Casey Chaos death: Legendary punk metal star found dead at 59 by his mum after massive heart attack

He was frontman of The Amen, had previously been a member of Christian Death and Scum, and was a former professional skateboarder - was 59 when he died last month.

His friend and photographer Dean Karr wrote on Facebook: "Hardcore Punk singer Casey Chaos (Karim Chmielinski) of the band AMEN passed away on December 20, 2024, at roughly 10:20 p.m. in his Laurel Canyon home. He was excited for his mother's arrival from Melbourne, Florida, to spend Christmas with him and had sent a limousine to retrieve her from LAX airport. The mother arrived at 10:45 p.m. and after no response to her knocking on the door, she let herself in with a spare key. Upon opening the door, she discovered Casey sitting on the floor with his back against the sofa and head tilted back. He had suffered a massive heart attack.

"Casey had been dealing with heart issues, poor circulation, and high blood pressure for the last few years. Regardless, we lost a great man/musician/friend/son.

"Casey proved to the industry to always be yourself - NO rules applied to this rock icon! Casey Chaos had also played bass in CHRISTIAN DEATH with Rozz Williams and Rikk Agnew. Other bands include DISORDERLY CONDUCT and SCUM. Power hitters Dave Lombardo, Roy Mayorga, and Shannon Larkin have laid down drum tracks to be included in an upcoming new AMEN album being finished in London by John King and Oliver Kenny!

"Casey was cremated on 12/23/24 at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood, CA. Memorial services for Casey will be announced at a later date.

"Casey Chaos is survived by his mother, Tambil Chmielinski, and her dog Momo."

The tragedy was first announced by his record label, Cleopatra Records. The statement read: "It is with great sadness that Cleopatra Records announce the passing of Casey Chaos, one of the most exciting, and individual punk and metal performers of the last 30 years, and one of the very few, too, to have received a Grammy award."

A statement on the band's own Facebook page promised the group would be looking for ways to offer a fitting tribute to their friend's memory.

It read: "It is with great sadness, grief and sorrow that we confirm the passing of Casey Chaos after seeing the news currently being reported.

"As you can imagine, everyone in the band, past and present, are absolutely devastated.

"There was a lot going on with AMEN in the past 5-6 years that we didn’t announce. Casey loved and appreciated your support, and always wanted to wait until things were complete, rather than sharing unfinished work-in-progress material.

"The rest of us are going to reflect on the ways we can honour Casey in the way he deserves; to have his genius, talent and heart celebrated and experienced by the world and the people who appreciated it.

"Please share any positive memories you have about Casey on this post…

"For our part, we will share more in time.

"REFUSE AMEN, LONG LIVE CHAOS.

"Goodbye, brother."

Cleopatra Records boss Brian Perera hailed working with the "extraordinary" musician a "privilege".

He said: "I had the privilege of working with Casey during his unforgettable live performance with Christian Death at the American Legion Hall back in 1993. Walking into the hall with my good friend Matt Green and my wife, Yvonne, was an experience I’ll never forget - especially seeing Nicolas Cage sitting front-row centre, completely captivated...

“Casey wasn’t just an extraordinary musician. He truly lived and breathed the lifestyle.

“May he rest in peace alongside Rozz Williams and the many tortured souls we admire and respect.”

Amen bassist John Fahnestock remembered his bandmate as a "legend" and a "genius".

He posted on Instagram: "With a heavy heart and a tear in my eye I must announce that we lost another legend today.

"I've lost two legendary frontmen in my career and Casey has now also passed on.

"It was an absolute honour to have been in AMEN and witnessed without a doubt the genius that was Casey Chaos. He was a force unlike no other before him, a true artist, an uncompromising soul and a true punk rock icon!

"This is hard for me. I sit here going over all the memories just speechless …. #caseychaos #amen #legend #legendary #legendsneverdie #icon #punkrock #punkrocklegends"