Metal Gods

Rigor Mortis guitarist Mike Scaccia dies after collapsing during performance; hewas only 47

Guitarist Mike Scaccia, who passed away in the early hours on December 23, 2012.
Photo courtesy of Omar Mena Photography
Rigor Mortis' final show at the Rail Club in Fort Worth on December 22.
Photo courtesy of Susan Roden Photography

Dallas musician Mike Scaccia, who achieved national acclaim as guitarist for metal-rock bands such as Ministry, the Skatenigs and Rigor Mortis, died on Saturday during a performance at the Rail Club in Fort Worth. He was 47.

Fans saw Scaccia collapse in a seizure while onstage during a Rigor Mortis show, from what was reported by some friends to be a heart attack. He was taken to the hospital but did not recover.

Susan Roden, a friend, saw him in the green room right before the band went onstage. "He was in great spirits, I know that," she said.

"He was a shining example of what you would like to hope that fame brings, in that he remained true to his roots and was kind even to those he knew only moderately," Avelar said.

One witness posted on Facebook that Scaccia fell in the middle of a solo.

His daughter Sarah posted a poignant message on his Facebook page at 3 a.m. Dallas time, saying, "I love you so much dad. I love you so much."

Rigor Mortis played at 11 p.m., as part of a long-anticipated show that included Maleficus, Embalmed and Rabid Flesh Eaters.

The band formed in 1983 in Arlington as a three-piece with Scaccia on guitar, Casey Orr on bass and Harden Harrison on drums; singer Bruce Corbitt joined the band in 1986. Their self-titled debut was released by Capitol Records record in 1988. Corbitt was replaced by Doyle Bright who sang on two subsequent albums, Freaks and Rigor Mortis vs. The Earth.

Scaccia rose to national prominence in 1989 when he joined industrial metal band Ministry on their "The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" tour. He played on Ministry's platinum-selling album Psalm 69 and the '95 release Filth Pig, and he joined Ministry on the 1992 tour of Lollapalooza.

Scaccia also played with other industrial metal bands such as Revolting Cocks and Lard, and on solo releases by Ministry founder Al Jourgensen. In March 2012, the two recorded a new Ministry album called Relapse.

Generous and down-to-earth

Despite his fame, he remained generous and down-to-earth, said drummer Andre Avelar, who played with Scaccia in a band called League of Blind Women.

"He was a shining example of what you would like to hope that fame brings, in that he remained true to his roots and was kind even to those he knew only moderately," Avelar said. "He had his demons over the years, including some drug use [Scaccia and Jourgensen were arrested in 1995 for possession of heroin], but no one ever had a bad word to say about Mike Scaccia."

In August 2012, the original Rigor Mortis lineup reunited and had been working on a new album, Slaves to the Grave.

He also played with Revolting Cocks and Lard. In August 2012, the original Rigor Mortis lineup reunited and had been working on a new album, Slaves to the Grave.

One post on his Facebook page spoke for a lot of local fans.

You will be greatly missed by the metal world and especially those of us who grew up within the DFW local metal scene ('80s-'90s). We have lost another legend from our metal family waaay too soon and you will always be remembered as one of the greats!"

Corbitt bid goodbye, calling Scaccia "the greatest guitar player I ever knew."

In Scaccia's last update, he said, "These next 2 shows is what I worked my whole life for... Look out Mother Fuckers...hahha"

Untimely death

Chris Kelly, singer for League of Blind Women, said that he and Scaccia had talked about the similarly untimely death of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, guitarist for Arlington metal band Pantera, who was shot and killed while onstage in a club in Ohio in December 2004.

"He once said, 'If I go out ripping on stage, what's a better way to go?'" Kelly said. "And he did."

Scaccia was survived by his wife Jenny Rowen Scaccia, their two children Gianna and Ryder, and older daughters Sarah Scaccia and Taarna Scaccia Hopkins.

UPDATE: According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, police responded to a call from the club at 11:45 pm, and Sciacca was pronounced dead at 12:26 am in the emergency room at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.

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Movie Review

Over-the-top acting and incoherent plot drag down Her Private Hell

Photo courtesy of Neon

Sophie Thatcher in Her Private Hell.

Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is not someone who plays nice with the general film world. His 2011 film Drive introduced him to American audiences in a big way, but that pulsating thriller was followed up with artier films like Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon that eschewed coherent plots in favor of moody, atmospheric pieces.

Winding Refn, who hasn’t made a feature film in 10 years, has gone fully down the rabbit hole with Her Private Hell. Taking place in a liminal space that kind of resembles Earth but also feels like someone’s dreams/nightmares, the film focuses on Elle (Sophie Thatcher), an actor currently starring in a sci-fi film. Staying at a hotel with newcomer Hunter (Kristine Froseth), the two bond over their shared passion and the legend of Elle’s father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott), who’s now married to Elle’s friend Dominique (Havana Rose Liu).

After spending a good amount of (mostly incomprehensible) time with that group, Refn introduces Private K (Charles Melton), who seems to be living in post-World War II Japan. He is looking for his daughter, who might have been taken by a mysterious figure known as “Leatherman,” and he will stop at nothing to find her, fighting whoever stands in his way.

It becomes clear almost right away that Winding Refn has no desire to engage in traditional storytelling in this film. The main characters wander through neon-drenched streets and buildings, which are often surrounded by a mist that is referred to on multiple occasions but never explained. Everyone speaks as if in a constant state of wonderment, and there are many moments where it’s unclear if events are actually happening, part of a movie-within-a-movie, or something else entirely.

Unlike his previous films, Winding Refn has taken the characters in this film completely out of the real world, with every scene taking place in a sparsely decorated room or street that is obviously a movie set. While there are moments where this decision really works, especially the striking first shot of a human-like figure mixed in with a cityscape and clouds, most of the time it only adds to the stilted nature of the film as a whole.

In fact, the entire movie has the feel of an avant-garde theater exercise. Every actor seems to be trying to outdo the others with awkward performances and out-sized reactions. Two very specific characters make appearances in both sides of the story for seemingly no reason other than to inject their weirdness into both spaces. The shocking violence that crops up on occasion would have more of an impact if it was related to anything intelligible.

Thatcher (Companion) and Liu (Tuner) are among the young stars who have had breakout moments in recent years, but neither of them is served well by this hot mess of a movie. They, along with Melton, still demonstrate the talent they possess, but the oddity of the film weighs them down. Scott makes an impression for all the wrong reasons, while Froseth is called upon to play a character who might as well not be there at all.

If there’s any kind of message that Winding Refn was trying to convey with Her Private Hell, it’s lost among the flashing lights, overload of pink, and jewel-like structures. Filmmakers who try to make art for art’s sake have a place in the world, but this film too often feels like people are making things up as they go, with no real goal in mind.

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Her Private Hell opens in theaters on July 24.

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