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Most of us did not know Jeff “Jef Leppard” Davis, but many of us know his work. He was guitarist for Vöetsek and STFU, as well as recording engineer for Bay Area acts Acephalix, Vastum, Kerasphorus, Abscess, Population Reduction, Aerial Ruin, Apocryphon, and more. Those acts sound great on record, and Davis was to credit. Just recently I was driving around with friends, basking in the elephantine heaviness of Vastum’s Carnal Law. That was Davis’ hand of doom riding the faders and making lives better.
By all accounts, Davis made people’s lives better. You can read eloquent tributes to him here and here. Local pillars like him are the lifeblood of underground metal. On June 10, Davis died in a motorcycle accident that left his wife Nikki, also beloved in the Bay Area, in critical condition. Friends have set up a web page to track her progress and accept donations for help with medical bills.
Thank you, Jeff, for your contributions. Your work was strong and will live long.
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Vastum – “Carnal Law”
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Don’t know the dude personally but he sure has a genuinely good vibe about him. Best wishes to his family and Nikki.
thanks for the coverage IO – fantastic benefit gig coming up in Oakland on July 27 at the Metro w/ AUTOPSY, GHOUL, NOOTHGRUSH and ACEPHALIX.
Super jelly about that lineup! Is Dino from Dystopia gonna do vocals for Noothgrush again like @ MDF?
yes, Dino is full time vocals for Noothgrush now.
Never met him but many friends on the west coast are grieving for his tragic loss. RIP
I’m most familiar with the Acephalix and Vastum records, but the dude obviously had some serious skills. It’s always a bummer to lose someone that works hard making awesome things, and in this case it looked he was a rad dude and a vital part of the metal community. RIP.
he was a friend of mine, and an awesome person. it’s great to see this tribute here. thanks.
Didn’t know him, but feel bad for everyone to whom he was a friend and fellow traveller. I’ve lost friends /loved ones both to sickness and to accidents, and it’s been my experience that the latter is especially hard, as there’s just no way to prepare yourself for it. R.I.P.
RIP. Love the dude’s work.
nice guy, tragic news