NEWS 2004

Day of Remembrance
Today, December 13th 2004, the 3rd anniversary of Chuck's death, we uploaded a high-quality poster on our downloads page. The poster is free and for personal use only. Take it up to your local printer and make something nice out of it. This picture, known from EW's NEWS page, was taken by Barbara Stiller and dates back to the early nineties. Enjoy!

Today we've also added something from the distant past. Over eighteen years after the fact, we have re-published an intie with Chuck (from Metal Warriors), and a unique interview with Chris Reifert (from D.O.D.), thanks Jochen (from humandeath.de). Chuck (19 years of age and still quite innocent ;)) and Chris (18) were on the verge of a breakthrough with Death's upcoming debut album, that would go into history as deciding for the genre. The world was at their feet and while awaiting "Scream Bloody Gore" they did these (at times hilarious) interviews. The rest is history indeed. Time flies. Enjoy!

At last we want to thank everybody who organized something in remembrance of Chuck or paid attention to this good cause to let the metal flow. For those who don't know yet, please check out our Benefit page for some more details on these events. Thanks again!

Message received later from James:

As we mourn the recent passing of one musical giant the calendar marks the 3rd anniversary of the tragic parting of another, equal in stature and influence, and as deeply missed. I so very much wanted to complete the Within The Mind tribute album by this day, but the logistics of organizing so many great talents has proven far more daunting than I ever would have imagined. Still, the progress has been good and I feel in my heart that Chuck would be proud of our efforts, and would want a special dedication placed on the album for Dimebag Darrell Abbott. The names, memories, and spirits of Chuck, Darrell, and many other fallen musical heroes will live on with us all and inspire the heroes of the future. This is the true destiny of their legacies and, above all material considerations of fame and wealth, is the best that any musician can ever dream of attaining: a true contribution.

Rest in peace Chuck and Darrell, you will live on through your music forever.

James Murphy
Dec. 13th, 2004

Saturday December 11 2004
Especially for the USA/New York fans, check out the Benefit page.

Thursday December 9 2004
Especially for the fans from Italy and Nepal, check out the Benefit page.

Wednesday December 8 2004
METAL QUEEN MANAGEMENT presents a Memorial Benefit to Chuck Schuldiner on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10 featuring Atheretic (Galy Records), Bloodshoteye (Galy Records), Shatterpoint, Evirus, Wetwork, Bleak Destiny, 19 Days, Beyond Death at Club Rockit, 120 Church Street, Toronto, ON, CANADA. Doors at 7 pm. All Ages. $10 in advance/$12 at the door. Each band plays tribute to Chuck’s bands Death and Control Denied. Jane Schuldiner, Chuck’s mom, donated Chuck's Memorial Video which will be projected throughout the evening. Funds are being donated to the CS memorial fund. Advance tix available at Rotate This, The Rockit and Metal Queen Management.

Chuck Schuldiner (May 13, 1967 - December 13, 2001) by Steve. A.J.D.

Chuck Schuldiner, one of the best loved musicians of the previous decade, was the vocalist/guitarist and founder of the band Death. Death, a band so influential, an entire subgenre of Metal bears its name. Chuck is considered the Godfather of Death Metal.

While still a teenager in the eighties, Chuck formed his first band, Mantas. Inspired by the heaviest acts of the day, Merciful Fate, Exciter, Venom and Celtic Frost, young Chuck took it upon himself to "bash out the most brutal riffs ever with the most brutal guitar sound ever”. Eventually, Mantas evolved into Death, and Heavy Metal would never be the same.

Death was heavy, some would say "brutal", and unlike eighties thrash, not always fast. The vocals were not just distorted, but guttural, like a monster devouring his microphone. This kind of vocal style would become an important, almost indispensable element of the new "Death Metal”. It was a new kind of sound, heavier than anything that came before.

Before he'd even left high school, Chuck devoted himself fully to his music, perfecting his technique while living in friend's basements, and enduring lousy jobs (like Taco Bell!) to finance the project. He relocated many times (even had a short stint in Toronto with Slaughter) until finally settling in Florida to release the first Death album in 1987, "Scream Bloody Gore".

"Scream Bloody Gore" marked a new era. With bands like Possessed and Morbid Angel, Death was heavier and more violent than previous bands, celebrating brutality like some kind of musical splatter film. It did not delve into occultism - such things didn't interest Chuck, being mainly concerned with horror movie imagery. Basically a new kind of Metal - "Death Metal”. But unlike the emerging grindcore bands who dealt with similar themes, Death was also very technical, almost progressive at times.

Chuck was dedicated to Metal in all its forms. In 1999 he explored it's more traditional elements in Control Denied, with Tim Aymar on vocals. He said the first Control Denied album, the Fragile Art of Existence, took Death "to the next step", and got right to work on a followup.

Sadly, this is when Chuck was diagnosed with a brainstem tumor. He battled the cancer for two years before succumbing to it on December 13, 2001.

Chuck Schuldiner accomplished a great deal in his short life. He took heavy music into new directions, inspiring many. He will never be forgotten. The surviving members of Control Denied are determined to finish the work Chuck started and release the second album in his memory.

On Friday, December 10 we pay tribute to Chuck Schuldiner at Club Rockit, 120 Church Street, Toronto.

Sunday December 5 2004
Especially for the Finnish fans, check out the Benefit page.

Former Carcass frontman Jeff Walker will perform with To Separate The Flesh From The Bones, the Finnish grindcore band featuring Herr Arschstein (Pasi Koskinen, ex-Amorphis), Rot Wailer (Niclas Etelavuori, Amorphis) and Pus Sypope (Gas, H.I.M.), at the third "The Fragile Art of Existence - Tribute to Chuck Schuldiner" benefit concert at Klubi in Tampere, Finland on Saturday, December 18. Also scheduled to appear are Diablo (who are organizing the event), Sara (Finnish singing metal band) and Omnium Gatherum. The presenters are Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus guitarists Jarkko Petosalmi and Jari Huttunen. Tickets are only 10 euros (via Swamp Music) and all proceeds will go to charity.

Thursday December 2 2004
Especially for the Turkish fans, check out the Benefit page.

Tuesday November 30 2004
Tribute update from James:

Hi all,

I've just returned home to Florida from a 6 week stay in Los Angeles where I got tons of work done for the Death Tribute CD, Within The Mind, which I have been working on together with Deron Miller of cKy for a while now.

My first week was at Deron's home where he recorded rhythm guitars for several of the album's tracks. I was expecting that he would do well but he blew my expectations out the door... he played the songs amazingly and knew them right off the top of his head... and very few punches were necessary (a rare feat, trust me)... he knew the songs THAT well!

In week two I stayed at the home of one-time Death guitarist Albert Gonzales. Albert, as those who know their Death history very well will remember, was the guitarist who took my place for the second US tour in support of Spiritual Healing. I had met Albert while I was still in Death when we played a festival that his then band, Evil Dead, also played. Albert is a killer jazz-influenced player who's solo style obviously impressed Chuck quite a bit back in 1990 and which is even more developed now and his contribution to the Within The Mind tribute is VERY cool and brings his part in the legacy of Death to full circle.

