RAVAGE singer Al Ravage has issued the following message:

"I just read on the news that a great, underrated metal singer, Tony Taylor, the former front man of the underground American traditional heavy metal band TWISTED TOWER DIRE and the euro-underground metal supergroup ISEN TORR has died after crashing his Harley on the highway in Florida.

I only met Tony once, when Ravage played with TTD at the Metal Mindrage Fest in Virginia way back in 2001. But it was obvious from that one time I met him and saw him perform that he was a tremendous vocal talent and a great person. The show was a horrible debacle staged out in the middle of nowhere, but Tony and his family were some of the few people who gracious stayed and watched our set and Twisted Tower Dire put on an amazing performance in the midst of a climate that was not very welcoming for traditional heavy metal. It was a night I'll never forget.

Tony apparently had some personal issues and split from both bands, but the last update I had heard was that he was playing in a hard rock cover band and doing well in Florida. I always hoped he'd return to making original metal music, but apparently that was not to be.

I played the Twisted Tower Dire song 'Axes And Honor' on my recent guest-hosting stint on Metal Express Radio, and I hope everyone will check out the few, but classic albums Tony left us with during his stints with Twisted Tower Dire and Isen Torr. It is a sad day for metal as unfortunately a great and very much underrated singer has been lost to the metal world- but his musical legacy will live on in the few excellent recordings he made.

RAVAGE AND REST IN PEACE... Tony Taylor."

Tony Taylor was killed in a motorcycle accident in North Naples, Florida on Saturday, Februry 6th.

According to Naplesnews.com, around 11 PM, Taylor of Naples was driving a 1996 Harley Davidson east on Nighthawk Drive approaching the end of the road, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. Due to his speed, reports said Taylor applied the brakes and lost control of the bike, causing it to overturn on its left side and slide about 45 feet.

The Harley then struck a curb with its front wheel, flew into the air and hit a palm tree ejecting Taylor, reports said. The bike overturned a few more times before coming to rest on the shoulder.

Taylor, who was wearing a helmet, was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, where he was pronounced dead. Tests to determine if the crash was alcohol-related are pending, according to a report.