In December, Cleveland’s heavy metal community and its fans throughout the world got the sad news that longtime Shok Paris guitarist Ken Erb passed away on December 12 at the age of 63.
Founded in 1982, Shok Paris was one of the flagship bands on Cleveland’s Auburn Records, the label that pretty much created the city’s vibrant 80s heavy metal scene. Their 1984 debut album Go for the Throat was one of its first two releases, along with the Black Death album. Its second, 1987’s Steel and Starlight and 1989’s Concrete Killers, were released on the national IRS label. Unfortunately, the label changed their raw, straightforward metal sound, giving them the harmony-laden pop metal sound that was then popular.
Vocalist Vic Hix went on to form Aftershok; he and Erb, the band’s mainstays, occasionally reunited Shok Paris with other members, including for a couple of festivals in 2000s in Germany, where the Auburn bands had developed a cult following. (One of the reunions included Erb’s brother Donovan on drums.)
In addition to being a great musician who anchored one of the area’s most memorable bands, Ken was a low-key, affable guy who was well liked in the music community.
There will be a celebration of his life on Saturday January 13 @ 3pm at the Escape, 11903 Twp Road 178, Bellevue, Ohio. There’ll be a bunch of bands, of course, and musicians are invited to bring their instruments or drum sticks and sit in.
11903 Township Rd 178, Bellevue, OH 44811
11903 Township Rd 178, Bellevue, OH 44811