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The manufacturer B.C. Rich uses unusual shapes for its solid body guitars; pictured is the Warlock model.

B.C. Rich is a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. Currently,^{[citation needed]} most B.C. Rich guitars are manufactured in Asia, but luthiers of the company's custom shop continue to hand-make instruments. The Hanser Music Group, based in Kentucky, USA, operates B.C. Rich. As of 2001^[update], no member of the Rico family is involved in the company.

Design and types[link]

Seagull[link]

A somewhat odd design, this guitar was designed by Bernie Rico. It was a stage favorite of guitarist Dick Wagner, who played the lead guitar work on Aerosmith's remake of "Train Kept A Rollin".

Eagle[link]

This model was made popular by Brad Whitford of Aerosmith.

Mockingbird[link]

The BC Rich "Mockingbird" was designed by Johnny A Go-Go. It was made popular by Joe Perry of Aerosmith. The Mockingbird model experienced a resurgence in the 1980s through Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash.

The Bich[link]

The most popular of the BC Rich line is the BC Rich "Bich" 10 string model. The Bich 10 string guitar was the brain-child of Neal Moser. During the late 1960s, Moser worked with musicians including Jimi Hendrix, and Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash. Neal worked as a sub-contractor for Bernie Rico (BC Rich) from 1974 to 1985. During his time with BC Rich, he conceived, designed, and built the first Bich 10 string prototype guitar. The Bich guitar was never owned by Bernie Rico/BC Rich. The design was licensed to BC Rich under contract with Neal Moser. A lawsuit filed by Neal Moser against Hanser Holdings Int'l/BC Rich resulted in Moser Custom Guitars and HHI/BC Rich both having the right to produce their own version of the Rich Bich style guitar. Neal Moser retains ownership of the original body templates. The Moser Custom Shop "Moser 10" and the BC Rich Bich "PMS" models are the closest representations of the original pre-1985 BC Rich Rich Bich body design. The "Moser 10" models have an "M" inlay on the headstock, compared to the HHI/BC Rich "R" headstock inlay. The "Bich" can also be categorized as a guitar that "brings out" Heavy Metal and such genres.

BC Rich Bich "PMS" 10 String Prototype[link]

To celebrate the 25th anniversary release of the Rich Bich 10 sting guitar, HHI/BC Rich contracted the original BC Rich luthiers Neal Moser and Sal Gonzales to produce 25 true hand-built reproductions of the original prototype to the Bich 10 string model. These hand-carved wonders were built off of Neal Moser's original 1978 body templates, using the same exotic woods (black African walnut, maple and Brazilian rosewood) as the original prototype model. Due to contract issues between Neal Moser and Hanser Holdings Int'l, only 16 of the PMS models were produced. These have become highly prized by BC Rich collectors due to the limited production number. These limited edition models are considered to represent the last of the true BC Rich guitars. The original prototype is currently owned by Dan Lawrence.

Warlock[link]

The introduction of the Warlock model in the early 1980s helped push B.C. Rich into the heavy metal music genre. Notable early players included Mick Mars of Motley Crue, Lita Ford, Paul Stanley of KISS (featuring a broken mirror top) and a young pre-Les Paul playing Slash. Its popularity continues with players such as Slayer guitarist Kerry King.

Ironbird[link]

This model was basically a modernized version of the Mockingbird.

Acrylic Series[link]

These guitars are made completely of acrylic and their bodies are transparent, making the electronics inside viewable. The original run of the acrylic models featured a standard bolt-on maple neck with wood headstock, but later models featured an acrylic headstock, matching the same color as the body and making the overall appearance of the guitar more attractive. Acrylic is more dense than most woods ( specific gravity of acrylic is 1.18 g/cm3 while that of lignum vitae, probably the heaviest of woods,is approximately 1.23g/cm3^[1]) which makes the guitar heavier. In 2006 B.C. Rich introduced the IT (Invisibolt Technology) series. In this series the neck is bolted inside the body to look like a neck-through, but neck joint is still visible. This combines the elements of both bolt-on and neck-through designs.

