Shannon Hamm is a

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

guitarist who played in

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

from 1996 until their break-up in 2001. He then joined

Chuck Schuldiner Charles Schuldiner (born May 13, 1967 – December 13, 2001) was an American musician. He founded the death metal band Death in 1983, in which he was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter and only consistent member until his death in ...

's second band

Control Denied Control Denied was a progressive metal band formed by death metal musician and Death founder Chuck Schuldiner. History The band started in 1996 as Schuldiner wanted to create a more melodic style than was possible with Death. The project was in ...

, which ended with the death of Schuldiner in 2001. Before Death, he was a locally well known guitarist in the

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

underground metal scene. He was particularly good friends with "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott of

Pantera Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...

and

Damageplan Damageplan was an American heavy metal band from Dallas, Texas, formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Diesel ...

. According to Abbott, Hamm "out shredded" Darrell in Pantera's

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...

days while Hamm was in a band named Metalstorm. Shannon is almost always seen playing a

Jackson Soloist The Jackson Soloist is an electric guitar model introduced by Jackson Guitars in 1984, although prototypes were available before then. The design is a typical " superstrat"; it varies from a typical Stratocaster because of its neck-thru design; ...

guitar. On December 12, 2007, Shannon Hamm played in a tribute show for the anniversary of Chuck Schuldiner's death. The show was organized by Quebec City metal promoters Capitale du Metal (English: Metal Capital, referring to Quebec City's active metal scene). Former Death guitarist

Bobby Koelble Bobby Koelble (born September 15, 1968) is an American guitarist who performs in the death metal, blues, funk and jazz genres, and as a freelance studio musician. He is probably best known for his performances with the death metal band Death. The al ...

and former Death bassist

Scott Clendenin Scott Clendenin (January 17, 1968 – March 24, 2015) was an American musician most notable for his time spent in the bands Death and Control Denied, both of which were formed by Chuck Schuldiner. Following Schuldiner's passing, Death disband ...

, along with

Nicholas Barker Nicholas Howard Barker (born 1973) is an English extreme metal drummer best known as for his work in Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. Currently he is the drummer for Brujeria and Shining. Biography Barker was born on 25 April 1973. He join ...

, of

Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...

and

Dimmu Borgir Dimmu Borgir () is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, ...

fame, were also present at the show. Most of the guitar work and singing was performed by the members of Symbolic, a Death tribute band. The show was filmed and it is available on DVD. On October 1, 2009, it was announced that Shannon Hamm had suffered a serious

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

while at home and was hospitalized.

Discography

The Sound of Perseverance ''The Sound of Perseverance'' is the seventh and final studio album by American death metal band Death, released on August 31, 1998, by Nuclear Blast. The album features a whole new lineup of members except Chuck Schuldiner; it is the only albu ...

(1998) *

The Fragile Art of Existence ''The Fragile Art of Existence'' is the only studio album by Control Denied, a progressive metal band founded by Chuck Schuldiner. It was released worldwide on Nuclear Blast America in 1999. Metal Mind Productions reissued the album on April 15, ...

(1999)

References

Death (metal band) members American heavy metal guitarists Living people 1967 births 20th-century American guitarists Control Denied members {{US-metal-guitarist-stub