13, Freemasonry, and the Great Seal of the United States

The information on this page can be found mostly in parts all over the internet, but I wanted to gather it together here for convenience. In studying these topics, my hope is to keep within the tradition of the late Bill Cooper: to better understand how THEY think and work. THEY being the occultists who control our institutions and economies, so that we may, through knowledge and exposure of their mechanics, have a better chance at limiting or halting their insideous power over us and the world.

[In this early version of The Great Seal, notice the bird's elongated neck and particular placement of feathers on its' head. Is this an eagle or a phoenix? Also notice the 13 stars of David, or hexagrams - as opposed to the later adopted pentagrams, or 5-pointed stars.]

According to Manly P. Hall [1901-1990, 33°Freemason] in "The Secret Destiny of America", part of the original designs for the Great Seal of America included the above peculiar looking bird, a phoenix. He references a book "The History of the Seal of the United States" [P. 1909] as well as his own knowledge of other symbols which ended up on the dollar bill: the pyramid and all-seeing eye. These symbols, when taken together, suggest that the individuals responsible for designing the Great seal were members of a secret society, or were being advised by them.

[Barton then came up with another design, which the committee submitted back to Congress on May 9, 1782...At the top is an eagle and on the pillar in the shield is a "Phoenix in Flames". - Wiki]

While mainstream sources such as Wikipedia consistently downplay, or even deny Freemasonic influence upon the Great Seal, they simultaneously admit one of the most high profile and influential individuals on the committees designing the seal was a well known Freemason and member of other secret societies: Benjamin Franklin. According to an article at www.freemasons-freemasonry.com by W.Bro. David Barrett, "Freemasons so far involved were Franklin, Jefferson, Houston and William Barton but none of the final designers were Freemasons. However we know that essentially they continued working with the original basic schematic."

So...multiple [known] Freemasons were on the committees making decisions about the seal, but DON'T WORRY, none of their Freemasonic ties influenced the FINAL symbols that would ultimately end up on it...

We know that the 13 step truncated pyramid on the back of the $1 bill was taken from an earlier Francis Hopkinson design for a $50 bill. Hopkinson was also on a committee for the Great Seal, and although it is not clear whether he was a Freemason or not, his father, Thomas Hopkinson, was a Freemasonic Grandmaster of Pennsylvania in 1736, and was personal friends with Benjamin Franklin. The Hopkinson family also had their own pew at Pennsylvania's Christ Church, one of America's early locations to hold Freemasonic gatherings, according to "Freemasonry in Pennsylvania 1730-1907".

Getting back to the "Phoenix Bird" image shown earlier...Manly P. Hall recounts a story given in the book "The History of the Seal of the United States" in which Benjamin Franklin "mistakingly" assumes the bird is a wild turkey, and was allegedly pleased with this as a symbol. Really? A big fat bird most well known for being at the center of the dinner table on Thanksgiving made a good symbol for America's Great Seal? I suspect this story was deliberately fabricated in order to downplay Franklin's symbol literacy/Freemasonic connections - or otherwise confuse the naive sleuth making connections between the founders and Freemasonry. But who knows?

As for the phoenix as a symbol, it has traditionally represented death and rebirth. The rising of the phoenix from the ashes would seem to represent the rebirth of a plan, a people, or an organization. Hall alludes to the goals of a secret society in reference to the founding of America, and their "Order of the Quest." He uses Masonic language consistently, referring to "the Great Architect of the Universe," which is a known Masonic term for "God." One symbol for this God is the all-seeing eye...

"Every Masonic Lodge is a Temple of Religion and its’ teachings are instruction in religion." - Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, Chapter 13 or 13th°.

Freemasonic apologists will liberally disown or embrace aspects of this influential 861 page tome, according to what they PREFER people believe about it. But there is no dodging the influence and importance of this book among Freemasons of the time, and probably up to this very day.

"in 1859 he [Pike] was elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite's Southern Jurisdiction. He remained Sovereign Grand Commander for the rest of his life, devoting a large amount of his time to developing the rituals of the order."

I bring up Pike and the book "Morals and Dogma" in order to address this business of the number 13 and other Freemasonic aspects of the Great Seal of America.

"The eagle has 32 feathers on its right wing, the number of ordinary degrees in Scottish Rite Freemasonry. The left wing has 33 feathers, corresponding to the 33rd degree of the same rite conferred for outstanding Masonic service. The tail feathers number nine – the number of degrees in Chapter, Council and Commandery of the York Rite...The total number of feathers [upon the 2 wings] totals 65 which, by gematria, is the value of ‘gam yachad’ ( 3+40+10+8+4) [Psalm 133- Hinei ma tov etc] a phrase often used in Freemasonry." - W.Bro. David Barrett

I would also add that the 13 stars above the Bird's head, which are pentacles [5 pointed stars] also add up to 65 [13 x 5].

The "gam yachad" is related to the Tetragrammaton, a 4-letter abbreviation of God's inutterable name. And by inutterable, I mean that ancient Hebrew tradition forbade the speaking of God's name, even going as far as expressing the word GOD like this: G-D. The implication being, that the name was of course sacred and divine, and not meant for just anyone to speak out loud [Freemasons LOVE this stuff!]. And so starting with the 4 letter name REPRESENTING God, which is YHVH [Jehovah/Yeshuah], we have an entire number pattern evolving out of those 4 letters, all having specific significance.

E PLURIBUS UNUM = 13 letters. Meaning, "out of the many, one." The bundle of 13 arrows held tightly within the bird's left claw seems to represent this.

The numbers used on the dollar bill seem to mostly be derived from ancient Hebrew mysticism/Gematria. This is based upon the fact that Hebrew letters represent not just sounds and meanings, but numerical values. One could say the language itself is divinely inspired or magical. Whatever the case, 13 is most certainly not a BAD number within this system!

"Thirteen is the number that bonds multiplicity into oneness. For example: There are twelve tribes that are bonded into their father Israel (Yaaqov). Israel is the thirteenth. The meaning of the number thirteen is the bonding of many into one." - https://www.betemunah.org/thirteen.html

Where have we heard this before, "many into one?" E PLURIBUS UNUM. 13 letters, spelling out in latin: "Out of many, one." Albert Pike speaks about this in the 13th° of "Morals and Dogma" as well, getting into all of this material from the Tetragrammaton, the many into one, and the different permutations of the sacred name. You think MAYBE there's some kinda correlation here?

The latin numbers at the base of the pyramid say 1776, the year of the START of the American Revolution. It's also the same year a German philosopher by the name of Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati.

"1 May 1776 Johann Adam Weishaupt founded the "Illuminati" in the Electorate of Bavaria." - wikipedia

Ever heard of "Mayday?" It's an international distress signal meaning "emergency!" May Day also happens to be an ancient pagan celebration, marking the beginning of summer, traditionally held on May 1st. I will not elaborate more upon that, just thought it was worth mentioning here.

Now some will say, "Weishaupt resided in Europe, and there is no proof of this "Illuminati's" presence in America during the revolutionary era!" Well actually, yes, there is. In the form of written correspondence between George Washington and GW Snyder, from https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-02-02-0435:

"It was not my intention to doubt that, the Doctrines of the Iluminati, and principles of Jacobinism had not spread in the United States. On the contrary, no one is more fully satisfied of this fact than I am...[follow up letter] The idea I meant to convey, was, that I did not believe that the Lodges of Free Masons in this Country had, as Societies, endeavoured to propagate the diabolical tenets of the first, or the pernicious principles of the latter (if they are susceptible of seperation). That Individuals of them may have done it, and that the founder, or instrument employed to found, the Democratic Societies in the United States, may have had these objects—and actually had a seperation of the People from their Government in view, is too evident to be questioned." - George Washington

While we are quoting the above correspondence, let's address this often exagerrated point that "hey, George Washington was a Freemason too, bro!":

"to correct an error you have run into, of my Presiding over the English lodges in this Country. The fact is, I preside over none, nor have I been in one more than once or twice, within the last thirty years.