Like Rickenbacker and Gibson, B.C. Rich used a neck-through body design in many of their instruments. BC Rich also pioneered the heel-less joint. In addition, they used custom battery-powered active electronics — pickups and tone controls inside the guitar. These electronics were originally thought out and designed by Neal Moser^{[citation needed]}Neal Moser helped with bone crafted parts and many set ups in the custom shop. He added the feet on winged guitars like the Rich Bich, which was one of his designs. Their guitars come in a variety of shapes, ranging from styles which are similar to electric guitar types (e.g., the Telecaster-styled Blaster) to unusual styles such as the Fat Bob, which has a body in the shape of a Harley-Davidson gas tank.

A B.C. Rich Virgin Platinum Series guitar.

See also[link]

• List of B.C. Rich guitars - Most Bronze and Platinum series models are bolt-on necks, like Fender. B.C. Rich also has a large variety of body shapes, including The Warlock, Widow, Mockingbird, Beast, S.O.B., Eagle etc.

References[link]

This page uses content from GearWiki at BC_Rich. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Wikipedia, the text of GearWiki is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.

External links[link]

• B.C. Rich Official Site
• Bernie Rico Jr. Official Site (Son of luthier, Bernie Rico Sr., founder of B.C. RICH Guitars.)

B cell
The cells of the immune system that make antibodies to invading pathogens like viruses. They form memory cells that remember the same pathogen for faster antibody production in future infections.
Latin	lymphocytus B
Code	TH H2.00.04.1.02005 TH H2.00.04.3.07002

B cells are lymphocytes that play a large role in the humoral immune response (as opposed to the cell-mediated immune response, which is governed by T cells). B cells are an essential component of the adaptive immune system. B cells, which are the precursors of plasma cells, are characterized by the presence of a B-cell receptor able to bind specifically an antigen. Their principal functions are to make antibodies against antigens, perform the role of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and eventually develop into memory B cells after activation by antigen interaction. Recently, a new, suppressive function of B cells has been discovered.

The abbreviation "B", in B cell, comes from the bursa of Fabricius in birds, where they mature. In mammals, immature B cells are formed in the bone marrow, which is used as a backronym for the cells' name.^[1]

Development of B cells[link]

Immature B cells are produced in the bone marrow of most mammals. Rabbits are an exception; their B cells develop in the appendix-sacculus rotundus. After reaching the IgM+ immature stage in the bone marrow, these immature B cells migrate to secondary lymphoid tissues (such as the spleen, lymph nodes, Peyer's patches, etc.) where they are called transitional B cells, and some of these cells differentiate into mature B lymphocytes.^[2]

B cell development occurs through several stages, each stage representing a change in the genome content at the antibody loci. An antibody is composed of two identical light (L) and two identical heavy (H) chains, and the genes specifying them are found in the 'V' (Variable) region and the 'C' (Constant) region. In the heavy-chain 'V' region there are three segments; V, D and J, which recombine randomly, in a process called VDJ recombination, to produce a unique variable domain in the immunoglobulin of each individual B cell. Similar rearrangements occur for light-chain 'V' region except there are only two segments involved; V and J. The list below describes the process of immunoglobulin formation at the different stages of B cell development.

When the B cell fails in any step of the maturation process, it will die by a mechanism called apoptosis, here called clonal deletion.^[5] B cells are continuously produced in the bone marrow. When the B cell receptor, on the surface of the cell matches the detected antigens present in the body, the B cell proliferates and secretes a free form of those receptors (antibodies) with identical binding sites as the ones on the original cell surface. After activation, the cell proliferates and B memory cells would form to recognise the same antigen. This information would then be used as a part of the adaptive immune system for a more efficient and more powerful immune response for future encounters with that antigen.

B cell membrane receptors evolve and change throughout the B cell life span.^[6] TACI, BCMA and BAFF-R are present on both immature B cells and mature B cells. All of these 3 receptors may be inhibited by Belimumab. CD20 is expressed on all stages of B cell development except the first and last; it is present from pre-B cells through memory cells, but not on either pre-pro-B cells or plasma cells.^[7]

Immune Tolerance[link]

Like their fellow lymphocytes, the T cells, immature B cells are tested for auto-reactivity by the immune system before leaving the bone marrow. In the bone marrow (the central lymphoid organ), central tolerance is produced. The immature B cells whose B-cell receptors (BCRs) bind too strongly to self antigens will not be allowed to mature. If B cells are found to be highly reactive to self, three mechanisms can occur.

