Sick of It All has confirmed that its founding frontman, Lou Koller, has died aged 59 after oesophageal cancer returned, ending a battle that had briefly appeared successful. The death removes a defining figure from New York hardcore, just before the band’s planned 40th anniversary in 2026.

Koller disclosed the diagnosis in 2024, prompting the cancellation of a European tour and fundraising support from the hardcore community; he announced he was cancer-free in May 2025 after chemotherapy, but the disease later returned. Formed in Queens in 1986 with his guitarist brother Pete, Sick of It All sold at least 500,000 records worldwide by 2020, with 1994’s *Scratch the Surface* remaining its best-selling album.