Honorable Mention: The Death Of Mitch Lucker
While there were definitely other deaths this year that were sad (The Beastie Boys’ MCA and Riot’s Mark Reale to name a few), the most shocking death that occurred this year was Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker. After three albums with Century Media, the band had just signed with Monte Conner’s new Nuclear Blast imprint, and was growing more popular with each album. Before “YOLO” became this year’s most annoying catch phrase, the band’s song “You Only Live Once” summed up Lucker’s life, which was sadly cut short after the 28 year-old died in a motorcycle accident. He leaves behind a legacy that will be celebrated with tonight’s benefit concert for his daughter Kenadee. And while the band hasn’t made a public statement about their future, there’s no doubt that Lucker passed long before his time.
Honorable Mention: Metallica Launches Own Label AND Buys Back Master Recordings
Launching your own label imprint is a risky move for any band, especially during the current state of the music industry. On top of that, it’s extremely rare for any band to be able to purchase back their own master recordings. In 2012, Metallica did both by launching Blackened Recordings. Granted, if any band could afford to do launch their own label and buy back their recordings, it would be Metallica.
