More bad news in the world of metal as reports have come through from Loudwire that Black Tusk bassist Jonathan Athon passed away from injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident. He had been placed in a medically-induced coma but doctors indicated that he had suffered irreparable brain damage during the accident and he was removed from life support, per his wishes. He was 32 years old.
According to the band's Facebook page, Athon and his girlfriend, Emily Boutwell, were riding on his Harley Davidson when they collided into the driver side of an SUV driven by an 85 year-old man. The page suggested that the driver had run a stop sign, not allowing Athon enough time to avoid the collision, but no official report from law enforcement has been released at this point.
Boutwell managed to escape serious injury.
"Thank you all for your support during this devastating time for us, it would have made him proud," read a message on the band's Facebook page.
Black Tusk had recently entered the studio in Portland, OR to begin recording the band's first full-length since 2011's Set The Dial, and had released the single Vulture's Eye during June this year.
The band is part of Savannah, GA's established sludge metal scene, rivaled perhaps only by that of New Orleans. Black Tusk sounded like a mixture of that city's Eyehategod and the older work of Atlanta's Mastodon. The band was closely affiliated with Savannah's other stalwarts, Baroness and Kylesa. Baroness also experienced a major setback during its 2012 tour when its bus flipped of a road in England.