During week three I made a quick trip up to Seattle where I recorded Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis, Himsa guitarist Matt Wicklund, and ex-Forbidden, ex-Nevermore guitarist Tim Calvert. Jeff laid down 2 incredible solos, but that will be no surprise to those who have heard him and followed his career in Nevermore. Matt and Tim recorded a great solo each. It was cool to see from Matt's contribution yet another example that tasteful playing is alive and well in newer metal bands and it was an equally great pleasure to see Tim step back in from musical retirement (he has a successful aviation career) and show that he still has it. [Pic: Jeff Loomis and myself]

For week four I was back at Albert Gonzales' home where Rise vocalist/guitarist Istvan Lendvay also resides. Those unfamiliar with Rise may know Istvan from his touring stints as fill-in guitarist and bassist, respectively, for Behemoth and Vital Remains. Istvan lent his vocals to one track with great results. I also spent a few days resting and recuperating from the heavy schedule during this week.

Week 5 brought me to the home of Brujeria, Asesino, ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares where drummer Nicholas Barker (Brujeria, Old Man's Child, Lock-up, ex-Dimmu Borgir, ex-Cradle Of Filth) was also staying during a trip to the US to rehearse with Dino for some Brujeria shows and to write some material for their as yet unnamed new project. Nick laid down the foundation for 2 more songs for the tribute and Dino contributed his signature rhythm guitars to one of those. once again, I am very happy and I can't wait for everyone to hear them on the CD. Off the subject of the death tribute for a moment... during this week Dino and Nick asked me to record and mix 2 of their new songs for their new band... I did and I can tell you that it's awesome material and these two guys will be roaring back very soon with a full CD of new material with their new band and it's awesome, brutal, fast, technical, VERY heavy and catchy. [Pic: Dino Cazares, Deron Miller, me, Nicholas Barker]

Week 6: amidst preparations to fly home and wrapping up the recordings with Dino and Nick I also managed in the final week to meet back up with Deron Miller who laid down an excellent vocal track and I also brought another bassist on board who happens to be an old friend of mine and a long time Death and death metal fan - Tony Campos of Static X. I've known Tony since about 1996 and, despite that his primary band is not known for playing death metal, his sincerity as fan of Chuck's music and death metal in general is the same now as it was when I first met him some 8 years or so ago.

I'm back in Florida now and planning the next trip out... this time the east and northeast US and a short trip into Canada... time to buy new thermals! As always I welcome your comments... just don't bother attacking the credibility or musicianship of any of the guests. Each were held to high standards and 2 major criteria... #1: each must have been a fan of Death and Chuck for years #2: musicianship, musicianship, musicianship - each guest must be able to play Chuck's music... and well.

Thanks for following the progress and for your patience... it's going to be worth the wait!

~James Murphy

Monday November 15 2004
Message from Chuck's mom:

Hello everybody,

I have a favor to ask. Many of you have written to let me know when you see that bootleg albums, videos, merchandise of all sorts, etc. are for sale out there. I would appreciate it if you could write today or tomorrow and let me know of any news at all that you have on this subject. The more the better. There is a new group of great attorneys who are excited to be working for Chuck's estate now and we look forward to some great news from them in the very near future.

We are very hopeful to soon finalize the question of when Chuck's album will be out, not if, and the first thing I will do when I find out is to write emptywords and share it with you. Just as I did December 13th, 2001. Take care.

Sincerely,
Jane Schuldiner

Saturday November 6 2004
The tour schedule pages (what a Jig-Saw puzzle it is!) are extensively updated with more dates, venues, pics & ticket stubs. The schedules for the Death All Over Europe Tour (1989) and the Spiritual Healing World Tour (1990) got a page each. The Early Death Tourdates are reduced to the years ‘84-’88. Check the TOURS page for a full survey. Thanks Brandon, David, Elöd, Erwin, Gino, Jean-Georges, Thomas and Yakuza. (Burkhard you're next).

Thursday October 21 2004
Death fan Jerry Ducasse has written an essay on Chuck for his college Literature class, featuring portions of the bios, interviews, and reviews. The essay (including bibliography) is here.

We also added two Live in L.A. album reviews: one from Ian Heran’s Read Between The Lies (thanks Jubie), and one from Deadtide (thanks Jason).

And finally: for what it’s worth, we put this year’s editorial comment on our Backstage page. That’s all for now. More soon!

Wednesday October 6 2004
Especially for the Canadian fans, check out the Benefit page.

Tuesday September 14 2004
Message from Chuck's mom:

Hello everybody,

This message is to let you know that I have no more Symbolic shirts for sale, and no more medium Let The Metal Flow shirts, just the large and xlarge. You let me know you wanted that design and there has been a tremendous response to it. In response to your questions, I am going to have another design as soon as I decide which one to use. Then I will make sure there is more of a variety in sizes, though the large is by far the most requested.

Also, as requested, there is more variety of merchandise in the planning stages, but I will let you know more about that later. I am also talking with someone about a memorial shirt and a tribute shirt, so as soon as I make a decision about that I will be sure to tell you on the emptywords site.

I know only too well that December 13th is approaching and some of you have asked how to contribute to a memorial. I have taken some of the contributions from the past year to have a memorial plaque put on a pathway in North Carolina, I had Chuck and his brother, Frank, together on that plaque. The location has a special meaning for our family. I have two more planned and will let you know about them in the near future.

As for a memorial contribution this time, it would be a great tribute to Chuck, as always, if you would make a donation to The Brain Tumor Society in Chuck's name, address below. Although Chuck did not have a brain tumor, the more rare brainstem tumor he had is also included in the research for a cure. All money is 100% used in the research, no large salaries and bonus benefits for the executives as it is in so many of these organizations. This is the greatest single thing you can do in memory of Chuck. The address:

Brain Tumor Society
124 Watertown Street
Suite 3H
Watertown, Massachusetts 02472 / USA

If you prefer to donate online, you can find a form here. If you have questions about the album or anything at all, you can reach me at mfbccj@yahoo.com for a personal answer, as always.

Take care,
Jane Schuldiner

Sunday September 12 2004
The metal faith alive
Death tribute bands united on EmptyWords? An appeal.

We want to make an inventory of how many Death Tribute/Cover bands (there must be some around the world) want to participate in some sort of contact page. An Italian fan and member of a Death tribute band himself came with the idea to bring such a section alive on EmptyWords, with contacts, site addresses, tourdates and maybe some other material. If you have a DTB and think this is a great idea, let us know. We think it is a nice thing to do to keep the metal faith alive!

Speaking of tourdates: without announcing it all the time, every now and then we update the tourschedule pages with missing dates & venues, pictures, tickets or other related items. If you know something that we don't know yet, please feel free to contact us. Thank you.

