Seth Putnam, singer of the notorious grindcore band AC (whose fully expressed name cannot be printed here), died on Saturday, June 11, of an apparent heart attack. His death was confirmed earlier in the evening by his publicist.

Putnam was more an agent provocateur than a standard frontman, and his brand of hyperspeed screaming and decidedly politicially incorrect content garnered him an equal number of fans and detractors. AC's albums were best known for their offensive and satirical song titles that numbered upwards of 50 per release (their songs averaged a minute a piece). Many of the songs decried different people and activities as "gay", and prominent figures in the metal underground were regular targets.

In 2004, Putnam overdosed on a two-month supply of Ambien in what proved to be a failed suicide attempt, and he instead had a stroke that put him into a coma and left him walking with a cane once he recovered. He slowly worked his way back into performing live, at first by sitting in a lawn chair while performing vocals.

The details of Mr. Putnam's death are unclear at press time, but it seems likely that the vicious toll he took on his body was ultimately the culprit. While he may not be universally mourned, it's fair to say that the world of extreme music will be less colorful without him.