Canadian rock legends Helix mourn drummer who was ‘like a brother’

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An iconic London heavy metal band is mourning the loss of its longtime drummer.  

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Helix announced that Greg “Fritz” Hinz had died after a 10-month battle with cancer. Hinz had been the drummer of the venerable Canadian rock band since 1983.  

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“Fritz was the consummate rock drummer: It was his craft,” Helix frontman Brian Vollmer said in a post on the band’s website. “He loved his drums and he loved drumming and performing. He took great pride in everything he did.” 

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Hinz was “the funniest guy you’d ever want to meet” and was “like a brother” to his bandmates and others who worked with Helix over the years, Vollmer wrote in the post.  

He was dedicated to Helix, Vollmer’s post read, even coming back to play gigs in Calgary and Vancouver less than eight months after a fall off a ladder left him with a severe concussion and lasting symptoms. 

The band had known about his cancer diagnosis since last April but did not speak publicly about it at Hinz’s request, the post said. A memorial service for Hinz will be held at a later date. 

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Helix, formed in 1974, is considered one of the more successful and prolific Canadian bands, particularly in the 1980s after the release of Walkin’ the Razor’s Edge, which sold more than 400,000 copies around the world. Helix toured with bands including Kiss, Aerosmith, Rush, Alice Cooper, Quiet Riot and Motörhead. 

The band has continued to tour and record new music ever since, including its Eat, Sleep, Rock album released in 2020. Helix has had numerous changes in its lineup over the decades, with Vollmer the constant 

Helix was inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame in 2003. 

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