Morten Stützer
Died October 2, 2019
Farewell to the
founder member and
guitarist of Danish
heavy metallers
Artillery. Formed in
1982, the band were in
the process of putting
together a new album
when Stützer died
unexpectedly aged 57,
and have vowed to
continue performing
in his honour.Richard Brunelle
September 6, 1964 –
September 23, 2019
The world of death
metal was shocked
and saddened when
Richard Brunelle,
guitarist for Morbid
Angel during their
heyday years, died at
the age of 55. Brunelle
joined the Floridian
band in 1985 and was
with them until 1991.
He also returned for
two further live stints,
in ’94 and ’98.
Richard went on to
perform with the
heavy metal band
Paths Of Possession.Kim Shattuck
July 17, 1963 –
October 2, 2019
California-raised
Shattuck (pictured)
began her career with
The Pandoras before
forming punk rockers
The Muffs in 1991. She
also joined the Pixies
for a tour in 2013.
Following her death, at
56, after a two-year
battle with amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis, The
Muffs confirmed they
had broken up.Jack Flanagan
Died October 12,
2019
The members of
Clutch are mourning
the loss to cancer of
their guiding light of
25 years, calling him
“the best manager,
mentor and friend
we could have ever
hoped for”. A former
member of New
York hardcore outfit
The Mob, Flanagan
also represented the
metal band GWAR.“I’m at my best
when I have
a deadline
hanging over me.”
Following his cancer diagnosis, the melodic Danes’
frontman talks new blood, Volbeat and keeping “the fire”.Pretty Maids
Over nearly four decades,
Denmark’s Pretty Maids have cultivated
a style that has earned them respect among
fans of melodic hard rock. Formed in 1981
by vocalist Ronnie Atkins and guitarist
Ken Hammer, the band have just released
Undress Your Madness, their sixteenth studio
album, highlighting a consummate
command of tunefulness and power.
Unfortunately their touring plans have
been disrupted due to Atkins now
undergoing treatment for lung cancer.
The frontman himself explains where this
leaves the band.How did you f ind
out that you have
the disease?
I was suffering from
back pains, and went
to get this checked
out. And that’s when
it was discovered I had
lung cancer.As a result, are Pretty Maids now on
hiatus for the foreseeable future?
We have no other choice. I’ve had twenty
per cent of my lungs removed surgically,
and now face chemo and radiotherapy. So,
all touring is on hold. The aim is for me to
be fit enough to do festivals next summer.Pretty Maids have been on a run of
impressive albums over the past
decade. What do you think has
brought about this revitalisation?
We took a break from 2002 to 2008,
because we felt like we were repeating
ourselves. Yes, there was the album Wa k e
Up To The Real World in 2006, but that
wasn’t at all good. However, when Ken and
I wrote the songs for Pandemonium [2010],
we knew the spirit had returned.Undress Your Madness introduces a new
line-up. Do you feel this change has
brought fresh impetus?
We never set out to constantly change our
line-up. Circumstances have forced us todo this over the years. But every time it
happens, the injection of new blood does
make a positive difference.Chris Laney is now on keyboards. He’s
a successful producer, so why didn’t he
produce the new album?
We love working with Jacob Hansen as
producer. He’s been part of the Pretty
Maids team now for the last five albums
we’ve done, and a crucial factor in the
way we sound. So while we’re delighted
to have Chris in the band, there was never
any talk of getting him
to produce.You wrote the songs
on the new album
just before going
into the studio. That
seems a bit rushed?
I know, but it works
for us. I’m at my best
when I have a deadline
hanging over me. We did the same for
[previous album] Kingmaker in 2016, and
that came out well. So we decided to keep
to the same plan. If you spend too long
writing and recording, as we used to, you
can lose that fire.Do the band feel undervalued, when
compared to other Danish bands such
as Volbeat?
Not at all. They’ve worked hard for their
success. Volbeat are also poppier than us,
which is why they’ve been so successful.
We do well enough to make it worthwhile.It’s Pretty Maids’ fortieth anniversary
in 2021. Does that mean anything
to you?
It does. I assure you that if all goes well
with my treatment I’ll be on stage in 2021,
celebrating the anniversary. The only
thing to stop me will be dying – and dying
is just too boring to think about. MDUndress Your Madness is out now via
Frontiers Music.KIM(^) SH
ATT
UC
K: (^) G
ETT
Y
Thank you
and good night.
Larry Junstrom
June 22, 1949 – October 6, 2019
Lynyrd Skynyrd have lamented the
passing of their original bassist, calling
him “the big man, on the big bass with
the even bigger heart”. Junstrom was
a member of the pre-Skynyrd band My
Backyard, who he left in 1971. He spent
most of his career with .38 Special,
who described him as “truly one of
a kind, a congenial travelling
companion and a great friend to all”.
Barrie Masters
Died October 2, 2019
The immensely popular frontman of
Eddie And The Hot Rods has died
unexpectedly at the age of 63. Known
for their Top Ten single Do Anything You
Wanna Do, the Hot Rods offered the
Sex Pistols their big break with
a support slot at London’s 100 Club,
though Masters once told Classic Rock
that his own group was not a punk act.
“We’re just a rock‘n’roll band,” he said.
Robert Hunter
June 23, 1941 – September 23, 2019
Bassist Phil Lesh and drummer Mickey
Hart of the Grateful Dead have paid
tribute to Hunter who wrote lyrics
for many of the Dead’s standards,
including Dark Star, Ripple and China
Cat Sunflower. Lesh said the 78-year-
old, who was inducted to the Rock And
Roll Hall Of Fame as a band member,
“defined in his words what it meant to
be the Grateful Dead”.
Erik Scott
January 17, 1948 – October 11, 2019
Wisconsin-born Scott played with Flo
& Eddie and Alice Cooper before
becoming the bass player with US
hard rockers Signal. Signal’s solitary
album, Loud & Clear, was released in
1989 and remains a cult favourite.
Scott, who was also a bandmate of
Carl Palmer in PM, had been battling
cancer. He was 71.
Tommy Udo
Died October 10, 2019
Born Allan McLachlan, Tommy Udo
took his nom de plume from a character
in the 1947 film noir Kiss Of Death. His
confrontational style of music writing
graced the NME, Sounds, Metal Hammer
and Classic Rock. Tommy would scorn us
for revealing that beneath his abrasive
exterior beat a heart of gold, but it’s true.
We send our condolences to his two
young sons, and pay further tribute to
the great man online at loudersound.com
14 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM