OBSCURA's STEFFEN KUMMERER Added To 'Death To All Tour'

Sick Drummer Magazine and Perseverance Holdings Ltd. have announced the "Death To All Tour 2012" in benefit of Sweet Relief. This five-city tour will feature a majority of DEATH's amazing musicians, as well as special guests. This tour is to celebrate the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner, as well as to raise awareness of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund — a charity that provides financial assistance to career musicians faced with illness, disability or age-related problems.

This tour will kick off in San Francisco, California and work its way to Orlando, Florida — stopping in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York along the way.

The drums will be handled by Gene Hoglan ("Individual Thought Patterns", "Symbolic") and Sean Reinert ("Human"). On bass will be Steve DiGiorgio ("Human", "Individual Thought Patterns") and Scott Clendenin ("The Sound Of Perseverance"). Guitar duties will be shared by Paul Masvidal ("Human"),Shannon Hamm ("The Sound of Perseverance") and Bobby Koelble ("Symbolic").

The second vocalist to be announced for the "Death To All Tour 2012" is Steffen Kummerer of OBSCURA.

Commented Steffen: "It was a pleasure to get the invitation to play all of those timeless classics as a tribute to Chuck and his work. To be honest, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea at all to get this project running, due to my respect for the past. The band DEATH is gone and will never come back; that is the truth. These shows are a nice way to show tribute to the band and their previous work and help musicians via Sweet Relief. In the end, a good thing and definitely worth visiting one or two shows. I am glad to be involved and be part of this idea to bring this music back on stage. Let the metal flow."

Also handling vocals during the trek will be Charles Elliott of ABYSMAL DAWN and BEREFT.

Said Elliott: "'Who the hell is Charles Elliott?' is what I imagine some people saying as they're reading this announcement. It's true — compared to some of the legends associated with these amazing shows, I'm the new kid on the block. Even when they asked me to do it I was somewhat reluctant and suggested numerous other artists who I thought sounded more like Chuck and have been around longer, i.e. John Tardy, Martin Van Drunen, Luc Lemay, etc. In the end, I think they chose me to perform some of these songs because I'm a huge DEATH fan and because, more than anything, they felt I'm part of a newer generation embodying the overall spirit of Chuck. I'm glad they asked me though because playing with these guys is more than a dream come true and I couldn't be more excited about it.

"Let me just say that I don't pretend to be Chuck Schuldiner. I don't sound exactly like him and I'm not trying to, even if he is an influence of mine. Chuck was a unique individual, as am I. What I am trying to do though is humbly pay tribute to a man and band that changed my life, while supporting his family and a charity I believe in. I know some people will inevitably talk shit no matter what, but now at least I've said my piece.

"My first band INHUMAN VISIONS opened up for DEATH back in 1998 at what would become the infamous 'Live In L.A.' show. I was just a kid and I think if you listen closely at the very end of the show, you can hear me screaming, 'Thank you, DEATH' on the DVD. That statement is as true as it was in that life-changing moment as it is now.

"Thank you, Chuck Schuldiner, for a legacy of metal that left a lasting impression on me. I hope to do you justice, as the fans and musicians you touched all gather to pay tribute to you and your music. Let the metal flow."

The dates are as follows:

June 22 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
June 23 - House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA
June 26 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
June 28 - Irving Plaza – New York, NY
June 30 - The Beacham - Orlando, FL

For more information, go to this location.

Chuck died on December 13, 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.