Hubbry Logo
Seth PutnamSeth PutnamMain
Open search
Seth Putnam
Community hub
Seth Putnam
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Seth Putnam
Seth Putnam
Seth Putnam
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Key Information

Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011)[1] was an American musician best known as the founder, frontman and sole consistent member of grindcore band Anal Cunt, and singer for white power band Vaginal Jesus. His work was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals, with lyrics meant to shock or blaspheme. Throughout his career, Putnam was also involved in numerous side projects.

Biography

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

Seth Edward Putnam was born on May 15, 1968, in Newton, Massachusetts, to Edward R. Putnam and Barbara Ann Donohue.[citation needed] Putnam was married to his first wife, Alison Dunn, from December 1998 through June 2001. He married Julie, his second wife, on May 17, 2008.[2] From 1986 to 1988, Putnam played bass in the thrash metal band Executioner. He also owned his own record label called "Wicked Sick Records", and had a subsidiary label called "Stridecore Records" that only had one release which was Anal Cunt's The 5,643 Song EP.

Personality

[edit]

Despite his shock humor and turbulent lifestyle, Putnam was often described by fans and peers as a warm, intelligent, and sensitive person. Putnam saw himself as a comedian and used music as an outlet.[3]

In school, classmates who knew Putnam described him as intelligent and stern, but unmotivated, apathetic and often an underwhelming student. Putnam skipped a grade in school and became a very bright student, tutoring his classmates. In his own words, Putnam often blamed brutal fights with Catholic school nuns for helping to shape his cynical personality.[4] When he reached high school, he had lost interest in excelling in education or academics, becoming more of a slacker and underachiever.[5] By the time he had graduated school, Putnam had left the Catholic religion in which he was raised. After graduating from Newton North High School in 1985, Putnam showed no interest in attending college or university.

Putnam also made up his own religion when he was a child.[6] His all-time favorite bands were Negative Approach and The Village People, his favorite movie was The Bad Bunch.

The 2018 grindcore documentary Slave to the Grind[7] explores Putnam in detail, with his peers expressing the duality of his nature:[8] former bandmates Tim Morse and Scott Hull describe Putnam often being personable and relaxed, but Hull also notes that he'd often get arrested causing trouble on the street.[8] Discordance Axis singer Jon Chang notes that he was really close to Putnam for years, but describes him as a "really disturbed guy" and a "backstabbing piece of shit at the end of his life". Chang also recounted an incident after a show when Putnam introduced his mother to Chang, he remarked that they had met earlier when he pulled Putnam's mother out from the show's moshpit, causing Putnam to become aggressive and threaten Chang, much to the confusion of everyone present.[8] Putnam was also good friends with Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo. Anselmo used to get Anal Cunt to open for Pantera whenever they went through Boston. Anal Cunt opened for Pantera three times. There is also footage of Putnam singing "Suicide Note Part II" with Anselmo at a show in 1998.[9]

In 2019, Brutal Truth and Venomous Concept vocalist Kevin Sharp did an interview with Metal Underground and talked about a conversation he had with Seth after his coma. He also said that Putnam was an "encyclopedia of music".[10]

According to Eyehategod vocalist Mike Williams, Putnam was a normal guy off-stage and very quiet and soft-spoken. Williams also stated that he used to call Putnam, whom he had known since 1988, long distance from the Chevron gas station that he worked at, so that all his calls would be charged to Chevron.[11]

Drug overdoses and coma

[edit]

On October 12, 2004, Putnam was hospitalized after ingesting a cocktail of crack cocaine, alcohol, heroin, and two months' worth of Ambien sleeping pills.[12] It has been reported that he spent the previous day contemplating suicide,[12] though exact circumstances surrounding the drug overdose are vague. He was sent to Spaulding Rehab before he woke up from his coma.[13]

Anal Cunt's 1997 album I Like It When You Die contained the track "You're in a Coma". Putnam's reaction to the resulting irony of being in a coma was published in the Boston Phoenix: "Actually, it turned out it was just as gay as the song I wrote nine years ago – being in a coma was just as fuckin' stupid as I wrote it was."[12] Anal Cunt kept performing "You're in a Coma" during live shows after Putnam's coma, with Putnam sharing anecdotes with the audience before the song.[citation needed]

Prior to his 2004 coma, Putnam overdosed on heroin in 1998. In a 2007 interview, he said: "In 1998 I was dead for 10 minutes from a heroin overdose. The EMT's used that stuff to revive people and it didn't work. They tried it a second time for the hell of it and it worked. All I remember was waking up in my kitchen having no idea where I was. On the way to the hospital, the EMT told me I was probably going to have brain damage the rest of my life. By the time I got to the hospital I was completely back to normal though. I didn't see any 'mystic visions' or anything that time either."[14]

Hatebreed incident

[edit]

Anal Cunt were booked to play at the second New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in 2000. Misfits headlined the main stage, Anal Cunt headlined the second stage and Hatebreed headlined the Commercial Street Cafe. Problems arose when the Hatebreed set was shut down due to problems with the sound system, so security moved Hatebreed to Anal Cunt's stage, and set them up to play before them. This apparently upset the audience that were expecting to see Anal Cunt, and according to Josh Martin, vocalist Jamey Jasta got angry and called the crowd a bunch of "washed up metalheads" and allegedly claimed that Hatebreed were more popular and sold more records than Anal Cunt. Putnam and Martin were at the bar next door not knowing what was going on, but returned by the time the Hatebreed set was over to see that Putnam was yelled at by Jasta. A melee then ensued. Martin who owned a VHS tape of the fight (which ended up getting lost) claimed that Putnam was standing 20 feet away watching the melee ensue. Putnam was arrested by the end of the night, along with his wife.[15][16]

In February 2021, Jamey Jasta interviewed Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod on his podcast "The Jasta Show". Jasta mentioned a story where Putnam requested a mop to make sure the stage was clean because people were skating on it and eventually ended up attacking the audience with it instead. He also said he used to distribute Anal Cunt's albums and book their shows. Bower told stories of Putnam using a fire extinguisher on stage and getting foam all over Eyehategod's gear.[citation needed]

