As longtime I Lay Dying guitarist Phil Sgrosso has left the San Diego metalcore band, just days after guitarist Ken Susi, bassist Ryan Neff and drummer Nick Pierce departed.
The guitarist took to social media to share a statement detailing why he is choosing to part ways with As I Lay Dying, leaving only controversial frontman Tim Lambesis in the lineup. Lambesis spent nearly three years in prison after he was arrested for calling an undercover agent to kill his then-wife, Megan Lambesis. Tim gave the agent $1,000 in cash and instructions on how to kill her, including her photo, address, security gate code and dates she would be with their children to give him an alibi, prosecutors said.
“Thank you for your patience as I took time to gather my thoughts before speaking about the current state of As I Lay Dying,” Grosso began his statement. “With recent events, including the departure of band members and the cancellation of our European tour before the release of a new album, it is clear that we are in a difficult and serious situation.”
He added that the band “no longer provides a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved—whether creatively, personally or professionally” and after “witnessing certain patterns of behavior,” Grosso “realized that I can no longer, in good conscience, allow further action that could adversely affect anyone working in this space.”
He continued, “For these reasons, I feel it is in my best interest to fully distance myself, both creatively and personally, from As I Lay Dying.”
Grosso added that the door to As I Lay Dying is not completely closed, and that if the band makes the right adjustments and restructuring, our music can continue to thrive and explore new possibilities in a healthier environment.
Read his full statement here.
On Friday (October 25), Susi, Neff and Pierce shared individual statements detailing their respective departures, which you can read more about here. The band's tour manager, Alex Kendrick, also announced his departure.
The group's eighth album, Through the storms aheadit is still expected to be released on November 15th.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/as-i-lay-dying-longtime-guitarist-phil-sgrosso-departs-band-1235817124/