As you may have noticed, we also updated our United Devices page. Together with a deeplink on the NEWS page. We would like to bring it to your attention once more and hope you will take a look around and join our team on this project. Thanks again.

Monday July 19 2004
Additional message from Chuck's mom:

Hello everybody,

Thank you for the terrific response to the Let The Metal Flow shirts. Just a short reminder to not send checks, please. Not only does it take an extra 2 weeks for the check to clear, sometimes the check does not clear and my bank charges me a fee for that. Also, only US funds.

The only size I have left in the Symbolic shirts is large, but the Let The Metal Flow shirts are in xlarge, large, and some mediums. Any questions, please feel free to email me.

Take care,
Jane Schuldiner

Saturday July 17 2004
Message from Chuck's mom:

To the fans,

The Let The Metal Flow shirt price will be dropped to 20$ per shirt plus postage. Due to orders I have received already I realize the fans overseas have a disadvantage in buying the shirts because postage is expensive to mail overseas, especially as I send everything airmail.

The majority of orders do come from overseas and it is only fair that I rethink the price to make it more even with the US. Since I have absorbed this cost in the past myself, I should have been more aware. The ones who have already received their shirt orders will receive a 5$ refund from me within this next week.

Thank you for the great response, and from what I have read in the past months, this shirt was one the majority of you have asked for. I have just a few of the Symbolic shirts left, so let me hear from you as to which shirt I should offer next. Take care.

Sincerely,
Jane Schuldiner

Wednesday July 7 2004
Chuck's mom has re-issued the grey "Let The Metal Flow" Death T-shirt. Check the SUPPORT page for a view and how to order.

Friday July 2 2004
Richard (picture) won! You can read an open letter from Richard here.

Tuesday June 29 2004
Help Richard to get a job on the Howard Stern Show. You can vote here. Voting will end on Wednesday June 30th at 11:59 PM (EST).

Saturday June 26 2004
Added an interview with Chuck from the French Metallian Magazine in the year 1998 (thanks Iside). More soon!

Friday June 18 2004
Added an interview that James did for the Dutch Aardschok Magazine (thanks Mike & Robbie). Enjoy!

Saturday June 12 2004
Tribute update from James:

Hi everyone,

It's been a good while since my last update and I apologize... been quite busy with the Within The Mind project, which for those who don't already know is the star studded tribute to Chuck Schuldiner and Death that I have been working on, as well as a few guest appearances which you will be able to read about on my personal site.

Here's a list of everyone who has recorded so far... this includes all the way to back to the start of the project and brings us right up to date as of last week: Richard Christy (drummer from Death, Control Denied and Iced Earth), Mark Hunter (vocalist from Chimaira), Matt Thompson (drummer from King Diamond), Matt DiFabio (vocalist/guitarist from Single Bullet Theory and Pissing Razors), Bill Mezic (bassist from Single Bullet Theory and Seven Witches), and most recently: Jason Bittner (drummer from Shadow's Fall) and Matt Bachand (guitarist from Shadow's Fall).

Yes!! A couple weeks ago I traveled to Albany, NY where I was picked up at the airport by Jason Bittner and we headed directly over to Hydrostatic Recording Studios to begin setting up the drums and getting tones for the session. We started recording the drum tracks and rough guitar tracks for 3 Death songs (not telling yet!) the following day and Shadow's Fall guitarist Matt Bachand showed up a little later that morning to be on hand to record guitar parts for one of the songs.

The session went very smoothly and it was easy to tell that Jason had been playing the songs for quite a while and when you finally hear his performance on the CD there will no doubt as to why Modern Drummer Magazine recently awarded him the #1 Up And Coming Drummer Award. Matt and Jason both kicked ass on the tracks and once again the high standard set by Richard Christy at the beginning of the project was maintained!

Next up I'll be heading to the NY area again to record for the project with Dave Culross, Brett Hofmann, Ross Dolan, and others. Check the tribute site for pics from the session. Thanks... I will also soon be sending out a personal update and a Disincarnate update... thanks again!

~James Murphy

Thursday May 13 2004
Today, on Chuck's 37th birthday, we take you back six years with two pieces from Short Wave Warfare. An intie with Chuck, titled Death Becomes Him, and a TSOP review, both by Dave Adelson (thanks Jubie).

Sunday April 4 2004
After giving it another serious thought, we decided to not go ahead with the original plan as was announced on March 3. We are aware of the fact that discussions will continue, but none of this is doing any justice to Chuck's final music at all. His last masterpiece deserves more than to be released as unfinished bits of rehearsal room recordings on CD, or to be grabbed for free on the internet. It deserves to be finished by the rest of the band and to be released on a full-length album, titled: "When Machine And Man Collide". We hope you will all understand our decision.

Monday March 29 2004
Tribute update from James:

Hi everyone,

I have some recent progress on the Death Tribute project, Within The Mind, to report. I have recently gathered the performances of both Matt Thompson of King Diamond (drums) and Mark Hunter of Chimaira (vocals) and both of them did outstanding jobs! If you've only ever heard Matt play with King Diamond, his track on the tribute will be a big eye opener... Matt is an AMAZING drummer, not to mention one hell of a nice guy!

Mark Hunter delivered an awesome vocal performance that left me with no doubts whatsoever as to his death metal "credibility"... I spent my all my time in Cleveland with Mark, even outside the studio, and he turned out to be not only a very cool person but a lover of music in nearly all of it's diversity, as well as being a serious fan of death metal!

I can't wait until everyone can listen to and appreciate these guys on the level that I'm now able to! In short, things are going very well... and it's all being filmed for a companion DVD!! Lot's of exclamation points in this update, but I truly am excited to see this project coming together with such high caliber performances and top quality recording standards. Thanks, James Murphy.

Sunday March 28 2004
Added an interview that Chuck's mom did for the French Metallian Magazine (thanks Iside).

Saturday March 20 2004
After many requests, both of Death's official videos (for The Philosopher and Lack of Comprehension) are now available through EW. Check out the new downloads page. Have fun!

Wednesday March 10 2004
Tribute update from James:

On Saturday, March 6th I was able to confirm a new guest for the Within The Mind tribute to Chuck Schuldiner: Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth) will perform drums on at least one song for the tribute. Sorry that I can't give any more details at this time since we did not decide on a track just yet.

Anyone wishing to see a bit of the session that was completed a couple weeks ago with Richard Christy should go to the Within The Mind site: www.deathtribute.com and navigate to the sounds page. There we have posted two brief Quicktime movies from the session. Though the quality is poor you can still get a sneak peak into what's happening with the tribute. In the first clip you will see and hear some of Richard's drums going to tape live from the perspective of the mixing console, complete with a scratch guitar track being played by myself. In the second, the point of view moves to the live room where you will see Richard and laying down tracks with me once again supplying a guide track, though you will only hear drums as the guitar is only heard in our headphones and at the mixing console. You will need Quicktime player, available for free download on the net.

