Michael Grant Dead: Crescent Shield Singer Dies Aged 39

Posted on Jun 1st 2012 10:39AM by Amy Sciarretto Comments

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It is with a heavy heart that we report Michael Grant, vocalist of Crescent Shield, has died. Grant passed away on Thursday, May 31, at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, Calif. He was just 39 at the time of his passing.

According to a heartfelt post on the band's website, Grant suffered from a "relatively brief but serious illness." Even so, he passed away peacefully and surrounding by family. Further details and particulars about the singer's illness were not revealed at this time.

In addition to Crescent Shield, which has been on hiatus for some time, Grant was also a member of the band Onward, which was signed to Century Media Records at one point. His voice is described as a "rich and powerful baritone" and he was celebrated by his bandmates for the "clean melodic vocal style," which "made him a distinct voice in heavy metal. He was known for crafting memorable vocal hooks and layered harmonies. He often weaved multiple vocal phrases together creating a complex and striking tapestry of vocal melodies."

Aside from the technical aspect, Grant infused his songs with warmth and depth, courtesy of his passion. The post continued, "Perhaps most notable however was the passion Mike sang with. He could evoke the strength and grandiloquence of the mightiest metal warrior or the mournful atmosphere of a passing life."

Watch Crescent Shield Perform "The Last of My Kind"

Those who worked with Grant felt that he "was more than just a singer though. He was a greatly talented songwriter and lyricist. Although he didn't play an instrument, he would often write complete songs by humming guitar lines and vocalizing drum beats. His lyrics were profound, evocative and often personal. He was a true lover of heavy metal and would sing its praises with a sense of poetry and grandeur. No matter the topic: journeys into the unknown, the choices we make in life, religious dogma, or a crimson moonrise, Mike always delivered a moving message with unique elegance."

Crescent Shield were writing new music at the time of Grant's passing.

To read the rest of the band's eulogy to their frontman, go here. It really does give fans insight into Michael Grant, the person and the musician.