On May 23, 2008, we lost a tremendous friend and dedicated supporter of not only our music but a host of many hard-working, independent musicians in the Twin Cities. At 46 years of age, Earl Root passed peacefully after a long and arduous battle with cancer. But he did not lose. His passion and dedication, his fervor and effort are matched by the amount of accomplishments he has made within the heavy metal community and it is a legacy that will continue to thrive and live within all of our hearts.
Earl’s favorite band was Black Sabbath and it was this connection to some of our members that solidified our union with him and felt in a sense that we had a family member who embraced our vision and what we set out to do and was proud of it. We had his seal of approval and it only fueled our fire to explore, to create, to go beyond, and forge ahead with an independent spirit and a focus to remain true to our identity. Earl was independent, thru and thru. His tenacity inspired and will continue to inspire and incite thousands of artists who wish to be heard. He lit the beacon for us and we are able to follow our path clearer than we could before. He shone a light on that which was dubbed obscure, unsightly, unusual, brash, and freakish, and hidden in the dark.
We are indebted to him for opening our eyes and instilling passion in our hearts. We will continue the journey that he laid out for us and will do our best to carve out a niche for ourselves, hoping to enlighten and inspire – just as he did.
We love you and miss you and know that you are never far from us – thank you for all of your efforts and for believing in so many of us when we did not wish to.