• Clonal deletion: the removal, usually by apoptosis, of B cells of a particular self antigen specificity.
• Receptor editing: the BCRs of self reactive B cells are given an opportunity to rearrange their conformation. This process occurs via the continued expression of the Recombination activating gene (RAG). Through the help of RAG, receptor editing involves light chain gene rearrangement of the B cell receptor. If receptor editing fails to produce a BCR that is less autoreactive, apoptosis will occur. Note that defects in the RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes are implicated in Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). The inability to recombine and generate new receptors lead to failure of maturity for both B cells and T cells.

• Anergy: B cells enter a state of permanent unresponsiveness when they bind with weakly cross-linking self antigens that are small and soluble.

Functions[link]

The human body makes millions of different types of B cells each day that circulate in the blood and lymphatic system performing the role of immune surveillance. They do not produce antibodies until they become fully activated. Each B cell has a unique receptor protein (referred to as the B cell receptor (BCR)) on its surface that will bind to one particular antigen. The BCR is a membrane-bound immunoglobulin, and it is this molecule that allows the distinction of B cells from other types of lymphocyte, as well as being the main protein involved in B cell activation. Once a B cell encounters its cognate antigen and receives an additional signal from a T helper cell, it can further differentiate into one of the two types of B cells listed below (plasma B cells and memory B cells). The B cell may either become one of these cell types directly or it may undergo an intermediate differentiation step, the germinal center reaction, where the B cell will hypermutate the variable region of its immunoglobulin gene ("somatic hypermutation") and possibly undergo class switching. Other functions for B cells include antigen presentation, cytokine production and lymphoid tissue organization.

Clonality[link]

B cells exist as clones. All B cells derive from a particular cell, and thus, the antibodies their differentiated progenies (see below) produce can recognize and/or bind the same specific surface components composed of biological macromolecules (epitope) of a given antigen. Such clonality has important consequences, as immunogenic memory relies on it. The great diversity in immune response comes about because there are up to 10⁹ clones with specificities for recognizing different antigens. A single B cell or a clone of cells with shared specificity, upon encountering its specific antigen, divides to produce many B cells. Most of such B cells differentiate into plasma cells that secrete antibodies into blood that bind the same epitope that elicited proliferation in the first place. A small minority survives as memory cells that can recognize only the same epitope. However, with each cycle, the number of surviving memory cells increases. The increase is accompanied by affinity maturation which induces the survival of B cells that bind to the particular antigen with high affinity. This subsequent amplification with improved specificity of immune response is known as secondary immune response. B cells that encounter antigen for the first time are known as naive B cells.

B cell types[link]

A suspected plasma cell. Plasma cells are normally detected in tissue rather than circulation.

• Plasma B cells (also known as plasma cells, plasmocytes, and effector B cells) are large B cells that have been exposed to antigen and produce and secrete large amounts of antibodies, which assist in the destruction of microbes by binding to them and making them easier targets for phagocytes and activation of the complement system. They are sometimes referred to as antibody factories. An electron micrograph of these cells reveals large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum, responsible for synthesizing the antibody, in the cell's cytoplasm. These are short lived cells and undergo apoptosis when the inciting agent that induced immune response is eliminated. This occurs because of cessation of continuous exposure to various colony stimulating factors required for survival.

• Memory B cells are formed from activated B cells that are specific to the antigen encountered during the primary immune response. These cells are able to live for a long time, and can respond quickly following a second exposure to the same antigen.

• B-1 cells express IgM in greater quantities than IgG and their receptors show polyspecificity, meaning that they have low affinities for many different antigens. Polyspecific immunoglobulins often have a preference for other immunoglobulins, self antigens and common bacterial polysaccharides. B-1 cells are present in low numbers in the lymph nodes and spleen and are instead found predominantly in the peritoneal and pleural cavities.^[8][9]

• B-2 cells are the conventional B cells most texts refer to.^{[citation needed]}
• Marginal-zone B cells
• Follicular B Cells

Recognition of antigen by B cells[link]

Mechanism of action.

T cell-dependent B cell activation, showing a TH2-cell (left), B cell (right), and several interaction molecules

A critical difference between B cells and T cells is how each lymphocyte recognizes its antigen. B cells recognize their cognate antigen in its native form. They recognize free (soluble) antigen in the blood or lymph using their BCR or membrane bound-immunoglobulin. In contrast, T cells recognize their cognate antigen in a processed form, as a peptide fragment presented by an antigen presenting cell's MHC molecule to the T cell receptor.

