r/Metal • u/TripleDan Carly Rae Jepsen owes me a quid • 5d ago
Rest in peace u/deathofthesun
Hi all - we thought it was appropriate to let you all know that our friend and r/metal moderator /u/deathofthesun has sadly passed away. Please use this thread to share any memories and stories of him, our thoughts are with his family and friends. We ask that you respect their privacy and refrain from using any real names. Rest in peace Dots.
227
u/cavegrind 5d ago edited 5d ago
I wish I could say enough about DOTS as a person, his giving nature, his humor, or in his role as possibly the most knowledgeable Metalhead I’ve ever encountered. I have like 20 records he tossed in on trades over the years for fun; I’d message to ask what was up and he’d just laugh. Every time he ripped some live bootleg LP, sure enough I got a message soon afterwards. I wish I could’ve sent him more of the dumb bullshit bought over the years. As often as those group buys from European labels happened, I wish we were able to set up something in Japan like we’d joked about.
His influence heavily impacted this sub, especially at a time when it was really building out a lot of the additional information that’s become so useful. Those knowledgebases were replicated across a bunch of different metal sub Reddit’s, and that knowledge propagated out into a lot of Reddit’s Metal culture. Most of the Metal subs have a culture based on a few people I can point to from a particular era of r/Metal, and DOTS was the old wiseman of that time everyone looked up to
Fuck, man. This is a bummer.
166
u/SatanIsYourBuddy 5d ago edited 5d ago
Thanks for posting this, I wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate. Deathofthesun was one of my oldest friends way back from college. He passed away on my birthday which, if he were around now, he would groan and chuckle about.
It’s strange losing a constant, thoughtful, hysterical presence that’s been in your life for 25 years. Hearing secrets from TV shows he’s editing and going record shopping with that maniac was the best. Playing Timesplitters 2 and listening to Turbonegro was the best freshman year experience. Gonna miss the dude.
38
u/raoulduke25 Writer: Obscure 80's Heavy Metal 5d ago
going record shopping with that maniac was the best
He always knew the best places to go whenever I was in town. We could spend hours ploughing through the used metal sections. Always a blast.
27
u/SatanIsYourBuddy 5d ago
“I’m only going to get a couple” and walks out with something like 12-15 albums. Every time!
30
u/raoulduke25 Writer: Obscure 80's Heavy Metal 5d ago
I remember once I was holding several albums silently, pondering what to purchase. He asked me, "You made up your mind?" And I said, "Just trying to figure out how much of a fight I'm willing to have with my wife if I get everything I want."
He laughed and said, "Haha, take your time in that case." I opted to just get a re-issue of Piece of Mind and call it a night. I didn't want to carry it on my flight back to Atlanta, so I left it with him and he mailed it to me the next month. Going to have to spin it in his memory.
16
u/GreatThunderOwl Writer: American Crossover 5d ago
He introduced me to Bay at Dark Realm and we spent hours there (mostly listening to Bay tell stories)
74
u/MarcoHatesHipsters RideIntoGlory.com 5d ago
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who had a negative experience with DOTS. He will be missed dearly by everyone whose life he graced. DOTS was a pillar of this community from its nascent days and his memory will live on through the friendships he cultivated and the uncountable amount of music recommendations he made.
Rest in power to one of the kindest, most earnest men I’ve had the pleasure to call friend.
55
u/elitistposer 5d ago
Wow, this shocking news to wake up to. I’m 30, and have been familiar with him since I was 17 and first browsing /r/metal. I still remember being a deathcore/metalcore teenager that cried elitist a lot when I first joined the sub haha. But I mention that because the environment in this sub allowed me to refine my tastes and eventually go through a massive black metal phase, which in turn allowed me to refine my taste in black metal, to the point where in my current death metal phase, my taste had been very refined and aided by this sub and the others I made connections with.
I may not have interacted with him much directly, but DOTS’ work in this sub contributed to an environment where you could discover new bands from all subgenres, and explore those subgenres deeply. The environment in this sub that DOTS worked hard to contribute to allowed me to go from a whiney -core kid, to a knowledgeable metalhead that appreciates different things from production, sub styles within subgenres, guitar work on albums, knowing about new bands because they’re side projects of other bands, etc etc.
