\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div> \n\tA trip to the local record store with Rozz netted Lee a copy of Venom\u2019s Welcome to Hell<\/em>, which promptly set the wheels in motion for the pair to start their own band, Mantas. The Mantas name served a dual purpose: It was the stage moniker of Venom guitarist Jeff \u201cMantas\u201d Dunn, and it was the name of one of the first songs Rozz and Lee wrote together during their jam sessions, which were held in Lee\u2019s cramped bedroom. For as limited as they were on room to rehearse, Rozz and Lee still managed to come away with the foundation for another original, \u201cDemon\u2019s Flight,\u201d as well as a cover of Venom\u2019s \u201cTeacher\u2019s Pet.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n \n\tThe Rozz-Lee union was still in its early stages when the guitarist posted up at a typical suburban Orlando backyard party in late 1983. Rozz was sociable and demonstrably outgoing, which explains how he met a not-as-sociable and occasionally shy Chuck at the same gathering. Appearance may have been the deciding factor. Rozz was already starting to develop the look <\/em>\u2014 his black, straight Cousin Itt\u2013like hair (from The Addams Family<\/em>) was nearing his shoulders. He looked like a rocker. Chuck, while still waiting for his hair to grow out, continued to rep a handful of Iron Maiden shirts along with a studded wristband. (Also of note: Chuck often tugged at his developing strands of curly hair with hopes of kickstarting their growth, to no avail.) Rozz had a developing mustache; Chuck had a mouth full of braces. Both came from good, stable families that migrated to Florida from New York State. (The DeLillo clan moved from Brooklyn to the Orlando area in 1977.) Perhaps most importantly, both loved metal and wanted to be in a band.<\/p>\n \n\tRozz\u2019s role in the development of Chuck\u2019s nascent musical career cannot be understated. He was already into budding European metal acts such as Accept, Mercyful Fate, Raven, and Venom by the time he met Chuck. Rozz was also heavily influenced by Slayer. The blinding tremolo-picking approach of the Jeff Hanneman\/Kerry King guitar tandem on their 1983 Show No Mercy<\/em> debut made Rozz \u201cwant to play fast,\u201d and so did Chuck. Though there were personality differences, Chuck had found a potential bandmate who spoke the same musical language as him.<\/p>\n \n\tThroughout that evening, Chuck and Rozz found common ground on music and school, with both of the opinion that attending class \u201csucked.\u201d Rozz also casually mentioned he knew a guy, Lee, who could play the drums, but they needed a better place to practice. A wide-eyed Chuck couldn\u2019t believe his good fortune. Chuck pressed Rozz for details on Lee, with Rozz indicating he\u2019d played enough with Lee to know he was up for the task. Whether Lee was any good on the drums or not was irrelevant. He was their only option in the Orlando area. Chuck, without thinking twice, informed Rozz that his house could be their practice space. As the partygoers filtered out, the two exchanged numbers and planned their first jam session with Lee.<\/p>\n \n\tThe Schuldiner two-car garage was an ideal setting since it was spacious and free to use. Attached to the house, the garage gave the home its L-shape, which partially sequestered the noise that would reverberate through a typical ranch home. It had a washer, dryer, and hot water tank, along with [Schuldiner\u2019s dad] Mal\u2019s camping equipment and tools. The garage was noticeably bereft of air conditioning and airflow. The guys described it as a \u201cswamp,\u201d typical of Florida. On the plus side, the Citrus St. neighborhood was not densely populated enough to generate noise complaints from neighbors. The Schuldiners were, at the time, surrounded by elderly families who either paid no mind to the teenage cacophony or simply couldn\u2019t hear it. Best of all, Mal and Chuck\u2019s mother, Jane, were completely supportive.<\/p>\n \n\tIf getting into Kiss was phase one of helping him overcome the loss of his older brother, Frank [who\u2019d died by suicide], phase two involved Chuck starting a band. \u201cIt was never an issue for Chuck to play in the garage,\u201d says Mal, who soundproofed the space with insulation soon after the guys began playing together. \u201cIt was at the other end. We couldn\u2019t hear it as much. We thought Chuck needed an opportunity and a good environment to play. Whatever they were playing always sounded good to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tChuck Schuldiner<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDan Rock<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tMal and Jane sensed that Chuck\u2019s alliance with Rozz and