Mitch Lucker

**Mitchell Adam Lucker** (October 20, 1984-November 1, 2012) was an American vocalist best known for his work with California-based deathcore band *Suicide Silence*.

## Mitch Lucker

### Born

October 20, 1984Riverside, California, USA

### Death

November 1, 2012 (age 28)Huntington Beach, California, USA

## Career

### Early Years (2000-2003)

In 2000, Mitch would be added to the line-up for Corona-based metalcore band Breakaway. The band consisted of Mitch on vocals, Mitch's brother Cliff and Justin Tufano on guitars, Brandon Trahan on drums, and Michael Olheiser on bass. The band would release a single EP in 2003 under the name *Dying Dreams*. In 2002, Suicide Silence would form in Riverside, California with Tanner Womack on vocals, Tufano on drums, Rick Ash and Christopher Garza on guitars, and Chris Grucelski on bass. Mitch would enter the line-up in 2003 while the band was still considered a side-project consisting of members of different bands. Dying Dreams would disband in 2004.

### Suicide Silence (2003-2012)

#### Early Years (2003-06)

Mitch would enter the line-up of Suicide Silence in early 2003 after the release of the band's first demo *Death Awaits*. to be a backing vocalist for the band's then lead-singer Tanner Womack. He would end up becoming the band's sole vocalist early on in the band's career with Womack being fired after failing to show up at their first concert in April 2003. Grucelski would leave the band later in 2003 and was replaced by Olheiser before recording began for their second demo EP, a blank CD-R known by fans as the *Four Songs EP* released in 2004. Between the Four Songs EP and their next release, another 4-track EP released on MySpace and the band's website, Tufano would leave the band and was replaced by Joshua Goddard. Olheiser would also leave the band that year, being replaced by Michael Bodkins. The band would release a self-titled EP on September 30, 2005 after being signed to local record label Third Degree Records. Shortly after release, Ash would leave the band and was replaced by Mark Heylmun. 2006 would see a final line-up change before solidifying with Goddard leaving the band, replaced by Blacheart Eulogy guitarist Alex Lopez.

#### The Cleansing (2006-08)

The band would write six pre-production songs with four being chosen for the band's final 4-track demo EP released in 2006 and only two of the tracks making it to their debut album, *The Cleansing*. Suicide Silence would sign with Century Media Records later that year and writing would begin on their first album in 2007. Produced by Tue Madsen, *The Cleansing* would release on September 18th, 2007 and quickly got the band on the radar after debuting at #94 on the Billboard 200 charts the week after release. Music videos were made for three songs off the album (Unanswered, Bludgeoned to Death, and The Price of Beauty) with the final music video gaining controversy after being banned from broadcasting on American music television network MTV due to the use of graphic gore.

While the album only received one single, 2008's *Green Monster*, the band's popularity had grown substantially from 2007 to 2008. The band would be invited to the 2008 Mayhem Festival tour from July 9, 2008 to August 19, 2008. The band would then begin touring with metalcore bands Bury Your Dead and Parkway Drive in Europe before continuing with Parkway Drive's Australian tour along with metalcore band A Day to Remember and fellow deathcore band The Acacia Strain. During the time on tour, the band would release a cover of the Deftones song *Engine No. 9* which would be included with the *Green Monster* single as well as a single-file download in the iTunes Store in December of 2008.

#### No Time to Bleed (2008-11)

Shortly before leaving for the Mayhem Festival, Suicide Silence edited their MySpace profile with the banner hinting that they were in the process of writing their follow-up to *The Cleansing*. The line-up would have yet another shakeup at the end of 2008, with Mike Bodkins leaving and later being replaced by Daniel Kenny in April 2009. Recording for the album began in February 2009 with Gene "Machine" Freeman being chosen as the producer for the album. On June 26, 2008, Mitch would appear on the Headbangers Ball podcast in order to promote the album. He noted how the album would use tracks for recording rather than being recorded live like in their previous album and felt that it would blow The Cleansing out of the water. Recording ended for the album on March 13, 2009. In April 2009, American rock and metal magazine *Revolver* gave Suicide Silence the Golden God Award for Best New Talent.

The band began performing new tracks from the album (*No Time to Bleed*, *Your Creations, Wake Up,* and *Lifted*) during the band's Cleansing the Nation tour in the months leading up to the album's release. The band would make a surprise appearance at the 11th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival on April 18, 2009 to debut *Wake Up*. *Lifted* would first appear as a download on April 20, 2009 through the band's MySpace profile, but would not be considered a single. The album, titled *No Time to Bleed*, would release on June 30, 2009 and debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200 charts, quickly selling 14,000 copies.