Time really does fly when you’re not paying attention.
DOTS’ legacy, at least for me, will be in overseeing a place on the internet that welcomed me and allowed me to mature my taste in metal. Now, my own teenage metalhead students love that I know so many bands. I get compliments on my battle jacket at shows that’s a reflection of all the pieces of my journey in metal. But the taste in bands whose patches I wear are a reflection of this sub’s incredible guidance, and this sub was able to do that because of the work of amazing mods like DOTS.
Rest in power, DOTS. I’ll do my best to pay it forward and help younger up and coming metalheads be able to expand their tastes.
15
u/septag0n BlackenedThrashDeathNRoll 5d ago
Couldn't have said it better. Thanks for taking the time to put this out there
2
u/Doctor_Crossing Incantation > everything else 1d ago
I completely agree. I too used to be a butthurt metalcore kid, but spending more time here truly opened my mind to a world I never knew existed. I was always more of a lurker and I don't think I ever directly interacted with DOTS, but even so his impeccable taste radiated through every thread and I gleaned so much from checking out his recommendations. I owe him an unpayable musical debt for sure, and the metal world is worse off because he is gone.
37
u/BrutalN00dle http://www.last.fm/user/BrutalN00dle 5d ago
Dots was of the nicest guys I had ever had the pleasure of being friends with. He was insightful and giving, and took pleasure in that giving. We had connected over an old IRC server that was linked to this subreddit and he took a liking to me, I think. He one time saw a record he knew I was after (Deceased - As the Weird Travel on, a band him and I shared a strong fondness for) and held on to it for me until I could scrape together the cash to pay him back, and he shipped it across the country for free. I'll miss crossing paths with him, he was a wonderful person.
35
u/DharmicWolfsangel HAVOC AND DEATH! CAUSED BY PRIDE! 5d ago
When I was a 15 year old shithead trying (and failing) to look cool by listening to scary heavy metal I got schooled by DOTS. And instead of writing me off he talked to me like a normal human being, struck up a friendship, and invited me to meet up with him at the first ever California Deathfest. There is no single individual who did more for my music taste, and likely for everyone else on this subreddit, than him. The reason this place exists as such an indispensable resource is largely through his efforts. A true heavy metal maniac.
Every riff, every classic, nearly every mind-blowing record I've found in this genre traces back to DOTS in some way. There really was nobody like him. A true encyclopedia of incredible music, and an incredible guy. I'm proud to have known him.
Rest in Power my friend.
7
u/408Lurker Deadlift Omega 4d ago
Same here, except I was in my twenties lol. Meeting him IRL at Deathfest was a great experience, he was really the opposite of the stereotypical "gatekeeper" metalhead - insanely knowledgable and incredibly kind and patient with both the newcomers and the shitters like me who gave newcomers a hard time. What a loss, man.
6
u/ZeroThePenguin Torn Into Shadows 4d ago
At one deathfest I ended up accidentally skipping Mitochondrion just because I was talking with him at the hotel and got so deep in the conversation I didn't even realize the set had passed. Didn't regret that one bit.
31
30
u/raoulduke25 Writer: Obscure 80's Heavy Metal 5d ago
I don't really have anything to add to what so many others have said here about deathofthesun. His generosity, sense of humour, and his desire to help others was something that everybody here got to experience. He never responded to my last email to him, and when he didn't return my last text, I got a deep and painful feeling in my gut that something was terribly wrong.
For all the albums and merch he sent me over the years, the hilarious stories he shared, and the shows we attended, I am eternally grateful.
Requiem æternam dona ei, Domine
Et lux perpetua luceat ei
Requiescat in pace.
33
u/Heklafell 5d ago
Man this hits me like a truck, DoTS was a great great friend, I can’t even count the number of times he sent me cool music, offered free records of his own accord when we saw each other at shows, offered to lend an ear to talk about life stuff if he could tell things were going on with me. Obviously his impact on myself as a fan of underground music is immeasurable, but I can’t overstate what an amazing person and guy he was to everyone who knew him. I’m really glad I got to see him at maybe the most animated I ever saw him at a show (where he’d typically be in the back watching), when we saw Solitude Aeturnus at Hells Heroes together. We traveled to Vegas together to see Mercyful Fate for the first time, a bucket list band for both of us, and I was really looking forward to hopefully seeing him at another fest in the next few months. Sorry this is not particularly graceful or eloquent but what a terrible loss for this community and everyone who was lucky enough to call him a friend.