Lee was far more serious than his previous hangouts with local guitarist Chad Robinson. It was all Chuck talked about after meeting Rozz. He was fascinated with the idea of \u201cthrashing\u201d in the garage, promising to bloody the ears of any and all comers, especially any unsuspecting neighbors who dared question their true intent of playing the heaviest music on earth. Chuck\u2019s excitement over starting a band, though, coincided with his disinterest in school. Mal, an educator, became concerned about Chuck\u2019s grades, as did Jane. But the two were reluctant to stand in the way of their son\u2019s newfound obsession, as it genuinely made him happy, a rare occurrence since Frank\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n \n\tChuck was also now a good enough guitarist to actually be in a band. Formal lessons were still not an option, so Chuck took what he had learned from Chad Robinson and ran with it. He absorbed songwriting fundamentals from Kiss and Iron Maiden, then quickly grasped the basics of speed-picking to build strength in his right hand. And while it would not appear on his initial recordings, Chuck\u2019s innate melodic sensibilities came from those early Maiden records, where twin guitar harmonies and spiraling solos reigned supreme. He did it all from the comfort of his bedroom. Save for his previous appearance with Robinson\u2019s band, Brit Var, at a church festival, Chuck never played guitar in front of his family\u2014they could only chart his progress through the sounds coming from his bedroom and, soon enough, their garage.<\/p>\n \n\tOn the first day of practice with Rozz and Lee, Chuck asked Mal to move both cars out of the garage and for his parents to \u201cstay out.\u201d Mal acquiesced and even found a carpet for Lee\u2019s drum set so it wouldn\u2019t slide all over the floor. Chuck and Rozz had an easy time interacting during their initial rehearsal, catching up on some of the bands they had discussed at the backyard party. Chit-chat didn\u2019t come as easily for Lee, who was meeting Chuck for the first time and trying to feel him out.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAt first, Chuck seemed a bit reserved,\u201d he says. \u201cNot introverted but rather more deeply in thought. He was very coddled by his mother, though, and so he was a bit spoiled \u2014 actually, a lot spoiled. It\u2019s not Chuck\u2019s fault, really, but considering his situation with his brother dying so young, you could tell it affected him and his mother to the point he was very sheltered \u2014 that was something you could tell.\u00a0His fascination with death and dying was different than mine. I think he was coming to terms with losing his brother, so he processed it by facing it head-on, like almost saying to himself he wasn\u2019t going to allow it to control and frighten him. Instead, he was going to embody it and become it. Unlike myself, where it was more or less an extension of horror and the macabre for me. He was more or less committed to conquering a fear of death instead of instilling it, whereas, with me, it was more like a morbid curiosity and a taboo intrigue.\u00a0He was also a serious musician. You could tell he had a lot more respect for his craft than Fredrick.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe first Chuck, Rozz, and Lee jam session included a hodgepodge of gear emblematic of three cash-strapped, budding young musicians. Chuck played out of a two-channel Peavey 2\u00d712 cabinet and head that doubled as a PA system for vocals. Rozz borrowed a Hiwatt guitar cabinet and head from local guitarist Mark Carter (also of Rozz\u2019s old band, Tempter), while Lee\u2019s drum set was just good enough to handle the rigors of rehearsal.<\/p>\n \n\tWith Lee stationed in the middle of the garage, Chuck to his right and Rozz on the left, Florida death metal was born on a mid-December 1983 day. The trio barreled through what little they knew: A Metallica cover, a rendition of M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce\u2019s \u201cLive Wire\u201d and Venom\u2019s \u201cTeacher\u2019s Pet.\u201d It was Lee \u2014 not Chuck \u2014 on vocals, employing a boom mic stand so that he could sing and play drums simultaneously, an impressive feat considering his relative youth.<\/p>\n \n\tLike Chuck and Rozz, Lee specialized in playing fast. His punk background immediately came in handy for speed metal: He had good meter and hit with plenty of ferocity. In fact, judging by future Death demos, Lee was an above-average drummer who likely could have landed any number of death-metal gigs had he stayed with the instrument. His stamina was never in question, nor was his ability to slow down for a mid-tempo groove.<\/p>\n\n
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