Nitzer Ebb vocalist Douglas McCarthy dead at 58

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By Josh Johnson

June 12, 2025 at 6:05 am EDT

Douglas McCarthy, vocalist for the English EBM band Nitzer Ebb, has died. He was 58.

"It is with a heavy heart that we regret to inform that Douglas McCarthy passed away this morning of June 11th, 2025," Nitzer Ebb wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday. "We ask everyone to please be respectful of Douglas, his wife, and family in this difficult time."

The band adds, "We appreciate your understanding and will share more information soon."

McCarthy had announced in 2024 that he'd been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver.

Upon their launch in the '80s, Nitzer Ebb became a prominent band in the growing EBM scene, which stood for "electronic body music" and brought together industrial, synth-punk and dance music. Nitzer Ebb's take on the genre gave them hits in the dance world, and also crossed over into alternative scenes with singles including "Control I'm Here" and "Lightning Man."