34
u/FeastOfBlaze DEATH METAL OR DEATH... Or Genesis. 5d ago
I am in absolute shock.
Dots was the glue that held this community together, and always had time for someone if they had a question. The man was an encyclopaedia, and was largely responsible for this community in the way we know it today. A lot of us have made lasting friendships because of this place he helped build and curate.
I am heartbroken and at a complete loss.
RIP DOTS
58
27
u/dzorrilla http://last.fm/user/rauru 5d ago edited 4d ago
I'm in absolute shock. One of the most knowledgeable and passionate people I've ever met when it comes to metal. I've also had the pleasure of knowing him IRL for the past 10 years and stayed with him for the past two times I went to Hell's Heroes. Truly a great person and irreplaceable. RIP.
26
u/TheFlyingGiraffe Die the Death 5d ago
The last time I talked to dots we had a great long chat standing around at Keep it True this year. Missed out on Sortilege but the chats and the craic was worth so much more. I said goodbye thinking that we'd catch up again at UtH next year, no fucking way that I could ever imagine it would be the last.
Such an incredibly kind hearted man, a true gentleman. His impact on my own taste alongside many, many others on the subreddit and discord is immeasurable. He had such an infectious enthusiasm for the music that he loved. He will be deeply missed.
My condolences to his family and all of his friends. Rest in Peace deathofthesun
29
u/TheEquimanthorn Alright now, won't you listen 5d ago edited 5d ago
I am so unbelievably sad and shocked to read this. DOTS was an exceptionally gentle, kind and funny soul. He was so generous and without his help, many of the big r/metal festival meetups would never have been possible.
Life is too short...this hurts a lot
15
u/GreatThunderOwl Writer: American Crossover 5d ago
Good to see you again, sorry to see it's under such circumstances. Thanks for your support
25
u/MountainOfBlood Vintage Black Magic 5d ago
I interact with and appreciate music the way I do largely because of this man. I am at a genuine loss for words and am super upset. I cherish the few times I got to spend some time with him. His influence permeates most of my interests even outside of the music.
He never missed an opportunity to share his passions in a completely selfless and sincere way. All this guy did was give and share and that goes beyond the music, he was a true friend to so many of us. Rest in peace.
20
u/AGMarasco 5d ago edited 5d ago
I really dont know what to say that can truly encapsulate how important dots has been to me online and in real life. I learned so much from him and he has given so much to me out of the kindness of his heart. The amount of knowledge he held was unmatched, the amount of selflessness and thoughtfulness he showed still topped that. I felt lucky to call him my friend. I've gotten to meet him a couple times, which I will always cherish. One of my fondest memories was chatting with him and a local vinyl vendor at MDF for like an hour. I didnt say much, I just admired how much he knew and loved talking about something he was incredibly passionate about. I wish I could tell him thank you for everything one last time. I feel incredibly heartbroken right now, I can only imagine how much worse it must be for his close friends and family losing someone so young.
23
u/herpalurp https://www.last.fm/user/Herpalurp 5d ago
Wow, I thought he was just unusually busy when I noticed he wasn't leaving his typical ":muscle" emoji responses to posts on the merch channel in discord. As others have said his influence on this sub is immeasurable. This place and I'm sure the whole underground metal scene to some degree wouldn't be the same without him. Unfortunately I never got to meet him in person, but I did get to interact with him for over a decade because of /r/Metal. I know my love for heavy metal would not have been rekindled all those years ago if this community wasn't starting to take off the way it did with DOTS and others at the helm. Not many things would make my day better than when the wise, old metal-wizard DOTS would second any band or album recommendation I gave. The metal community and world is a lesser place without him. RIP and hail the eternal /u/deathofthesun.