Sure, Washington was an admitted Freemason at one point. But attending 1 or 2 meetings within a 30 year period does not sound like a very "active" card-holding member to me. It seems his identity as a Freemason has either been deceptively downplayed by himself, or deliberately exagerrated by others for various reasons.

In conclusion, George Washington clearly knew about the Illuminati's existence as well as the very real threat they posed to the early efforts at American independence. So those who try and make others feel silly for talking about this stuff are themselves either ignorant, or are "playing dumb."

Regarding the Illuminati's classification as a Freemasonic organization - I would say if anything, they were an extreme rogue faction, or simply a group of infiltrators, obviously with a nefarious secret agenda. I would be very wary of ANY organization calling itself "The Illuminati" to this day. Besides the fact that the name carries some very negative baggage, any organization purporting to be a descendant of such an entity is most likely a fraud of a fraud and can't possibly have anyone's best interests in mind other than its own!

Although it is rather easy to count 13 layers in the above pyramid image, it's far more difficult to discern how many bricks compose these layers. According to 33° Freemason Manly P Hall, as well as other more modern sources, such as mastermason.com, the 13 layers are made up of 72 stones or bricks. Wikipedia:

"To overcome the problems posed by the doctrine of God's transcendence, the early Jewish mystics developed an emanation theory in which the alphabet played an important part. They taught that the universe was divided into ten angelic spheres each one governed by an intermediary or emanation of the divine. There were seventy-two inferior angels through whom the intermediaries could be approached. Contact with this celestial world was achieved by manipulating the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. [...] This invocatory technique may be traced through the works of Joseph Gikatilla to the famous thirteenth-century Kabbalist Abraham Abulafia"

This relates, again, to the Hebrew Gematria composing the inutterable name of God, reduced down to the letters YHVH, in its simplest form. It seems that the existence of this number 72 within the Great Seal was less well known, but acknowledged over the years by those initiated into the mystery schools - further contributing to the obvious fact that the individuals who came up with all of this were, at some level, members of a secret society.

[Above invitation reads: "Brother - You are desired to meet the Master, and Brethren of N°[2?] Ancient York-Masons at their Room on Arch Street - on Monday next at 6 OClock in the Evening - Philadelphia Anno Mundi. 707 - By Order of the Master Edwin Robinson - Secretary March 25th"]

Freemasonic apologists will generally acknowledge that the evocative "Eye of Providence" symbol on the $1 bill was/is used by Freemasons - but they claim it was not used by them all that often back in those days.

"As far as can be established the All Seeing Eye was adopted by Masonry in 1797." - W.Bro. David Barrett

That's funny, because the first book I came across online documenting Freemasonry in Pennsylvania 1730-1907 contained the above image, engraved in 1759, a good 15 years BEFORE the Great Seal of America was put together. It's probably fair to assume it [The Eye] was used by Freemasons earlier than 1759 as well, but apologists will then say "the Eye was commonly used all over the place, not just in Freemasonry!" The problem with this argument is that it doesn't DISPROVE that the symbol as used upon the dollar bill is Freemasonic in nature! It only provides the possibility that it doesn't necesarily HAVE to be Freemasonic. But that's assuming one completely ignores all the other esoteric symbolism, concepts, and numbers as being consistent with Freemasonry.

ANNUIT COEPTIS = He (God) has favored our undertakings. NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM = A New Order of the Ages.

"Novus ordo seclorum" was not intended to mean (nor does it correctly translate into) "new world order."...And Thomson said the motto refers to the beginning of a new age – an American era beginning in 1776. The pyramid's rising rows of construction help illustrate this new series of generations...Thus together, the words signified the beginning of the new American Era commencing from that date seen at the base of the Pyramid." - W.Bro. David Barrett

While the above may all be true, the larger occult agenda behind it all is not automatically DISPROVEN by simply not addressing it at all! A "new age" under God is very LARGE language, which does not make one immediately think of a mere country being born. For example, when we hear about this "Age of Aquarius," we are not talking about a specific geographical location, we're talking about EVERYWHERE. This quick dismissal of the translation being "New World Order" might be technically correct, but is Barrett's "correct" translation necesarrily that much different than what a "conspiracy theorist" might assume? If anything, "New Order of the Ages" sounds even more ominous and far reaching than "New World Order!"

Brother Barrett's knowledge of the numbers embedded within these symbols is quite apparent on the page where many of these quotations were taken from. And yet, he doesn't seem to mention anywhere that the pyramid has 13 levels to it and 72 stones/bricks. While pyramids may not have been used during ceremonies, the numbers certainly have signifficence. Which indicates to me that he is deliberately downplaying the occult significance of the pyramid here, and it's potential connections to Freemasonry. Especially given his specific reference to Hebrew Gematria/Freemasonry earlier in counting the Eagle's feathers.

The front of the dollar bill often gets less scrutiny. The seal of the Department of Treasury contains a shield, a scale, a chevron with 13 stars, and a key. Scales indicate balance and measure. The chevron can be seen as a Masonic square, also used for measurement. A key represents authority, but can also represent a KEYSTONE, especially if we view the chevron/square as an ARCH. What street was that earlier mentioned Masonic event being held on? Arch Street.

It is true that one can probably see or hear whatever they want in anything. But there is a difference between mere "free association" and consistent double and triple meanings pointing towards the same thing. The allowance of "plausible deniability" provides an escape route for those either too skeptical to see what is right in front of them, or too steeped in secrecy to admit what is actually there. Numbers, in particular, are difficult to contrive into a consistent narrative of this scale.

According to the late Jordan Maxwell, this is a little Owl hiding in the artwork. Owls are nocturnal and hunt at night. They can see in the dark and can turn their heads completely around and see what is behind them. The Owl is wise, because of this, and makes for a great symbol in Secret Society allegories. If we "see in the dark," we see what others cannot, we operate, we hunt in the dark, where others cannot see.

On the other hand, some think this is a little spider, weaving the web of patterns making up the background of the bill, which can also have occult connotations. I tend to lean towards the Owl theory.

One final note on the Freemasonic concept of "God." As Albert Pike's quotation earlier rather unambiguisly states, "Every Masonic Lodge is a Temple of Religion and its’ teachings are instruction in religion." So who is the God of this religion then? Is all of this liberal borrowing from Hebrew Kabballah pointing towards Jehovah? I don't think so. Although Freemasonry borrows heavily from Kabballah in some instances, it also borrows from Ancient Egypt, Sumeria, Pythagoras, and just about anything else esoteric.

What Pike's Scottish Rite has done, is they reduced God down into the vague concept of "The Great Architect of the Universe." Or just "Deity." They then allow the potential candidate to CHOOSE WHATEVER NAME for that God they prefer. Jesus, Mohammed, Shiva, Krisna, Buddah, Quetzalcoatl, Lucifer, etc...Basically, they have you plug your God(s) into the Freemasonic console and you can now address your God as "The Great Architect of the Universe." To these Scottish Rite Freemasons, God is just another word for your individual faith. And as long as your faith is plugged into the Brotherhood, you will be as loyal to the brotherhood as you will your God.

You might also be interested in reading my blog on Kraftwerk

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The Queen's Reich [PT II]

The band Queensryche certainly had their 15 minutes of fame, but it wasn't much longer than that. In other words, their mainstream success was rather short lived - despite having been active since 1982. While there are many reasonable explanations as to why a band might find great success to be fleeting, I'd like to spend some time considering those which will likely be viewed as descidedly less reasonable, and far more diabolic.

