10 Rock Bands That Survived The Deaths Of Key Members
Bands who played on to honour those they lost...
When bands are in their prime, mortality does not seem to enter the equation when considering the group's future. From one slamming record to the next brutal tour, there is always the idea that the band is a living being with several human parts to it. However, things get much more complicated when one of the members dies.
The sudden demise of a key band member is both devastating and limiting to rock bands. No one plans for these kinds of things, so a fallen band member doesn't provide a clear road map as to where to go next. If the member in question was one of the key contributors, it would be completely understandable if these acts decided to pack it in and go back to working day jobs.
On the other hand, many resilient artists have been able to pick up the pieces of their loss and start walking in the right direction. The sound of the band may not be exactly the same, but what we still have is as ferocious as ever. Whether it be through a solid replacement or finding an even better successor, these bands refused to let death stand in their way when it came to conquering the music world.
10. Slayer - Jeff Hanneman
Slayer is indisputably one of the heaviest acts ever to come out of the metal scene. The group's frantic blend of metal doom mixed with the speed of hardcore punk made for one of the most savage albums ever created. In the early 2010's though, one of the band's major voices was stilled forever.
After initially hospitalized from a spider bite he had, guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed away in early 2013 of liver failure. This was no easy replacement for the band, with Hanneman being the writer of some of the band's most brutal riffs like "Raining Blood" and "War Ensemble." Shortly after his death was announced, fellow guitarist Kerry King announced that the band would continue, even if some of the other Slayer members were skeptical about the group's future.
As the group prepared to tour, they recruited Gary Holt of the band Exodus to fill Hanneman's shoes on the road. Impressed by his performance, Holt became a full member of Slayer shortly after the tour and began work on the band's final album Repentless. As the Slayer machine closes up shop, Holt has settled in nicely as the band continues thrashing each venue to the ground.