A Tribute To Will Mecum (Guitarist & Riffmaster for Karma To Burn) R.I.P. (May 4, 1972 – April 29, 2021)
Will Mecum was a special kind of talent. As the chief songwriter and guitarist for the original instrumental rock legends, Karma To Burn (write up here), the almighty riff has always been his guide and compass. Will was a riff machine and he always got my head bobbing or foot tapping. The music he created was incredible! He hardly ever played guitar solos and was all about the sound and groove of the riffs. He had a cool style of incorporating southern blues and ambient elements into the heavy riff rocking essence of Karma To Burn. I liked his carefree demeanor and free flowing rhythms.
The two occasions when I saw the band play live were awesome! I hung out with them for a decent amount of time and Will was on both occasions, super friendly and cool. The music of Karma To Burn has really made a profound impact on my life. I used to listen to Wild Wonderful Purgatory and Almost Heathens back to back, constantly. The riffs got saturated into my heart and soul. I remember when I found out about the passing of Will. It was so shocking and surreal! I probably saw this original post from the band and was in total disbelief: “Dear friends, we come with very heavy hearts to tell you that Will Mecum is no longer with us. Earlier this week, Will suffered a traumatic head injury from an accidental fall. On the evening of April 29th, Will passed on to the next realm. His spirit will live on through his music, and as an organ donor his spirit will live through others who may need help. Words cannot describe how much we appreciated the amount of love and support all of you showed the band throughout the years, it was truly an honor to share the experience of celebrating Will’s riffs all over the world. Rest in Power, Will.”
I definitely shed some tears over this tragedy. Will’s riffs and the Karma To Burn sound was a life generator to me. I get surges of energy with the music and it has become a part of me. These songs and riffs are forever ingrained into my subconscious. I am mostly sad because I will never get to see the band live again and chat with Will. I’m not really sure why I connect with their music so strongly but it happened. So today I want to celebrate the life of Will Mecum, a truly extraordinary musician and person. His approach to sound was “less is more”. He never played through any pedals and only used the built in distortion from his Marshall amps. He always seemed to play the same Gibson guitar for many years also. I will always cherish Karma To Burn and the magnificent riffs of the late and great, Will Mecum.
