Of all the “traditional metal” albums that have come out in the past year, one that’s snuck up on a lot of us here at Decibel is Residual Alcatraz, the debut by Greensboro, North Carolina’s Dogbane. Not only did the album get a positive review recently, but also we were honored to profile the band in this month’s issue. They’re a good bunch of guys who have a deep appreciation for the kind of classic metal a lot of us grew up with in the early 1980s.
Yesterday the metal world received the devastatingly sad news that guitarist David Ellenburg had died of complications from a stroke at the age of 47. No one should go before his or her time, but to do so at such a young age seems especially cruel. Here’s the official statement from the band:
It is with deep regret and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dogbane guitarist David Ellenburg. David peacefully passed away, surrounded by family and close friends, on Monday July 30th, due to complications of a severe stroke he had suffered the previous week. Dave was a great many things to a lot of people, a husband, a father, and a creative force behind Dogbane. Most importantly, he was our friend. Never the less, Dogbane will eventually continue to forge ahead in his honor, as we feel this is what he would have wanted. We ask everyone to please respect the privacy of his family and the band, as we try to cope during this very difficult time.
We’d like to offer our deepest condolences to David’s family, friends, and his brothers in Dogbane.
In the meantime, if you haven’t heard Dogbane yet, crank “Ride the Serpent” below (it’s one of yours truly’s most-played songs of 2012) and purchase Residual Alcatraz from Heaven & Hell Records.
