Seth Putnam

Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011) was an American musician best known as the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of grindcore band Anal Cunt.

He was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals and lyrics that either shock, offend, or invoke morbid humor.

Throughout his career, Putnam was also involved in numerous side projects.

Seth Edward Putnam was born on May 15, 1968, in Newton, Massachusetts, to Edward R. Putnam and Barbara Ann Donohue.

He was of half English and half Irish descent.

His parents are divorced.

From 1986 to 1988, Putnam played bass in the thrash metal band Executioner.

He also owned his own record label called "Wicked Sick Records", and had a subsidiary label called "Stridecore Records" that only had one release which was Anal Cunt's The 5,643 Song EP.

Despite his shock humor and turbulent lifestyle, Putnam was often described by fans and peers as a warm, intelligent, and sensitive person.

Putnam saw himself as a comedian and used music as an outlet.

In school, classmates who knew Putnam described him as intelligent and stern, but unmotivated, apathetic and often an underwhelming student.

Putnam skipped a grade in school and became a very bright student, tutoring his classmates.

In his own words, Putnam often blamed brutal fights with Catholic school nuns for helping to shape his cynical personality.

When he reached high school, he had lost interest in excelling in education or academics, becoming more of a slacker and underachiever.

By the time he had graduated school, Putnam had left the Catholic religion in which he was raised.

After graduation, Putnam showed no interest in attending college or university.

Putnam also made up his own religion when he was a child.

His all-time favorite bands were Negative Approach and The Village People, his favorite movie was The Bad Bunch.

Williams also stated that he used to call Putnam, whom he has known since 1988, long distance from the Chevron gas station that he worked at, so that all his calls would be charged to Chevron.

On August 26, 1993, Anal Cunt played a show at Nightbreak in San Francisco, California and started their set with their song "Iron Funeral" and played "Blur Including New H.C. Song" after.

During the second song, a woman later identified as Elizabeth Quigley grabbed Putnam's microphone.

Putnam then turned around and swung the microphone, hitting Quigley in the face.

Anal Cunt members John Kozik, Tim Morse, and Paul Kraynak eventually stopped playing and audience members (including Quigley) started to yell at Putnam, telling him to leave the venue and repeatedly saying "Call the fucking cops!"

along with several insults directed towards Putnam, who was eventually arrested and spent the night in a San Francisco jail.

He was bailed out the next morning by Kozik.

On October 19 of that year, Putnam received a letter from Michael Spadaccini who was Quigley's attorney informing him that a civil action is being filed against him for assault, when Putnam went to court he was found guilty and fined US$1200.

A video of this show exists and can be found on YouTube, a cassette recording of this show was released on a live 7-inch called "Breaking the Law" which was disguised as a bootleg due to the band's contract with Earache Records.

Putnam was married to his first wife, Alison Dunn, from December 1998 through June 2001.

There is also footage of Putnam singing "Suicide Note Part II" with Anselmo at a show in 1998.

He married Julie, his second wife, on May 17, 2008.

The 2018 grindcore documentary Slave to the Grind explores Putnam in detail, with his peers expressing the duality of his nature: former bandmates Tim Morse and Scott Hull describe Putnam often being personable and relaxed, but Hull also notes that he'd often get arrested causing trouble on the street.

Discordance Axis singer Jon Chang notes that he was really close to Putnam for years, but describes him as a "really disturbed guy" and a "backstabbing piece of shit at the end of his life".

Chang also recounted an incident

after a show when Putnam introduced his mother to Chang, he remarked that they had met earlier when he pulled Putnam's mother out from the show's moshpit, causing Putnam to become aggressive and threaten Chang, much to the confusion of everyone present.

Putnam was also good friends with Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo.

Anselmo used to get Anal Cunt to open for Pantera whenever they went through Boston.

Anal Cunt opened for Pantera three times.

In 2019, Brutal Truth and Venomous Concept vocalist Kevin Sharp did an interview with Metal Underground and talked about a conversation he had with Seth after his coma.

He also said that Putnam was an "encyclopedia of music".

According to Eyehategod vocalist Mike Williams Putnam was a normal guy off-stage and very quiet and soft-spoken.