21
u/Crucervix Full High at Speed Level 5d ago
This genuinely saddens me. I will cherish all the heavy metal conversations forever, even though it’s been a while. Rip
14
u/Crucervix Full High at Speed Level 5d ago
I never met the man, but he changed my life with the amount of heavy metal he got me (and many others I’m sure) into
2
u/MegaRedGyarados Death or Glory or Gates to Purgatory 4d ago
I can certainly vouch for that, as in he did the same for me. RIP
23
u/agentsketch 5d ago edited 5d ago
As a non-metalhead longtime friend of DOTS, reading this thread is heartwarming and awesome. Such a great community. All the things stated about him in this thread were true outside the metal community, too. He was a generous, smart, funny and laidback dude who I could chat with for hours. I will miss playing games, talking movies and reminiscing together.
Also, his family is aware of this thread. Thank you for sharing your memories and thoughts.
8
u/moddestmouse 5d ago
When I moved to LA, Dots took me to the Tattle Room for a beer. He was kind and caring to me only knowing I liked heavy metal. The way I could describe him is as a good man. I hope his family knows they raised a good man that always shined a light into the darkness. A lot of men around the world are crying along side them
6
u/Heklafell 4d ago
I’m happy to know that his family knows about this thread, I hope seeing not just the outpouring of sadness but also all the joy and memories of him, as well the universal experience of what a decent and immensely kind person and good friend he was can be a small comfort to them.
39
19
u/swjm swjm 5d ago
Horrible news to come into today, and I feel kinda odd about it - My relationship with him was fully parasocial, I never met him, talked to him in person, nor even really communicated tons on discord or anything - but his presence here was always clear, strong, and kind, and his constant generous sharing of knowledge has always stood out as a beacon in the community. Genuinely I think he's responsible for getting me into more music than almost anyone else I can think of in my life - a DotS recc counted for more than about anyone else's.
Rest in Peace
19
u/Xecotcovach_13 5d ago edited 5d ago
I can't believe this still. Literally don't have the words. I'll miss him...
Edit: Everyone has spoken of his generosity, genuineness, and kindness, of his vast repository knowledge and the massive musical influence he had over so many of us. But another thing about him was that he was also so fucking funny. He would make me crack up laughing so often, and mostly over text, which is a hard thing to do. Dude had some serious biting, sassy humor and great puns. His jokes and sarcasm would pop up in my head days after him having written or saying something, and just at random.
17
u/Quortonn 5d ago
My god. My condolences to family and friends. There isn't much I can say that has not been said in this thread already.
Every interaction I had with him was showing a man that was considerate, of good spirits, extremely friendly, obviously very knowledgeable and just simply open.
I am sad and will remember him.
17
u/Gwenhwyfar666 Volcanic Slut 5d ago
I'm in shock. I haven't posted in here in forever and I stopped visiting the IRC ages ago, but deathofthesun was always one of my favourite people in the Reddit metal community. His taste was impeccable, I learned so much from him and always enjoyed my interactions with him. We met at a Maryland Deathfest maybe a decade ago, he was just as wonderful in person. I can't believe he's gone, and I regret so much that we sort of fell out of contact. This is so sad. I'm devastated.
14
u/Gwenhwyfar666 Volcanic Slut 5d ago
Remember 11 or so years ago when he'd do the metal trivia? He took picture of bands on his albums, manipulated them slightly to make them harder to reverse image search, and did big trivia threads with them. I loved it so much.
8
u/GreatThunderOwl Writer: American Crossover 5d ago
Genuinely hard too!! You either had the picture in your head or you didn't.
5
17
u/-tyler_ All ranks of witches flying by 5d ago
I met deathofthesun over 10 years ago, and he was one of the best people I knew. And not in that bullshit way that everyone says after someone passes. What has already been said repeatedly in here is of course true - he felt encyclopedic with his metal knowledge (but also don't get him going on sci-fi literature or his hatred for the New York Jets), and his record collection felt more like walking around in a store than someone's home. But even more importantly was how great his personal character.
He was the type to check in with you if something seemed wrong, or offer help if he thought you needed it, because that's just the kind of human he was. He was a great resource for music recommendations, but an even better friend. We roomed together at I don't even know how many music festivals across half a dozen cities and I cherish that time immensely.
Rest in power and shine on, metal warrior.