Activation of B cells[link]

B cell recognition of antigen is not the only element necessary for B cell activation (a combination of clonal proliferation and terminal differentiation into plasma cells). B cells that have not been exposed to antigen, also known as naïve B cells, can be activated in a T cell-dependent or -independent manner.

T cell-dependent activation[link]

Once a pathogen is ingested by an antigen-presenting cell such as a macrophage or dendritic cell, the pathogen's proteins are then digested to peptides and attached to a class II MHC protein. This complex is then moved to the outside of the cell membrane. The macrophage is now activated to deliver multiple signals to a specific T cell that recognizes the peptide presented. The T cell is then stimulated to produce autocrines (Refer to Autocrine signalling), resulting in the proliferation and differentiation to effector and memory T cells. Helper T cells (i.e. CD4+ T cells) then activate specific B cells through a phenomenon known as an Immunological synapse. Activated B cells subsequently produce antibodies which assist in inhibiting pathogens until phagocytes (i.e. macrophages, neutrophils) or the complement system for example clears the host of the pathogen(s).

Most antigens are T-dependent, meaning T cell help is required for maximal antibody production. With a T-dependent antigen, the first signal comes from antigen cross linking the B cell receptor (BCR) and the second signal comes from co-stimulation provided by a T cell. T dependent antigens contain proteins that are presented on B cell Class II MHC to a special subtype of T cell called a Th2 cell. When a B cell processes and presents the same antigen to the primed T_h cell, the T cell secretes cytokines that activate the B cell. These cytokines trigger B cell proliferation and differentiation into plasma cells. Isotype switching to IgG, IgA, and IgE and memory cell generation occur in response to T-dependent antigens. This isotype switching is known as Class Switch Recombination (CSR). Once this switch has occurred, that particular B cell will usually no longer make the earlier isotypes, IgM or IgD.

T cell-independent activation[link]

Many antigens are T cell-independent in that they can deliver both of the signals to the B cell. Mice without a thymus (nude or athymic mice that do not produce any T cells) can respond to T independent antigens. Many bacteria have repeating carbohydrate epitopes that stimulate B cells, by cross-linking the IgM antigen receptors in the B cell, responding with IgM synthesis in the absence of T cell help. Conjugate vaccines are made to provide a stronger immune response against these foreign molecules. There are two types of T cell independent activation; Type 1 T cell-independent (polyclonal) activation, and type 2 T cell-independent activation (in which macrophages present several of the same antigen in a way that causes cross-linking of antibodies on the surface of B cells).

T cell independent activation type 1 is when a B cell binds to an antigen and receives secondary activation by toll-like receptors; type 2 is when the antigen is a molecule with multiple repeating subunits which can simultaneously cross link enough B cell receptors to fully activate the B cell.

In 2011, it was discovered that immortalized rhesus monkey B cells may be activated by the binding of monoamine ligands to TAAR1, a recently discovered GPCR. They found that methamphetamine, a potent TAAR1 agonist, signals PKA and PKC activation following ligand binding to TAAR1.^[10] Although it is largely recognized as an important regulator of monoaminergic systems, TAAR1 has only recently been characterized as being important for T cell-independent lymphocyte activation.

The ancestral roots of B cells[link]

In an October 2006 issue of Nature Immunology, certain B cells of basal vertebrates (like fish and amphibians) were shown to be capable of phagocytosis, a function usually associated with cells of the innate immune system. The authors postulate that these phagocytic B cells represent the ancestral history shared between macrophages and lymphocytes. B cells may have evolved from macrophage-like cells during the formation of the adaptive immune system.^[11]

B cells in humans (and other vertebrates) are nevertheless able to endocytose antibody-fixed pathogens, and it is through this route that MHC Class II presentation by B cells is possible, allowing Th2 help and stimulation of B cell proliferation. This is purely for the benefit of MHC Class II presentation, not as a significant method of reducing the pathogen load.

Origin of the term[link]

The abbreviation "B" in B cell originally came from Bursa of Fabricius, an organ in birds in which avian B cells mature.^[12] When it was discovered that in most mammals immature B cells are formed in bone marrow, the word B cell continued to be used, although other blood cells also originate from pluripotent stem cells in the bone marrow. The fact that bone and bursa both start with the letter 'B' is a coincidence.