Death

[edit]

On June 11, 2011, Putnam died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 43.[1][17] He is buried at Newton Cemetery in Newton, Massachusetts.[18]

Side projects and former bands

[edit]
Putnam performing in 1993

Angry Hate

[edit]

The idea of the band came up when Putnam and Larry Lifeless (vocalist of the band Kilslug) were drunk one night watching Jerry Springer and Larry said "That guy looks like he should be in an old punk band called Angry Hate or something". The first recording was in January 1999 of Larry "hammering a fence against some lady's garage" which was put at the end of the song "M.P." on their first release. That summer, they recorded four songs, all of which were old Sickness songs. "Blinking Blue Lights" was actually recorded by Kilslug, but never released. The other songs originally by the Sickness were never released. They recorded another EP called Bad Mood that had a number of copies pressed, but was never officially released—Putnam and Lee Suniga (owner of Menace to Sobriety Records) sold the copies on eBay. Angry Hate performed two live shows in March and April 2002. In 2004 they recorded a song called "Satan Wins" with Paulie Kraynak on bass but this has also never been released.[19]

Shit Scum

[edit]

Shit Scum formed in 1988 after Putnam saw an ad looking for musicians. Putnam chose to call after seeing Cryptic Slaughter as the only influence as not many people in Boston were into that band. Putnam eventually invited Fred Ordonez to see Satan's Warriors (which was their last show). Anal Cunt was also playing what was supposed to be their last show but Ordonez and his friends never showed up. Putnam did another show with Anal Cunt so Ordonez could see them, while Shit Scum also did their first show on the same day. Putnam was eventually invited to a studio to play bass on their first demo called "Self Mutilation". They later did a show in January, 1990.[20] Putnam and Ordonez (without Wayne, who was their drummer) went to a studio that college rock bands mainly performed at. The engineer did not like them and tried convincing them to quit. The record was eventually finished and they ended up owing the studio money so the studio kept the master reel.[21]

Full Blown A.I.D.S.

[edit]

Full Blown A.I.D.S. started in 1997 while Putnam was jamming with his friend and cousin. In 1998, he wrote some songs and recorded a demo of "No One Cares" with Nate Linehan on drums. In 2002 he moved to Texas for a while but eventually moved back to Boston. In 2003 the band went into the studio and recorded some songs and mixed them in a day. They eventually put out two EPs and a compilation CD in 2008,[22] with both EPs and the song "Throwing Cars at People on Coke with Thor".

Death's Head Quartet

[edit]

The Death's Head Quartet was a jazz/noise improvisational band that featured Putnam on bass and vocals, Chris Joyce on guitar, Robert Williams on drums, and Jim Hobbs on saxophone.[23]

You're Fired

[edit]

You're Fired started in 2002. Within two months they had a nine-song demo recorded which eventually became the Warning EP and was released in 2002. After Putnam died, they made an EP called The End with Paulie Kraynak on guitar. Most of the riffs were written by Putnam and the album was also recorded with Putnam's Gibson SG, Marshall cabinet and the Ampeg SS-140C amplifier head borrowed from Paulie Kraynak that was also used on the Warning EP. The End was released in 2012 on vinyl and it also can be purchased on BandCamp along with the Warning EP.[24] The song "Throw It Off" from their last EP was originally an Anal Cunt song with different lyrics.[25]

Upsidedown Cross

[edit]

Upsidedown Cross started in 1989 after Larry Lifeless' band "Kilslug" had a violent breakup. The first lineup featured Larry (vocals), Cheez (bass), and Scott Vangel (guitar) who went by "Shoehorn" in the band. Taang! Records thought the band were too insane to deal with, and wouldn't sign them unless Rico Pertoleum (ex-Kilslug) was in the band, he was kicked out after the songwriting for the first record was done. J. Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. filled in on drums for the first album. Throughout the 90's they had different lineup changes and had a few more releases. Seth Putnam ended up joining them on guitar and did one show with them which also turned out to be the band's last show before they eventually broke up, Seth ended up moving to Texas. There were plans to get the band back together with Josh Martin on guitar. According to Josh, Cheez wasn't in any state to be playing an instrument, so he ended up starting Adolf Satan instead. When Seth moved back to Boston him and Josh became the two guitarists for the band, Seth ended up quitting the band in March 2003. Seth and Josh never recorded anything with the band despite Seth being credited on their split with Sloth, Cheez decided to put out an old recording and credit the lineup they had at the time. In 2011 Upsidedown Cross became a two-piece with Seth on drums and Larry on vocals and guitar. Some rehearsal footage exists of the band.[26][27][28]

Vaginal Jesus

[edit]

Putnam was a member of the white power grindcore/hardcore band Vaginal Jesus.[29][30]

Cannibal Hitler

[edit]

Not much info exists on this band, they have one known cassette release on Wicked Sick Records (Putnam's label) called "Don't Worry It's All Grindcore" which came out in 1989.[31]

Seven Minutes of Nausea

[edit]

Putnam played drums on their "Disobediant Loser" EP and Fred Ordonez (credited as "Fred Kase") who used to be in Anal Cunt played guitar on the same EP along with Matthias Weigand playing bass.[32][33]

