Richard Brunelle , former guitarist for Morbid Angel , has died at the age of 55. The cause of his death has not yet been revealed.
The guitarist was part of the classic lineup of the death metal group between 1985 and 1992. He played on the early albums, including the successor Altars of Madness (1989) and Blessed Are the Sick (1991). Brunelle also appears on the demo Abominations of Desolation , recorded in 1986 and released in 1991.
He passed away on September 23rd, but the news was only released at the end of the week. According to Blabbermouth, the guitarist's sister-in-law posted about the event on her Facebook page. Following this, Morbid Angel drummer Mike Browning released a statement lamenting his death.
“I always wished that one day Richard, Trey [ Azagthoth ] and I would play together again, even if it was at my house. Please don’t ask me what happened, because I only know what you all know too.”
Brunelle returned to Morbid Angel in 1994 and 1998 to perform a few shows, but never participated in any studio recordings. In 2000, the guitarist struggled with drug addiction and was arrested several times.
