The ultimate heavy metal plot twist unfolded in South San Francisco when former Possessed guitarist Brian Montana, 60, took his final bow in a police standoff on April 28. What started as a neighborly squabble over fallen tree branches and leaves spilling into his yard escalated into a fatal shootout that would make even the most hardcore death metal lyrics seem tame by comparison.
Deadly Confrontation Unfolds
Montana, who helped lay the foundation for death metal in the early 1980s, allegedly brandished a firearm at his neighbor over landscape debris. When officers arrived around 5:55 pm, the situation had already intensified with Montana “actively shooting into an occupied residence,” according to a press release from the South San Francisco Police Department.
The police department reported that “Over the next 25 minutes, the suspect armed himself with three different types of firearms (handgun, shotgun and rifle) and fired at officers from different locations within the driveway while seeking cover and concealment using both vehicles in the driveway and landscaping,” The 25-minute standoff ended when “officers used police vehicles as cover from the barrage of gunfire and were able to return fire,” striking Montana, who died at the scene.
Casualties and Aftermath
A resident of the home that Montana was targeting sustained a non-life-threatening injury and was transported to a local hospital. Following standard procedure, two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave pending investigation.
Montana’s musical journey began in 1983 when he joined Possessed after seeing an ad posted by founding members Mike Torrao and Mike Sus in the Bay Area. He departed before their influential 1985 debut album, but helped set the table for death metal’s bloody feast. While mainstream bands were singing about girls and cars, Possessed was cooking up something far darker in Bay Area garages.
Musical Legacy and Personality Clash
The ingredients that made Montana special as a musician were precisely what led to his departure from the band. Jeff Becerra, vocalist/bassist of Possessed, noted in a tribute posted to the band’s Instagram account on May 2: “Brian was jovial and a gentleman… He just wasn’t willing to be as dark as we wanted him to be at that time. We were going for that evil imagery, and Brian was just so lighthearted, even goofy in a good way.” The relationship between Montana and the band’s darker ambitions simply couldn’t survive—musical irreconcilable differences.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe confirmed alcohol played a leading role in Montana’s behavior during the standoff, stating it was “a factor in Montana’s actions.”
Remembering the Man Behind the Music
Becerra concluded his tribute with compassion for those affected: “He was obviously going through some struggles and I think this is the time to be respectful towards the Montana family and friends as this is a tragic time for them.” The band also shared a brief message on their Instagram Story expressing “sympathies to the Montana family and friends.”
While Possessed’s initial run was relatively short—they formed in 1983 and disbanded in 1987—they are often referred to as the “godfathers of death metal,” according to music historians. The band has reformed several times since, most recently in 2017, continuing the legacy that Montana helped establish during his brief tenure.
In a surreal moment where true crime meets power chords, the death metal scene was rocked by a real-life tragedy that blurred the line between stage theatrics and stark reality. Brian Montana’s final act, unfolding in a deadly police standoff, stood in jarring contrast to his musical legacy. His influence on the genre was foundational, yet his end revealed a darker chapter no riff could drown out—a reminder that some stories hit harder than any song ever could.
