Casey Chaos (Amen)

Casey Chaos (Karim Chmielinski) is the frontman of punk rock band Amen. After numerous line-up changes he is the only remaining founding member of the band. He is known for his energetic stage performance. Chaos has also released an album with his side project SCUM along with members of Turbonegro and Emperor and has written and performed with a number of other notable bands and musicians.

early life

Casey Chaos was born as Karim Chmielinski. His parents were of Polish descent. He stated in a few interviews that he had to face lots of racist/anti-semitic bullying from his fellow schoolmates throughout his childhood. Chaos was a professional and world-champion skateboarder as a child. According to him, he saved most of the money he made during that time to run his not-always-lucrative musical projects. He toured and skated with Tony Hawk, Mike Mcgill, etc... After being introduced by a fellow skater to the music of Black Flag, he immediately sought out the next show.

After seeing Black Flag for the first time, his life was forever changed. The following day he started recording songs for his first hardcore band Casey and the Skate Punx, which he then changed to Disorderly Conduct. They released one album, "Amen" and were featured on many compilations, one of which was titled "Flipside Magazine Compilation Vol. 2".

Chaos then moved to California and changed the name of the band to Amen. He went on to record 3 albums (S/T, We Have Come For Your Parents, Death Before Musick) which were signed to 3 different major labels (Roadrunner, Virgin, Sony), a feat not accomplished by many.

He writes and records everything on the records with the exclusion of drums, which have always been recorded by Shannon Larkin. He has worked with legends such as Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Rikk Agnew, Sex Pistols, Rozz Williams, etc... He has recorded side projects with: Faust (drums - Emperor/Blood Tsunami), Samoth (guitar - Emperor/Zyklon), Happy Tom and Euroboy (bass and guitar - Turbonegro) called SCUM; Josh Homme (QUOTSA) and Nick Oliveri (QUOTSA/Mondo Generator) called Headband; Daron Malakian (System of a Down) and Shannon Larkin (AMEN) called Scars On Broadway.

According to Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, him and Chaos were to write and perform with Iggy Pop on the album that later became "Beat'em Up" (2001), until the latter decided to actually do the album with his usual backing band only a few days before the recording was to take place with producer Ross Robinson.

Chaos was also to work with post-punk band Killing Joke circa 2004/2005. Jaz Coleman (frontman) stated in a French interview for the magazine Versus that the collaboration didn't happen due to Casey's home being burlgarized, and the police allegedly finding illegal child pornography at his domicile while invegstigating the affair, which prompted Chaos to come home and explain himself.

He was recently asked to sing with Rat Scabies and Brian James of The Damned for their 30th anniversary show at the 100 club! This was recorded for a live dvd and cd to be released soon.