Bands he filled in or did a guest appearance for

[edit]
  • Adolf Satan (bass and drums at several live performances)
  • Fear of God (drums at one live performance)[34]
  • Flächenbrand (drums at one song at one live performance)[35]
  • Haggis (vocal duet with Wattie Buchan from The Exploited on the song "A Calling to Arms")
  • Kilslug (guitar at two live performances)[36]
  • Nightstick (vocals at two live performances)[37]
  • Pantera (in 1996, Putnam did guest vocals on The Great Southern Trendkill for their songs "The Great Southern Trendkill", "War Nerve", "13 Steps to Nowhere", and "Suicide Note Pt. II").
  • Scissorfight
  • Slapshot (additional vocals on some songs on the "Live At SO36" album, also appears in their "Live In Germany 1993" VHS)[38][39][40]
  • Thor (vocals and guitar on the song "Throwing Cars at People on Coke with Thor)
  • Today Is the Day (did vocals on their song "Butterflies")
  • Discordance Axis (additional vocals on "Ruin Trajectory" at their show at CBGB's in August, 1995)[41]
  • Nunslaughter (spoken intro on the "Gruesome" live album)[42][43]
  • Deceased (sung a cover of "Black Metal" by Venom with them)[44]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Seth Putnam

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011) was an American musician from , , renowned as the founder, frontman, drummer, and sole consistent member of the provocative band , which he established in 1988. Putnam's work defined a niche in through blisteringly short tracks—often under a minute—delivered with high-pitched screams and lyrics engineered for maximum shock value, targeting sacred cows of politeness with scatological humor, misanthropy, and unfiltered disdain for trends, celebrities, and social norms. Anal Cunt's discography, spanning albums like It Just Gets Worse (1992) and (1996), garnered a for subverting conventions while amplifying absurdity and offense, though the band's relentless edginess drew bans from venues and labels wary of its content. Putnam also spearheaded side projects such as Full Blown AIDS and , extending his influence across and punk circuits, yet his legacy remains tied to Anal Cunt's dissolution upon his death from a heart attack at age 43, following prior health scares including a 2004 Ambien overdose that induced a . His persona, often likened to 's for its boundary-pushing antics, prioritized raw expression over acclaim, cementing a polarizing yet enduring mark on .

Early Life

Upbringing in Newton, Massachusetts

Seth Edward Putnam was born on May 15, 1968, in , a suburb of , to parents Edward R. Putnam and Barbara Ann Donohue. He grew up in a middle-class family with siblings including sister Kerin and brother Leigh, maintaining close ties to the area as evidenced by family residences in Newton and nearby . Putnam's ancestry included English and Irish roots, reflecting his father's and mother's heritages, respectively. Putnam attended Catholic elementary school for eight years, where he demonstrated early academic prowess by teaching kindergarten peers to read and skipping from sixth to seventh grade due to his abilities. However, his engagement waned around third grade, amid experiences of corporal punishment by nuns, such as rulers broken on students' heads; in one incident, after a nun struck him, Putnam punched her in the stomach, an action his parents supported, reportedly calling her a "lesbian cunt." His mother also restricted certain cultural influences, refusing to purchase Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album, a decision Putnam later credited positively. By high school at Newton North, graduating in 1985, Putnam had rejected the Catholicism of his upbringing. This suburban environment, marked by structured education and family oversight, contrasted sharply with Putnam's emerging rebellious tendencies.

Entry into Punk and Metal Scenes

Putnam, raised in the suburbs of , became immersed in the vibrant Boston-area and emerging metal scenes during his late teenage years. The region's community, centered around venues like the Channel and , fostered bands emphasizing speed, aggression, and social rebellion, influences that shaped Putnam's early musical outlook. By the mid-1980s, he had begun participating actively, drawn to the raw energy of local acts and the DIY ethos prevalent in East Coast hardcore. In 1986, at age 18, Putnam joined Executioner, a short-lived hardcore/thrash outfit where he contributed bass and backing vocals, marking his initial foray into performing within the punk-metal crossover sphere. This period aligned with his experimentation in extreme sounds, reflecting the era's fusion of punk's brevity with metal's intensity, as seen in contemporaneous Boston bands. Shortly thereafter, he became involved with Satan's Warriors, formed in February 1986 in West Newton, handling vocals, guitars, and drums in what evolved into a proto-grindcore/death metal project noted for its chaotic, comedic edge and early use of blast beats. These ensembles positioned Putnam as a fixture in the local underground, where he honed a style blending hardcore's ferocity with metal's technical extremity, often prioritizing provocation over polish. His experiences in these groups informed the satirical grindcore approach he later pioneered, though contemporaries recall Putnam's pre-Anal Cunt work as earnest engagements with the scenes' irreverent spirit rather than outright parody. By March 1988, amid ongoing involvement with Satan's Warriors, Putnam founded Anal Cunt as a deliberate exaggeration of grindcore tropes, recruiting drummer Tim Morse and guitarist Mike Mahan from the Boston circuit, thus bridging his punk-metal roots into a more notorious outlet. This transition underscored his embedded role in the communities, where personal networks and shared influences facilitated rapid band formations.

Primary Musical Career with Anal Cunt

Band Formation and Initial Demos (1988–1990s)

was formed in 1988 in , by Seth Putnam as vocalist and primary creative force, alongside drummer Tim Morse and guitarist Mike Mahan, with no ever utilized in the lineup. Conceived as a parody emphasizing tuneless noise, screaming, and deliberate anti-musicality, the band sought to embody the fastest, noisiest, and most abrasive sound possible, drawing from Putnam's prior involvement in hardcore and metal scenes. The group's inaugural recording, the 47 Song Demo, was captured on August 22, 1988, featuring 47 tracks—only one titled "Intro"—spanning roughly five to six minutes of lo-fi blasts with brief, indistinct riffs and vocals. Issued as a single-sided cassette limited to 30 copies on Wicked Sick Records, it served as merchandise for Anal Cunt's first tour, spanning August 26 to September 4, 1988, and exemplified the raw, unstructured noise that defined their origins. Building on this, the band released the 88 Song EP later in 1988, a 13-minute effort re-recording demo material with overdubbed, often inaudible guitar layers and tracks like "EENY-MEENY-MINEY-MO!", further amplifying their chaotic ethos. Additional early rehearsals, such as the Very Rare Rehearsal from February 1989—a 20-minute muffled session of grinding riffs and noise—highlighted ongoing experimentation with speed and dissonance. Into the early , initial demos evolved into splits and EPs, including contributions to the Axction compilation, the 5643 Song EP (12 minutes of multi-tracked abrasion), and 7" splits with acts like 7 Mon and Meat Shits, sustaining the noisecore intensity amid live outings in the U.S. and . These formative outputs, characterized by minimal production and provocative brevity, were retrospectively aggregated in compilations such as Early Shit 1988-1991, underscoring the band's foundational commitment to extremity over conventional tropes.

