Casey Chaos , frontman of the punk band Amen , died at age 59. The news was announced in a statement by Brian Pereira, founder of his record label Cleopatra Records, on the 21st.
“With profound sadness, I extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Casey Chaos,” Perera wrote. “I had the privilege of working with Casey during his unforgettable live performance with Christian Death at American Legion Hall in 1993. Entering the hall with my good friend Matt Green and my wife, Yvonne , was an experience I will never forget—especially seeing Nicolas Cage sitting in the front row center, completely captivated.”
He continued: “Casey wasn’t just an extraordinary musician — he truly lived and breathed the lifestyle,” he continued, “May he rest in peace alongside Rozz Williams and the many tormented souls we admire and respect.”
The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Chaos, whose real name is Karim Chmielnski , was born in Trenton, New York, on October 9, 1965, and grew up in Melbourne, Florida.
His first musical project was Casey and the Skate Punx, where he recruited bassist Scot Lade, drummer Bill Erwin , and guitarist Ken Decter, later changing the band's name to Disorderly Conduct.
Later, Chaos moved to Los Angeles, where the group changed its name to Amen. There, he befriended Christian Death guitarist Rikk Agnew , which led to him playing on and co-writing several songs on his 1993 album, Iconologia .
Amen released four studio albums: Slave (1994), Amen (1999), We Have Come for Your Parents (2000), and Death Before Musick (2004). In 2014, the band returned to the studio to record a new album, but they didn't finish it. Five years later, they resumed the project, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, they paused work. The future of the album is still unknown.