Kevin Mahoney

Kevin J. Mahoney (September 6, 1965 – October 14, 2011) was an American singer. He is best remembered as the vocalist of Siege, a pioneering Massachusetts-based hardcore punk band whose speed and discord influenced the formation of the grindcore and powerviolence subgenres of punk rock and heavy metal. Mahoney's incongruous lead vocal style also influenced the development of these genres.[1][2]

Kevin Mahoney
Mahoney (center) with Siege bandmates in 1984
Background information
Birth nameKevin J. Mahoney
Born(1965-09-06)September 6, 1965
Massachusetts, United States
DiedOctober 14, 2011(2011-10-14) (aged 46)
Stoughton, Massachusetts, United States
GenresHardcore punk, grindcore, powerviolence
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsVocals, saxophone
Years active1981–1985, 2006–2008
LabelsRelapse Records, Deep Six Records
Associated actsSiege, The Spoils

Mahoney was a member of Siege from 1983 to 1985, their main productive years. He also led the group The Spoils with Siege drummer Rob Williams from 2006 to 2008.

Biography

Early years

Mahoney grew up in Braintree, Massachusetts.[1] He had two sisters, Keren and Kathy, the latter his twin.[3] Keren's husband Rick Jones was a member of the Boston-area hardcore punk band Jerry's Kids, an influential early Boston hardcore group. Prior to joining Siege, Mahoney played in a ska band.[2]

Siege
Main article: Siege (band)

In 1983, Mahoney joined guitarist Kurt Habelt, drummer Rob Williams, and bassist Hank McNamee, all from nearby Weymouth, to form Siege.[1] Siege played an extreme style of hardcore punk, combining exceptionally fast tempos with Mahoney's screeching and howling vocals. In addition to serving as the band's lead vocalist, Mahoney occasionally played saxophone with the group, creating an additional layer of noisy texture in the band's chaotic sound. Siege recorded a demo cassette and three tracks released on the Cleanse the Bacteria compilation, and performed throughout New England over the next few years. They disbanded in 1985 when Mahoney failed to attend their first gig in New York City, which was subsequently canceled.[4]

Although the band wrote only 20 minutes of music and never played outside of New England, they achieved significant posthumous fame. The group is now cited as a catalyst of the grindcore and powerviolence genres, and has influenced such noteworthy bands as Napalm Death, Carcass, and Dropdead.[1] After years of being bootlegged, their recorded output was officially released by Relapse Records as the Drop Dead album in 1994.

Later activity, The Spoils

Mahoney did not participate in the brief Siege reunion in 1991. He began working in information technology in the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston in 1992,[2] and remained there for over a decade. He later worked in a similar capacity at the Boston Children's Hospital.[2] He also was active in theater in Cambridge.[5]

He and Williams later formed the punk band The Spoils along with Cotie Cowgill of Williams's post-Siege band Nightstick and several other musicians. The group's sole release was the album ...To the Victor on Deep Six Records in 2008. They disbanded shortly after the album was issued.

Death

Mahoney died suddenly on October 14, 2011, due to complications of diabetes mellitus. He was living in Stoughton, Massachusetts at the time.[3] Numerous prominent heavy metal and punk rock musicians mourned his death in the media, including members of Napalm Death, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Eyehategod, and Soilent Green.[6]

gollark: I mean, every other metabolic process runs at 37 degrees C fine.
gollark: I'm sure some other animals make it work.
gollark: It should simply be better designed.
gollark: Well, "decisions".
gollark: The human body is simultaneously thousands of engineering miracles and blatantly insane design decisions.

References
  1. Mudrain, Albert. Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore. Feral House, 2004, pp. 47
  2. "MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL - Kevin Mahoney of Siege: 1965-2011". Maximum Rock 'n Roll. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  3. "Kevin Mahoney Obituary". The Stoughton Journal. October 17, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  4. Mudrain 51
  5. "Siege - Relapse Records biography". Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  6. "In Memory of Siege vocalist Kevin Mahoney". Hellbound.ca. October 31, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
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