Punk Rock Singer Dies: Amen Frontman Casey Chaos Was 59

Casey Chaos, frontman and founding member of the rock band Amen, has died. The singer’s death was announced in a statement shared to the group’s official Facebook page on Saturday, Dec. 21. Chaos, real name Karim George Chmielinski, was 59. His cause of death was not disclosed.

“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,” the group, whose lineup currently consists of John Fahnestock on bass and John King on guitar, wrote. “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 statement continued, “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.”

Born in Trenton, New York in 1965, per Loudwire, Chaos got his start as a professional skater as a child, during which time he was introduced to hardcore punk bands such as Black Flag. He went to form his own band, Casey and the Skate Punx, which later was renamed Disorderly Conduct, recruiting bassist Scot Lade, drummer Bill Erwin, and guitarist Ken Decter. The group released their first and only LP, Amen, in 1986, and four years later changed the group’s name to Amen.

Together with Amen, Chaos released four studio LPs – Slave (1994), Amen (1999), We Have Come for Your Parents (2000), and Death Before Musick (2004) – across labels including Columbia, Virgin, and Roadrunner. The group went on hiatus in 2009 and reunited at Knotfest in 2014. While Amen’s lineup changed over the years, Chaos remained the group’s only consistent member.

News of Chaos’ passing sparked a wave of tributes, with Brian Perera, founder of his record label, Cleopatra Records, writing on Instagram, “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 said, “It was an absolute honor 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.”

According to NME, Amen began work on a new album in 2014, but paused the project after it wasn’t finished by the time of their reunion that year. Work on the album resumed in 2019 but was again halted due to the COVID pandemic. The album remains unfinished.

Outside of his work with Amen, Chaos also worked with Christian Death — playing on and cowriting several songs on their 1993 album Iconologia — and Scum.