Thanks, ~James Murphy

Wednesday March 3 2004
Message from Chuck's mom:

Hello fans/friends,

I have read of plans to release, unauthorized, Chuck's raw music on CD. In response to that news let me say that any demo of Chuck's released by Karmageddon will be put on EmptyWords by the Schuldiner family to download for free.

Sincerely,
Jane Schuldiner

Tuesday March 2 2004
Tribute update from James:

This past Saturday, February 28th, the first recording session for the Within The Mind project was completed at ARS studios in Orlando, FL. We recorded the drum tracks for 4 middle-era Death tracks with former Death, Control Denied, and current Iced Earth drummer Richard Christy. The session went extremely well and we are all very happy with the results. This session has set a very high standard for the rest of the project and I won't rest until the rest of the project sessions meet or exceed the bar set this past Saturday by Richard and the killer staff at ARS.

I also want to announce the launch of the official site for the Within The Mind project: www.deathtribute.com. Here you will soon be able to find contributing artist profiles, starting with Richard Christy, as well as news, and short QuickTime video clips and still photos from the project's recording sessions. At the moment there is only a banner up on the site and the first new content will start to go up with the next couple days.

More great news: the members of the Roadrunner Record's band Chimaira have contacted me to express their love of Chuck's music and to ask to be a part of the project, so I am happy to announce their addition to the line-up. In keeping with the format of the rest of the tribute they will not be performing as band unto themselves. Vocalist Mark Hunter will contribute vocals to a track or tracks performed by other contributors while the rest of the band, which now includes recently recruited Soilwork drummer, Richard Evansand, will perform a track on which the vocals will be handled by another guest. To quote Mark, "I wouldn't be a vocalist right now if it weren't for Chuck's music".

Thanks to everyone for all the awesome written support so far! I leave soon for more sessions and updates will follow as the sessions are completed!! Many thanks, ~James Murphy

Tuesday February 24 2004
Tribute update from James:

This past Saturday I traveled to Orlando to Richard Christy's warehouse where he and I practiced the songs which he will be playing on for the Within The Mind project. On the first passes through the songs we nailed them... it sounded more like we had been playing together for months rather than minutes. Richard is a very disciplined and talented musician and clearly those traits, along with his love for the music of Death and Chuck Schuldiner, have pushed him to put a good amount of his free time into practicing for the upcoming session. The results will be awesome, I'm more than certain.

It's also looking like a few more guests have been added, Matt Thompson of King Diamond is tentatively scheduled to play drums on one or two tracks, his touring and recording schedule allowing, as is Pissing Razors/Single Bullet Theory vocalist/guitarist Matt DiFabio. Barring Opeth drummer Martin Lopez's availability, the remainder of the drum tracks are scheduled to be recorded with Dave Culross of Malevolent Creation and Suffocation fame.

Immediately following the recordings with Richard Christy I will begin traveling to gather the rest of the performances. Currently planned destinations include California, Pennsylvania, Iowa, NY and Canada. More US locations and several European locations will also be visited before the project's end.

Monday February 23 2004
Added ten more tabs. From SBG: Infernal Death (tabbed in both notepad and Guitar Pro, thanks Charles), from Human: Secret Face and Lack of Comprehension (thanks Jerad), from ITP: Overactive Imagination, Individual Thought Patterns, Destiny and Out of Touch (thanks Dave), and from TSOP: Spirit Crusher (thanks Kerry (& Andrej)) and Story to Tell (thanks Remi). Good luck!

We also added more tourdates and some pics for several tours, thanks to all for your contribution. Check out the THANKS page and see if your name is immortalized.

And finally: we added one more memorial piece (from Rising Power, thanks Tony).

Thursday February 12 2004
More tribute news from James:

Another new, confirmed guest for the Within The Mind tribute: Luc Lemay of Gorguts!! That brings the total new additions to 4 in as many days. Luc joins other recent additions Richard Christy (Iced Earth, Ex-Death, Control Denied), Patrick Mameli (Ex-Pestilence) and Jean-Francois Dagenais (Kataklysm).

Wednesday February 11 2004
Message from James Murphy:

Tonight Richard Christy (Death, Control Denied, Iced Earth, Burning Inside) confirmed his appearance on the Within The Mind project. Richard will play on a total of 4 tracks which originate on the Human and Individual Thought Patterns albums. He will spend the next week or so refreshing his memory and sharpening his chops on those songs and then I will join him at his Orlando warehouse the following weekend for some intense rehearsals after which we will enter a local Orlando studio (ARS is the most likely choice) and lay down his tracks. We're very excited and honored to have Richard on board and his tracks will be the first to be recorded for the project! Soon after I will begin rehearsals with Dave Culross and he will record the majority of the remaining drum tracks.

Also noteworthy: at last night's Opeth concert in Tampa drummer Martin Lopez expressed his interest in playing at least one track on the Within The Mind project. Schedules permitting, I will try hard to make certain that he does!

More news as it develops...

Thursday February 5 2004
Especially for the Hungarian fans, check the benefit page.

Sunday February 1 2004
Today we accidentely removed an email from someone who's doing a book about guitar players. The subject line was something like "hello from ??? (a US state, we can't remember which one)." Can you please write us again?

At the moment we get swamped with email, and it's quite a task to seperate the spam from the normal mail. Most of the time we can tell by the subject line what it's about, when it just says hi or hello we delete it without even opening it. Therefore we want to ask you if you mail us please put something in the subject line that we would recognize as legitimate, like "Death," "Chuck Schuldiner," etc.

Saturday January 31 2004
Added two related articles from the Italian Metal Hammer in which Death also comes up: an interview with "Strapping Young Lad" Gene Hoglan, and an interview with Sadus' Steve DiGiorgio (both from 1997, thanks Vincenzo).

Especially for drummers and everyone else interested: please check out Tom Casper's RichardChristy.com. Richard's own cyber home was launched last week and we think he definitely deserves one.

And last but not least: this month's Guitar World Magazine has "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists Of All Time" and Chuck is voted #20! Remember all the emails to Guitar World from the fans? Chuck sure would be pleased, wouldn't he?

Enjoy! More soon!

Friday January 30 2004
From Mascot-Provogue Records: Death, Slipknot and Hypocrisy members take part in C. Schuldiner tribute album

James Murphy (Death) is currently working on a project album entitled 'Within The Mind: an homage to the musical legacy of Chuck Schuldiner'. Set for release on MASCOT RECORDS in June 2004. 'Within The Mind' is a tribute to one of the most influential bands ever in the history of Metal and it will feature members of Death, Slipknot, Testament, Hypocrisy, Malevolent Creation and more.

So far this is the confirmed list of musicians involved in the project: James Murphy (ex Death), Darren Miller (CKY), Paul Gray (Slipknot), Mikael Thomson (Slipknot), Bret Hoffmann (Malevolent Creation), Dave Culross (Malevolent Creation/Suffocation), Ross Dolan (Immolation), Peter Tagtren (Hypocrisy), Mike Chlasciak (Halford), Terry Butler (Death, Massacre, Six Feet Under), Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson (Testament), Ryan and Chad (Mudvayne)...

