Into the Void: Life, Death and Heavy Metal

Chuck Schuldiner, revered as a founder of Death Metal, channeled grief into music; his death at 34, while completing his final work, devastated fans and a family already scarred by the tragic loss of Chuck's older brother.

In 1985, James Vance survived a dual suicide pact that took the life of his best friend; months later, he blamed the music of Judas Priest for mesmerising them into despair; the trial that followed threatened the future of heavy metal music.

In 1985, Seattle's NME seemed poised for success until frontman Kurt Struebing committed an unspeakable crime during a psychotic episode. After prison, his bandmates welcomed him back to the stage until Struebing's mysterious death in 2005.

Randy Rhoads was a musical prodigy who cemented himself as one of heavy metal's greatest guitarists. His bandmates and collaborators, including Sharon Osbourne, reflect on his legacy and the accident that took him too soon.

In 2010, Iranian teens Nikan Khosravi and Arash Ilkhani formed anti-establishment thrash metal band Confess; facing the death penalty for blasphemy, the pair attempt daring escapes, hoping to continue making metal and fighting the regime.

In the 1980s, Wendy O. Williams fused punk and metal while railing against consumerism and oppression; facing obscenity and assault charges only emboldened her defiance, making Wendy an icon in the fight for social justice.