It’s a sad day for metal and wrestling fans. Last night, professional wrestler and metal musician Andy Williams passed away following a medical emergency during a match at Mr. Small’s Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania. Williams was wrestling alongside his longtime tag-team partner, The Blade, under the banner of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He was 48.
To the wrestling community, Williams was known as “The Butcher.” To the music world, however, he was best known as the founding guitarist of the metal band Every Time I Die.
Formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1998, Every Time I Die featured Williams alongside guitarist Jordan Buckley and drummer Michael “Ratboy” Novak, among others. Williams performed on all nine of the band’s studio albums. Their final album, Radical, was released in 2021, and Every Time I Die disbanded the following year.
Williams continued his musical career after Every Time I Die, forming the band Atomic Rule in 2023 with vocalist James Henderson, bassist Travis Bennington, and drummer Kevin Boutot. The group released its debut EP last September, marking another chapter in Williams’ influential career as a musician.
