Oh no, the metal world is doomed… or at least that’s what I keep telling myself as I drown my sorrows in a sea of cheap beer and mediocre riffs 🍺🤘. Mike Browning, the legendary drummer and vocalist of Morbid Angel and Nocturnus, has left this mortal coil at the ripe age of 62. I mean, who needs a social life when you can spend your days blasting death metal and complaining about how everything was better back in the day? 😔
So, what happened? Well, Profound Lore Records, the label that released the last two albums from Browning’s most recent band, Nocturnus AD, confirmed his passing on Monday, July 13. Because, you know, the metal world isn’t already depressing enough. The label paid tribute to Browning, calling him a “death metal legend/sci-fi death metal godfather” and urging him to “journey beyond the gateway to the outer void!” 🚀
But wait, there’s more! Morbid Angel also chimed in, writing on Instagram: “R.I.P Mike, thanks for helping make all this happen. Our condolences to his family & especially his daughter.” Aww, how sweet. I’m sure his daughter is just thrilled to have her dad’s legacy reduced to a few sentences on social media 📱.
The Legacy of Mike Browning
So, who was Mike Browning, anyway? Well, aside from being a metal legend, he played on what was originally intended to be Morbid Angel’s debut album, “Abominations Of Desolation”. Recorded in 1986, the album eventually saw the light of day in 1991, because what’s a little delay between friends, right? 🕰️ In a 2019 interview with Bardo Methodology, Browning discussed the album, stating that it was initially recorded for David Vincent’s Goreque Records. He also mentioned that Trey Azagthoth, Morbid Angel’s guitarist, had stated that the album was going to be released, but then… well, let’s just say that Browning and Azagthoth didn’t exactly see eye to eye 🤔.
But hey, who needs drama when you can just form a new band, right? Browning went on to form Nocturnus in 1987, which featured a raw, occult-themed sound before shifting into a progressive, sci-fi-oriented direction with keyboards in the late 1980s. Because, you know, what’s more metal than sci-fi and keyboards? 🤖🎹
Nocturnus AD and Beyond
Browning’s most recent band, Nocturnus AD, released its debut album, “Paradox”, in 2019, followed by “Unicursal” in 2024, both via Profound Lore Records. I mean, who doesn’t love a good comeback story, right? 🎉 But let’s be real, the real question is: what’s next for the metal world? Will we see a resurgence of sci-fi themed death metal? 🚀 Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: Mike Browning’s legacy will live on, at least until the next big thing comes along and we all forget about him 🙅♂️.
So, as we bid farewell to Mike Browning, let’s take a moment to appreciate his contributions to the metal world. I mean, who else can say they’ve played with Morbid Angel, Nocturnus, and Incubus? 🤘 Not me, that’s for sure. But hey, at least we have his music to remember him by, right? 🎵 RIP Mike Browning, may your riffs be forever brutal 🤘. 🍺💀
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