Core Albums and Evolution of Sound (1990s–2000s)

Anal Cunt's core albums in the 1990s began with , released in 1994 on , featuring 22 tracks of ultra-brief noisecore bursts averaging 30 seconds each, characterized by improvised screeching vocals from Putnam over relentless blast beats and minimalistic guitar noise. The album's sound prioritized through offensive, ad-libbed lyrics targeting celebrities and social norms, with little emphasis on musical structure beyond speed and volume. This raw approach evolved slightly with It Just Gets Worse in , also on Earache, which included 33 tracks totaling about 17 minutes and introduced rudimentary riffs amid the chaos, allowing Putnam's vocals to become more intelligible while preserving the brevity and lyrical vitriol against punk scenesters and figures. Critics noted the album's deranged brutality but critiqued its lack of musicality, as tracks like "Insincere Fuck You for Buying This Album" exemplified the band's anti-commercial stance through self-deprecating humor. The 1997 Earache release I Like It When You Die pushed further with 84 songs in under 21 minutes, blending noisecore blasts with occasional grind riffs and elements in later lineups, marking a refinement where Putnam's screamed invectives against , , and personal enemies gained sharper satirical edge without sacrificing extremity. This period solidified Anal Cunt's evolution from pure to a template with provocative, list-based lyrics that cataloged hatreds in rapid succession. Entering the 2000s, Fuckin' A (2001, Earache) represented a pivot, incorporating parody covers of 1980s hair metal like Warrant and reworked into grind speed, extending some tracks beyond 30 seconds while Putnam's vocals mocked glam excess alongside original misanthropic content. The album's hybrid of lo-fi and punk aggression reflected Putnam's broadening influences, diverging from 1990s noise purity toward structured , though core elements of brevity and offensiveness persisted amid lineup instability.

Live Performances and On-Stage Antics

Anal Cunt's live performances, fronted by Seth Putnam, were characterized by extreme brevity, audience provocation, and chaotic physical altercations, often lasting mere minutes amid breakdowns in order. At shows, Putnam frequently engaged in direct confrontations with attendees, including spitting on fans, vomiting onstage, and inciting fights, which contributed to the band's reputation for hostility over musicality. For instance, during a 1993 performance at the Relapse Contest in Pennsylvania, the band played only three songs before audience members stormed the stage, leading to brawls involving Putnam and bandmates. Putnam's on-stage antics extended to verbal abuse and satirical mockery, where he would insult crowd members by name or mock perceived vulnerabilities, aligning with the band's anti-PC . In one documented incident at a Boston-area show in the early 1990s, Putnam halted the set to berate fans for , declaring it "gay," before resuming amid thrown objects and punches. Such behavior frequently resulted in ejections from venues or police interventions, as seen in a 1996 gig where the band was pulled from a festival lineup after Putnam's provocations escalated into violence. Despite the mayhem, these performances drew dedicated enthusiasts, with Putnam's unfiltered aggression reinforcing Anal Cunt's cult status in underground scenes. Later tours in the 2000s maintained this intensity, though Putnam's health issues occasionally tempered the chaos; nevertheless, antics like fake overdoses or feigned collapses persisted as performance staples. Eyewitness accounts from contemporaries, such as members of , describe Putnam's sets as "total war zones," with blood, beer, and breakdowns marking typical evenings. The band's refusal to adhere to standard show etiquette—eschewing encores and prioritizing disruption—cemented Putnam's legacy as a provocateur whose live energy mirrored the abrasive, irreverent lyrics of their recordings.

Additional Musical Projects

Satirical and Experimental Side Projects

Putnam formed the acoustic project Impaled Northern Moonforest in early 1997 alongside guitarist Josh Martin, improvising lo-fi tracks that exaggerated Norwegian conventions through nonsensical, over-the-top lyrics and rudimentary instrumentation. The project's self-titled album, released in 2000 on Blood Sausage Records, included tracks such as "Grim and Frostbitten Gay Bar" and "Bigger Than ", employing genres explicitly labeled as acoustic and to mock genre clichés like frostbitten atmospheres and satanic imagery. In the same year, Putnam launched Full Blown A.I.D.S. with his cousin John E. Putnam on drums, shifting toward and with slower tempos and heavier riffs compared to his work. The band's self-titled debut , recorded in 1999 and released on subsidiary Audial Decimation, featured 18 tracks of abrasive, riff-driven aggression laced with provocative themes, exemplifying an experimental extension of Putnam's shock-oriented style into territory. This project maintained satirical edge through its AIDS-referencing moniker and lyrical content, aligning with Putnam's broader intent to provoke via extremity. Other ventures, such as the outfit Shit Scum and the short-lived Death's Head Quartet, incorporated experimental noise elements and satirical naming but remained marginal, with limited releases confined to demos and splits in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These efforts underscored Putnam's penchant for boundary-pushing absurdity outside Anal Cunt's core format.

