Lou Koller, frontman of legendary New York hardcore band Sick of It All, has died at age 59 following a battle with esophageal cancer adenocarcinoma. The band announced his death on Friday evening via social media.
Koller first revealed a tumor in his esophagus in June 2024. He reported being cancer-free after chemotherapy roughly a year later, but the cancer returned a few months after that.
Koller formed Sick of It All in 1986 in Queens, New York, with his brother Pete Koller on guitar. The longtime lineup included drummer Armand Majidi and bassist Craig Setari. During their 40-year career, the band released 12 albums, with 2018’s Wake the Sleeping Dragon! being their most recent.
Sick of It All’s New York City hardcore sound influenced countless bands, including Refused, Hatebreed, and Rise Against. The band’s statement noted that Koller “had the power to raise everyone’s spirits at our shows with a smile and a sarcastic comment, and he won people over wherever we played, from every culture and every corner of the world.”
Source: Consequence
