Brujeria Leader and Founder Juan Brujo Dead at 61

It has been an extremely difficult couple of months for Mexican death grinders Brujeria. Following the death of their vocalist Ciriaco “Pinche Peach” Quezada in July from “severe heart complications,” the band tried their best to soldier on, only to have a “severe medical emergency” forced them to cancel their remaining tour dates this past Monday. It was hard to imagine what could possibly caused them to cancel tour dates when a death in the band didn’t stop them, but the band eventually announced yesterday that their founding member, leader, and lyricist Juan Lepe, a.k.a. Juan Brujo, died of a heart attack at the age of 61.

Written in both English and Spanish, the band’s announcement on Instagram read as follows:

“It is with deep sadness we have to announce that our leader Juan Brujo has passed away today. Juan suffered a heart attack on early Monday morning, after a day off from the current Mexorcista tour in Saint Clairsville, Ohio. He was rushed to the nearest hospital in Wheeling, West Viriginia by emergency services, but, despite the medical team’s greatest efforts, he died this morning. His family, friends and bandmates are devastated and wish to mourn in private, while they appreciate the fans’ love and support.”

It’s hard to even imagine the emotions going on in that band after having lost two incredibly beloved members in a matter of three months. If the band chooses not to continue on after this, that would be perfectly understandable. But if they do continue on, they’re going to need a lot of healing.

We at MetalSucks wish them all the best in finding that healing moving forward and extend our deepest condolences to Brujo’s friends, family, bandmates, and fans. As the band wrote at the end of their Instagram in Spanish (as translated by Google Translate):

“The Brujo is dead, long live the Brujo!”