"Let the metal flow"

Today marks the 4th year since Chuck Schuldiner's passing. A day that I will never forget. Who knows where I'd be today if I hadn't heard Death's "Scream Bloody Gore" when I was in junior high. Would I even be a "metal head"? Would I value the technical and progressive genres of metal as much as I do now?

Chuck is one of the main reasons I got into metal as well as being one of the first and main influences when I bought my first guitar (the second complete song I learned was Death's "The Philosopher"). His music was constantly evolving- his lyrics matured with each album. Even though he absolutely hated the music industry, he loved music and he loved his fans. One of the nicest guys and one who I consider a genious in metal music. He was not only a brilliant lyricist and song writer, but he seemed to pull in some of the greatest musicians in the genre... and all have said in countless interviews that Chuck allowed them to the room to be creative and go nuts as well as pushing them to go above and beyond what they thought they could do. There was something special about Chuck. The musicians that played with him, the fans that supported him... they all knew it.

Chuck's music and lyrics continue to inspire me to this day... and whether I'm listening to a Death album, watching a DVD, or playing a song on guitar, just knowing that he is gone brings tears to my eyes. There really isn't much I can put into words anymore so I'll borrow some of Chuck's. "Support music. Not rumors."

-Rich