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Casey Chaos

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Casey Chaos
Casey Chaos in 2002
Casey Chaos in 2002
Background information
Birth nameKarim George Chmielinski
Born(1965-10-09)October 9, 1965
Trenton, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 21, 2024(2024-12-21) (aged 59)
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active1982–2024
Member ofAmen
Formerly of

Karim George Chmielinski (October 9, 1965 — December 21, 2024), known professionally as Casey Chaos, was an American musician, best known as the lead singer of Amen. His music encompassed a number of styles, including hardcore punk, death rock, and nu metal.

Early life

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Karim Chmielinski was born in Trenton, New York, on October 9, 1965.[1][2][3] When he was seven, his parents separated and Casey moved with his mother to Melbourne, Florida. By age 10 Casey was touring professionally as a skater.

Career

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1982–1990: Disorderly Conduct

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In 1982, fellow skateboarder Duane Peters played him a tape by the band Black Flag. Chmielinski became enough of a fan that he started corresponding with Henry Rollins and his friend, Ian MacKaye.[3][4] After seeing Black Flag for the first time live, Casey's life was forever changed. He then decided to start his own band. He created Casey and the Skate Punx, and recruited bassist Scot Lade, drummer Bill Erwin, and his childhood friend from New York, guitarist Ken Decter (aka Duke Decter). They later changed the band name to 'Disorderly Conduct'.

They began writing songs and playing the Florida punk scene. Between his powerful voice and the band's high-energy presence, they became well-known and popular, with people traveling from as far as Atlanta to catch their shows.[5] Between 1984 and 1986, their songs were included in three punk compilation albums.[6][7][8] In 1986, they independently released the album Amen.[9] That was followed a year later by the six-track EP Atrocity.

1990–2024: Amen

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In 1990, Chaos and Decter moved to Los Angeles, changed their band name to 'Amen'. Chaos met Rikk Agnew, who invited him to sit in as bassist on a concert by his band Christian Death.[10] He then asked Chaos to sing on his new solo album,[11] and play bass on Christian Death's new album, Iconologia, for which Chaos also wrote or co-wrote three songs.[12]

Chaos then wrote and recorded the album Slave, for which he played all of the instruments.[13] He released it under the Amen name in 1994 and began to put together a new lineup: Paul Fig and Sonny Mayo on guitar, John Fahnestock (aka John Tumor) on bass, and Shannon Larkin on drums.

The band was eventually signed to Roadrunner Records which, in 1999, released a split EP with Misfits,[14] the five-track EP Coma America[15] and their debut album, Amen.[16] To support the album, Amen went on a tour of North America with Slipknot, Machine Head, and Coal Chamber, among others.[17] Amen parted ways with Roadrunner records and they were quickly picked up by This Is An I Am Recording!, the Virgin Records sub-label of producer Ross Robinson and went into the studio to record the album 'We Have Come For Your Parents'. In 2001, this album was released and was met with critical acclaim.[18] After the release of 'We Have Come For Your Parents' Roadrunner re-released Amen due to the popularity of the band and press that they were getting.

In March 2002, Chaos announced that Amen had been dropped from Virgin after internal restructuring of their recording division.[19][20] Amen had just recorded 20+ tracks for their new album and Virgin refused to release them. Amen went onto tour whilst they searched for a label to release new material under.

In 2004, Daron Malakian of System of a Down had founded his own label, through Columbia Records, called EatUrMusic Records. Malakian and Chaos had met at the 2002 Big Day Out festival in Australia and had become friends. Chaos put together a new lineup, recruiting bassist Scott Sorry, drummer Luke Johnson, and guitarists Matt Montgomery (aka Piggy D.) and Rich Jones. Amen was the first band Malakian signed and the label released Amen's Death Before Musick in 2004, along with a video for the single "California's Bleeding".[21] The band then embarked on a world tour in promotion of this release.