[Queensryche's 1990 album "Empire" was their most commercially successful. EMI is the record label the band was under contract with at the time. The yellow lettering is my own, and is being used to highlight the fact that EMI is curiously embedded into the album's artwork.]

[Chris DeGarmo (L) and Geoff Tate (R)]

Although Queensryche has come to be known as a rather volatile entity over time, this was not always the case. They appeared to be one of the more solid units out there for many years, up until the departure of Chris DeGarmo. He was often the band's articulate spokesman publicly, and seemed to be the main songwriter, having written "Queen of the Ryche," from which the band got its' name. In fact their biggest (only?) major hit "Silent Lucidity" was written, we are told, soley by him. So his rather low key departure in 1997, which was not officially announced publicly until the following year, left fans just as confused as they were dissapointed.

THE DARK EMPIRE

[Malcolm Dome (R.I.P. 2021) was probably the most influential journalist in Heavy Metal during the 80s, and probably played more than a small role in elavating QR from obscurity to international recognition]

“I’m not sure what I feel about the band right now. Whenever we finish a record, I think it’s time to leave. Or we should split up. I am drained, and fed up. I don’t have the energy to deal with the other guys. I get annoyed with them all, because I feel they’ve let me down. But then, I also think I’ve let them down. Is that the way all musicians think? It’s that love/hate thing we have, isn’t it? Empire is maybe the worst album we’ve ever made, or the best. I can’t judge it.” - Chris DeGarmo

The above DeGarmo quote was taken from an interview Malcolm Dome allegedly conducted in July of 1990 "off the record," then put "on the record" in 2014 on his loudersound.com webpage. If DeGarmo really said this in 1990, it certainly gives perspective on his decidedly low profile exit 7 years later.

It's strange to think that the album which brought QR mainstream success would be one he might consider to be their worst. As a fan who purchased the album when it came out with great anticipation, I thought it was just ok, but certainly the weakest they had done up to that point. Admittedly, there is a certain satisfaction in discovering that DeGarmo may have been honest enough to know it wasn't their best artistically. I'm sure EMI was holding a proverbial gun to their backs insisting they "lay some golden eggs or else!"

"I was questioning the long term stability of the group by that point. The level of internal and external dysfunction was unacceptable to me. Apparently, no one else was paying attention, or bothered to compare the successful elements and priorities of our past to our current trajectory." - wiki

The above was also taken from a Malcolm Dome interview, and is the one shown on Wikipedia as of the day I typed this out. As far as I know, these are the only detailed quotes allegedly given by DeGarmo to the press concerning his exit from QR - which has always be shrouded in a bit of mystery.

[British magazine Kerrang! had a huge influence upon the 80s Heavy Metal world, and took a strong interest in QR from very early on]

The UK's Kerrang! magazine [with Malcolm Dome at the helm] was largely responsible for QR's sudden arrival upon the international scene. Dome was also there during the peak of the band's financial success, and managed to capture what I believe is the most raw, candid interview of DeGarmo. He's also there at the end of DeGarmo's journey with QR to get what seems to be the most detailed, and possibly only direct explanation from DeGarmo himself regarding his exit.

Part of me thinks Kerrang/Dome was just THAT powerful and important that DeGarmo would choose to confide in them exclusively among all the other press options. Another part of me wonders if this is all far more contrived than most fans would ever guess. Especially given the strange manner in which Dome claims he held onto the candid 1990 interview with DeGarmo only to release it 15 years later. The timing just seems a bit...too calculated.

One very basic and tangeable fact is that the band's longtime record label EMI decided to file for bankruptcy on behalf of their American subsidiary [EMI is a British record label]. We are told this left the band high and dry during their 1997 "Hear in the Now Frontier" tour, which is coincidentally the one during which DeGarmo decided to quit. Financial support became unstable, band members weren't getting any younger, and behind closed doors DeGarmo wasn't such a happy camper after all - so maybe it was just a good time for smart people to jump ship and find another career. But was leaving a sinking ship so easy?

REAP J LAM

Don't get me wrong, I hold no ill will or negative feelings towards any member of QR. And I certainly do not wish an early death upon any of them! But it has come to my attention fairly recently that just about every band that enjoys mainstream popularity for a period of time, ends up with a dead member or 2. And I don't mean by age or "natural causes." I'm talking about the long list of dead musicians with suspicious circumstances surrounding their untimely demises. Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Kieth Moon, Jim Morrison, Lynyrd Skynyrd band members, John Lennon, Randy Rhoads, Curt Cobain, Chris Cornell, etc...I once read that a member of the Rolling Stones stated "the only way outta this band is in a coffin!" So the question I'm going to ask here is, was QR's 15 minutes of success cut short because a suitable sacrifice was never made? Could it be that the band was simply "past due" on their "payment," and this is why everything went wacky?

“The way I feel right now, I don’t know if I have a future, and I am not talking about just as a musician. I am not suicidal. But I have doubts. Real doubts. I don’t even know why I am talking like this. It won’t make me feel any better. Probably by tomorrow, I will be upbeat and shiny again. But I always question whether I want to carry on as I am. Maybe I will pack my bags, walk out of this hotel, out of this life and start all over again. But I’ve not done that so far, so why would I do it now?” - DeGarmo, according to Malcolm Dome

Note, the above quote was supposedly from 1990, the dawn of QR's most financially successful era. Now I don't want to exagerrate and try to blow it up into something it isn't, but where have we heard "I am not suicidal" before? Isaac Kappy and John McAfee are two fairly recent examples I can think of. High profile individuals who were obviously taken out shortly after publicly stating "I am not suicidal." Was this DeGarmo subtly confessing to something the public wasn't supposed to know? Was there a genuine fear within the group that someone was gonna need to get taken out soon? Even if DeGarmo never said these things, why would the highly respected and influential Malcolm Dome print it in 2015 and tell us Degarmo said it in 1990?

RIKKI RACHTMAN:...and it seems like now the Seattle music scene is basically dominated rock and roll...I mean is there any reason that you think all these bands now are coming from Seattle? DEGARMO:...Boeing has been conducting chemical experiments on the Northwest region - I'm totally serious - for quite some time. And we...were fortunate enough to be asked to participate in this experiment as were some of our friends and everyone..."

The above quote was taken from a youtube compilation of QR interviews. This particular segment was conducted by Rikki Rachtman on MTV. He was, of course, referring to the then Seattle Grunge movement, which was blowing up at that time. It's a relavant question, because Queensryche was this anomoly of a band from Seattle, an area that wasn't really on the map musically at the time they formed. Yet here they were, international prog/metal/pop veterans of the Seattle music scene, confronted with the prospect of being made obsolete by this new Seattle "grunge" sound.

Being that DeGarmo was allegedly studying to be an airplane pilot around the time he did the above interview, it is interesting to consider why he would jest about a conspiracy involving Boeing, of all companies. Boeing is, of course, one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of Airplanes in the country, among other things. Seattle's King County Airport also sits on Boeing field, a place I am sure DeGarmo is thoroughly familiar with.

A quick search on "Boeing Chemical Experiments" will yield quite a few results detailing various court filings ranging from Boeing employees/relatives to regular civilians - all claiming to have suffered as a result of chemical exposure originating from Boeing locations. While Boeing does have an undeniable history of catastrophic hazardous chemical waste management [search: "santa susana field lab boeing toxic spill"], I have not found much to specifically back up DeGarmo's possibly made-up comment. But it's an odd, almost non-sequitur kind of thing to joke about on MTV, where hundreds of thousands of people are watching. If you view the video, it's actually kind of hard to tell if he's being serious or not, even though he states "I'm totally serious." And I'm not the first person to observe this behavior in DeGarmo...