The first single from the album would be *Genocide*, released on October 20, 2009. Prior to the single's release, the song was remixed for an inclusion on American horror mystery film *Saw VI* (2009). A music video was made in collaboration with horror magazine *Bloody Disgusting* containing clips from the film and was released on November 8, 2009. *Wake Up* would be the second single from the album although a download was made available through the band's website on July 1, 2009. A music video would premiere on Fearnet almost 4 weeks later on July 27, 2009 and was given an official single release in December 2009. The band would release the album's third single, *Disengage*, on April 20, 2010 with a music video released on July 2, 2010. The album received a re-release, named the Body Bag Edition, on June 1, 2010 which included a DVD containing unreleased live performances as well as promotional videos. The band would promote the album through the Vans Warped Tour from June 25, 2010 to August 15, 2010 before starting the Time to Bleed tour in October 2010. The album received a final single, *No Time to Bleed*, on January 15, 2011.

### The Black Crown (2011-12)

By 2011, the band began preparing to record their third album in Big Bear, California with Steve Evetts being chosen as the producer for the album. In March 2011, the band confirmed that recording had been completed and that the album was to be titled *The Black Crown*. In an April 2011 interview with Kerrang!, Mitch said the album would continue on with the personal themes of the previous record rather than the anti-religious themes and undertones placed throughout the band's previous releases, saying "I still have the same beliefs and same views, but I'm more open to everything. At this point in my life, I don't see the good in making people hate you for something you say. This record [*The Black Crown*] is for everybody."

The first single for the album, *Human Violence*, would premiere on American rock station Liquid Metal on May 13, 2011 with the album's second single, *You Only Live Once*, releasing two weeks later on May 27th. The band would release their third single, *Slaves to Substance* on June 28, 2011 before releasing the full album on July 12. The album's final single, *Fuck Eveything*, would be released on February 8, 2011. The album debuted at #28 on the Billboard 200, selling 14,400 copies within the first week of release. Suicide Silence would go on to participate in the 2011 Mayhem Festival alongside All Shall Perish, Machine Head, and Trivium. The band would begin writing for a fourth album in 2012.

## Death

On the night of October 31, 2012, Mitch was riding his motorcycle in Huntington Beach, California when he lost control of his motorcycle at the intersection of 13th Street and Main Street. After losing control at around 8:55 PM, he struck a streetlight and was ejected from the motorcycle, losing consciousness. Paramedics from the Huntington Beach fire department would arrive on scene shortly after and he would be transported to the UCI Medical Center where he would pass away the next morning at the age of 28.

## Aftermath

A memorial concert was held for Mitch on December 21, 2012 at the Fox Theater in Ponoma, California in order to fundraise for the education costs of Mitch's daughter, Kenadee Lucker, with lead singers from other metalcore and deathcore bands performing with the band. The concert would be released as a live video album on February 28, 2014, titled *Ending Is the Beginning: The Mitch Lucker Memorial Show*. The band would remain silent for nearly a year before announcing in October 2013 that they would continue as a band with All Shall Perish vocalist Hernan "Eddie" Hermida joining to take care of vocals. It was also around this time that the band announced that a fourth album, *You Can't Stop Me*, with Mitch being credited as the lyricist for the title track. The album would release on July 14, 2014.

## Discography

### With Suicide Silence

* *4 Songs EP* (2004, EP)
* *Suicide Silence* (2004, EP)
* *Suicide Silence* (2005, EP)
* *The Cleansing* (2007, album)
* *Green Monster* (2008, single)
* *No Time to Bleed* (2009, album)
* *Genocide* (2009, single)
* *Wake Up* (2009, single)
* *Disengage* (2010, single)
* *No Time to Bleed* (2011, single)
* *Human Violence* (2011, single)
* *You Only Live Once* (2011, single)
* *Slaves to Substance* (2011, single)
* *The Black Crown* (2011, album)
* *Fuck Everything* (2012, single)
* *Ending Is the Beginning: The Mitch Lucker Memorial Show* (2014, live album, writing only)
* *You Can't Stop Me* (2014, album, writing for "You Can't Stop Me" and "Ending Is the Beginning")

### Miscellaneous

* *Dead Walk* (2006, The Acacia Strain album, guest vocals on "Predator; Never Prey")
* *The Great Stone War* (2009, Winds of Plague album, guest vocals on "Classic Struggle")
* *What Is?* (2011, Commissioner EP)
* *I Am the Nemesis* (2012, Caliban album, guest vocals on "We Are the Many")
* *Devil's Messenger* (2012, Devastated album, guest vocals on "Spit Vitriol")