Four members of As I Lay Dying have left the band over the past two weeks, but frontman Tim Lambesis insists the metalcore act will continue. The singer revealed his plans and shared details of his bandmates' departure in a lengthy statement via Instagram.
As previously reported, newest members Ryan Neff (bass, clean vocals), Nick Pierce (drums), and Ken Susi (guitar) left As I Lay Dying a couple of weeks ago. Last week, veteran guitarist Phil Sgrosso also left, stating that “As I Lay Dying no longer provides a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved.”
While Lambesis was jailed for attempting to hire a hitman to murder his then-wife, it appears that the most recent tension within As I Lay Dying led to the mass exodus of his now-former bandmates.
In his open letter, Lambesis attempted to clarify some details, admitting that he and Sgrosso “no longer saw eye to eye.” [eye] personally, creatively or financially.” However, he noted that Sgrosso left the band first, despite the way it all played out in public. Having said all this, he concluded by saying that the band's new album, Through storms aheadwill still be released on November 15 and promises to continue As I Lay Dying with a “new team.”
The leader's full statement reads as follows:
“Hello everyone,
I needed some time to process everything that happened recently with AILD. As I reflect, I certainly agree that there was an unhealthy atmosphere that made it unrealistic to leave for a new tour with the previous lineup. It had become difficult to decipher even the smallest details, and I admit that I can hold firmly to my vision for the future of AILD even when others think it should go in another direction.
It saddens me to think about the behaviors, communication, and interaction patterns that led to the cancellation of the tour. Phil and I no longer saw eye to eye. [eye] personally, creatively or financially. Discussions during this time led to his decision to leave first, with each of the members of the tour deciding to leave shortly after, as they were not interested in continuing without him. Unfortunately, that wasn't the order in which everything was made public, as some statements were rushed during a chaotic moment in response to the rumors.
I fully support each of the boys' decision to leave and believe it is best for everyone at this time. That being said, my door will always remain open to discuss anything directly, as I believe closing off communication leads to a lot of assumptions and problems of its own.
Now, onto what's next: AILD was founded on persistence and determination. Anyone familiar with the founding years of 2000-2004 will know that over 20 people (for whom I am incredibly grateful) have come and gone to help make this vision I've had in my head since I was 19 a reality. I look forward to building a new team and creating an atmosphere that is supportive, positive and fosters a creative environment.
Through storms ahead will still be released on November 15th. “I am proud of what we created and I look forward to sharing it with all of you.”
See Tim Lambesis' Instagram post below.
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