"I am still unsure whether DeGarmo was playing a game, or genuinely baffled by what life at the time had given him. The feeling I had was that, in purely musical terms, he felt Queensrÿche were dead to him. It was to take seven more years, before he quit. But the underlying context was that he had no more to gain from being in this band, and they had nothing more to achieve with him. So, is Empire the band’s finest album? Or the start of a decline. Your call." - Malcolm Dome

“Oh, I do that every so often. Maybe this is all bullshit, and I am acting out a role, and you just happen to be the chosen audience. Can you tell whether what I’ve said is real or imagination? Perhaps I’m challenging you to find the truth from the fiction in Chris DeGarmo. Maybe I want you to tell me. Because I don’t know. You can print anything I’ve said just now. I may thank you, or hate you for it. Or both.” - Chris DeGarmo, as quoted by Malcolm Dome

Again, Dome published the above quote from a candid interview conducted right about the same time as the MTV interview with Rikki Rachtman. It's a little tough to imagine DeGarmo's voice uttering the above words, as they evoke a decidedly sinister tone I don't think I've ever gotten from any of his other interviews. Did he really say these things, or did Dome simply publish these words years later in order to control some sort of unwanted narrative surrounding the band? I suppose both can be true.

To say that Geoff Tate seems to have lost his mind around the year 2012 is fair, but it is also fair to say the band's music and live performances had lost something well before that. Call it bad management, an identity crisis, lack of funding, a loss of the ability to work together productively, or just a very dry well of creativity - the QR ship seems to start slowly and painfully sinking around the time of DeGarmo's exit and the EMI bankruptcy. This eventually culminates into the disastrous 2012 incident in Brazil, where Tate allegedly punched and spit on band members while on stage.

[Q: You have actually toured with Kiss…played with Maiden, Dio…but before that you were really on the local circuit, weren’t you? Geoff Tate: Actually no. We’d never played live before. I think the first show we played was 4000 people or something…]

Let's step back and remember QR's "humble" beginnings. First gig: opening for Dio, playing to something like 4000 people. No paying dues in the club circuit, just straight to the top and off like a rocket. The rest of the 80s was constant tours opening for just about every popular hard rock and metal band in the US, Europe, and Japan. No real hits, countless awkward band photos and "fashion statements," curious shifts in sound with each new release, but always accompanied by impressive music which did not seem to know where it was going exactly. Yet EMI kept pushing the group, until they squeezed a big hit out, a good 8 years or so later. Doesn't sound like a recipe for profit, and the eventual bankruptcy of EMI America doesn't exactly take away from that observation.

The stresses of success and the toll it takes on a band to get there, even if only for 15 minutes, is a topic covered in many music documentaries - as are urban legends regarding deals with the devil in order to obtain fame and fortune. While the former is pretty much an agreed upon cliche, I think most people would also agree there is a grain of truth in the latter, if only conceptually. But what if this is more literal than fans would ever suspect? Would it better explain the seeming dedication to chaos we saw erupt within QR during the weeks and years leading up to the Brazil incident, and after? Was the seeming attempt by Geoff Tate to take the band over really just his way of gaining control of something that was destined to consume him? Was all the legal mayhem and scrambling for control of the name and revolving door of musicians based upon the same fear shared by all original members of the TriRyche [3rd Reich] corporation? Was DeGarmo's exit related to this, and is that why there seems to be so much intentional vagueness behind his decision to leave QR?

I wish nothing bad upon the members of Queensryche, or anyone else - and I can even appreciate some of the material they have all put out since the split. But it seems clear to me that the QR ship has been mortally wounded, perhaps deliberately from the inside, seemingly with a desperate hope that the Dark Lord will just turn his head away in disgust and think, "fine, but you will never play with the big boys again, losers!"

Click here for PART I

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Phillip Buerstatte: Feed the Gods [PT2]

After exhausting all online resources, I found myself unable to determine why Ivan de Prume left White Zombie in 1992, just as they were starting to blow up. In a 2022 interview with Metal Injection, he basically states that Rob Zombie did something "unexcusable" to him and that he felt "stabbed in the back." He does not get into specifics [or was he being cryptically specific?]

The recruitment and dismissal of Ivan's replacement, Phillip "Philo" Buerstatte, has also remained somewhat of a mystery, although Rob Zombie stated in 2013 that he was fired for doing drugs and doing "really bad stuff to the band." This is completely glossed over and ignored in the above referenced interview.

Phillip was only in White Zombie from 1992-1994, but he was riding their ascent to popularity during the most crucial period, before abruptly being replaced by John Tempesta. We don't hear much from him again until a 2009 reunion with his pre-Zombie band, "Last Crack," which seemed to be a pretty temporary reunion. He again seems to disappear from heavy music press until 2012, when a seemingly crazy man decides to impersonate Phillip in order to write a fraudulent $75,000 check, so he can pay for a stay in rehab. Within a year, Phillip turns up dead, and no cause of death or details are ever given.

Given all of this mystery, vagueness, and wierdness, I went ahead and obtained the official investigative report through a FOIA request, in hopes to shed some light on things. Here are my findings:

FOIA DOCUMENTS

After requesting information regarding the death investigation of Phillip Buerstatte, I recieved heavily redacted documents from the Madison Police Department. Even Phillip's name itself was redacted, which doesn't make any sense because how do I verify this report pertains to him at all!? I messaged the records department regarding this and here is what they said:

The name of the subject you requested has been redacted from the report due to the sensitive nature of the report. The redacted version of the report you received is correct. If you are next of kin and can prove this with a death certificate or have a domiciliary letter, a less redacted report may be released based on documents provided.

Since this report is allegedly "correct," they are obviously verifying that it pertains to Phillip Buerstatte's death. But rediculously, the reader is expected to assume his name appears in places where names or entire sentences are blacked out! Was this guy a has-been mostly forgotten rockstar or some sort of secret agent?

1 of 3 reasons given for redactions in this report is:

Highly personal and private information concerning a sensitive investigation, the disclosure of which would likely have a substantial adverse affect on important public interests because it: Would deter persons from reporting allegations and cooperating in investigations and prosecutions.

If this was a simple suicide or accidental overdose, what "allegations" are redacted here and by whom? Allegations presume some sort of crime. Prosecutions also presume a crime was commited. If an investigation leads to no crimes being commited, when does it become "sensitive" and at what point is that tag dismissed?

Although the excessive redactions make it impossible to determine such basic information as "cause of death," I have attempted to extract whatever scraps of information of note I could discern below.

NOTE: If you see [R1] or [R2] or something similar next to a person, it means the name or person was redacted and I am using my best judgement to assume who they are based upon context and other factors. If I can't figure out exactly who or what is being referenced, I'll just put [redacted].

Zed [R2] stated he is the son of Phillip Buerstatte [R1] He stated the last time he saw his father was in 2009 and that he has spoken with him briefly on the phone since then...I [Detective Riezler] told Zed [R2] that the grandmother [Phillip's]...did not tell me that Phillip [R2] had a son.

My guess is that Zed was probably between 23 to 33 years old when his father passed away. It seems quite plausible that Phillip may have left White Zombie around the same time his son was born. Could this have had something to do with his departure from the band?

It is confirmed elsewhere in the report that it was at the band Last Crack's 20 year anniversary reunion show in 2009 that father and son last met face to face. Safe to say they probably were not that close in the years leading up to Buerstatte's death.

The fact Phillip's grandmother did not mention to detectives that he had a son is odd, but can have several explanations. For now, I'd say it's mostly just another indication that the family was not close for many years, if ever.

The mother of Phillip Buerstatte [R1] stated that Michael Ewing was a good friend of Phillip [R1] and may be able to provide some information in reference to his death.

