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Death frontman Chuck Schuldiner passed away on December 13 after losing his battle with a malignant brain tumor. Three years ago, Chuck was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that afflicted his brain and led to extensive medical treatment. Although Schuldiners did beat back the cancer for a short period of time, it came back full-force last year, prompting more extensive treatments. He finally got some national attention when, in a critical state, he was nearly refused treatment at a Californian hospital because he didn't have the required health insurance. When news of Schuldiner's illness spread, Death fans around the wordl donated their money and support, raising thousands of dollars for his medical fund. Unfortunately, despite fighting hard for his life, Chuck was unable to beat his illness and has died at the young age of 34.
  Chuck Schuldiner was one of the most significant figures in the history of metal. After developing an unrivalled reputation among extreme metal tape-traders in the mid-'80s, Death released their first album, the classic "Scream Bloody Gore", in 1987. An instant hit with fans of the underground metal scene. Death became flag-bearers for what was then known as death metal. Since then, Schuldiner released a further six studio albums with Death, including "Leprosy" (1988) and "Spiritual Healing" (1989), both benchmarks for the death metal scene. In 1999 Schuldiner released an album with a new band, Control Denied, which showed a more progressive side to his songwriting skills.
  "Chuck was never the easiest person to know or get along with, but that was due to his unwavering and uncompormising dedication to his music," writes K! scribe Don Kaye. "Chuck deservedly achieved legendary status in his lifetime as a true original. He will be greatly missed, but his impact on the metal music he loved will remain forever."
  "I'm very sad about it all," Soulfly's Max Cavalera tells Kerrang!. "Death were very influential at the start of Sepultura's career. We used to trade letters when I lived in Brazil. He made me a cassette copy of the first album and sent it to me before it came out."
  "All of us were big fans of Death back in the really early days," says Napalm Death frontman Barney Greenway. "Early Death was just a bastion of brutality. Those first three albums were every bit as important as "Reign In Blood"."
  "I knew he was having health problems but to finally hear that he has passed is very sad," says Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera. "I was a huge fan of the band and collected all of his works when I was a kid. He'll be missed."
  "The death of Chuck is very sad indeed," states Cathedral frontman Lee Dorrian. "His influence on the world of extreme music is massive, almost beyond words. he was also a very intelligent and polite gentleman who will be greatly missed."
  "His death is a truly sad loss," says Stampin' Ground guitarist Scott Atkins. "I'm sure his talent reached far beyond the boundaries of extreme music."