B cell-related pathology[link]

Aberrant antibody production by B cells is implicated in many autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. B cells are also susceptible to malignant transformation.

Additional image[link]

Figure 1: Schematic diagram to explain mechanisms of clonal selection of B cell, and how secondary immune response is stronger, quicker and more specific in comparison with the primary one.^[13]

See also[link]

• Affinity maturation
• Antibody
• Clonal selection
• Original antigenic sin

References[link]

Activation of B Lymphocytes by T-Independent Antigens. Gary Kaiser. American Society for Microbiology. July 2005.

External links[link]

• B-Lymphocytes at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
• B Cells and T Cells
• B Cell Development and Generation of Lymphocyte Diversity
• Interactive Animation of B Cell Maturation (requires Flash video software)
• A Tale of Two SHEPherds (from Beaker Blog)
• Educational Resource on the Biology of Antibody Cells

Kerry King
King performing in 2007
Background information
Born	(1964-06-03) June 3, 1964 (age 48) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Thrash metal, speed metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1981–present
Labels	American Recordings, Metal Blade
Associated acts	Slayer, Megadeth, Witchery, Sum 41
Notable instruments
B.C. Rich KKV

Kerry King (born June 3, 1964^[1]) is an American musician, best known as the lead and rhythm guitarist for the American thrash metal band, Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since. He has made guest appearances with acts including the Beastie Boys, Marilyn Manson, Pantera, Ice-T, Witchery, Sum 41, Megadeth and Metallica. He is known for playing B.C. Rich guitars with Marshall amplifiers.

Biography[link]

King was born in Los Angeles, California. His father was an aircraft parts inspector, and his mother was an employee of a telephone company. When he was a teenager, Kerry started learning guitar at Calvano's music in South Gate Ca. Russ Dismuke was his teacher. Kerry began his career in a Pat Boone cover band. Kerry moved to Phoenix, Arizona as an adult. He divorced once; his current wife is Ayesha King.^[2] In 1981 King was trying out for the position as a guitarist in a band. After the session was over Jeff Hanneman approached him and the two began playing Iron Maiden and Judas Priest songs with the session drummer. Hanneman mentioned "Why don’t we start our OWN band?” [Laughs] I was like, “… Fuck yeah!"^[3] King's trademark appearance, was praised to such a degree by Blender magazine, who included a tour of his body ink.^[4] King's acronym, KFK, was revealed to mean "Kerry Fuckin' King" in the January 2007 Issue of Guitar World.^[5] King currently resides in Corona, California.^[5]

Guest appearances[link]

In addition to appearing on Slayer's albums, he has also made several guest appearances as lead guitarist. While lending production to 1986’s Reign in Blood, Rick Rubin was also helming production of the Beastie Boys debut album Licensed to Ill. Rubin felt the track "No Sleep till Brooklyn" needed a guitar solo, so he offered King several hundred dollars to lay down the part.^[6] King has since commented that his playing ability "certainly wasn’t that of a virtuoso".^[6] "No Sleep till Brooklyn", whose title was a spoof on Motörhead’s 1981 live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, was originally intended to feature King being knocked offstage by a gorilla in its music video though King refused.^[6] King replied, "If there’s gonna be anyone knocking anyone offstage, it’ll be me knocking the gorilla", which is what subsequently happened.^[6] King has reminisced that he thought the Beastie Boys were cool, although never having heard any of their music at the time.^[6] On Licensed to Ill, King also played the guitar solo on the song "Fight For Your Right (To Party)".^[7]

King at Tuska-Festival

King contributed a lead guitar outro part to Pantera’s song "Goddamn Electric", which appeared on the 2000 album Reinventing the Steel.^[8] King’s rig was set up in Pantera’s bathroom backstage just after Ozzfest in Dallas, as the group still didn't have their own dressing room on top of not appearing on the festival bill.^[8] After King had finished the first take, Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell ran in and yelled "DON’T LET HIM DO IT AGAIN!"^[8] King tried again with the hope he would find a superior rendition, though the first take was used.^[8] King has also made several guest appearances in Marilyn Manson's "Rape Of The World" tour, joining the band to play classic tracks such as "Little Horn", "1996" and "Irresponsible Hate Anthem". Many fans noticed elements of King's own style used on these occasions.^[9] On October 21, 2010, the finale date of the Jägermeister Music Tour, King joined Megadeth on stage, at the Gibson Amphitheater in Hollywood, California to perform "Rattlehead" which was the first time in 26 years that King has shared the stage with Megadeth and Inan with his band.^[10]

Feuds[link]

King has had well-publicized disagreements with several of his contemporaries, including a long-standing feud with Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, who attempted to persuade King to leave the "poseurs," "lame spikes," and "eyeliner" of Slayer behind and focus on Megadeth. In GuitarWorld.com's Dear Guitar Hero, King noted that he "admires him to this day" as a guitarist, though he considered Mustaine a "hypocrite."^[11] In 2009 Slayer and Megadeth co-headlined a small, four show Canadian tour.^[12] In January 2010, Dave Mustaine and Kerry King were in a T.G.I. Friday's in Temecula, California, getting to know each other again.^[13] The feud between King and Mustaine was suggested by a Blabbermouth.net interview to have been dropped after a chance meeting at an airport, as King noted that he "just couldn't remember" what the feud was about anymore.^[14]

There was a feud between King and Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn, who claims that King started "talking shit about us out of nowhere."^[15] King labeled Machine Head as “sell-outs” after the release of their 2001 album Supercharger. King continued to criticize the band stating "They're responsible for rap-metal," "they fooled me into thinking they're metal," "'they have no integrity left."^[15] Flynn has since noted that King has "finally squashed the beef."^[16] When King proposed a tour between the "Big Four" thrash metal bands, King suggested that Machine Head be included instead of Anthrax.^[17] King stated in an interview that Machine Head's The Blackening is "kick-ass."^[18]

In 2006, Slayer's producer Rick Rubin lent production to Metallica's then-untitled Death Magnetic album, instead of Slayer for their album Christ Illusion. King deemed this action a "slap in the fucking face,"^[19] labeling Metallica as a "sinking ship."^[20] During an interview on drummers, King said that Soulfly drummer Joe Nunez did not join Slayer because "his mother wouldn't let him," that Adrian Erlandsson "hits his drums like a fag," and that Raymond Herrera "has no hands".^[21] In 2011 Adrian Erlandsson responded by posting a photo on his Lockerz account of a bent bass drum beater along with the caption, "Up yours, Mr. King, soft hitters don't bend bass drum beaters!"^[22]

Style and influence[link]

Kerry King's first experience with a guitar was when he was a child.^[23] Early albums, such as Hell Awaits and Reign in Blood, featured a "wailing style" and "demented soloing often mimicking the screams of the song's victims."^[24] Steve Huey of Allmusic described his and Jeff Hannemans guitar solos as "wildly chaotic,"^[25] and Thom Jurek, also of Allmusic, described his work on 2006's Christ Illusion as "create an intensely harrowing and angular riff that changes from verse to verse, through the refrain and bridge, and comes back again."^[26]

Equipment[link]

Discography[link]

References[link]

Steve Smyth (November 28, 1970) is the guitarist for the metal band Forbidden.

Biography[link]

Smyth was born in Northern California and started his career in the female-fronted melodic progressive metal band Ariah after graduation in 1988. Ariah never released an official studio album, but they recorded a few songs and played local shows with bands like Vicious Rumors and King Diamond. Ariah disbanded in 1992.

After a three-year hiatus, he joined the power metal band Vicious Rumors to replace guitarist Mark McGee who had left the band after the death of Vicious Rumors vocalist Carl Albert. Something Burning (1996) was the first album which Smyth played on. It was followed by Cyberchrist in 1998, and now he participated in songwriting too.

In 1999 Smyth left Vicious Rumors and joined Testament. The Bay Area thrash legend had just released The Gathering album, but lead guitarist James Murphy was diagnosed with a brain tumor, so Testament were in want of a new guitarist for the forthcoming tour. In the next 5 years Smyth toured with Testament all around the globe and played uncountable shows as a member of the band. He wanted to make a studio album with Testament but that remained a dream for him.

On the other hand, Smyth formed the band Dragonlord as a side project with guitarist Eric Peterson and bassist Steve DiGiorgio of Testament in 2000. This symphonic black metal outfit have released two albums: Rapture (2001) and Black Wings of Destiny (2005).