He [Ewing] was very upset about Phillip's [R1] death and stated they had known each other since they were teenagers. He stated he was trying to organize a benefit for Phillip [R1], coming up soon.

He stated that Phillip [R1] went to Meriter Hospital the Wednesday before he died and used a false name. Ewing stated he was with Phillip [R1] and told Phillip [R1] that he did not want to have anything to do with it. Phillip told him he had a warrant and that was why he was using a false name...Ewing stated that Phillip was released from jail on 1.15.2013.

I asked Ewing if he had ever been at [Phillip's house] and he said 3 times. He said he had never been in the house and he had only gone there to help Phillip[R1]. He stated one time, he took Phillip [R1] grocery shopping, and there were two times that he was there to help him when he was [redacted].

I asked him about his relationship with Phillip's [R1] son. Ewing stated he has only met Zed [R2] twice...He stated the last time he had seen Zed [R2] with his father was in September 2009, when they had a 20-year reunion of the band [Last Crack].

Michael Ewing sounds like a decent person who was genuinely concerned about his old friend's well being. You get the sense that Phillip perhaps wasn't always in such a bad way as he seems in the days leading up to his death. I get the impression of someone who has declined severely relatively recently.

Ewing confirms that his friend did some jail time [according to Phillip's roomate he was on parole for a OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) when he died]. This trip to the hospital is one of several stories in the report supporting the idea that Phillip had some sort of health issue, likely a serious one. Was a drunk driving accident the cause of both his incarceration and his recently dabilitating physical state?

Ewing's story about Phillip using a false name when he checked into Meriter Hospital strangely mirrors the story of Loren Breckenridge, who used Phillip's name when he fraudulantly checked into various rehab facilties the previous year. I'm not saying there is a connection between the 2 incidences, but worth noting.

The fact that Phillip may have had a warrant out for his arrest, only having been released from prison 4 months previous, says something about the type of life he was leading. He seemed to be on the edge.

I met with Michelle Wowk on the seventh floor of the City-County Building at the Dane County Jail...I received information that Wowk was Phillip's [R1] girlfriend and they had been involved prior to his death.

She said she had taken him to UW Hospital two or three days before he died and they did not provide him with any type of care.

Wowk told me she was the only one with Phillip [R1] when they went to UW...She state[d] Phillip [R1] was admitted under his name...and then he was out the door within three hours. She stated the only thing they prescribed [redacted]. She stated Phillip [R1] could hardly walk and told her he [redacted]. I asked her if Michael Ewing had ever taken Phillip [R1] to a hospital and she stated she did not know anything about that.

She stated Phillip [R1] did not have $5. She stated neither one of them had done any drugs...Wowk stated she lived in the house with Phillip [R1] for seven months...She stated the other individuals lived in the house and crashed and did not pay any money and turned out to be "dead beats."

Wowk described Phillip [R1] as taking care of her and the other occupants as her "friends". She stated the day that she was arrested they were supposed to receive money to leave the house at [redacted] from the bank who had just taken over the foreclosure. She described it as "Keys for Cash." She stated they were being paid $5000 to leave the house. She stated this arrangement was made by [redacted] and Curran when she was in the hospital with [redacted].

Wowk stated she has gone to Michael Ewing's house one time. She stated Phillip [R1] was trying to teach Ewing's son to play the drums and she knew that they were really good friends. Wowk stated she did not know anything about Ewing taking Phillip [R1] to the hospital.

Wowk was adamant that she was not involved in the death of Phillip [R1]...She knew he had severe health issues and feels that it is the hospital's fault for his death, due to the fact that they would not treat him. Wowk stated she did not go to Phillip's [R1] Funeral because she knew everyone would blame her for his death. - Detective Rietzler

This interview with Wowk appears to have been conducted from Dane County Jail, where she was presumably being held.

Her comment about taking Phillip to the hospital 3 days before he died mirrors Ewing comments about also taking Phillip to the hospital days before his death. Ewing refers to the hospital as Meriter while Wowk refers to it as UW [I looked it up, and these are references to the same hospital] Neither claims the other was present at the time. Ewing claimed Phillip used a different name, Wowk says he used his own. Did they both take Phillip to the hospital seperately, just days before he died? Something smells fishy here, but I tend to trust Ewing's story more than Wowk's.

Wowk said the hospital didn't provide him with any type of care, but then states he was prescribed something, which is redacted. According to Wowk, Phillip could hardly walk. This is somewhat corroborated by Ewing, who stated he stopped by Phillips house a few times to help him shop, presumably because he was physically impaired.

The picture Wowk seems to paint of the living arrangement with Phillip sounds like a bunch of junkies squatting in a house, freeloading what they can from Phillip - who's resources have been drained. Wowk states above that she lived with Phillip for 7 months before he died. According to Michael Ewing, Phillip was released from prison in January of 2013. Phillip died in May of 2013, which would have been about 4 months after he got out of prison. How did Wowk live with Phillip for 7 months when he was in prison just 3 months prior to his death? Again, I would take Ewing's word before Wowk's, which seems less reliable. Guy Curran said about Wowk "she only comes around every once in a while," and that the last time he saw her was 2 days previous. Doesn't sound like she "lived there" at all, according to Curran. But he could also be saying this to cover something up which might incriminate himself or others.

The crime of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is sometimes referred to as Operating While Intoxicated or Operating While Impaired (OWI). But in other cases, it is called Driving Under the Influence or DUI. - Forbes.com

If Phillip had gone to teach Ewing's son drums recently, that tells me his physical debilitation was probably a recent occurance. How could he go to a friend's house and teach drums if he could barely walk? This, in combination with Curran's apparent statement that Phillip was on parole for an OWI conviction further suggests to me that he was recently involved in a car accident, which left him in the physically debilitated state he was in around the time he died.

Wowk's comment that this "keys for cash" arrangement was made while she was in the hospital with, I presume Phillip, suggests to me that he may have spent more time at the hospital than can be gleaned from this heavily redacted report.

Wowk's statement that she was not involved with Phillip's death suggests to me that a possible homicide was still on the table as of the date of the interview, which was 8.21.2013. Otherwise, why would she have volunteered that information?This was 1 month after Detective Dorothy Reitzler claims she recieved the medical examiner's report, which includes the redacted cause of death. Whatever the Medical Examiner's report revealed, it doesn't sound like it was totally conclusive in ruling out homicide. This case was closed just 6 days later.

Wowk's statement that she believes the hospital is responsible for Phillip's death, and that people at the funeral might have blamed HER for his death indicates to me a guilty conscience on her part. I suspect she knows more about his death than this report may indicate. Are the redactions covering for her?

According to the investigative report, a man named Guy Curran was the one who called 911 to report Phillip had died.

Curran advised that he resides at [redacted address] and pays rent for one room which is located in the upstairs portion of the house...Curran advised that on 05/18/13 at approximately 2 or 3pm, he last spoke with Phillip [R1] at [redacted].

He proceeds to give details which are heavily redacted, but clearly point towards some sort of medical issues Phillip seemed to be having recently.

Curran continued to explain that approximately two to three days prior to 05/19/13, he was aware that Phillip [R1] went to a hospital in the City of Madison for [redacted]. Curran believed that Phillip [R1] had [redacted medical condition] and that was what he was seeking medical attention for. He does not seem to mention Ewing or Wowk in reference to these trips.

He goes on to describe a heavily redacted story about an incident apparently requiring paramedics to take Phillip to the hospital. He also states that he believed Phillip was on parole for a OWI [Operating While Intoxicated] conviction. Was this incident involving a paramedic related to a car accident he was involved with while driving under the influence?

She [Wowk] stated that the night when Phillip [R1] died, she had actually been upstairs, in the bedroom, asleep, when he was downstairs, [redacted]. She stated she limped downstairs earlier in the evening and Phillip [R1] asked her to get him some Kool-Aid. She stated she made him some Kool-Aid and kissed him goodnight and went back upstairs.