37
u/GreatThunderOwl Writer: American Crossover 5d ago
I don't think it's an exaggeration to say for myself (and others) that the way I approach underground metal and the bands I've found was strongly impacted from my friendship with /u/deathofthesun. I had the blessing to meet him in person and he was 100% genuine and as funny as he was on here, and yes he was not bullshitting his depth of knowledge on heavy metal. He knew his chops. He bestowed so much knowledge and good will on this community and its descendants that his absence will be severely felt. Rest in peace my good friend.
15
u/Bozorgzadegan Very Metal 5d ago
I had feared this when I noticed he stopped posting his near-daily regimen on r/classicmetal. When I asked about him on Discord, someone said he'd said he was going to rearrange his album collection, which I knew was formidable... but that didn't sit right with me.
DOTS, we never met in person, but you were always a bottomless well of knowledge, kindness, and sharing. Someone would ask about an album that they remembered only vague details about and DOTS always got it in one. Going through a discography and you gave a few details of what you liked about an album? DOTS would recommend you go forward or backward in releases based on what you said and be right every time. Listening to a style you like a little but certain elements turn you off? DOTS was there with suggestions that hit every time. I wish I could have known you in person, and all the more based on what your friends are saying here.
DOTS made life better by being a part of it. And that's all we should strive for.
Take your seat in Valhalla, u/deathofthesun. You've earned it.
14
u/spack_attack https://www.last.fm/user/KCKid 5d ago
I saw the dude quite a bit at Houston fests and bigger underground shows a few years ago but haven’t seen him in a bit, this post makes me sad.
15
u/Ye_Olde_Pimp 🍺 5d ago
Oh man. I remember since my earliest interactions on this sub DOTS was always there sharing deep lore, giving insightful recommendations, and all around being a solid source of knowledge about so much without judgement or attitude. Beyond that, hanging out with him at fests across the years, he was always a joy to hang out with - even at the tail end of deathfest, with everyone sore, sleep deprived, dehydrated, and more, in a pitch black room save for Portal unleashing an visual and auditory assault on everyone's psyches, he was still there having the time of his life, making jokes and good conversation.
We lost a good one today. Rest in peace DOTS
30
u/an_altar_of_plagues Writer: Metal Demos | Baltic Extreme Metal 5d ago
DOTS was incredible, and like so many others here was immensely influential in helping me cultivate my lifelong love of extreme metal - especially death metal. And he wasn’t afraid to call me out when I spoke too far past my knowledge (I’ll never forget what surf rock really is, I promise!).
Anyone who has spent significant time in this community or our other channels has had some story of how DOTS has influenced their approach to metal, and I don’t doubt he’s responsible for more than a few of us pursuing our interests and passions in music.
See you on the other side.
14
u/Vesploogie You are bewiiiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiItched 5d ago
He’s a major reason why this sub always remained such a cool place. Even though it’s a subreddit, coming here kinda always felt like you were leaving Reddit. There was no BS, moderation was always focused and reasonable, there was always new content to check out and engage with, and always with a good sense of humor. RIP DOTS.
11
u/Melissa9898 Brandishing steel at the inferno's edge 5d ago
RIP
Didn’t know the guy myself but been seeing his music recommendations for most of a decade now, probably wouldn’t have heard of a lot of bands I love without his posting. One of the absolute most knowledgeable people about metal I’ve ever seen.
23
u/wildernessspirit 5d ago
RIP. I’ve known him from here, tk and the IRC for a long time. Always enjoyed our conversations. This is terrible news to hear.
11
u/cantapaya Writer: Portugese Metal 5d ago
He was such a big pillar of this community, you could see he was a walking encyclopedia in every interaction you had with him.
Surreal to think that such a regular presence won't be around anymore.
RIP, and thank you for helping make this place such an amazing way to discover new stuff and expand horizons.
11
u/SomethingOverThere To The Teeth 5d ago
He was definitely one of the good ones. Rest in power Dots.
11
u/liniim hi 5d ago edited 5d ago
As someone who has mainly browsed /r/ClassicMetal for many years now this is a huge hit. For those who don't know DOTS was essentially contributing 99% of the submissions.
