Sean Killian is best known as the vocalist for legendary American thrash metal band, Vio-lence. The band first formed in San Francisco in 1985, forming part of the second wave of thrash metal along with the likes of Pantera and Sepultura. They originally split up in 1994 but have since reformed twice, most recently in 2019, and Killian is still fronting them today despite battling numerous chronic health issues. In 2022, they released their first album in nearly 30 years, Let the World Burn.

Vio-Lence formed in the Bay Area of San Francisco during 1985 under the name Death Penalty. After becoming Vio-Lence (because another band had already called themselves Violence), they released their classic debut album, Eternal Nightmare, in 1988 on the Mechanix Label. Their second album, 1991’s Oppressing the Masses, caused controversy when all copies of it were destroyed by their record label, who objected to the lyrics of a track called ‘Torture Tactics’ (which was subsequently released on an EP anyway). After their third album, 1993’s Nothing to Gain, guitarist Robb Flynn left to form the highly influential metal band, Machine Head.

After a brief reunion in the early 2000s, the original lineup (minus Flynn) got back together in 2017 to play a benefit for Killian, who was by then suffering from stage-four liver cirrhosis. Within a year, he had recovered, and Vio-Lence have remained together ever since, touring the world and playing at major festivals such as Bloodstock. They have also completed their fourth album, which is every bit as vital as their first three all those years ago.