Why was Wowk limping, was she also injured in some way?

This is a house where almost everyone had warrants out for their arrest, the place is filthy, there are needles and prescription bottles sitting out in the open - I don't think this tender Kool-Aid moment followed by a kiss goodnight was quite the whole story or quite the whole truth. It sounds like she's covering something up to me.

Wowk said she was awakened by Guy Curran going into [roomate #1?] and [roomate #2?] room and yelling that they had a problem... She stated they had warrants and they left the house prior to the police arriving and that is why Curran telephoned the police, because Curran did not have warrants. Wowk stated "they had to literally carry me out of the house"...She was dropped off at [a friend's?] house because she had a warrant.

It seems the 2 "deadbeat" roommates that lived with Phil had warrants out for their arrest as well, so they took off in a panic when Phillip was found dead by Curran. At least, that's what is being said here by Ms Wowk. She had to be "carried out" because of her condition, whatever that was.

Although Guy Curran apparently had no warrants out for his arrest, I'm sure he was no saint. I mean who would even live in a house like this with 4 individuals who all happen to have warrants out for their arrest? What crimes did they all commit? Were they all involved with the same one?

Guy Curran states he got home on 5.19.13 just after 3am to find his roomate Philip Buerstatte unresponsive. The front door was unlocked and it sounds like Phllip was on the living room couch. He first called his name a few times, then kicked the couch in hopes of waking him up. He then checked for a pulse, and apparently didn't detect one because that was when he says he called 911.

Unless it was redacted, Curran does not mention his roomates all fleeing the scene.

Curran stated that he followed the instructions of the dispatcher...Curran stated that he was not advised by dispatch to start any resuscitation efforts...Curran then stayed on scene until he was contacted by Officer Rentmeester and Officer Boulden, who had arrived at prior to my arrival.

Take note that Curran says he was advised not to start any resuscitation efforts. Now take a look at this quote from Investigator Thomas Parr:

Officer Weberpal indicated that the roommate [Guy Curran] came home and found Phillip [R1]. He checked on the VICTIM, who was [redacted]. When calling 911 they indicated that he should get [Phillip] on the living room floor and attempt life-saving procedures.

So now we have Curran stating he was advised NOT to start any resuscitation efforts, and we have Investigator Parr stating 911 dispatch told Curran he SHOULD attempt life-saving procedures. Perhaps the unredacted sections would clear this up, but as it stands now, there appears to be a conflicting narrative as to how the body was handled initially, during those crucial minutes where a life might be saved.

I find Inv Parr's use of the word "victim" here to be interesting. If an old man dies in his rocking chair, is he a "victim?" If Phillip overdosed on drugs or commited suicide, or simply "died in his sleep," would that make him a "victim" in the strict legal sense of the word? I don't wanna make a big deal out of this detail, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

On [Sunday] 05/19/13 at approximately 3:19am, I [Officer Weberpal] was dispatched to [redacted address] in reference to a death investigation. Call notes indicated that the call was received to dispatch at 3:13am by an individual [Guy Curran] who resides at this address.

Initially when I read this, it sounded like Officer Weberpal was the first one dispatched to the scene. But as we saw in the last section, 2 officers had already arrived when Weberpal got there. Narrative reports from those 2 officers are not to be found here. In my experience reading these types of reports, EVERY aspect of what officers do is chronicled in some manner. The actions they take, the time stamps, and what they observe. Observations made by the first individuals upon the scene are particularly crucial, because they give us the most raw, unaltered version of the death scene. Why have the observations made by the first officers upon the scene been ommitted completely here? Not redacted, OMITTED.

Call notes indicated that the caller came home and observed his roommate deceased in the living room...While standing in the living room, I noticed the living conditions in this residence were very poor. I observed garbage located on the floor and it appeared as though the living room portion of the residence had not been cleaned or kept up for a long time.

Officer Weberpal makes similar observations when he goes upstairs to Phillip's room. Besides food and garbage, syringes and prescription drugs were found. Based upon Officer Parr's observations, the bottles seem to be prescriptions written out for someone besides Phillip. Weberpal "did not locate any heroin but...did locate two plastic baggies on a nightstand at the end of the bed that had the corners ripped out of them." A cell phone was found in the living room and upstairs in Phillip's bedroom.

It sounds like the junkies took their "junk" before fleeing the scene. But I'd expect them to take their paraphernalia as well. Why leave needles and bloodied tissues behind, but absolutely no trace of heroin? Given the redactions, I suppose it's possible Phillip could have been administering something else into his veigns to do with his medical condition. It's also possible his girlfriend was shooting drugs but he was not.

Also present in the residence at this time were Officer Rentmeester, Officer Boulden, and the caller...While I was making my initial observations on the scene, Madison Fire was leaving the scene and provided me with a printout from their medical device that they had connected to the victim.

Again, it sounds like quite a bit occured already from the time the 911 call was made till Officer Weberpal arrived. We have virtually nothing describing what occured during those 5-10 minutes, other than these vague references to a medical device printout. Couldn't they have just included reports from the first 2 responding officers and redacted the hell out of them like the rest of this?

POST MORTEM

Zed [R2] stated that he had talked with his grandmother, [redacted], when his father died. The grandmother [R3] did not tell him the specifics of the funeral or what was happening with his father's body. Zed [R2] was very upset, stating that his grandmother [R3] had his father's body cremated prior to his arrival so he was unable to view his father's remains.

Michael Ewing told him the grandmother had taken all of his father's belongings, including his documents in reference to all of the record recordings Phillip had created and any possible proceeds that he would still be earning from these gold records. Supposedly, the grandmother also took two "stage jackets" that Phillip [R1] would wear when he performed.

It doesn't really sound like Phillip had a will or any sort of legal arrangements figured out regarding his belongings/estate prior to his death, so dear old Grandma just went in and seized everything. I don't quite understand how she would then start getting royalties from Phillip's sources though, unless she was named by him somewhere not mentioned here. I would think his son would be "next-of-kin" when it comes to royalty payments, but he seems quite out of the loop here. Did Phillip simply not care where his prized belongings/royalties went after he died, or was he just too medicated to think past his next fix?

Phillip's mother [R4] advised she last spoke with her son in January or February of this year and he told her he was going back to school.

Ewing stated Phillip was released from prison on 1.15.13, which sounds like the approximate time-frame he last spoke with his mother, according to her. It makes sense that he might be thinking about going back to school at this time, or at least pretending to entertain the idea, if we assume he wanted to get his life back on track, having just gotten out of jail. But it seems he quickly changed course by getting in trouble with the law, prompting a warrant for his arrest to be ordered.

Phillip's mother [R4] advised that she had her daughter go into the house at [redacted address] to collect her son's belongings. She did not mention anything about her son having any other family members, except for the sister.

I thought the grandmother hauled off with everything?

Phillip's mother [R4] Basically wanted to know if anyone was going to be following up on this death investigation. I told her at this point, there was nothing of a suspicious nature and that I was going to have the cell phones downloaded to see if they provided any information.

Although it doesn't sound like Phillip's mother was very close to him at the time he died, she seems genuinely uncertain as to how he died as of 6.3.13, the day she was interviewed. It sounds like investigators had mostly ruled out foul play already, leaving suicide or accidental overdose as their likely assumptions concerning how he died.

Ewing admitted he does not have a good relationship with Phillip's [R1] mother; however, he did give her $300 to rent a car when she came into town for his funeral. He denied taking any of Phillip's [R1] items and believes the gold records and guitar and other items that are missing of [redacted] were taken by an individual whom he identified as [redacted]

I asked her [Wowk] what happened to Phillip's [R1] guitar and gold records. She stated the guitar Phillip had left at a friend's house and that person went [missing?] and the landlord cleaned up the apartment and that is how he lost his guitar.