Grindcore and Punk Collaborations

Putnam co-founded the band Full Blown AIDS with drummer John Miller in the early 1990s, contributing guitar and vocals to their chaotic, noise-infused recordings that echoed the minimalism of early acts. The project released demos and EPs featuring tracks often under 20 seconds, prioritizing extremity over melody, with themes of absurdity and aggression consistent across Putnam's output. He also fronted Shit Scum, a /noise outfit, providing screamed vocals for their 1993 self-titled demo comprising 22 blisteringly short songs averaging around 15-30 seconds in length, designed to assault listeners with unrelenting speed and distortion. These efforts highlighted Putnam's role in extending 's boundaries through raw, unpolished fury, often recorded in home setups to capture unrefined intensity. In punk and hardcore circles, Putnam collaborated with Seven Minutes of Nausea, a short-lived grindcore-punk hybrid, where he drummed and contributed to their frenetic, politically charged blasts on the 1995 Noises from the Uterus demo, blending punk's DIY ethos with grind's velocity. Additionally, he filled in on vocals for the influential band during select live performances in the 2000s, infusing their pioneering "drop dead" style—marked by abrupt stops and raw aggression—with his provocative delivery. These appearances underscored his cross-pollination between punk's raw energy and grindcore's nihilism, though often limited to informal or one-off engagements due to his commitments elsewhere.

Guest Appearances and Fill-In Roles

Putnam contributed additional screamed vocals to four tracks on Pantera's 1996 album The Great Southern Trendkill, including the title track, "War Nerve," "13 Steps to Nowhere," and "Suicide Note Pt. II," though he received no formal credit in the liner notes. In 1991, he served as vocalist for a short-lived reunion of the hardcore punk band Siege, performing live at venues such as the Middle East Cafe in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before the effort dissolved amid internal disputes. Putnam filled in on and bass for multiple live performances by the band Adolf Satan around 2002–2003, including a July 24, 2003, appearance at The Choppin' Block in where he rejoined onstage for select songs. He also acted as a one-off fill-in for during a live show honoring vocalist . Additional guest vocal contributions include appearances on material in 1996 and Nightstick tracks in 1992.

Personality and Philosophical Stance

Public Persona and Humor Style

Seth Putnam maintained an abrasive and confrontational public persona, defined by his role as Anal Cunt's founder and frontman, where he embraced provocation as a core element of his identity in the underground metal scene. His approach often involved onstage antics and lyrics that targeted personal grievances, celebrities, and societal norms, positioning him as an unfiltered antagonist to mainstream sensibilities. Putnam's humor style centered on extreme and , employing scatological, profane, and taboo-laden content—including references to , racism, homophobia, and violence—to political correctness and hypersensitivity. This "stealth parody" approach framed offensiveness as intentional exaggeration rather than endorsement, allowing him to mock a wide array of targets from an equal-opportunity perspective. In interviews, contemporaries portrayed Putnam as a witty yet anarchic figure, akin to punk humorists like , capable of eliciting laughs through rapid-fire absurdity while maintaining a veneer of irreverence. Decibel Magazine contributors recalled his "great sense of humor" amid "questionable values and ideas," underscoring how his persona blended comedic timing with deliberate boundary-pushing. This style extended beyond music to personal interactions, where he reportedly derived amusement from everyday confrontations and feuds.

Critique of Political Correctness and Sensitivity

Putnam's lyrical content with frequently lampooned what he perceived as excessive societal sensitivity through hyperbolic, taboo-violating themes, including references to , , and other provocations designed to elicit outrage. Song titles such as "Hitler Was a Sensitive " and "I Lit Your Baby on " exemplified this approach, framing historical atrocities or hypothetical cruelties in absurd, mocking contexts to underscore the perceived fragility of norms around offense. In interviews, Putnam described his output as satirical rather than literal endorsement, blending extreme offensiveness with mundane absurdities—like tracks on or windchimes—to highlight the artificiality of boundaries on expression. He positioned such work as a direct counter to constraints on humor, arguing it exposed hypocrisies in reactions to provocation. Associates, including Steve Austin of , likened Putnam to comedian for challenging "social bullshit" via political incorrectness, emphasizing his role in advocating unfiltered thought over deference to delicacy. This stance aligned with broader ethos against sanitized culture, as noted in contemporary coverage portraying as a foil to advocates of decency, existing precisely to ridicule enforced propriety. Posthumously, reflections affirmed Putnam's intent to provoke reevaluation of taboos, though critics often dismissed it as mere shock without deeper intent. His unapologetic persistence, even amid backlash, underscored a commitment to prioritizing raw candor over accommodation.

1993 Assault Arrest

On August 26, 1993, performed at the Nightbreak club on Haight Street in , , where vocalist Seth Putnam engaged in a physical confrontation with an audience member during the band's brief set. The group began with the song "Iron Funeral" but managed only two tracks before venue staff intervened. Accounts indicate that a woman in the crowd attempted to seize the from Putnam amid the band's characteristically provocative and chaotic performance, prompting him to punch her. Putnam was immediately ordered to leave the venue, arrested on charges, and detained in a jail before being released on the following day. The incident marked the only known arrest of Putnam directly tied to activities, culminating in court proceedings despite claims from band-associated sources that no substantial occurred. The full performance, capturing the onstage antics and audience unrest, was and subsequently issued as the band's album. This event underscored Putnam's reputation for onstage volatility, often blending humor, provocation, and physical escalation in line with the band's ethos.

Other Confrontations and Ejections

In May 1999, during a performance in , , Seth Putnam allegedly struck a female member, prompting local police to issue a warrant for the band's and search for members. The incident stemmed from onstage antics escalating into physical contact, reflecting Putnam's pattern of provoking crowds, though specific details on the altercation's trigger remain unelaborated in reports. On October 31, 2000, at The Met Cafe in , headlined a bill opened by ; Putnam initiated a verbal assault on vocalist Bob Otis from the stage, escalating into a physical brawl between members of the two bands. The confrontation, documented in eyewitness accounts and video footage, involved shoving and threats but did not result in formal ejections from the venue, though it intensified longstanding tensions foreshadowed in 's earlier song "Locking Drop Dead in ." Putnam recounted additional venue ejections tied to post-show taunts, such as one instance where heckling another band's frontman led to him being assaulted by multiple roadies before bouncers removed him from the premises. These events, often fueled by alcohol and deliberate provocation, contributed to Anal Cunt's reputation for brief, chaotic sets that frequently ended in bans from clubs, as promoters cited and audience fights.