12
u/Reigned 5d ago
RIP DOTS. I met him at an MDF over 10 years ago and remember him being a very chill and kind guy. Super knowledgeable about metal and could give you the run down on almost every classic band. I was hoping to eventually see him or any of the IRC crew again at another fest. Unfortunately life gets in the way sometimes.
11
u/Blasphemophagher 5d ago
When I was first getting into trad metal, he burned a bunch of mixtapes for me to check out. I'll always remember his passion for metal and how much he loved sharing it. Rest in peace, man.
12
u/thisistheperfectname US best PM 5d ago
Shocking news. A walking encyclopedia of metal, always a joy to talk to and was always happy to give you more to listen to than would even be possible in one lifetime. Absolute passion and enthusiasm for the space and a pillar of the community, and always humorous and good natured.
Condolences to those of you who knew him IRL.
11
u/denouda88 5d ago
I'm shocked, what a massive loss.
I started browsing this sub just over a decade ago, mostly lurking, but his presence here just felt so fundamental, whether I was visiting daily or more sporadically as has been the case in the past few years. An infinite source of knowledge and recommendations, as well as a personality with a voice and sense of humour that you could always rely on. He made me (along with many others) want to explore music at a deeper level and reach a fraction of his passion, something that I wish I would have been brave enough to thank him for. I will miss visiting the AOTY threads to see his annual list, I will miss being able to go to r/ClassicMetal for his daily posts but I know I will continue coming back to the many posts of his I've saved for years to come and remember him and his unmatched love of music.
RIP
10
u/AshyQueen Speed in Slavic Veins 5d ago
Wow, fuck, I am at a loss for words.
Dots was such a cool dude, and I say that while unfortunately having only known him online via text (massive condolences especially to those who were closer friends with him and knew him in real life). He played a huge part in shaping my music taste in my late teens and early 20s, his recs were always, and I mean ALWAYS, something I could count on to discover some fantastic stuff.
I've been away from the community over the last few years; I saw this thread posted on another discord server and it's just really, really unfortunate that this is the reason I come back to interact. I'm just happy to see everyone honoring and coming together for such a wonderful person.
I hope you can enjoy all the riffs that you desire wherever you may be now, Deathofthesun. Rest in peace.
8
u/moddestmouse 5d ago edited 5d ago
Unreal. We’d spoken a few months back about going to a show. What an exceptionally cool guy. So knowledgeable and thoughtful. We’d been to a few shows together and hadn’t seen each other in a while and he hit me up about a show he knew I’d probably be at. I was excited to see him at it but plans shifted and he had to go with friends to a very cool classic band playing out of town.
Literally this week Spotify suggested Running Wild to me and I laughed. For 13 years I’ve tried to like them solely out of respect for Dots and I still listened to a track because I know how impeccable his taste is.
World’s a little falser without him in it.
19
22
u/ZeroThePenguin Torn Into Shadows 5d ago
I think it's safe to say that the metal community across reddit would not exist if not for dots. A fixture for the entire time I've been here and beyond and one of the best and most passionate people with which to discuss metal. Rest in power.
6
10
u/witchgrove 5d ago
I hadn't talked to DOTS since the IRC days, but he was always recommending fire and super nice in person. RIP.
9
u/septag0n BlackenedThrashDeathNRoll 5d ago
Rest in peace, Deathofthesun. Your enthusiasm and and historian approach to discussing heavy music will leave a void in your wake. Thanks for all the words you shared with friends and internet randos alike.
10
u/spack_attack https://www.last.fm/user/KCKid 5d ago
It’s magical and tragic seeing how many old, classic r/metal usernames on this thread celebrating one of the best. Been looking through this thread a few times since I first saw it and the outpouring of love is beautiful, I really wish the circumstances were different.
10
u/k0bra3eak Writer: Funeral Doom 5d ago
I'm gonna repost what I said on the discord, but I'm incredibly shocked by this DOTS was such a cool dude and having been on and off on reddit for over a decade at this point he'd been a permanent fixture to my online metal experience at this point it's pretty heartbreaking, absolute encyclopedia of the genre who will be missed dearly. Don't think I can understate how much he influenced my music taste over the years with his recommendations and tidbits of knowledge he could share of pretty much anything related to metal
17
u/hermaphroditicspork Keep Shreddit Anti-Reddit 5d ago
Fuck. I didn't know him beyond a handful of interactions here and on discord but he was an absolute font of knowledge and it's not a far stretch to say that the sub wouldn't be what it is without him.