She stated Phillip [R1] told her that he gave one of the gold records to somebody for money and all he had to do was give that person the money back and he would get his gold record back. Supposedly there was another guy that is holding on to the other record but she does not know who that is. Wowk stated Phillip [R1] had a lot of friends and she does not know where any of that stuff is. She stated some music award Phillip received is gone now and she does not know what happened to that.

[Phillip Beurstatte (Philo) of Last Crack, White Zombie pictured with son Zed from Last Crack 2009 Reunion in Madison - MaximumInk.com]

FED THE GODS

In the original Star Trek series from the 60s, there's a particular cliche that fans have joked about. It's usually something like this: Kirk, Spock, Bones McCoy, and Ensign Smith land on an unexplored planet, which happens to have breathable air. If the shit hits the fan, we know in advance who's gonna get incinerated by the green martian gook, and it's not gonna be one of the main characters!

Perhaps the "original cast of characters" in White Zombie were all too important to sacrifice, so "Ensign Buerstatte" was brought in to take one for the team. Or more specifically, Rob Zombie's career.

[Loren Breckenridge III allegedly attempted to write a fraudulent check for $75,000 under the assumed identity of Phillip Buerstatte, in order to pay for a stay in rehab]

In August of 2012, the above man's face was loaded up into all the major heavy music press, bringing with it the name "Phillip Buerstatte," who most people had either forgotten or never even heard of. This story even turned up in major news publications, such as the Marin Independent Journal.

9 months later, on Thursday May 23rd 2013, 4 days after Phillip Buerstatte died, Loren Breckenridge was sentenced to prison. Heavy music press was again filled with Breckenridge, Buerstatte, and White Zombie, and the story enjoyed another 15 minutes or so of fame.

On 5.24.13, Metal Injection, the same organization who brought the original White Zombie members back together for an interview in 2022, said this:

Loren Breckenridge...was arrested in Sausalito, California last year after attempting to pay with a fake check for a four-week stay in a rehab facility. Breckenridge claimed to be the former White Zombie drummer, and since Buerstatte had not been seen in quite a while, authorities had a problem confirming if he was lying or not.

But, with the announcement of Buerstatte's body being found, authorities had enough evidence that Breckenridge was lying as reported by The Marin Independent Journal.

The above article contains a link to the Marin Independent Journal, which takes you to an error page. I tracked down what I believe to be the original article and it DOES NOT report what the last part of that Metal Injection article states.

Further, authorities did NOT have a problem confirming if Breckenridge was "lying or not" about who he was because they used his fingerprints to confirm his identity back in August of 2012, a good 9 months before the above article was written!

Sausalito police went to Novato and arrested Breckenridge on suspicion of passing fictitious checks, identity theft and fraudulent use of account information. Breckenridge was booked into the Marin County Jail, where a fingerprint examination of his true identity was determined. - Marin Independent Journal

If the Marin Independent Journal reported in 2012 that fingerprints were used to determine Breckenridge's identity, why would they report 9 months later that Buerstatte's corpse was required to determine Breckinridge's identity? The answer is they wouldn't and they didn't. These are lies, and they think White Zombie fans are too stupid or don't care enough to see it. Unfortunately, they seem to be correct.

PART 1

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Phillip Buerstatte: Feed the Gods [PT1]

[White Zombie: (L-R) Jay Yuenger, Rob Zombie, Sean Yseult, Ivan de Prume (bottom)]

QUIT THE BAND!

Some of you might remember a "Funky Death Metal" band from the 90s called White Zombie. Although they formed in the 80s, it was the above pictured album released on Geffen records which brought them more than a few moments of fame, mostly via MTV's popular animated show "Beavis and Butthead." Of course the singer, Rob Zombie, went on to persue a successful solo career just before getting into film making.

I was a pretty big fan of "L.S.D. Music Vol 1" when it was released in 1992, and attended their show when they came to town. Although my memory is generally composed of a montage of bodies, mostrous riffs and dreadlocks flying everywhere, the drummer Ivan de Prume's distinct characteristics were noticably absent. This bothered me because the band's rhythmic groove was a big part of what stood out to me, and I was afraid they wouldn't deliver. But after a few songs, I was probably second guessing whether this was actually a new guy or just Ivan de Prume with a haircut. Turns out it was a new drummer by the name of Phil Buerstatte, and he was quite good.

[Phil "Philo" Buerstatte, pictured on the far right]

On March 17, 1992, White Zombie released “La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol.1"...The band supported "La Sexorcisto" with a two-and-a-half-year-long tour...During the tour, Ivan de Prume left the band to pursue a successful career as a producer/engineer as well as drummer/percussionist and opened his own studio, Burningsound. He was replaced by Phil Buerstatte - wiki

Drummer Ivan de Prume apparently quit the band just as WZ got signed to a major label, Geffen Records. This would seem a strange time to leave, after 6 or so years of "paying dues" in the underground. All that blood, sweat, and tears to finally arrive at the place so many young musicians dream to be, yet never find. There it was, and de Prume just walks away from it in the middle of a tour, as if he has better options? Clearly, he DID have options and attended the Musician's Institute, where he completed their Drums and Percussion program. He also built his first professional recording studio in Los Angeles, Burningsound and began recording, producing and engineering projects. But does this really explain specifically why he left the group?

[Ivan de Prume (top) J Yuenger (L) Sean Yseult (R)]

The above screenshot was taken from an interview conducted by Metal Injection in 2022 or so. As far as I know, it is the first time de Prume speaks about why he left White Zombie.

[De Prume] I feel like...I just...was so pissed off at him [Rob Zombie] that I just shut myself out. And that was on tour. So when I closed myself off from him, I closed myself off from the whole band...Looking back, I regret some of my behavior. But at the same time, we are human beings and the things that Rob did is just unexcusable...to me. Like...I don't wanna SAY IT.

[Yseult] I will second that!

[All laugh nervously]

[de Prume] You know I just felt like I was stabbed in the back...and we had a phone call and I just wanted to talk to him about the situation and he said, "look, if you don't like it, quit the band!" and I'm like, "oh? That what you want?" and he said "Fuck you, quit!" and he hung up. And I was like "holy shit" and I looked at Jay. And I said, "looks like it's done." [laughs] and that's it! After so many years!

[Yseult] So shocking. So shocking, I still don't understand what the fuck happened!

Although we clearly didn't get the whole story here, I found the tangeably nervous reaction from Yeunger and Yseult intriguing. While Yseult does not hesitate to agree with every [somewhat vague] word de Prume says about Rob Zombie, everyone seems almost...afraid to say what he did exactly. J Yeunger looks very concerned while de Prume is telling the story, and immediately starts trying to lessen the impact by saying things like, "well I see this kind of stuff happen to bands ALL the time!"

Apparently J Yeunger now lives in Spain and had a child not too long ago. He looks decidedly babyfaced and conservative in the interview, and has what looks like some sort of middle-eastern language written on his shirt.

One person commented on this video, "I knew Jay's father. He was a very accomplished journalist for the Chicago Tribune."

Another person commented, "I used to work for Testament. White Zombie was our support act...We had a few days off. When the tour resumed, Ivan was gone and Phil was in...it was a bit strange."

Although the above interview was celebrating "L.S.D. Music Vol 1," it is odd that absolutely no mention of de Prume's replacement, Phil Buerstatte, is given. He toured the album 2 years with the band!

