Brian Montana, a death metal pioneer, dead in a police shootout

If you’re into death metal, you’ll be familiar with the band Possessed. In 1984, they released a demo called Death Metal, and most historians point to Possessed giving the genre its name. Brian Montana was a guitarist on that recording. The band pioneered the death metal sound with an album entitled Seven Churches, but they did it without Montana. He left the band over creative and personal tensions. He apparently wasn’t satanic enough, refusing to do things like wearing an upside-down crucifix.

This week, Montana was killed in a shootout with police in San Francisco.

It all began with an argument with a neighbour about tree clippings. The argument escalated, and Montana pulled a gun. Shots were fired into an occupied home. Numerous 911 calls were made. More guns–a handgun, a shotgun, and a rifle–appeared.

Two cops responded, and there was a 30-minute exchange of gunfire with Montana, who had moved into a neighbouring driveway, using parked cars, trees, and other landscaping as cover. At some point, a bystander was graze by a bullet (he’ll be okay).

The gun battle continued until Montana was hit and despite life-saving measures, he died at the scene.

This wasn’t the first time a member of Possessed has been shot. Vocalist Jeff Becerra was shot during a robbery in 1989 that left him paralyzed from the waist down.