Neill Jameson Says Goodbye to Nunslaughter’s Jim Konya

This week, the metal community lost one of the oldest and most beloved pieces of its backbone, Jim “Sadist” Konya. Jim was known mostly for his mixture of clever wordplay and pounding drums in Nunslaughter, but was in well over a dozen bands in metal and punk during a career spanning longer than most people into metal have been alive. In a shitty sea of retro bands sporting puffy sneakers and pizza-themed lyrics, Jim was the real deal. He embodied the spirit of rebelliousness that underground metal and punk had championed since their inception. While these genres may have wavered in these qualities over the years, Jim never lost sight of the original intentions. Nunslaughter was always depraved, intense and a fucking blast to witness live, and a lot of that had to do with Jim’s over the top stage presence. There really was no other band like them in that area.

I didn’t know Jim very well, but he was always very warm and good to me and Krieg. We had the chance to share the stage with Nunslaughter several times over the years and did a split together. Like many of you who have had similar experiences with him, I will always remember Jim for being incredibly supportive of the bands he worked with, and always willing to help in any way he could.  You’ve probably read dozens, if not hundreds, of similar accounts on your social media newsfeed since Jim fell ill earlier last month. The man was a fucking die-hard who not only lived for music, but injected life into the metal and punk underground. Nunslaughter have been an important band to me since I had my first bad car wreck in high school while listening to a tape of their demos. That sort of fortifying experience can really connect you to certain music, which was the case here.

There is a lot to be angry for in this world, the kind of injustice where awful people can continue to fuck up their lives and others and get away with minimal consequences, yet a man like this who has done so much for the underground community is lost. But don’t spend too much time pondering things like that; instead use your time wisely and revisit Konya’s lengthy discography. Or if this is your first time hearing about it, then go check this music out. I don’t give a fuck what kind of metal you’re into; you’ll find something worth your time.

I feel I need to address something that’s bothered me since this all became news: people who, instead of having a sense of decency, open their shit traps and publicly ask the band what their future is. This is fucking sickening, and everyone who’s put this line of questioning to the band — who not only lost one of their longest-running members, but also their friend — should feel fucking ashamed. I get that as a fan of the band they may be curious about what may happen, but their sense of tact and timing is like pulling out after you came and apologizing. If you’re ever personally in the situation where you are thinking of asking this sort of question, please fucking don’t. Show some fucking respect and decorum.

Goodbye Jim. I wish I would have been able to know you better, but I feel lucky I got the time I did and the chances to see you play. Rest well.

Contribute to Jim Konya’s medical expense fund here.