The debate over who truly invented death metal—whether it was Chuck Schuldiner of Death, Jeff Becerra of Possessed, or another pioneer entirely—has raged in metal circles for decades. However, for guitarist Rick Rozz, who stood on the ground floor of the movement as a member of both Mantas and early Death, the answer isn’t about pinning a medal on one man’s chest.
In a new interview with “Reckless” Rexx Ruger on the “Pod Scum” podcast, Rozz pushed back against the “godfather” theory of history, arguing that the genre’s creation was a collective effort rather than a solo act.
When asked if his former bandmate Schuldiner deserves the title of “pioneer” or “inventor” to the exclusion of others, Rozz was diplomatic but firm in his stance that credit should be shared among the collective that forged the sound.
“It doesn’t really matter to me. But as far as him being the dude, I mean, Kam and I were there too, so it’s not just one person,” Rozz told the podcast (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “If people are gonna say that, and I’m not patting myself on the back, but you can’t just give the credit to one person, just like you can’t give the credit to just Jeff Becerra. There’s a whole band behind him. That’s just my opinion. But [Chuck is] definitely in the top five, along with other people. That’s the way I look at it.”
Rozz went further, specifically highlighting the contributions of drummer/vocalist Kam Lee to the vocal style that defines the genre. While Schuldiner eventually became the face of Death, Rozz pointed out that in the Mantas days, it was Lee who was pioneering the guttural delivery.
“They’re the spokesperson,” Rozz said, referring to frontmen. “And Kam Lee, he sang over 80% of that Mantas stuff. So he was singing way before… We had songs written and we were playing ’em before Chuck had any lyrics or Chuck even sang. So, Kam was the one that really did that first. So he’s kind of above Chuck on that top five because I think Chuck learned a lot from him.”
He clarified that his comments weren’t meant to tear down Schuldiner‘s legacy, but rather to correct the historical record.
“Anyway, yeah, I’m not dogging anybody. I’m just stating facts, and I’m not afraid to state the facts. And that’s the way I feel. People might feel differently, but it’s in black and white and on tape. Kam was the original singer for that band.”
Ultimately, Rozz expressed discomfort with the grand titles often bestowed upon musicians from that era. To him, the rise of death metal felt less like a calculated invention and more like a fortunate convergence of like-minded youth.
“I don’t look at all that fr*ckin’ ‘godfather’ this, that, blah, blah, blah, blah. We all got lucky. And people respect that, and it’s very flattering, but I don’t know how to accept it, to be honest with you. But … it’s not just one person, I’ll leave it at that. No disrespect to Chuck or anything like that, but it’s more than one [person].”
Historically, the timeline supports the complexity of the debate. While Death‘s 1987 debut Scream Bloody Gore is a genre cornerstone, Possessed‘s Seven Churches arrived two years earlier in 1985, with Becerra often credited with coining the term “death metal” as early as 1983. Rozz‘s comments serve as a reminder that before the legends were solidified, it was a scene of teenagers building something new together.