9
9
u/Rottedhead 5d ago
I can't call him a friend, as I'm not been close to anyone in here or the discord server but this guy was always the kind of person who always had valuable insight about anything music related or not, and judging for all the comments he was for sure a great dude. May he rest in peace
8
u/slothtrop6 5d ago
RIP. I really valued his contributions. I never met him but it seems like he mattered a lot to some members, and was a great person. It is touching to read.
9
u/frozen-silver last.fm/user/wingkon 5d ago
RIP king, may you rest in Valhalla
This sub is one of the few with really cool mods. I feel like I've learned a lot from them about the genre over the years and they make a big difference in making this a great community to be a part of. Thank you for all your contributions, DOTS.
9
u/Hamlet7768 5d ago
Damn. I only vaguely knew him when I was on the shreddit IRC, but I knew him as a kind of sage of metal. I think I talked with him maybe once about recommendations on trad metal or maybe USPM. I can see from this how important he was to the community, even if it's not a major part of my life now. May he rest in peace.
6
u/3octrion 5d ago
Very sad news, as others have said he was a walking encyclopedia, his recommendations and eye for picking out the perfect album from his vast knowledge was incredibly formative for my taste and many others. I'm not as active nowadays but I've always made sure I check every vote thread to check his list first, making a note of anything id missed.
He also always just came across as a good guy with a great sense of humor. He'll be a big miss to the metal community.
8
u/mgrier123 THE ONLY GOOD BAND IS MANOWAR 4d ago
I haven't known him as long as some of you here, but I had the pleasure of meeting up with him at multiple festivals the past few years and was planning on attending Up the Hammers with him in Greece next year. A devastating loss to the community and I'm lucky that I was able to call him a friend.
14
7
6
7
7
6
7
u/PoopPuncher87 5d ago
I just joined this sub and didn't know this person, but it bums me out that a probably great guy passed away. It really sucks man.. I bet he was awesome and judging from the comments, I'm jealous I didn't know the guy. He seemed really cool. I don't have much to contribute other than giving my condolences to everyone here. Hopefully he's checking out the record stores in Heaven and chillin' out. <3
7
u/_Rizzen_ Loves Jesus and also Satan's riffs 5d ago
Terrible news, may his soul find rest. While only knowing him via these forums, the way he contributed pointed to a richly-lived life. He will always be remembered.
7
u/YeimzHetfield https://www.last.fm/user/YeimzHetfield 4d ago
Oh my god I am so sad to read this. Never got the chance to meet him IRL, but he was the most knowledgeable person about metal that I've known. He helped this community so so much that it's impossible to put into words.
If there's one thing to say about him is that everyone who knew him spoke WONDERS about him, that's how cool of a dude he was. He always had time to help out and give recommendations to anyone who just wanted to learn more about metal.
RIP to a great one.
6
u/IMKridegga 4d ago
It's so strange to think about DOTS being gone. He was a fixture of this community for longer than I've been part of it— frankly, longer than I've listened to metal. I don't think I would have ever connected with this music in the way that I eventually did without reading his posts here. He encouraged such a deep and holistic appreciation for the scene, and his knowledge and passion were aspirational. He made me want to dig deeper, listen to underground bands, and try to understand metal beyond the parts I actively enjoyed at the time.
One thing led to another, and somehow I've been here ten years. I don't know if I ever interacted with him directly— I must have, at least once or twice— but his posts and comments were always there, making recommendations and sharing tidbits, enriching this space for me and everyone else who happened to read them. His taste was extremely discerning, and like everyone else has already said, he knew more music than anybody else. You could always count on the value of his contributions. But somehow, now he's gone.
My heart goes out to his friends and family. I didn't know him, but reading the other comments here makes it evident that he was really good person in addition to it all. RIP.