Health and Substance Issues

Putnam's struggles with intensified in the 1990s, centered on that fueled erratic onstage antics, such as injecting drugs during performances, and offstage excesses he later bragged about in interviews. These habits precipitated multiple overdoses, earning him a in underground metal circles for "dying multiple times" before his later . Despite revivals via emergency intervention, Putnam minimized the risks, viewing heavy consumption—including , , and alcohol—as integral to his persona and endurance claims, like out-drugging "the average person" post-incidents. A notable early crisis occurred in 1998, when Putnam overdosed on after preparing an excessively large dose in a hotel room, resulting in ; he was revived after approximately 10 minutes without a pulse. This event, recounted by Putnam himself, highlighted the perilous escalation of his dependency, yet he resumed drug use and touring shortly thereafter, intertwining addiction with his output. Related fallout included physical tolls like and behavioral volatility, exacerbating confrontations at shows and personal feuds, though Putnam framed such chaos as authentic rebellion against sobriety norms. These overdoses and attendant crises underscored a pattern of near-fatal self-experimentation, with Putnam rejecting intervention or reform; in reflections, he equated cessation with weakness, as echoed in lyrics mocking quitters. Health repercussions mounted gradually, setting the stage for graver episodes, but contemporaries noted his improbable survival amid blatant, unrepentant abuse that blurred lines between and self-destruction.

2003 Coma and Long-Term Effects

On October 12, 2004, Seth Putnam was hospitalized after overdosing on a combination of , alcohol, , and two months' worth of Ambien sleeping pills, which induced a lasting nearly one month. The incident stemmed from issues that had persisted throughout his adult life, though Putnam later described it in interviews as a non-suicidal excess rather than an intentional attempt to end his life. Upon emerging from , Putnam experienced severe physical impairments, including temporary where he could not move any part of his body and subsequent difficulty walking straight. Hospital doctors diagnosed him with brain damage and informed him he would likely never play drums or perform basic functions again, a he rejected outright. Despite these initial setbacks, he underwent rehabilitation and regained enough mobility and cognitive function to resume performing with and other projects within a few years, though he occasionally required a cane or walker for support in the aftermath. The long-term effects included ongoing receipt of government , which Putnam collected post-recovery, reflecting persistent health limitations from the neurological damage. He continued heavy substance use afterward, claiming in a that he could still "out-drink or out-drug the average person" despite the ordeal, indicating no full cessation of risky behaviors that may have compounded residual vulnerabilities. These impairments did not halt his musical output but contributed to a reduced pace of live performances and recording in his .

Interpersonal Feuds

Conflict with Chris Barnes

In the mid-1990s, friction arose between Seth Putnam and Chris Barnes, vocalist of Six Feet Under, stemming from Putnam's heckling during a Six Feet Under performance. According to accounts from Putnam, he taunted Barnes onstage, prompting an altercation that escalated when Barnes' roadies attacked Putnam while Barnes retreated to the band's tour bus without directly engaging. Putnam later positioned himself outside the bus awaiting Barnes, but the confrontation ended without further direct involvement from Barnes. Putnam responded to the incident by recording the track "Chris Barnes Is a Pussy" for Anal Cunt's 1999 album It Just Gets Worse, explicitly referencing the event and criticizing Barnes for relying on roadies rather than fighting personally. Despite the personal animosity, Putnam expressed admiration for Six Feet Under's music, distinguishing it from his disdain for Barnes as an individual. The feud resurfaced on October 24, 2003, at The Living Room in Providence, Rhode Island, when Putnam attended a Six Feet Under headlining show and shouted lyrics from "Chris Barnes Is a Pussy," including obscenities directed at Barnes. This disruption led Six Feet Under to abruptly end their set after approximately five or six songs, forgoing the remainder of their planned material. Putnam again challenged Barnes to fight outside the venue near the tour bus, reiterating claims that Barnes avoided direct confrontation, and linked the 2003 episode to the unresolved 1996 incident seven years prior.

Hatebreed Show Altercation

The altercation between Seth Putnam and occurred on November 11, 2000, at the second annual Metal and Hardcore Festival held at the in . was scheduled to perform on the second stage after , but festival organizers reportedly switched the order, prompting tensions. During 's set—positioned between performances by and —frontman publicly challenged Putnam and to a fight from the stage, amid ongoing animosity between the bands stemming from stylistic and personal differences in the hardcore and metal scenes. Immediately after Hatebreed concluded, Putnam confronted Jasta in the mosh pit, escalating into a brief brawl involving Jasta and other members against Putnam. The fight, lasting approximately 10 seconds, saw Putnam overpowered and beaten before spilling onto the adjacent sidewalk, where police intervened to break it up. Consequently, Anal Cunt's set was canceled, preventing their performance. Accounts from attendees and a contemporary report in the Boston Phoenix describe the incident as a spontaneous clash fueled by Jasta's onstage provocation and Putnam's combative response, with no arrests reported but highlighting Putnam's reputation for volatility in live settings.

Death and Immediate Aftermath

Circumstances of 2011 Heart Attack

On June 11, 2011, Seth Putnam suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in , at the age of 43. The incident was described as sudden in his , with no immediate public details on preceding symptoms or medical intervention. Publicist Kim Kelly, who had worked with Putnam on Anal Cunt's final album, announced the death that day via , stating it resulted from a suspected heart attack. Initial reports from music outlets echoed this assessment, attributing the cause directly to cardiac failure without specifying contributing factors at the time. Putnam was survived by his wife, Julie J. Wains Putnam, and was later buried at Newton Cemetery in . or details were not publicly released, though his prior history of and health complications—documented in earlier medical crises—has led some retrospective accounts to infer a possible link, without definitive confirmation.