While the long awaited "juicy gossip" behind de Prume's exit from WZ was clearly the most engrossing part of this video, the thought occured to me, especially given the somewhat contrived, heavily edited aspects of this "spontaneously unscripted interview," that some form of damage control may have been THE motivating factor here. Was this really about "throwing a bone" to inquiring minds, in lieu of getting into the potentially MORE CONTROVERSIAL exit of Buerstatte from the band? Was the latter the real "elephant in the room" this interviewer mentions, and not Mr Zombie himself? I'm just not sure I buy how "authentic" all of this was. It strikes me as a bit too calculated and timely after all of these years. The performances are convincing though, I will admit.

Rob Zombie's behavior so early in WZ's career seems to reveal the power and importance he felt he had, in comparison to other members of the band. And although many people disliked Rob's solo material [including myself], he is the one who kept putting out records on Geffen, and getting bigger and bigger in the industry - while the other members seemed to disappear from the spotlight. What deal did he make that the other band members did not?

THE NEW DRUMMER

["Last Crack," featuring Phil Buerstatt on the upper left - previous to joining White Zombie]

While the original core members of White Zombie appeared in hind-sight to have had bigger career objectives [and opportunities] than their "struggling street artist" image may have initially let on, Phil Buerstatt's background is not as clear. His fairly brief stint in WZ seemed to end as abruptly and with just as few questions asked as when it started.

[Mick Shrimpton: before and after..."Alas, Shrimpton also falls victim to the drummer curse. Shrimpton tragically exploded on stage while performing at Kobe Hall!" - greenandblackmusic.com]

...the reason he left the band was due to his severe drug problem...which I know only got worse once he left and then I heard he was in prison...Phil was a very troubled guy during his time with us and I never really knew what happened to him after he left the band. The few stories I heard were not good...He was a nice guy — I really liked him — but he had a lot of problems and did some really bad stuff to the band, so… [laughs] But it's unfortunate that he never got his life together." - Rob Zombie

Apparently Phillip wasn't the only one who did "really bad stuff to the band," Ivan de Prume has stated similar things about Rob Zombie's treatment of the band, and himself in particular, as mentioned earlier.

Reminds me of the film Spinal Tap, where drummers in the band end up dying in "bizarre gardening accidents" or they simply blow up spontaneously on stage. Does the film contain a sinister truth, veiled beneath the satire? Does this sort of thing happen "all the time," as J Yeunger confidentally pontificates in the above interview?

By the time White Zombie entered the studio in late 1994 to begin recording their fourth album, Zombie and Yseult had ended their relationship, and Buerstatte was dismissed from the band, due to artistic differences - wiki

"Artistic differences" is usually code for "I'd rather not get into it." The thought that Buerstatte and Yseult may have had an affair comes to mind, especially considering the synchronistic timing of Rob's relationship separation from Yseult and Buerstatte's dismissal. Perhaps it was drugs, perhaps it was an affair, perhaps we'll never really know.

Other than Buerstatte's work with the bands Last Crack and WZ, we don't really know much about him. Oddly, an IMDb entry lists him as an "actor, known for [the music video] White Zombie: Thunder Kiss '65 (1992)." Other than the band members themselves, that video doesn't have any men in it that are not masked. Could he be this guy?

[Still image from WZ's "Thunderkiss '65" video.]

I wondered if IMDb's entry for Buerstatte was innacurate, especially since it doesn't even mention him being in WZ - which he wasn't at the time the above mentioned video was shot. But then I came across an interview with Rob Zombie from MTV Headbanger's Ball, where he states that Buerstatte appeared in the video for "Black Sunshine" as an audience member. Could this be him?

After leaving WZ and a Last Crack reunion or 2, Buerstatte seems to vanish from the spotlight until 2012.

FEED THE GODS

White Zombie had recorded several songs for movie soundtracks and various artists compilation albums, including "Feed the Gods" for the soundtrack to Airheads, "I Am Hell" for the Beavis and Butt-Head Experience compilation album and a cover version of Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave", which appears on the tribute album Nativity in Black; each of these songs received airplay on active rock radio stations, while a music video "Feed the Gods" was released. - wiki

While Phillip Buerstatte was only in the band for a couple years, he seemed to jump on the WZ rocket just as it launched to MTV stardom. This was a "new gear" for the band, and by all accounts it was an unstoppable machine, which none of the members seemed interested in slowing down for ANYTHING. I think Yeunger even says in the earlier referenced video he woulda cut off his legs if they told him to!

Although the extended "L.S.D. Music Vol 1" tour seemed to delay any full length album goals the band may have initially entertained, they did manage to record at least 3 songs with Buerstatte, all seemingly produced for very specific mainstream productions: A Hollywood film, a Geffen sponsored Beavis and Butthead album, and a Black Sabbath compilation released just a few years before Ozzy's high profile return to the band.

When de Prume left WZ, the rhythm section went from an organic, funky thrash Metal thing to a dehumanized wall of industrial noise. This trend continued on through Rob Zombie's solo career, and I just never really cared for any of it. Therefore, I don't even recall ever listening to "I am Hell" or "Feed the Gods" until just recently.

To comment upon the lyrics for a moment, Rob's words tend to have a stream-of-consciousness flow to them - where rhythmic points are usually more important than cohesive storytelling points. They are more word collages than stories. That being said, I think "Feed the Gods" is about exactly that: Feeding the Gods. But the question is, what do "gods" eat? A human sacrifice, preferably...at least, if we're talking pagan gods here. Someone suggested the song was about the band itself, which makes sense. Does this mean the band must "feed the gods" at some point?

"I am Hell" is pretty tough to decifer, so I won't try. But I know what it isn't: it's not about Jesus!

"Children of the Grave" is a Black Sabbath cover, and the only thing WZ adds is a few extra YEAH!'s and a sample, which seems to be referencing the 1969 Manson murders. I don't know what the connection is supposed to be between the song's original lyrics and the Manson-murder-inspired samples, but obviously, again, it ain't about Jesus!

THE STRANGE CASE OF LOREN BRECKENRIDGE

[Loren Breckenridge III, impersonated Buerstatte in order to write bad checks to pay for rehab?]

Sausalito police have arrested a man claiming to be the former drummer for the disbanded heavy metal band White Zombie after he allegedly defrauded the Alta Mira Recovery Center for approximately $75,000. The same man also allegedly defrauded a similar rehabilitation center in Novato.

The man, identified as Loren Breckenridge, 46, claimed to be Phillip Buerstatte, the former drummer for White Zombie, and had arranged to stay at the Alta Mira drug and alcohol rehab center for a month, but left treatment two weeks into his stay, police said.

Police were still trying to determine whether "Phillip Buerstatte" could actually be a stage name used by Breckenridge, or if Breckenridge was impersonating the musician. - Marin Independent Journal 08.31.12

This strange story seemed to do little else but temporarily raise Phillip Buerstatte's name and connection to White Zombie out of obscurity and into the news headlines. The timing was interesting, as this story began circulating through the online Heavy music news bulletin Blabbermouth less than a year before Buerstatte's mysterious death on May 19th, 2013.

According to Blabbermouth, Buerstatte "suffered through years of drug addiction, treatment and prison time" before he "died in his sleep in his Madison, Wisconsin home." Notice that Blabbermouth suggests Buerstatte's unhealthy lifestyle lead to his death, without actually saying it. Rob Zombie sort of does the same thing in an earlier quote where he states "it's unfortunate that he never got his life together." It sounds as if Rob assumed Buerstatte's unhealthy lifestyle lead to his death, but how could he know that when the cause of death was never revealed to the public? If a piano falls on the head of an unsuspecting drug addict, was it his unhealthy lifestyle or the piano that killed him?

Given the extreme wierdness of the above story and it's close approximation in time to Buerstatte's death, I wondered if there was a connection. So after combing through all the news stories available online, I decided to attempt a Freedom of Information Act request in order to get more detail. We will take a look at that in part 2.

PART 2

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