DAMAD's Victoria Scalisi passed away; Philip Cope & more paid tribute

With Kylesa on hiatus, co-vocalist Philip Cope had planned to reunite his pre-Kylesa band DAMAD, but the reunion was sadly cut short with no reason given at the time. It was soon revealed that DAMAD member Victoria Scalisi had been diagnosed with cancer, and earlier this month, she sadly passed away. A handful of fellow musicians wrote tributes to VIctoria for Noisey, including Philip Cope, who said:

Victoria wasn’t just a bandmate and a friend to me she was like a big sister…and not just to me but the entire Savannah punk and metal scene. She was there from day one until now. She had everyone’s back and treated everyone like family.

The first time I heard Victoria lay down vocals for DAMAD I got goosebumps. I was blown away even though I was familiar with her talent from our previous band, Rogues Gallery. We had decided to go in a heavier darker direction with DAMAD. I wasn’t sure what to expect; she had told me she wanted to go lower with her voice, like what a lot of the crust and death metal guys were doing. When we first started playing, a lot of people were shocked, as they had never heard a women with a voice like that. It was pretty awesome seeing the looks on people’s faces at shows in the early days.

Her hard work and support paved the way for so much that happened and came out of Savannah. My heart goes out to her family, friends and brothers in Lies in Stone. Our loss today is just gutting, but she will never be forgotten. Those of us who knew her special laugh will never forget it.

You can also read tributes by Aesop Dekker, Billy Anderson, Andrew Fidler (Black Tusk), Kirk Lloyd Fisher (Buzzoven), and more here.

Rest in peace, Victoria. You’ll be missed, and your influence on the Savannah punk and metal scene (and beyond) will live on.

Watch a video of DAMAD’s brief 2016 reunion and a live video from 1994, below: