Mark Shelton [1957 – 2018]
Sad news that the frontman of legendary metal band Manilla Road has died overnight, aged 60.
Reports coming in from Germany following the Headbangers Open Air festival in Brande-Hörnerkirchen are that Mark suffered heart failure some time after the band’s performance. At this stage we’ve only seen information from a couple of unofficial sources, but it’s a sad story nonetheless. Admittedly, I’m not even close to being as knowledgeable on Manilla Road as many of my friends in this community, but Mark’s contribution to the metal world over the last 40 years cannot be overstated. The sheer number of heartfelt tributes and fan photos from the past few decades that have been posted to his page(s) in mere hours following the news is a testament to his status as one of metal’s greats.
As mentioned above, a tribute from a modest fan such as myself would surely be inadequate at best, and would feel somewhat disingenuous. However, I think ignoring the passing of an all-time great is perhaps more disrespectful, so with that said treat this post as your place to share your memories (I know a bunch of you have met the man), or if you’ve never heard the band before, chuck on an album and enjoy some of the best traditional metal you’ll ever hear. The penultimate track from my fave record of theirs (1983’s Crystal Logic) seems fitting right now.
