving, Chuck's parents bought their youngest child a guitar. He became obsessed, and was soon writing his own music. The acoustic quickly turned into an electric, and the rest (as they say) is history... but I have to think... "What if" Frank did not die in that car accident, or didn't even join the ride that fateful day on August 3, 1976?
2) While music was taking over Chuck's life at an early age, the man who would eventually go on to form the band Death, also had other passions. Schuldiner loved animals, and he loved to cook. With a huge focus towards family, Chuck made the rules around the house when it came to eating. "No eating in front of the Television" his mother would reflect. It was a complete experience, with everybody sitting around a table that was fully set with proper plates and cutlery. Chuck loved cooking, and his advocacy for animal rights was such a focus, that he was adamant that if he was not a musician, he would have been a veterinarian, or a chef. Man... "What if" Schuldiner chose to pursue one of his other obsessions, and went the way of an education to become a professional, in a more "respected" career?
3) In 1983, at the same age that his older brother had passed, Chuck co-founded a heavy metal band by the name of Mantas. In its early inception, Mantas consisted of Chuck Schuldiner on guitar, co-founder and guitarist Rick Rozz (Death, Massacre), co-founder and drummer/vocalist Kam Lee (Death, Massacre), and bassist Dave Tett. Born in the Schuldiner's Florida basement, Mantas recorded one demo titled Death By Metal in 1984. They would break up for a short time after, only to quickly get back together, and officially change their band name to Death. After Tett quit with just a few rehearsals under his belt, and then Rozz left to join the band Massacre in 1985, Schuldiner and Lee were left trying to keep it all together. A couple other members joined, but then Kam Lee left in 1986, also to join Massacre with fellow band mate Rick Rozz. Death struggled to find a replacement for the drummer/vocalist. As a result, the newest members also left town. While Schuldiner struggled to maintain a firm lineup, it was the departure of Kam Lee that forced the only remaining founding member to take up the vocal duties. And this is the iconic voice we know today. So "What if" Kam Lee never left the band in the first place?
4) In the 1980s, the thrash metal scene in Toronto was huge! Maybe not to the standards of the Bay Area in San Francisco or New York, but there was a huge fan base, and 2 bands emerged out of Scarborough that would become commonplace in the Toronto scene. My personal favourite Sacrifice was leading the way, but a band called Slaughter were also leaving their mark. In 1987 Slaughter (the real Slaughter) released their first album Strappado, but prior to the release, the band was seeking a guitarist in 1986. While he struggled early on to find a few musicians to keep his own band Death alive, Chuck Schuldiner moved to Toronto to rehearse with this new metal band from Scarborough. SAY WHAT??? (Un)Fortunately, Schuldiner's stint was very short lived. He quickly chose to return home to create his own musical vision, but "What if" things worked out with the Toronto band? Sadly, the Canadian Slaughter lost a legal battle with the American band of the same name (with a style of music that is nothing remotely reminiscent of the name), and later called themselves after their debut record Strappado. Ultimately, things didn't go quite as well for the Canadian version.
5) In 1999, after recording 7 influential records with the band Death, Chuck Schuldiner began experiencing symptoms that were not usual for him. The change in his health prompted him to go see his doctor, and an MRI later showed a growth at the base of his brain. He was diagnosed with pontine glioma, a malignant tumor that grows on the brain stem. He quickly began radiation therapy to help shrink the mass, and in 2000, he underwent surgery to remove the growth. While the surgery successfully removed a significant portion of the tumor, the cancer had metastasized, starting to spread through his body. To add more salt to the wound, the remaining brain tumor grew into areas of the brain that doctors considered the tumor inoperable. On December 13th, 2001, the man we now consider a legend in the world of heavy metal passed away. He was only 34 years old, with a future where not even the sky was the limit... "WHAT IF"....
To commemorate, and celebrate his mastery, a few of Chuck Schuldiner's ex band mates continue to tour, under the name Death To All. It's a brilliant display of heartfelt love and emotion for a friend gone way too soon. For the fans, they get to continue to enjoy the man's music in a live environment. If you find this tour rolling through your neck of the woods at any time in the future, do yourself a favour!
Additionally, a fantastic 2016 documentary called Death by Metal is available on some streaming devices. Seek, and you shall find!
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