Through the Eyes of the Dead Guitarist Steven Funderburk Shares His Metal T-Shirt Collection
A metalhead’s t-shirt collection contains some of their most prized possessions. Sweaty, stained and torn, our shirts are chronicles of our lives, physical markers of a past time and place that we pridefully put on our bodies every day. They have a clear pecking order: there are those shirts you wear only when all the best ones are in the laundry, there are the absolute favorites you wear once every couple of weeks, and there are all the shirts in between, each with their own clear rank. To a metalhead, T-shirts are EVERYTHING.
Through the Eyes of the Dead guitarist Steven Funderburk is the latest to share his favorites for our new series My Metal T-Shirt Collection. TTEOTD will release Disomus — their first new album in seven years — on October 13th via eOne / Good Fight; pre-order here, and listen to the new tracks “Teras,” “Obitual” and “Hate the Living.”
1. All Shall Perish
I remember seeing this shirt a year or so ago online and immediately wanting it. It’s quite a hilarious and amazing design. The relevance is on point as well. Definitely a keeper!
2. Metallica
I got this shirt in high school and I’ve worn it on just about every tour I’ve done for the last 15 years. Its been washed a million times and is looking rough these days, but it fits perfectly. Plus this album is one of my all time favorite records.
3. Dark Sermon
My other band, Wretched, toured with these guys a few years back. We had a great time with them and became good friends with the dudes. This shirt really stuck out to me and I enjoy the dark aspect and vibe it has. Be sure to check out Johnny’s new band Prison, going out on Suicide Silence’s The Cleansing anniversary tour!
4. Glass Casket
I’ve always been a big fan of Glass Casket. Unfortunately right as I discovered them they were just slowing down live shows and touring. Luckily they have two killer albums out and have played a show here and there over the years. I was able to make it to one back in 2008 and snag a few shirts from them. This one in particular is awesome.
5. Gloom
Gloom are a very sick band! They hooked Wretched up with these shirts, and it’s since become one of my favorites. The colors are amazing, and the Predator vibe rules. For those of you who have read what the back says…… you KNOW how sick this shirt is, haha!
6. Megadeth
My mom got this shirt for me back in high school through those mail order Rockabilia catalogs. I’ve worn this one on just about every tour I have done and then some. Definitely one of my all-time favorite shirts from one of my all-time favorite bands.
7. Shadows Fall
My mom took me to Ozzfest 2005 on her birthday at the Charlotte, NC stop. This was one of the best lineups Ozzfest ever had. I was a newfound Shadows Fall fan at the time and way stoked to see them on the main stage. I scored this shirt at the show and have worn it quite a bit over the years. Thanks, mom!
8. Skinless
I got this shirt from a show I worked that Skinless played via trade! If you’re in a touring band then you know what trading shirts is all about; I’ve acquired hundreds that way over the years. This particular shirt design is incredible. I love wearing it in malls so everyone can judge and stereotype me.
9. The Damascus Intervention
This was a band that was well known in the Carolinas back in the early-mid 2000s. I was a big fan of their music and looked up to them in the local Charlotte scene when Wretched was just forming. I used to go to all of their Charlotte shows and I am pretty sure I acquired every TDI shirt they had. Unfortunately pizza and beer have caused me to outgrow this gem, but I’ll always keep it in the collection!
10. Wretched
This is a hilarious shirt I printed for Wretched years ago. We were on tour with Within the Ruins back in 2009 and their old guitarist Kyle Marcoux (known as THE VULGAR CHEF these days) suggested the best idea ever. He started out with “you got social studies, Physical Ed, Wretch Ed, Gym, Lunch, etc.,” and that’s when the idea came to make a gym shirt. The University of Shreducation was all his idea as well. We will definitely have to reprint these one day! Thanks, Kyle!
