The Metal Community respond to Reed Mullin’s death

by | Jan 28, 2020 | News, Tributes | 0 comments

 

Last night, we were devastated to hear about the passing of Corrosion of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin. January has been a heartbreaking month in the metal community as we’ve lost quite a few legends. We’re still processing the loss of Rush drummer Neil Peart as each passing feels like a direct stab into our metal hearts. While we shared a few reactions last night, Crowbar, Orange Goblin, Randy Blythe, Devin Townsend, and more have taken to social media to react to the loss of Reed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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I got the sad news last night that my friend Reed Mullin passed away. Reed was the drummer for one of my all-time favorite bands, Corrosion of Conformity, & he is also one of the reasons I am a singer in a band today. Back in 1985, C.O.C. put out their ground-breaking hardcore crossover record, “Animosity” & from the first time I heard it I loved it- I wore that freaking tape out. My favorite track on that album is one Reed sang, “Hungry Child.” One day I was going skateboarding with some older dudes in Wilmington, NC (I was around 15 years old at the time) & we were in a car driving to the spot- someone threw “Animosity” into the cassette deck. When “Hungry Child” came on, I started singing along. The driver turned around & said “Damn, kid- you can actually sing like that. You should be in a band one day.” That was the first time anyone had ever told me that, I never forgot it, & I never will. If you listen to the way I scream at times, & you listen to “Hungry Child” you’ll hear Reed in my delivery. I told Reed that story many years later, after we had become friends, & he was super stoked. Reed was an O.G. punk rocker from the American South, a place where it wasn’t easy to be different in back in the day. He booked shows for other bands who came through Raleigh, NC, & was super important to the development of the hardcore scene in general. I met him for the first time in an airport when he came up to me & said “Nice shirt!” (I was wearing a C.O.C. one)- we became friends, I got to interview him for my radio show, & I even sang in his super group, Teenage Time Killers. Once in the 80’s my brother & I went to go see C.O.C.- my brother didn’t have enough money to buy a t-shirt, so Reed (who was selling merch after the gig) traded him one for the Black Flag t-shirt he was wearing- that’s the kinda dude he was. Reed also played at the hands-down greatest gig I ever saw- Bad Brains, C.O.C., & Leeway in VA Beach in the 80’s. I took this photo when my band took out C.O.C. on tour- we played freaking Red Rocks on that run- not too shabby for two dirt bag punk rockers from the South. Rest In Peace, Reed- you’re a legend & an influence & I’ll miss ya, bro.

A post shared by D. Randall Blythe (@drandallblythe) on