Reactions from Peers and Fans

Following Seth Putnam's death from a heart attack on June 11, 2011, numerous musicians in the and scenes paid tribute to him, emphasizing his unfiltered humor, creative fearlessness, and personal loyalty despite his provocative persona. Philip Anselmo of and Down described Putnam as "hilarious, and an extremist," highlighting their shared drunken camaraderie in the and praising Anal Cunt's Morbid Florist (1995) as an "underrated, original-sounding classic." Anselmo urged fans to "celebrate the guy’s life — he’d want you to," framing Putnam's passing as the end of his self-directed path rather than a cause for mourning. Other peers echoed this sentiment, focusing on Putnam's influence and character. of called him a figure with "a great sense of humor" and a "golden heart," recalling Putnam's early support for his band and their chaotic touring experiences together. Scott Hull of credited Putnam with injecting irreverence into extreme music, stating that his boundary-pushing approach shaped bands like his own while navigating complex interpersonal dynamics. Steve Austin of portrayed him as "honest, super-intelligent and a true free spirit," a "musical genius" whose tortured artistry left a profound void. Tim Morse, Anal Cunt's longtime drummer who co-founded the band with Putnam in , simply expressed, "I really miss my friend," underscoring their foundational noise-driven partnership. Grindcore journalist Grim Kim Kelly, who confirmed the death via Tumblr, reminded readers that "no matter how outrageous and controversial his musical career has been, Seth was still a human being with friends and family that loved him," advocating respect for his rule-breaking life. These tributes, compiled in outlets like Decibel Magazine shortly after his passing, portrayed Putnam as a polarizing yet genuinely impactful figure whose extremes were rooted in authenticity rather than malice. Fan responses, while less formally documented, aligned with peers in online forums and social media, often celebrating his irreverent discography amid widespread shock at his age of 43.

Legacy and Influence

Impact on Grindcore and Extreme Genres

Seth Putnam exerted a notable influence on grindcore through his foundational role in Anal Cunt, a band he established in 1988 that epitomized the genre's penchant for brevity, aggression, and irreverence. Anal Cunt's recordings, such as the 1993 album It Just Gets Worse, featured songs averaging under 30 seconds in length, pioneering the "microsong" format that prioritized rapid-fire riffs and screamed vocals over extended compositions. This approach highlighted Putnam's high-pitched, chaotic delivery and lyrics centered on black humor, personal insults, and taboo subjects, setting a template for grindcore's confrontational ethos. Putnam's emphasis on and satirical excess impacted subsequent acts in and , where bands adopted similarly provocative song titles and themes to provoke audiences and subvert expectations within extreme music circles. For instance, Anal Cunt's practice of crafting absurd, offensive titles—like those mocking celebrities or everyday banalities—influenced a wave of hardcore and outfits that incorporated comedic irreverence to differentiate from more earnest variants. Beyond , Putnam's uncompromised rawness in Anal Cunt's output extended to and experimental fringes of extreme genres, encouraging artists to embrace and abrasiveness without regard for accessibility. His earlier stints in thrash bands like and Satan's Warriors in the laid groundwork for this evolution, blending hardcore punk's speed with metal's intensity to prefigure grindcore's hybrid aggression. While polarizing due to the band's deliberate offensiveness, Putnam's legacy persists in the genre's tolerance for boundary-pushing content, as evidenced by tributes from peers noting his role in sustaining grindcore's underground vitality.

Posthumous Releases and Archival Material

Following Seth Putnam's death on June 11, 2011, issued The Old Testament, a two-disc compilation of Anal Cunt's earliest recordings, on November 22, 2011. The set aggregates material from the band's pre-1993 output, including demos, EPs such as the 1990 Good Bye, The Legends, live recordings, and studio outtakes, capturing the raw, chaotic style that defined their initial phase with members like guitarist Scott Hull and drummer Tim Morse alongside Putnam's vocals. This release served primarily as an archival document rather than new compositions, drawing from analog tapes and unreleased fragments to preserve the group's formative noise-grind experiments without posthumous overdubs or alterations. In 2023, Italian label F.O.A.D. Records released Early Shit 1988-1991, a limited-edition box set comprising six LPs and an accompanying book, focusing on Anal Cunt's nascent demos and rehearsals from their inception through the early 1990s. The collection remasters and packages tracks predating their first full-length album Abuse (1993), emphasizing unreleased rehearsal takes and primitive recordings that highlight Putnam's evolving vocal aggression and the band's minimalistic instrumentation. Like The Old Testament, it prioritizes historical fidelity over production polish, offering fans access to material long circulated informally via bootlegs or fan archives. No original studio material featuring Putnam's post-2011 contributions has surfaced, as effectively disbanded upon his passing, with surviving members pursuing separate projects. Subsequent reissues of earlier albums, such as ' catalog maintenance, have occurred but do not constitute new archival discoveries tied directly to Putnam's estate or unpublished works. These posthumous efforts underscore the band's status, sustaining interest through excavation of existing tapes rather than fabricated continuations.

Reception: Achievements Versus Criticisms

Seth Putnam's work with garnered a dedicated within underground extreme scenes for pioneering 's fusion of blistering speed, absurdity, and satirical provocation, influencing subsequent bands in and genres through its raw, uncompromising approach that eschewed traditional musical polish in favor of chaotic intensity. Over two decades, the band released more than a dozen full-length albums and numerous EPs, with Putnam as the sole consistent member driving prolific output that tested boundaries of brevity—many tracks under 30 seconds—and thematic irreverence, earning recognition as a torchbearer for 's most notorious elements. Peers described him as an honest, intelligent free spirit whose collaborations, including sessions with hardcore outfit , contributed to the evolution of aggressive punk and subgenres. However, Putnam's reception was sharply divided by criticisms of Anal Cunt's lyrics and imagery, which frequently incorporated explicit , homophobia, , and other taboos, often interpreted as deliberate rather than nuanced commentary, leading to accusations of promoting hate under the guise of humor. Reviews highlighted how such content, exemplified by titles and themes, alienated broader audiences and drew comparisons to shock performers like , with some dismissing the itself as unlistenable noise in early recordings despite later technical improvements. Putnam's intentional courting of negative press through provocative submissions to publications further fueled perceptions of his work as more gimmick than substance, though supporters argued it critiqued societal hypocrisies via exaggeration. His personal conduct, including evident in erratic live performances, amplified these detractors' views of him as a self-destructive figure whose influence was limited by irresponsibility.

