In 1985, Seattle's NME seemed poised for success—until frontman Kurt Struebing committed an unspeakable crime during a psychotic episode. After prison his bandmates welcomed him back to the stage until Struebing's mysterious death in 2005.

In 1985, James Vance survived a dual suicide pact that took the life of his best friend. Months later he blamed the music of Judas Priest for mesmerizing them into despair. The trial that followed threatened the future of heavy metal music.

Chuck Schuldiner, revered as a founder of Death Metal, channeled grief into groundbreaking music. His death at 34, while completing his final work, devastated fans and a family already scarred by the tragic loss of Chuck's older brother.