Seattle-based Nevermore had been friends with Smyth prior to his joining of the band. Initially jokingly, he asked if he could join Nevermore. He joined Nevermore as a touring guitarist, and in 2004, Smyth officially joined the band after helping them tour in Europe. He played guitar in the band along with Jeff Loomis and co-wrote some songs on the critically acclaimed album This Godless Endeavor (2005).

On April 30, 2006, Smyth released a message explaining to fans that he has been diagnosed with kidney failure due to a congenital birth defect. Updates followed on May 30, June 3, and August 9, 2006 on his official website.^[1] On December 12, 2006, Smyth had a successful kidney transplantation.^[2]

In the summer of 2007 Smyth left Nevermore due to "personal and business differences". At that time he was working on an all-instrumental album in the vein of progressive rock with his former Ariah bandmate and bassist Steve Hoffman. This side project was named "EssenEss" after their same first names, as a transctiption of S'n'S (Steve and Steve). Self-titled The EssenEss Project debut album released on November 5, 2007.

He currently is teaching at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music and is now a member of Forbidden.^[3]

Equipment[link]

Smyth plays B.C. Rich 7-String Warlock, 7-String Ignitor, Assassin, Assassin PX3T guitars, 6-string Warlock, and a Bich models. He also endorses EVH amplifiers. (Smyth formally endorsed Krank amplifiers.) He also uses a Digitech effects (his most prominent being a Whammy pedal) and EMG pickups.

In 2011 Steve Smyth signature model B.C. Rich Biches were unveiled in both 6-string and 7-string models.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Release (singer)

• 2011 -

Forbidden[link]

• 2010 - Omega Wave (Nuclear Blast)

The EssenEss Project[link]

• 2007 - The EssenEss Project (Two Louder Music)

Nevermore[link]

• 2005 - This Godless Endeavor (Century Media)

Dragonlord[link]

• 2005 - Black Wings of Destiny (Escapi)
• 2001 - Rapture (Spitfire)

Vicious Rumors[link]

• 1998 - Cyberchrist (Massacre)
• 1996 - Something Burning (Massacre)

HateSphere[link]

• 2005 - "The Sickness Within" (SPV/Steamhammer) (Guest leads on the song "Marked by Darkness")

Videos[link]

Testament[link]

• 2003 - Live in Tilburg, The Nederlands DVD (official bootleg)
• 1999 - Live in Osaka, Japan DVD (official bootleg)
• 1999 - Live in Tokyo, Japan DVD (official bootleg)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official forum
• Steve Smyth at MySpace
• The EssenEss Project, Smyth's project with Steven A. Hoffman and Atma Anur
• Steve Smyth interview on Maximum Threshold 10/2007
• Interview with Steve Smyth @ Skylight Webzine

Chuck Schuldiner
Chuck Schuldiner on tour in Scotland, 1992
Background information
Birth name	Charles Michael Schuldiner
Also known as	"The Father of Death Metal", "Evil Chuck" (at start of career)[1]
Born	(1967-05-13)May 13, 1967
Origin	Glen Cove, New York
Died	December 13, 2001(2001-12-13) (aged 34)
Genres	Death metal, progressive metal, technical death metal, heavy metal[2][3][4]
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass
Years active	1983–2001
Associated acts	Death Slaughter Control Denied Voodoocult
Website	The Official Chuck Schuldiner Website
Notable instruments
B.C. Rich Stealth model B.C. Rich Mockingbird model B.C. Rich Ignitor model

Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner (May 13, 1967 – December 13, 2001) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Schuldiner was the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the band Death, which he founded in 1983, under the name Mantas. He also recorded as guitarist and songwriter with his other band, Control Denied. Schuldiner is often referred to as "The Father of Death Metal",^[5][6][7] and his obituary in the January 5, 2002 issue of UK's Kerrang! magazine stated that "Chuck Schuldiner was one of the most significant figures in the history of metal."^[8] Schuldiner himself was modest about his part in the history of death metal, noting "I don’t think I should take the credits for this death metal stuff. I'm just a guy from a band, and I think Death is a metal band."^[6] Schuldiner was ranked No. 10 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists in 2009 and No. 20 in March 2004 Guitar World's "The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists".^[9] Schuldiner founded the publishing company Mutilation Music in 1987, affiliated with performance rights organization BMI.