Thursday January 1 2004
Welcome to the new year. On this very first day, we added the transcription of a video interview with Death from the Human era, thanks Dave. The news of the former year has been archived.


	Day of Remembrance Today, December 13th 2004, the 3rd anniversary of Chuck's death, we uploaded a high-quality poster on our downloads page. The poster is free and for personal use only. Take it up to your local printer and make something nice out of it. This picture, known from EW's NEWS page, was taken by Barbara Stiller and dates back to the early nineties. Enjoy! Today we've also added something from the distant past. Over eighteen years after the fact, we have re-published an intie with Chuck (from Metal Warriors), and a unique interview with Chris Reifert (from D.O.D.), thanks Jochen (from humandeath.de). Chuck (19 years of age and still quite innocent ;)) and Chris (18) were on the verge of a breakthrough with Death's upcoming debut album, that would go into history as deciding for the genre. The world was at their feet and while awaiting "Scream Bloody Gore" they did these (at times hilarious) interviews. The rest is history indeed. Time flies. Enjoy! At last we want to thank everybody who organized something in remembrance of Chuck or paid attention to this good cause to let the metal flow. For those who don't know yet, please check out our Benefit page for some more details on these events. Thanks again! Message received later from James: As we mourn the recent passing of one musical giant the calendar marks the 3rd anniversary of the tragic parting of another, equal in stature and influence, and as deeply missed. I so very much wanted to complete the Within The Mind tribute album by this day, but the logistics of organizing so many great talents has proven far more daunting than I ever would have imagined. Still, the progress has been good and I feel in my heart that Chuck would be proud of our efforts, and would want a special dedication placed on the album for Dimebag Darrell Abbott. The names, memories, and spirits of Chuck, Darrell, and many other fallen musical heroes will live on with us all and inspire the heroes of the future. This is the true destiny of their legacies and, above all material considerations of fame and wealth, is the best that any musician can ever dream of attaining: a true contribution. Rest in peace Chuck and Darrell, you will live on through your music forever. James Murphy Dec. 13th, 2004 Saturday December 11 2004 Especially for the USA/New York fans, check out the Benefit page. Thursday December 9 2004 Especially for the fans from Italy and Nepal, check out the Benefit page. Wednesday December 8 2004 METAL QUEEN MANAGEMENT presents a Memorial Benefit to Chuck Schuldiner on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10 featuring Atheretic (Galy Records), Bloodshoteye (Galy Records), Shatterpoint, Evirus, Wetwork, Bleak Destiny, 19 Days, Beyond Death at Club Rockit, 120 Church Street, Toronto, ON, CANADA. Doors at 7 pm. All Ages. $10 in advance/$12 at the door. Each band plays tribute to Chuck’s bands Death and Control Denied. Jane Schuldiner, Chuck’s mom, donated Chuck's Memorial Video which will be projected throughout the evening. Funds are being donated to the CS memorial fund. Advance tix available at Rotate This, The Rockit and Metal Queen Management. Chuck Schuldiner (May 13, 1967 - December 13, 2001) by Steve. A.J.D. Chuck Schuldiner, one of the best loved musicians of the previous decade, was the vocalist/guitarist and founder of the band Death. Death, a band so influential, an entire subgenre of Metal bears its name. Chuck is considered the Godfather of Death Metal. While still a teenager in the eighties, Chuck formed his first band, Mantas. Inspired by the heaviest acts of the day, Merciful Fate, Exciter, Venom and Celtic Frost, young Chuck took it upon himself to "bash out the most brutal riffs ever with the most brutal guitar sound ever”. Eventually, Mantas evolved into Death, and Heavy Metal would never be the same. Death was heavy, some would say "brutal", and unlike eighties thrash, not always fast. The vocals were not just distorted, but guttural, like a monster devouring his microphone. This kind of vocal style would become an important, almost indispensable element of the new "Death Metal”. It was a new kind of sound, heavier than anything that came before. Before he'd even left high school, Chuck devoted himself fully to his music, perfecting his technique while living in friend's basements, and enduring lousy jobs (like Taco Bell!) to finance the project. He relocated many times (even had a short stint in Toronto with Slaughter) until finally settling in Florida to release the first Death album in 1987, "Scream Bloody Gore". "Scream Bloody Gore" marked a new era. With bands like Possessed and Morbid Angel, Death was heavier and more violent than previous bands, celebrating brutality like some kind of musical splatter film. It did not delve into occultism - such things didn't interest Chuck, being mainly concerned with horror movie imagery. Basically a new kind of Metal - "Death Metal”. But unlike the emerging grindcore bands who dealt with similar themes, Death was also very technical, almost progressive at times. Chuck was dedicated to Metal in all its forms. In 1999 he explored it's more traditional elements in Control Denied, with Tim Aymar on vocals. He said the first Control Denied album, the Fragile Art of Existence, took Death "to the next step", and got right to work on a followup. Sadly, this is when Chuck was diagnosed with a brainstem tumor. He battled the cancer for two years before succumbing to it on December 13, 2001. Chuck Schuldiner accomplished a great deal in his short life. He took heavy music into new directions, inspiring many. He will never be forgotten. The surviving members of Control Denied are determined to finish the work Chuck started and release the second album in his memory. On Friday, December 10 we pay tribute to Chuck Schuldiner at Club Rockit, 120 Church Street, Toronto. Sunday December 5 2004 Especially for the Finnish fans, check out the Benefit page. Former Carcass frontman Jeff Walker will perform with To Separate The Flesh From The Bones, the Finnish grindcore band featuring Herr Arschstein (Pasi Koskinen, ex-Amorphis), Rot Wailer (Niclas Etelavuori, Amorphis) and Pus Sypope (Gas, H.I.M.), at the third "The Fragile Art of Existence - Tribute to Chuck Schuldiner" benefit concert at Klubi in Tampere, Finland on Saturday, December 18. Also scheduled to appear are Diablo (who are organizing the event), Sara (Finnish singing metal band) and Omnium Gatherum. The presenters are Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus guitarists Jarkko Petosalmi and Jari Huttunen. Tickets are only 10 euros (via Swamp Music) and all proceeds will go to charity. Thursday December 2 2004 Especially for the Turkish fans, check out the Benefit page. Tuesday November 30 2004 Tribute update from James: Hi all, I've just returned home to Florida from a 6 week stay in Los Angeles where I got tons of work done for the Death Tribute CD, Within The Mind, which I have been working on together with Deron Miller of cKy for a while now. My first week was at Deron's home where he recorded rhythm guitars for several of the album's tracks. I was expecting that he would do well but he blew my expectations out the door... he played the songs amazingly and knew them right off the top of his head... and very few punches were necessary (a rare feat, trust me)... he knew the songs THAT well! In week two I stayed at the home of one-time Death guitarist Albert Gonzales. Albert, as those who know their Death history very well will remember, was the guitarist who took my place for the second US tour in support of Spiritual Healing. I had met Albert while I was still in Death when we played a festival that his then band, Evil Dead, also played. Albert is a killer jazz-influenced player who's solo style obviously impressed Chuck quite a bit back in 1990 and which is even more developed now and his contribution to the Within The Mind tribute is VERY cool and brings his part