Ex-DEATH Guitarist: CHUCK SCHULDINER 'Was My Best Friend, My Brother'

Wes Cambron of the Tampa Metal Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with former DEATH/CONTROL DENIED guitarist Shannon Hamm. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Tampa Metal Music Examiner: Late last year you suffered a serious heart attack. How are you feeling today?

Shannon: Actually, I feel better today than I did before the heart attack. I have much better blood flow now that the blockages have been removed. Unfortunately, it will be an ongoing process for the rest of my life, blood work, medications, doctors, cardiologist, etc. Considering I would've been dead within an hour of 911 being called, it's truly amazing how advanced our technology has become in the medical field.

Tampa Metal Music Examiner: Let's back pedal a few years. Can you tell us what it was like being part of DEATH and CONTROL DENIED?

Shannon: I could write a book on this question alone, but to stay within the context of this interview I'll keep it to a bare minimum. Being a member of such an influential band was the high point in my life, and also introduced me to the greatest people I've ever been associated with. It was almost surreal, a dream that somehow became a nightmare as I witnessed the breakdown of the most incredible and personable human being I've ever known, Chuck Schuldiner, R.I.P.

Tampa Metal Music Examiner: Not to name drop, but the late "Dimebag" Darrell said that back in the day you outshred him. Was he just being modest or did you really out shred the Shakespeare of shredding?

Shannon: This is another question that could easily turn into a book, but for the interview I'll try to keep it brief. In the late 1980s, I was in a band called METALSTORM based out of Houston, while PANTERA was based out of Dallas. At that time, PANTERA was basically a glam band and METALSTORM was pretty heavy by comparison. Terrance Lee was their singer, and Darrell was known as "Diamond" Darrell. It wasn't until Phil [Anselmo] joined in 1989 that they began to get heavy with a release titled "Power Metal" and "Diamond" Darrell became "Dimebag" Darrell. Both bands covered the same circuit and I was at the peak of my ability, my solos were much hotter than anything I ever presented in DEATH or CONTROL DENIED. Darrell's comment was accurate because that's all I did back in the day, 24/7. When I joined up with Chuck in late 1995 at the end of the "Symbolic" tour, I hadn't even picked up a guitar in about two years due to my college schedule, and he hired me based on some bootleg METALSTORM videos he had seen.

Tampa Metal Music Examiner: Dimebag and Chuck Schuldiner, both are influential guitarists, and both had jammed with you. Were you close with any of them?

Shannon: Absolutely, they were both very close friends, and there are no words to describe the realization that I live with every single day of knowing how quickly life can be taken. They are both gone, forever, and I will never see or speak to either one of them again. They were two of the greatest people that anyone could ever have the pleasure of knowing.

Tampa Metal Music Examiner: Is there anything you'd like to say to the readers?

Shannon: I'd like the readers to know that Chuck was more than just a friend to me, he was my best friend, my brother. I keep the final letter that he wrote under lock and key, which explains the entire album, titles, order, as well as his final wishes. I will never be at peace until these things have all been carried out. I've been anxiously awaiting the completion and release of the sophomore CONTROL DENIED effort for almost a decade now, but due to legal issues it hasn't become a possibility yet. Richard Christy recorded all of the drum tracks in 2000, Chuck recorded all of his guitar tracks, and I recorded three of my guitar tracks before the remainder of the budget had to be put towards Chuck's medical expenses. Ultimately, this created extensive legal issues between the Schuldiners and the label. I still need to finish my guitar tracks, Steve DiGiorgio needs to record the bass tracks, and Tim Aymar needs to record the vocals. From what I understand, those legal issues are finally coming to an end, and I can't wait to see Chuck's final work reach the public. I truly believe that this CD will stand up against anything in the market today, regardless of its age or when it was written, because it is Chuck's soul screaming out to be heard!

Read the entire interview from
Tampa Metal Music Examiner.