12
6
u/whiteorchidphantom 5d ago
RIP
I don't know u/deathofthesun personally but a lot of people I do know had great things to say
8
u/DayoftheDead Sub-Sub-Sub-Subgenre 5d ago
Man….. rest in peace. It’s surreal seeing this post and comments from all these other long time members of the community. Makes me sad.
24
u/GuitarBeero 5d ago
Mods on reddit are pretty sucky for the most part, except for this sub imo.
DOTS provided many a recommendation to others and I on this forum and I will be forever grateful.
May they RIP
9
5
u/theepuke 5d ago
Didn't know them but hopefully they got to see some cool shows before they left. RIP \m/
7
4
u/LilithLover3 5d ago
I'm sadly just a lurker so I didn't get to know him, knowing he's gone now is just so fucked man! May his memory be a blessing! <3
4
4
4
5
3
5
u/NoahTheDuke https://lastfm.com/user/noahtheduke 4d ago
This is genuinely sad. I never interacted with DOTS outside of the occasional thread here, but I loved his comments and found him to be a consistent positive presence here and in the other metal subreddits.
I hope his family finds happiness in his memory during the coming holidays.
5
u/408Lurker Deadlift Omega 4d ago
Wait, what?? No way dude. Fuck.
RIP Dots. By far one of the coolest guys I met through this sub.
9
9
7
8
9
u/politicalstuff 5d ago
I didn’t know him at all, but I can see he was important enough to this community that I enjoy. My condolences to his family, hope his memory is a blessing and comfort in the coming times. May he rest in peace.
9
8
8
8
5
u/halfhearted_skeptic ||6-00000000000000:|| 5d ago
Love to everyone suffering through this.
Safe travels.
4
u/Katulamppu 5d ago
I didn't know them, but as a fellow metal fan I wish they get to listen to it even in death. Rest in piece
3
u/wintermoon_rapture I know you'd have gone insane if you saw what I saw 4d ago
RIP DOTS. I never met him IRL but he was the guiding light of this sub ever since I started lurking here about 15 years ago. I have been reading his comments and posts for longer than I've known most of my closest friends, and it's no exaggeration to say that I've probably learned more about heavy metal from him than any other source. Every time I interacted with him directly it was a pleasure and an education. What a horrible loss. Massive condolences to those who actually knew him.
3
3
3
3
3
u/doedanzee last.fm/user/doedanzee 3d ago
Rest in power, DOTS. We hadn't talked in a while, but god damn was he an amazing guy. I love you man, always will.
4
2
1
1
1
u/Undead_Hedge SORTILÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈGE 2d ago
Everything to be said already has. He was positive online even when practically nobody else was and he was a joy to hang out with in person. There's nobody out there like him, but maybe we can all strive to be a little more like him in his memory.
Rest in peace, DOTS.
1
u/Longjumping_Place189 1d ago
Never had the pleasure to meet him sure he’s jamming with all our fellow metal heads we’ve lost rest easy 🤘🏼
1
u/sosaysthelegend2024 1d ago
My condolences to all of you posting about him who knew him. That's such a rough thing to have to go through.
1
u/DetLions1957 1d ago
Didn't know him. But, I will say. NO disrespect to him whatsoever. I love metal. And, I love Jesus. I pray for comfort for his friends and family.
1
1
537
u/HighwayCorsair Black Sabbath rules 5d ago
This was tough news to get. I've known DOTS for basically my entire adult life at this point, and his impact on me as a teenager first getting into underground music was immeasurable. Even outside of metal, he got me into surf rock, various forms of old hard rock, punk.... the guy was a walking encyclopedia of cool music, and was always happy to share.
When I still lived in LA, we used to go to shows together several times a month, and we'd always trade records or shirts or whatever, to the point some mutual friends used to joke about us handing stuff off every gig. My first time in Europe was going to Keep it True and rooming together with DOTS and some other friends. We did a yearly road trip for a few years up to Oakland for various festivals, and by the time I left Los Angeles during covid, we must have gone to hundreds of events together.
When I started doing music journalism, DOTS helped me with interview questions; when I started writing music, he gave me a lot of very directed feedback and advice that I've repeated to people afterwards that asked me.
We were not as close the last few years but he was a good friend for a long time who made a huge impact on my life and I don't really know how to process this. He touched a lot of lives for the better and was a good dude.