in the legacy of Death to full circle. During week three I made a quick trip up to Seattle where I recorded Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis, Himsa guitarist Matt Wicklund, and ex-Forbidden, ex-Nevermore guitarist Tim Calvert. Jeff laid down 2 incredible solos, but that will be no surprise to those who have heard him and followed his career in Nevermore. Matt and Tim recorded a great solo each. It was cool to see from Matt's contribution yet another example that tasteful playing is alive and well in newer metal bands and it was an equally great pleasure to see Tim step back in from musical retirement (he has a successful aviation career) and show that he still has it. [Pic: Jeff Loomis and myself] For week four I was back at Albert Gonzales' home where Rise vocalist/guitarist Istvan Lendvay also resides. Those unfamiliar with Rise may know Istvan from his touring stints as fill-in guitarist and bassist, respectively, for Behemoth and Vital Remains. Istvan lent his vocals to one track with great results. I also spent a few days resting and recuperating from the heavy schedule during this week. Week 5 brought me to the home of Brujeria, Asesino, ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares where drummer Nicholas Barker (Brujeria, Old Man's Child, Lock-up, ex-Dimmu Borgir, ex-Cradle Of Filth) was also staying during a trip to the US to rehearse with Dino for some Brujeria shows and to write some material for their as yet unnamed new project. Nick laid down the foundation for 2 more songs for the tribute and Dino contributed his signature rhythm guitars to one of those. once again, I am very happy and I can't wait for everyone to hear them on the CD. Off the subject of the death tribute for a moment... during this week Dino and Nick asked me to record and mix 2 of their new songs for their new band... I did and I can tell you that it's awesome material and these two guys will be roaring back very soon with a full CD of new material with their new band and it's awesome, brutal, fast, technical, VERY heavy and catchy. [Pic: Dino Cazares, Deron Miller, me, Nicholas Barker] Week 6: amidst preparations to fly home and wrapping up the recordings with Dino and Nick I also managed in the final week to meet back up with Deron Miller who laid down an excellent vocal track and I also brought another bassist on board who happens to be an old friend of mine and a long time Death and death metal fan - Tony Campos of Static X. I've known Tony since about 1996 and, despite that his primary band is not known for playing death metal, his sincerity as fan of Chuck's music and death metal in general is the same now as it was when I first met him some 8 years or so ago. I'm back in Florida now and planning the next trip out... this time the east and northeast US and a short trip into Canada... time to buy new thermals! As always I welcome your comments... just don't bother attacking the credibility or musicianship of any of the guests. Each were held to high standards and 2 major criteria... #1: each must have been a fan of Death and Chuck for years #2: musicianship, musicianship, musicianship - each guest must be able to play Chuck's music... and well. Thanks for following the progress and for your patience... it's going to be worth the wait! ~James Murphy Monday November 15 2004 Message from Chuck's mom: Hello everybody, I have a favor to ask. Many of you have written to let me know when you see that bootleg albums, videos, merchandise of all sorts, etc. are for sale out there. I would appreciate it if you could write today or tomorrow and let me know of any news at all that you have on this subject. The more the better. There is a new group of great attorneys who are excited to be working for Chuck's estate now and we look forward to some great news from them in the very near future. We are very hopeful to soon finalize the question of when Chuck's album will be out, not if, and the first thing I will do when I find out is to write emptywords and share it with you. Just as I did December 13th, 2001. Take care. Sincerely, Jane Schuldiner Saturday November 6 2004 The tour schedule pages (what a Jig-Saw puzzle it is!) are extensively updated with more dates, venues, pics & ticket stubs. The schedules for the Death All Over Europe Tour (1989) and the Spiritual Healing World Tour (1990) got a page each. The Early Death Tourdates are reduced to the years ‘84-’88. Check the TOURS page for a full survey. Thanks Brandon, David, Elöd, Erwin, Gino, Jean-Georges, Thomas and Yakuza. (Burkhard you're next). Thursday October 21 2004 Death fan Jerry Ducasse has written an essay on Chuck for his college Literature class, featuring portions of the bios, interviews, and reviews. The essay (including bibliography) is here. We also added two Live in L.A. album reviews: one from Ian Heran’s Read Between The Lies (thanks Jubie), and one from Deadtide (thanks Jason). And finally: for what it’s worth, we put this year’s editorial comment on our Backstage page. That’s all for now. More soon! Wednesday October 6 2004 Especially for the Canadian fans, check out the Benefit page. Tuesday September 14 2004 Message from Chuck's mom: Hello everybody, This message is to let you know that I have no more Symbolic shirts for sale, and no more medium Let The Metal Flow shirts, just the large and xlarge. You let me know you wanted that design and there has been a tremendous response to it. In response to your questions, I am going to have another design as soon as I decide which one to use. Then I will make sure there is more of a variety in sizes, though the large is by far the most requested. Also, as requested, there is more variety of merchandise in the planning stages, but I will let you know more about that later. I am also talking with someone about a memorial shirt and a tribute shirt, so as soon as I make a decision about that I will be sure to tell you on the emptywords site. I know only too well that December 13th is approaching and some of you have asked how to contribute to a memorial. I have taken some of the contributions from the past year to have a memorial plaque put on a pathway in North Carolina, I had Chuck and his brother, Frank, together on that plaque. The location has a special meaning for our family. I have two more planned and will let you know about them in the near future. As for a memorial contribution this time, it would be a great tribute to Chuck, as always, if you would make a donation to The Brain Tumor Society in Chuck's name, address below. Although Chuck did not have a brain tumor, the more rare brainstem tumor he had is also included in the research for a cure. All money is 100% used in the research, no large salaries and bonus benefits for the executives as it is in so many of these organizations. This is the greatest single thing you can do in memory of Chuck. The address: Brain Tumor Society 124 Watertown Street Suite 3H Watertown, Massachusetts 02472 / USA If you prefer to donate online, you can find a form here. If you have questions about the album or anything at all, you can reach me at mfbccj@yahoo.com for a personal answer, as always. Take care, Jane Schuldiner Sunday September 12 2004 The metal faith alive Death tribute bands united on EmptyWords? An appeal. We want to make an inventory of how many Death Tribute/Cover bands (there must be some around the world) want to participate in some sort of contact page. An Italian fan and member of a Death tribute band himself came with the idea to bring such a section alive on EmptyWords, with contacts, site addresses, tourdates and maybe some other material. If you have a DTB and think this is a great idea, let us know. We think it is a nice thing to do to keep the metal faith alive! Speaking of tourdates: without announcing it all the time, every now and then we update the tourschedule pages with missing dates & venues, pictures, tickets or other related items. If you know something that we don't know yet, please feel free to contact us. Thank you. As you may have noticed, we also updated our United Devices page. Together with a deeplink on the NEWS page. We would like to bring it to