References

  1. https://www.discogs.com/artist/321038-Seth-Putnam
  2. https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Seth_Putnam/29885
  3. https://tomfogarty.com/blog/seth-putnam-a-legacy-of-provocation-and-shock-in-extreme-metal/
  4. https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2011/06/28/seth-putnam-remembered/
  5. https://www.nocleansinging.com/2011/06/12/seth-putnam-grind-in-peace/
  6. https://pitchfork.com/news/42814-rip-anal-cunt-frontman-seth-putnam/
  7. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/13/seth-putnam-dies-aged-43
  8. https://www.laweekly.com/rip-anal-cunts-seth-putnam-i-like-it-when-you-die/
  9. https://burkefamilyfuneralhomes.com/book-of-memories/1353567/Putnam-Seth/obituary.php
  10. https://kids.kiddle.co/Seth_Putnam
  11. https://www.thegauntlet.com/article/467/20831/Seth-Putnam-from-Anal-Cunt-discusses-growing-up.html
  12. https://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=88990
  13. https://www.last.fm/music/Satan%2527s%2BWarriors/%2Bwiki
  14. http://www.markprindle.com/analcunt.htm
  15. https://www.discogs.com/release/9326060-Anal-Cunt-47-Song-Demo
  16. https://www.foadrecords.com/index.php/anal-cunt-early-shit-1988-1991-boxset-6xlpsbook-genital-masticator-from-originality-to-vulgarity-and-v-n-a-complete-deafness-1988-1989-lp-preorders-start-now-2/
  17. https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8cde362e-2c23-41d3-834f-5015aa3b334f
  18. http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles/chats/1-109_anal_cunt.aspx
  19. http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/artist/impaled-northern-moonforest
  20. https://www.discogs.com/artist/2177310-Impaled-Northern-Moonforest
  21. https://www.discogs.com/master/549954-Impaled-Northern-Moonforest-Impaled-Northern-Moonforest
  22. https://www.discogs.com/artist/2062039-Full-Blown-AIDS
  23. https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/full-blown-a_i_d_s
  24. https://www.last.fm/music/Full%2BBlown%2BA.I.D.S./%2Bwiki
  25. https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Pantera/The_Great_Southern_Trendkill_-_Vulgar_Display_of_Power/1131906/
  26. http://www.fearandloathingfanzine.com/siege.html
  27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHz-yJt_wtI
  28. https://www.facebook.com/Wetrust.Inthrash/posts/rest-in-peace-seth-putnamcomplete-nameseth-edward-putnambirth-date-43-may-15th-1/692954166817314/
  29. https://dukecityhardcorepunk.wordpress.com/2019/05/07/anal-cunt-not-exactly-music-but-pretty-funny/
  30. https://www.frozenmoonpromotions.com/features/equaloppurtunityoffender
  31. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Music/AnalCunt
  32. https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Anal_Cunt
  33. https://grimoireofexalteddeeds.com/tag/seth-putnam/
  34. https://www.clevescene.com/arts/82-anal-cunt-at-grog-shop-1605338/
  35. https://demonpigeon.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/interview-seth-putnam/
  36. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/4488352
  37. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/anal-cunt/1993/nightbreak-san-francisco-ca-1bcbf9fc.html
  38. http://forum.theobelisk.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2364&start=20
  39. https://www.nme.com/news/music/anal-cunt-2-1386361
  40. https://grimoireofexalteddeeds.com/anal-cunt-2/
  41. https://genius.com/Anal-cunt-locking-drop-dead-in-mcdonalds-lyrics
  42. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZU1JX33ZCs
  43. https://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=67489
  44. https://bravewords.com/news/anal-cunts-seth-putnam-i-can-still-probably-out-drink-or-out-drug-the-average-person/
  45. https://www.last.fm/music/Seth%2BPutnam/%2Bwiki
  46. https://www.punknews.org/article/43029/inmemoriam-seth-putnam-of-anal-cnt-1968-2011
  47. https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Chris_Barnes/54035
  48. https://blabbermouth.net/news/anal-cunt-s-seth-putnam-chris-barnes-is-a-pussy
  49. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyy1_o5pUKV/
  50. https://ultimatemetal.com/threads/so-i-just-found-out.213086/
  51. https://www.kingbean.net/kba/_bands/hatebreed.php
  52. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/seth-putnam-obituary?id=22038805
  53. https://metalstorm.net/events/news_comments.php?news_id=13804
  54. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9789048528707-001/html
  55. https://blabbermouth.net/news/philip-anselmo-pays-tribute-to-seth-putnam
  56. https://metalinjection.net/news/touching-tributes-seth-putnam
  57. https://rockandrollglobe.com/punk/anal-c-nt-and-the-power-of-microsong/
  58. https://www.metalstorm.net/bands/biography.php?band_id=3974&bandname=Anal%2BCunt
  59. https://www.last.fm/music/Anal%2BCunt/%2Bwiki
  60. https://metalinjection.net/upcoming-releases/anal-cunt-collection-due-november
  61. https://lambgoat.com/news/16927/anal-c-nt-collection-set-for-november-release/
  62. https://yourlastrites.com/2011/12/04/anal-cunt-the-old-testament-review/
  63. https://www.foadrecords.com/index.php/category/anal-cunt/
  64. https://www.discogs.com/artist/276341-Anal-Cunt
  65. https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/two-decades-of-bad-taste-from-anal-cunt/article_fa6ab54f-33e6-52c9-9a8e-811854aff67e.html
  66. https://zootmarimba55.wordpress.com/2020/04/01/77-anal-ct-it-just-gets-worse/
  67. https://ultimatemetal.com/threads/rip-seth-putnam.692479/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.