ITP EDITORIAL: GRIEF: DEATH, DYING IN A GENERATION

Seems three years - though maybe four
someone drops dead - whom i adore
you love someone - there will be grief
the kiss of death - lips of a thief - goddammit

A dusty stack of photographs
of times i cried - but mostly laughed
commit the past - into blue flame
acrid smoke - cowardly shame - goddammit

At times i'm truly terrified
cause dope and booze - don't help to hide
they're used to mask - a weakling's hurt
it's just like painting - over dirt-TYPE O NEGATIVE-"Everyone I Love is Dead"-

Ahh, it's an APRIL ETHEREAL: ITP's author reminds you NOT to remind her that's she's 40 now.
BTW, ITP's author barely went to half of the funerals of dead friends and family members.
I feel OLD now. April is a controversial month in music and metal. April 1994 was the month of Kurt Cobain's (NIRVANA guitarist/vocalist) suicide, as that took me hours to believe vs. the pranks we played on each other at our college radio station. April of 2002, ALICE IN CHAINS vocalist LAYNE STALEY died of a speed ball overdose after years of heroin abuse. In fact, I was just re searching those issues, looking back at those tragedies earlier this month.
Now, the recent wave of music icon deaths. Honestly, ITP author does NOT pay attention to celebrities and the wave of recent death's as their excessive, indulgences are catching up to them. However, it is disheartening to hear when great artists, or any interesting person on any level die so young.
The last time I experienced this awful wave of deaths in metal and amongst personal friends and acquaintances was 2006 through 2007. First with Jared Anderson (Hate Eternal/Morbid Angel, Internecine) then Jon Nödtveidt (Dissection), In Battle, Napalm Death's Jesse Pintado (all in two months). A few community members passed (Ed Brandes, Dennis O' Keefe). Also, two friends of mine committed suicide  (J Bone, Jay Lavalle). Earlier on last decade, my freind Shmoo passed to a heart attack in his early 30's (obesity), another freind Jay Bean passed in a car crash. September 11th, 2001 happened, and a family freind of mine passed to an aneurysm the next year and he was barely 30. My foster mom, whom hung in there through multiple heart attacks and eventually passed in 2006..We had to put my family cat SPAKYLE to rest after a battle with feline cancer. Of course, James Brown, my man, whom NEVER canceled out of that New Years Eve (BB KINGS) 2006 gig in NYC, he really was going to play, if only he had lived.
CHUCK SCHULDINER's passing from cancer hit the metal scene hard as he died the day AFTER he was discharged from a hospital, BATHORY mastermind Quorthon passed from a genuine heart attack earlier on this decade, and of course the tragic death of DIMEBAG ABBOTT during a show in Columbus, Ohio. Of course, metal horns to Polish death metal masters DECAPITATED on the decision to come back after the terrible tour van accident that claimed VITEK's life and left COVAN disabled.
Many other musicians bodies were ravaged from YEARS of drug and alcohol abuse as internal organs were damaged causing death.
The 90's were 20 years ago as that musical generational shift was recognized in the mainstream, (grunge/rap) but one would have to recognize the influence of the second wave of Scandinavian black metal scene in it's bleak and beautiful dysfunction and also the U.S. and European death metal scenes. All those dudes in the Norwegian black metal scene are out of prison and getting acclimated with the real world now after the tragedy of suicides, murderers and church burnings in their scene.
Funny, the 90's alternative scene railed against the excesses of the 80's "cock rock" drug, sex and rock and roll culture, when in reality many in the Seattle scene were on heroin as others in the metal scene were raging alcoholics.
Now we lose PETER STEELE, GURU (GANG STARR),LEE ALTOMARE and also DEVON CLIFFORD a young musician in a good Canadian band YOU SAY PARTY!, WE SAY DIE! whom died of an aneurysm onstage: (http://www.smnnews.com/2010/04/20/devon-clifford-1979-2010-you-say-party-we-say-die/)ALL in one week.
This all reminds me with the American medias obsession with death ect, I would never really make a good newspaper reporter, I'm shy and sensitive to issues of death, so confirming if someone is deceased is something that doesn't sit well with me, Unless, it's someone I know, as I would have to know.
Even writing obituaries can be a sensitive issue, although by then death's are confirmed.

ITP's author was going to write a special feature ITP: WORLD APOCALYPSE 1999-2009 but I find the last decade so depressing,(metal being the high point) even from a metal heads standpoint, that I have a writers block on that one. I'm not looking back.
Me included, as my 2009 hospital visit, unconscious and bloody brings back the worst and scariest memories as I apologize for waking up in a hospital ER, bloody with no recollection of how I got to the hospital.I specifically apologize to the nurses, whom I bugged the hell out of them with the "How did I get here" question a cazzilion times, as I figured they must of put me on anesthesia, or "medically induced coma" because I don't remember if I was in a ambulance nor the stitches.
Also, time for me to quit smoking cigarettes and eat better. Being in a hospital room with someone whom was going through heart surgery put things in perspective.
The biggest tragedies in music are the ones whom died of cancer, genuine heart attacks, murders, bus accidents and related injuries. My heart goes out to VITEK, COVAN (DECAPITATED), DIMEBAG DARRELL, MIKE ALEXANDER (EVILE), CHUCK SCHULDINER ,GURU and DEVON CLIFFORD, EXODUS original vocalist (Paul Baloff),also the Georgian Olympian Luger whom died in a accident during practice last February. All of whom battled illness and extenuating circumstances to perform and create great music, art and talent for us.
My heart also goes out to the addicts whom battle addiction LAYNE STALEY, KURT COBAIN and also mental illness. Metal horns to the ones who over came their addictions (James Hetfield, Chris Cornell,Dave Mustaine and the best of luck to Mike Starr). Otherwise, I have some how formed an aversion to drug addicts whom have sociopathic tendencies.
BTW, some of these deaths are of genuine natural causes as these deaths bring up the question of health care for Americans and musicians.
Do Americans have a shorter life span compared to our European counterparts, as not all "deaths" are due to drug indulgences. Do we take care of our own people with health insurance or kick them to the curb with lack of health care?
Otherwise it's best we take care of our selves as or as as Layne Staley said "We die Young".
I bet ya PETER STEELE is on some cloud in Vahalla with DIMEBAG laughing at the tributes, drinking black tooth and wine yelling "Ya never loved me".
..As toilet paper shall rain from the sky.
ENJOY YOUR FUNERAL and HAVE A GREAT JOURNEY TO VAHALLA, SEE YOU THERE-\m/
-l-


Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-RIP TO YOU ALL-now STOP DYING-\m/ -l-