your attention once more and hope you will take a look around and join our team on this project. Thanks again. Monday July 19 2004 Additional message from Chuck's mom: Hello everybody, Thank you for the terrific response to the Let The Metal Flow shirts. Just a short reminder to not send checks, please. Not only does it take an extra 2 weeks for the check to clear, sometimes the check does not clear and my bank charges me a fee for that. Also, only US funds. The only size I have left in the Symbolic shirts is large, but the Let The Metal Flow shirts are in xlarge, large, and some mediums. Any questions, please feel free to email me. Take care, Jane Schuldiner Saturday July 17 2004 Message from Chuck's mom: To the fans, The Let The Metal Flow shirt price will be dropped to 20$ per shirt plus postage. Due to orders I have received already I realize the fans overseas have a disadvantage in buying the shirts because postage is expensive to mail overseas, especially as I send everything airmail. The majority of orders do come from overseas and it is only fair that I rethink the price to make it more even with the US. Since I have absorbed this cost in the past myself, I should have been more aware. The ones who have already received their shirt orders will receive a 5$ refund from me within this next week. Thank you for the great response, and from what I have read in the past months, this shirt was one the majority of you have asked for. I have just a few of the Symbolic shirts left, so let me hear from you as to which shirt I should offer next. Take care. Sincerely, Jane Schuldiner Wednesday July 7 2004 Chuck's mom has re-issued the grey "Let The Metal Flow" Death T-shirt. Check the SUPPORT page for a view and how to order. Friday July 2 2004 Richard (picture) won! You can read an open letter from Richard here. Tuesday June 29 2004 Help Richard to get a job on the Howard Stern Show. You can vote here. Voting will end on Wednesday June 30th at 11:59 PM (EST). Saturday June 26 2004 Added an interview with Chuck from the French Metallian Magazine in the year 1998 (thanks Iside). More soon! Friday June 18 2004 Added an interview that James did for the Dutch Aardschok Magazine (thanks Mike & Robbie). Enjoy! Saturday June 12 2004 Tribute update from James: Hi everyone, It's been a good while since my last update and I apologize... been quite busy with the Within The Mind project, which for those who don't already know is the star studded tribute to Chuck Schuldiner and Death that I have been working on, as well as a few guest appearances which you will be able to read about on my personal site. Here's a list of everyone who has recorded so far... this includes all the way to back to the start of the project and brings us right up to date as of last week: Richard Christy (drummer from Death, Control Denied and Iced Earth), Mark Hunter (vocalist from Chimaira), Matt Thompson (drummer from King Diamond), Matt DiFabio (vocalist/guitarist from Single Bullet Theory and Pissing Razors), Bill Mezic (bassist from Single Bullet Theory and Seven Witches), and most recently: Jason Bittner (drummer from Shadow's Fall) and Matt Bachand (guitarist from Shadow's Fall). Yes!! A couple weeks ago I traveled to Albany, NY where I was picked up at the airport by Jason Bittner and we headed directly over to Hydrostatic Recording Studios to begin setting up the drums and getting tones for the session. We started recording the drum tracks and rough guitar tracks for 3 Death songs (not telling yet!) the following day and Shadow's Fall guitarist Matt Bachand showed up a little later that morning to be on hand to record guitar parts for one of the songs. The session went very smoothly and it was easy to tell that Jason had been playing the songs for quite a while and when you finally hear his performance on the CD there will no doubt as to why Modern Drummer Magazine recently awarded him the #1 Up And Coming Drummer Award. Matt and Jason both kicked ass on the tracks and once again the high standard set by Richard Christy at the beginning of the project was maintained! Next up I'll be heading to the NY area again to record for the project with Dave Culross, Brett Hofmann, Ross Dolan, and others. Check the tribute site for pics from the session. Thanks... I will also soon be sending out a personal update and a Disincarnate update... thanks again! ~James Murphy Thursday May 13 2004 Today, on Chuck's 37th birthday, we take you back six years with two pieces from Short Wave Warfare. An intie with Chuck, titled Death Becomes Him, and a TSOP review, both by Dave Adelson (thanks Jubie). Sunday April 4 2004 After giving it another serious thought, we decided to not go ahead with the original plan as was announced on March 3. We are aware of the fact that discussions will continue, but none of this is doing any justice to Chuck's final music at all. His last masterpiece deserves more than to be released as unfinished bits of rehearsal room recordings on CD, or to be grabbed for free on the internet. It deserves to be finished by the rest of the band and to be released on a full-length album, titled: "When Machine And Man Collide". We hope you will all understand our decision. Monday March 29 2004 Tribute update from James: Hi everyone, I have some recent progress on the Death Tribute project, Within The Mind, to report. I have recently gathered the performances of both Matt Thompson of King Diamond (drums) and Mark Hunter of Chimaira (vocals) and both of them did outstanding jobs! If you've only ever heard Matt play with King Diamond, his track on the tribute will be a big eye opener... Matt is an AMAZING drummer, not to mention one hell of a nice guy! Mark Hunter delivered an awesome vocal performance that left me with no doubts whatsoever as to his death metal "credibility"... I spent my all my time in Cleveland with Mark, even outside the studio, and he turned out to be not only a very cool person but a lover of music in nearly all of it's diversity, as well as being a serious fan of death metal! I can't wait until everyone can listen to and appreciate these guys on the level that I'm now able to! In short, things are going very well... and it's all being filmed for a companion DVD!! Lot's of exclamation points in this update, but I truly am excited to see this project coming together with such high caliber performances and top quality recording standards. Thanks, James Murphy. Sunday March 28 2004 Added an interview that Chuck's mom did for the French Metallian Magazine (thanks Iside). Saturday March 20 2004 After many requests, both of Death's official videos (for The Philosopher and Lack of Comprehension) are now available through EW. Check out the new downloads page. Have fun! Wednesday March 10 2004 Tribute update from James: On Saturday, March 6th I was able to confirm a new guest for the Within The Mind tribute to Chuck Schuldiner: Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth) will perform drums on at least one song for the tribute. Sorry that I can't give any more details at this time since we did not decide on a track just yet. Anyone wishing to see a bit of the session that was completed a couple weeks ago with Richard Christy should go to the Within The Mind site: www.deathtribute.com and navigate to the sounds page. There we have posted two brief Quicktime movies from the session. Though the quality is poor you can still get a sneak peak into what's happening with the tribute. In the first clip you will see and hear some of Richard's drums going to tape live from the perspective of the mixing console, complete with a scratch guitar track being played by myself. In the second, the point of view moves to the live room where you will see Richard and laying down tracks with me once again supplying a guide track, though you will only hear drums as the guitar is only heard in our headphones and at the mixing console. You will need Quicktime player, available for free download on the net. Thanks, ~James Murphy Wednesday March 3 2004 Message from Chuck's mom: Hello fans/friends, I have read of plans to release, unauthorized, Chuck's raw music on CD. In response to that news let me say that any demo of Chuck's released by Karmageddon will be put on EmptyWords by the Schuldiner family to download for free. Sincerely, Jane Schuldiner Tuesday March 2 2004 Tribute update from James: This past Saturday, February 28th, the first recording session for the Within The Mind project was completed at ARS studios in Orlando, FL. We recorded the drum tracks for 4 middle-era Death tracks with former Death, Control Denied, and current Iced Earth drummer Richard Christy. The session went extremely well and we are all very happy with the results. This session has set a very high standard for the rest of the project and I won't rest until the rest of the project sessions meet or exceed the bar set this past Saturday by Richard and the killer staff at ARS. I also want to announce the launch of the official site for the Within The Mind project: www.deathtribute.com. Here you will soon be able to find contributing artist profiles, starting with Richard Christy, as well as news, and short QuickTime video clips and still photos from the project's recording sessions. At the moment there is only a banner up on the site and the first new content will start to go up with the next couple days. More great news: the members of the Roadrunner Record's band Chimaira have contacted me to express their love of Chuck's music and to ask to be a part of the project, so I am happy to announce their addition to the line-up. In keeping with the format of the rest of the tribute they will not be performing as band unto themselves. Vocalist Mark Hunter will contribute vocals to a track or tracks performed by other contributors while the rest of the band, which now includes recently recruited Soilwork drummer, Richard Evansand, will perform a track on which the vocals will be handled by another guest. To quote Mark, "I wouldn't be a vocalist right now if it weren't for Chuck's music". Thanks to everyone for all the awesome written support so far! I leave soon for more sessions and updates will follow as the sessions are completed!! Many thanks, ~James Murphy Tuesday February 24 2004 Tribute update from James: This past Saturday I traveled to Orlando to Richard Christy's warehouse where he and I practiced the songs which he will be playing on for the Within The Mind project. On the first passes through the songs we nailed them... it sounded more like we had been playing together for months rather than minutes. Richard is a very disciplined and talented musician and clearly those traits, along with his love for the music of Death and Chuck Schuldiner, have pushed him to put a good amount of his free time into practicing for the upcoming session. The results will be awesome, I'm more than certain. It's also looking like a few more guests have been added, Matt Thompson of King Diamond is tentatively scheduled to play drums on one or two tracks, his touring and recording schedule allowing, as is Pissing Razors/Single Bullet Theory vocalist/guitarist Matt DiFabio. Barring Opeth drummer Martin Lopez's availability, the remainder of the drum tracks are scheduled to be recorded with Dave Culross of Malevolent Creation and Suffocation fame. Immediately following the recordings with Richard Christy I will begin traveling to gather the rest of the performances. Currently planned destinations include California, Pennsylvania, Iowa, NY and Canada. More US locations and several European locations will also be visited before the project's end. Monday February 23 2004 Added ten more tabs. From SBG: Infernal Death (tabbed in both notepad and Guitar Pro, thanks Charles), from Human: Secret Face and Lack of Comprehension (thanks Jerad), from ITP: Overactive Imagination, Individual Thought Patterns, Destiny and Out of Touch (thanks Dave), and from TSOP: Spirit Crusher (thanks Kerry (& Andrej)) and Story to Tell (thanks Remi). Good luck! We also added more tourdates and some pics for several tours, thanks to all for your contribution. Check out the THANKS page and see if your name is immortalized. And finally: we added one more memorial piece (from Rising Power, thanks Tony). Thursday February 12 2004 More tribute news from James: Another new, confirmed guest for the Within The Mind tribute: Luc Lemay of Gorguts!! That brings the total new additions to 4 in as many days. Luc joins other recent additions Richard Christy (Iced Earth, Ex-Death, Control Denied), Patrick Mameli (Ex-Pestilence) and Jean-Francois Dagenais (Kataklysm). Wednesday February 11 2004 Message from James Murphy: Tonight Richard Christy (Death, Control Denied, Iced Earth, Burning Inside) confirmed his appearance on the Within The Mind project. Richard will play on a total of 4 tracks which originate on the Human and Individual Thought Patterns albums. He will spend the next week or so refreshing his memory and sharpening his chops on those songs and then I will join him at his Orlando warehouse the following weekend for some intense rehearsals after which we will enter a local Orlando studio (ARS is the most likely choice) and lay down his tracks. We're very excited and honored to have Richard on board and his tracks will be the first to be recorded for the project! Soon after I will begin rehearsals with Dave Culross and he will record the majority of the remaining drum tracks. Also noteworthy: at last night's Opeth concert in Tampa drummer Martin Lopez expressed his interest in playing at least one track on the Within The Mind project. Schedules permitting, I will try hard to make certain that he does! More news as it develops... Thursday February 5 2004 Especially for the Hungarian fans, check the benefit page. Sunday February 1 2004 Today we accidentely removed an email from someone who's doing a book about guitar players. The subject line was something like "hello from ??? (a US state, we can't remember which one)." Can you please write us again? At the moment we get swamped with email, and it's quite a task to seperate the spam from the normal mail. Most of the time we can tell by the subject line what it's about, when it just says hi or hello we delete it without even opening it. Therefore we want to ask you if you mail us please put something in the subject line that we would recognize as legitimate, like "Death," "Chuck Schuldiner," etc. Saturday January 31 2004 Added two related articles from the Italian Metal Hammer in which Death also comes up: an interview with "Strapping Young Lad" Gene Hoglan, and an interview with Sadus' Steve DiGiorgio (both from 1997, thanks Vincenzo). Especially for drummers and everyone else interested: please check out Tom Casper's RichardChristy.com. Richard's own cyber home was launched last week and we think he definitely deserves one. And last but not least: this month's Guitar World Magazine has "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists Of All Time" and Chuck is voted #20! Remember all the emails to Guitar World from the fans? Chuck sure would be pleased, wouldn't he? Enjoy! More soon! Friday January 30 2004 From Mascot-Provogue Records: Death, Slipknot and Hypocrisy members take part in C. Schuldiner tribute album James Murphy (Death) is currently working on a project album entitled 'Within The Mind: an homage to the musical legacy of Chuck Schuldiner'. Set for release on MASCOT RECORDS in June 2004. 'Within The Mind' is a tribute to one of the most influential bands ever in the history of Metal and it will feature members of Death, Slipknot, Testament, Hypocrisy, Malevolent Creation and more. So far this is the confirmed list of musicians involved in the project: James Murphy (ex Death), Darren Miller (CKY), Paul Gray (Slipknot), Mikael Thomson (Slipknot), Bret Hoffmann (Malevolent Creation), Dave Culross (Malevolent Creation/Suffocation), Ross Dolan (Immolation), Peter Tagtren (Hypocrisy), Mike Chlasciak (Halford), Terry Butler (Death, Massacre, Six Feet Under), Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson (Testament), Ryan and Chad (Mudvayne)... Thursday January 1 2004 Welcome to the new year. On this very first day, we added the transcription of a video interview with Death from the Human era, thanks Dave. The news of the former year has been archived.