In 2005 Chaos released a compilation box set. This included previously unreleased Amen and Disorderly Conduct track in addition to remixes of previously released songs. The 4-CD boxed set was a limited edition release of 2,000 copies Pisstory, A Catalogue of Accidents/A Lifetime of Mistakes.[22]

In 2007, Amen were invited to perform on The Henry Rollins Show, a weekly talk show hosted by musician Henry Rollins on IFC. Amen performed three songs, two of which aired live: "Coma America" and "Liberation", with the third "Another Planet" release in IFC.com. The performance aired internationally on July 13, 2007, on the 14th episode of Season 2. Between the two songs, Chaos made political death threats and it became the first of the show's episodes to have material cut by IFC, although it ran the full performance on its website. Amen then went on a full tour of Europe including a co-headline slot with Kreator, at the Damnation Festival hosted at the University of Leeds. Amen booked a full European tour.

In 2014, Chaos went back into the studio with Amen to begin recording a new album with Ross Robinson with Dave Lombardo on drums.[23] Due to former commitments the album recording was not completed with Ross Robinson and Amen went on to perform at Knotfest in support of Slipknot.[24] In late 2019 Chaos went back into the studio to continue work on the latest Amen album in the UK before COVID-19 put a hold on the recording. This album ultimately remained unfinished following Chaos’ death in December 2024.

Other projects

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Chaos collaborated with Twiggy Ramirez and members of Queens of the Stone Age on a project called Headband, who recorded music but never released it.[25] Chaos was also a founding member of the band Scars on Broadway.

Chaos produced an EP for The Kinison,[26] working with the band off the back of a demo they passed Chaos when he was touring with Amen.

Chaos then founded the band Scum, with black metal icons Samoth and Cosmocrator from Zyklon, Bård Faust from Emperor, and Happy Tom from Turbonegro. Scum eventually released an album, 2005's Gospels for the Sick,[27] which was nominated in the metal category at Norway's 2006 Alarm Awards.

In 2005, Chaos recorded a song for No End In Sight, an album by the band This Is Menace.[28] Amen was then meant to tour with the band, but all dates were canceled when Chaos had to undergo emergency surgery to repair 'multiple ruptured hernias'. When he got out of hospital, Amen joined the band Sick of It All to fulfill its European tour commitment.

In 2006, Casey Chaos received a Grammy Award certificate in recognition of his participation "as a songwriter on the Grammy Award-winning recording "B.Y.O.B."[29]

Chaos was part of the supergroup Ross Robinson assembled to write the soundtrack for the House of Shock documentary. The documentary is yet to be released.[30]

Personal life and death

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In 2012, Chaos was arrested for allegedly driving his car into 15 parked cars in Studio City, California. In June 2019, he was arrested again for allegedly assaulting a woman at his Los Angeles home.[31]

Chaos died on December 21, 2024, at the age of 59.[31]

Discography

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Albums

With Disorderly Conduct:

  • Amen (1986), Dirge Records

With Amen:

  • Slave (1994), Drag-u-la Records
  • Amen (1999), Roadrunner Records
  • We Have Come For Your Parents (2000), Virgin Records
  • Death Before Musick (2004), EatURMusic/Columbia
  • Gun Of A Preacherman (2005), Snapper Music/Secret Records

Solo:

  • Pisstory: A Catalogue Of Accidents, A Lifetime Of Mistakes (2005), Refuse Music

With Scum:

  • Gospels For The Sick (2006) (Dogjob/Candlelight Records)

EPs (with Amen)

  • Uncontrolled Music For A Controlled Society (1999), Roadrunner Records
  • Coma America (1999) Roadrunner Records
  • Frontline Volume 3 – The Singles Club (1999, split with Misfits), Roadrunner Records
  • Propamenda (2000), Virgin Records
  • The Price of Reality (2000), Virgin Records/This Is An I Am Recording!
  • Too Hard To Be Free (2000), Virgin Records
  • The Waiting 18 (2001), Virgin Records/This Is An I Am Recording!
  • California's Bleeding (2004), EatURMusic/Columbia

Singles (with Amen)

  • "Coma America" (1999), Roadrunner Records
  • "The Price Of Reality" (2000), Virgin Records
  • "Too Hard To Be Free" (2000), Virgin Records
  • "The Waiting 18" (2001), Virgin Records
  • "California's Bleeding" (2004), EatURMusic/Columbia

Soundtrack credits

Compilation inclusions

  • Disorderly Conduct – I'm Buck Naked! (1984), BCT
  • Disorderly Conduct – Flipside Vinyl Fanzine 2 (1985), Gasatanka Records
  • Disorderly Conduct – There's A Method To Our Madness (1986), Phantom Records
  • Amen – Launch (2000, video compilation), Launch Magazine[32]
  • Casey Chaos – Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three (2002), Sanctuary Records
  • Amen – Join Or Die (2003), Refuse Music
  • Amen – Here's the Poison (2016), Secret Records

Guest appearances

DVDs

  • Amen – Caught In The Act (2004, live) Secret Records
  • Christian Death Featuring: Rozz Williams – Live (2005), Cleopatra Records[34]
  • Ministry / Paul Barker – Fix (2012), Gigantic Pictures

References

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  1. ^ "Facebook". Facebook ("Thank You All For The Amazing Birthday Wishes ! From The Ole' Bill."). October 9, 2018. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  2. ^ Stingley, Mick (June 2, 2004). "KNAC.COM - Features - Interview With Amen Vocalist C". www.knac.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Chaos, Casey; Socks, Matt (March 28, 2015). "How Black Flag Changed My Life – by Casey Chaos". louder. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  4. ^ "Interview with Metalhammer". Wayback Machine, caseychaosofficial. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Suren, Bob (May 15, 2015). Crate Digger: An Obsession with Punk Records, pg 49. Microcosm. ISBN 978-1-62106-194-6. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  6. ^ "Various – There's A Method To Our Madness". discogs.com. Discogs. October 31, 1986. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  7. ^ "Various – I'm Buck Naked!". discogs.com. Discogs. June 1984. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  8. ^ "Various – Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Vol 2". discogs.com. Discogs. October 31, 1985. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  9. ^ "Disorderly Conduct – Amen". discogs.com. Discogs. October 31, 1986. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  10. ^ "Christian Death* – Sleepless Nights – Live 1990". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  11. ^ "Rikk Agnew Turtle". allmusic.com. AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  12. ^ "Christian Death – Iconologia". discogs.com. Discogs. October 31, 1993. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  13. ^ "Amen – Slave". discogs.com. Discogs. October 31, 1994. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  14. ^ "Misfits / Amen – Frontline Volume 3 – The Singles Club". discogs.com. Discogs. October 31, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  15. ^ "Amen – Coma America". discogs.com. Discogs. October 31, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  16. ^ "Amen – Amen". discogs.com. Discogs. October 31, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  17. ^ "Amen's Concert History". concertarchives.org. Concert Archives. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  18. ^ "Amen – We Have Come For Your Parents". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  19. ^ "AMEN Officially Part With Virgin Records, March 2002". blabbermouth.net. Blabbermouth. March 4, 2002. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  20. ^ "EMI TO SLASH 1,800 JOBS, March 2002". nme.com. NME. March 20, 2002. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  21. ^ "Amen – Death Before Musick". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  22. ^ "Casey Chaos – Pisstory, A Catalogue of Accidents/A Lifetime of Mistakes". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  23. ^ "Former SLAYER Drummer DAVE LOMBARDO Joins AMEN, June 2014". blabbermouth.net. Blabbermouth. June 11, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  24. ^ "AMEN Performs New Song At KNOTFEST". blabbermouth.net. Blabbermouth. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  25. ^ "Casey Chaos Interview, Nov 2003". basetendencies.com. Base Tendencies (Jeordie White). Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  26. ^ "The Kinison – Mortgage Is Bank". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  27. ^ "Scum (7) – Gospels For The Sick". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  28. ^ "This Is Menace – No End In Sight". discogs.com. Discogs. April 25, 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  29. ^ "Grammy Certificate, image". Wayback Machine, Officialcaseychaos. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  30. ^ a b Hartmann, Graham (January 3, 2013). "Members of Slayer, Exodus + More Collaborate...Jan. 2013". Loudwire. loudwire.com. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  31. ^ a b "Amen's Casey Chaos Dead at 59". Blabbermouth. December 21, 2024. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  32. ^ "Various – LAUNCH". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  33. ^ "Ministry / Paul Barker – Fix". discogs.com. Discogs. April 10, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  34. ^ "Christian Death Featuring: Rozz Williams* – Live". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
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