About Me
All songs and pictures used by permission
Control Denied is an American progressive metal band formed by guitar virtuoso Chuck Schuldiner (the founder, lead guitarist, composer, songwriter and vocalist of Death) along with Psycho Scream vocalist Tim Aymar, Death guitarist Shannon Hamm, Death drummer Richard Christy and Sadus fretless bass player Steve DiGiorgio.
Control Denied's style is hard to describe. While it is obvious that the band's members come from death metal backgrounds, Aymar's vocals sound more akin to something you'd hear in European heavy metal (think Iron Maiden, Judas Priest) than in death metal. Also, the guitarists have cranked a little down on the distortion, and DiGiorgio's fretless bass work is loud, clear and very audible (which is sadly uncommon for basses in metal). The bass lines stand out with their jazz fusion inspired style, and add much colour and beauty to the band's compositions.
The name "Control Denied" is Schuldiner's personal little stab against the recording industry; shortly before the band formed, he had left the Sony-owned Relativity Records because he felt that the control over his music had landed in the hands of the recording company. He managed to break away from music business hell (and apparently ruined himself financially in the process, which was a contributing factor to his untimely death from a brain tumor, as he couldn't afford the treatments he needed), and released Control Denied's first album "The Fragile Art of Existence" under the smaller, independent metal-specific Nuclear Blast Records label.
After Schuldiner died in December 2001, the remaining members of Control Denied have been attempting to record a second album (rumoured to be named "When Man and Machine Collide") without him, apparently following one of his final wishes. They have a few recordings of unused Schuldiner guitar solos as well as some unfinished lyrics and compositions left behind by the songwriter, composer and guitarist; these will most likely play a large role in that album.
While the band never reached the popularity of Schuldiner's main project Death, its music tends to have a wider appeal than the fast, hard, unrelenting death metal that characterized Death. Some of the band's popularity stems from the fact that many of its artists (in fact, all but Tim Aymar) had already played in Death, and many of Control Denied's initial fans were long-time fans of Death. Unfortunately, while the band's music definitely has merit on its own, they are often viewed as being a "second band" or "side project" because of the members' affiliation with Death. They have never played any Death covers at their concerts.
Some listen to music. Others create it. Still others sculpt sounds of intriguing distinctiveness; of startling creativity instinctively creating new orders, classes and entirely new genres of music fit for others to idyllically mimic. And if there were some universal time line dedicated to metal's most cogent ring leaders; the ones who've unwittingly branded their ingenuity into the minds of all those who listen; it would unquestionably touch on Black Sabbath bleed into the more bombastic realm of Slayer and inevitably wash itself into the sole manipulators of extreme music.
Death, Founded by guitarist/ vocalist/ song-writer Chuck Schuldiner, Death blended mature, structured musicianship with assaulting aggression, an influential style of precision and an infinite frontier of thought provoking subject matter from their very inception in 1983. Lyrically thought provoking and extreme in every way, Death proved that "brutal" could indeed travel beyond the conventional blast beat-pit riff-growl motif.
The band's potency instantly earned them respect worldwide. With seven LP's each capitalizing upon the last, and a planet of dedicated Death devotees, Schuldiner had an entirely new musical agenda; an extension of the larger-than-life blue prints drawn up during his years with Death. The concept of CONTROL DENIED materialized in '96 following Death..s Symbolic LP.
Schuldiner sought a more traditional path of metal; a bit more melodic with cleaner vocalization while still maintaining Death's patented precision, intensity and depth. The line up features guitarist Shannon Hamm, drummer Richard Christy (both of whom joined Death for The Sound of Perseverance LP), vocalist Tim Aymar (formerly of Psycho Scream) and of course, Schuldiner as the leading guitarist.
Eventually legendary bassist Steve Digorgio was added completing what is today..s CONTROL DENIED. Much like Death, CONTROL DENIED is fully carved by the song writing expertise of Schuldiner. Leaving the localization in the hands of Aymar, The Fragile Art of Existence is the purest form of guitar wizardry planet earth has to offer. Recorded alongside Jim Morris at the legendary morrisound Studios, CONTROL DENIED, with its all-star line up, expels a rich, explosive amalgam of vigor, emotion and unbridled power complete with a subtle, classic metal edge; an ultimate progression of Death. A new realm of trend-free metal fit for the sounds of a new millennium. The Fragile Art of Existence is sure to crush all in its path.
The Life Of Chuck Schuldiner ..
4-07-1990
Living Montrosity
Pull The Plug
Zombie Ritual
Low Life
Mutilation
4-10-1990
Living Montrosity
Pull The Plug
Zombie Ritual
Low Life
Left To Die
Spiritual Healing
Open Casket
