On the 12th of July, we received the devastating news that Mike Browning died at the age of 62. A foundational figure in the genre, he co-founded two of death metal’s most important bands, Morbid Angel and Nocturnus. His death was confirmed by Profound Lore, the label behind his recent work with Nocturnus AD.
He was one of the earliest to take the black/death rasp fully into the extreme, when the vocalists before him were still figuring out how far it could be pushed. His work as both drummer and vocalist let Trey Azagthoth’s songs breach the barrier of heavy metal and become fully fledged death metal, the foundation the genre’s flagship band would spend its classic years refining. His later work with Nocturnus, the second band he founded, showed how keyboards could be properly integrated into a technical death metal context, and it remains the blueprint for everyone who followed. His belief in the Necronomicon brought a genuine depth to the music, and to this day we celebrate his catalogue as the bedrock from which many bands and styles descend.
He was one of the genre’s true originals and seers, and we stand on his shoulders. Wherever he may be, we hope Mike Browning passed through the gateway he spent his entire life describing.
