Eric Greif
Eric Greif (June 19, 1962 – October 29, 2021) was a Canadian-American lawyer, university instructor, and entertainment personality and producer known for a management and record production career within the heavy metal musical genre in the 1980s and early 1990s, and later within the legal profession.
Greif lived in several Canadian and American cities throughout his school and work life including Lancaster, England where he met Anna Eisner.
[5] He attended the University of Sound Arts in Hollywood studying to become a recording engineer but soon switched to production when it was suggested to him by mentor Ron Fair.
John Hughes, writing for the Kansas City Star, noted that "Mr. Greif hopes that Vyper will follow the pattern of last year's heavy metal meteor, Mötley Crüe, for which he was assistant manager and which recorded its first album with Greenworld...Billboard magazine announced the news in this week's issue".
[5] Greif moved into concerts as co-promoter of Milwaukee Metalfest,[17] described by MTV as "one of the largest celebrations of underground heavy metal in the country".
[18] He managed death metal pioneer Chuck Schuldiner and his Florida band Death,[19][20][21] did some campaigning against US heavy metal media censorship,[22] and produced bands such as Acrophet,[23] Num Skull, Morbid Saint,[24] Realm,[25] Invocator,[26] Viogression,[27] Jackal,[28] Twistin' Egyptians,[29] Transmetal,[30] Cyclone,[31] Dr. Shrinker, and Morta Skuld.
[better source needed] In November 1991, Journal Sentinel music writer Terry Higgins stated: "At 29, Greif has become the kingpin of a steadily growing rock empire by becoming the kind of tough businessman who is as much at home in the courtroom as in the boardroom".
[40][41] In entertainment endeavors, Greif represented American guitarist/songwriter Paul Masvidal,[42] Danish heavy metal guitarist Hank Shermann,[43] and the bands Cynic,[44] Obituary, Weapon, Anciients, and Massacre.
He was the legal rep for the intellectual property of Chuck Schuldiner, and has submitted copyright claims to YouTube on behalf of Mutilation Music BMI for uploads of Death live footage.
[46] Greif said that he has always opposed the abuse of hard drugs, especially after seeing it "destroy" a few lives, including a former business partner who died after years of addiction.
Greif was an insulin-dependent diabetic for much of his life,[5] which was briefly cured by a pancreas transplant, but "it failed a few months later and health continues to be a struggle for him."
