Mike Milford, singer of metalcore band Scars of Tomorrow, dies after cancer battle

Mike Milford, founding vocalist of the Orange County metalcore band Scars of Tomorrow, has died after a battle with cancer, Metal Injection reported on August 9. His bandmates announced his passing on social media on August 8: "We're thinking about our friend and singer, Mike Milford, today as we mourn the news of his passing." They remembered him as "an incredible frontman, artist manager, label exec, father, friend and so much more."

Bob Bradley, the band's founding bassist, offered his own tribute, calling Milford a "father, musician, music industry wizard and all around amazing guy" who was "loved by so many and made a huge impact in the heavy music and hardcore scene."

Milford co-founded Scars of Tomorrow in October 2000, helping build a West Coast take on East Coast-style hardcore alongside fellow Orange County acts Throwdown and Bleeding Through. The band signed to Victory Records in 2003 and toured with Atreyu, Norma Jean, Unearth and Bury Your Dead before splitting in 2007, then reforming in 2010 and continuing to play shows and release music intermittently since.

Beyond the band, Milford spent more than two decades on the business side of heavy music. He was a key figure at both The Artery Foundation and Artery Recordings, where he signed acts including Chelsea Grin and Vanna, and he later founded Modern Empire Music, managing acts such as Attila and Sworn In.

Milford's death is the latest loss in metal's hardcore-adjacent scene this year, following other tributes MusicSuey has covered, including Corrosion of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin, remembered by bandmate Pepper Keenan for the rehab Dave Grohl quietly funded before Mullin's 2020 death.