I would guess that most fans of extreme metal who’ve ever come across the name Anal Cunt have stopped at some point to listen to the band’s music. I mean, with a name like Anal Cunt, how could you not? Certainly, fans of grindcore know that band’s music, because they were grind ground-breakers.
Last night I saw internet rumors that the band’s founder and hard-living frontman Seth Putnam had died, but I couldn’t find any reliable confirmation. Now we have it, in the form of a statement by the band’s publicist Kim Kelly:
“Yes, it’s true. Seth Putnam, one of the most infamous musicians that extreme metal has ever seen, the grindcore GG Allin, has passed away due to a heart attack.
“I handled all the promotion for Anal Cunt’s last album, ‘Fuckin’ A,’ and Seth was always happy to oblige any request I sent his way. The band had been working on a new album before his passing, so chances are his musical career’s epitaph has yet to be inscribed.
“I want to remind everyone that no matter how outrageous and controversial his musical career has been, Seth was still a human being with friends and family that loved him. I’m hoping that the Internet will remember that. This is a very sad and trying time for those that knew him, and the last thing they need to see is an outpouring of message board hate. The man lived and died by his own rules; if anything, respect him for that.”
(a bit more after the jump . . .)
Over the course of Seth Putnam’s prematurely truncated life, he played in 17 separate bands, provided guest vocals on Pantera’s The Great Southern Trendkill, and released 10 studio albums with Anal Cunt. A new Anal Cunt album, titled Wearing Out Our Welcome, was set to debut this year. It’s not clear what will become of that album now.
Seth Putnam, dead at the age of 43. Honestly, given the way he lived, I’m not surprised he didn’t survive into his golden years. I also can’t say I admired much about the way he lived — except for the music, which was a giant “fuck you” to every convention and form of political correctness known to humankind.
17 Responses to “SETH PUTNAM: GRIND IN PEACE”
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I honestly like Anal Cunt’s music and found it to be pretty humorous. I mean, how could you NOT troll someone with songs like “Your Divorced” and not get a kick out of it?
I’ve only listened to defenders of the hate, but it’s one of my favorite grind albums.
He may (or may not) have been a sexist, homophobic, racist, antisemetic druggie, but he made me giggle. And i love him for that.
I hope he went out with a “fuck you!”
I have a feeling the “heart attack” thing is a euphemism for something else that we’ll find out about in the next few days. Whether he was conscious enough to get off a “fuck you” or at least two middle fingers before everything went black we may never know.
I always imagined the rigor mortis would shape his body in the crudest way possible.
Also, until now, i thought it was spelled rigamortis. Seth Puntam taught me how to spell.
I liked Anal Cunt too, remember seeing them live back in 1998(perhaps?), Seth was sitting at the bar getting drinking and we just strolled up and talked to him for a bit, he was opening for himself with “Impaled Northern Moonforest” that night and talked about what a joke it was and how somebody had randomly heard it and signed them. Perhaps the greatest moment in Anal Cunt history though was “Picnic of Love”, if nothing else proved that they not only thought metal was a joke but they were one too that did.
Coincidentally, “Picnic of Love” was what I started listening to this morning when I saw the confirmation of Putnam’s death. It still cracks me up, and I figured laughter was what was needed.
Obviously with a name for a band like that, I didn’t really take a look into the music, because I’m me. But I vaguely remember hearing one song from like a year or two ago. The vocals were pretty cool from what I remember. I’ve only ever listened to his band once I think; but it’s still sad to see someone died… rest in peace Seth Putnam.
I’ve never been a fan of Anal Cunt but I do respect Seth’s commitment to living life his way.
Also, That Devil Music has up a VERY NSFW pic of Seth “livin’ it up”. http://thatdevilmusic.net/2011/06/12/seth-putnam-dies-age-43/#more-12661
I saw that photo when hunting for images to use at the top of this post. I couldn’t bring myself to use it in a post about his death, but it does speak volumes.
He was a bit more rotund than I imagined.
I always think of the guys from Trainspotting when I think about addicts.
All that rotundity really isn’t pretty, even with a blonde attached to it. Tying off with an amp power cords was a nice touch though, don’t you think?
Seth was a cupcake and a fine guy to party with. Just, like, constantly spotted out supporting other bands (and heckling his friends), passing out on couches in practice spaces, throwing bricks for fun. I’ll always remember getting hit full in the face with a folding chair he threw offstage.
It’s about time people start pointing out the insane amount of work he’s done, too – those side projects are insane (and Upsidedown Cross always put on a good show with him on guitar).
Sounds like he left his mark on you. 🙂 But it’s a good point about all the work he did. This looks like a pretty comprehensive list, and it’s a long one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Putnam#Side_projects_and_former_bands
Holy crap, that’s a shit ton of work.
How’d he have time to do drugs!?
Must have had some meth in his rotation.
I laughed.
Then I realized that’s probably true.
Then I figured not laughing was more disrespectful.
So I continued laughing.
Never really cared for AC; then again, never really bothered listening to them in the first place. Back before they started to suck, the college radio station played some of their stuff, but I don’t remember any of it. Not horrible, but not my thing at the time.
Still, it’s a bummer to hear of yet another musician’s passing.