Guitarist Phil Sgrosso has stop As I Lay Dying, following within the footsteps of three different band members who exited final week. That leaves the veteran metalcore band with only one member remaining: frontman Tim Lambesis.
Whereas the opposite three musicians who stop had solely been within the band since 2022, Sgrosso was a longtime member of As I Lay Dying, having joined in 2003. Sgrosso, together with different traditional members of As I Lay Dying, returned in 2018 when Lambesis re-formed the band following his jail stint for making an attempt to rent a hitman to homicide his then-wife.
Sgrosso caught with Lambesis and As I Lay Dying even after fellow longtime members Nick Hipa (guitar), Jordan Mancino (drums), and Josh Gilbert (bass) all stop by 2022. They had been changed respectively by Ken Susi, Nick Pierce, and Ryan Neff, the three musicians who exited the band final week.
Now, Sgrosso has departed as effectively, explaining that “As I Lay Dying now not gives a wholesome or secure surroundings for anybody concerned.” His full assertion posted Wednesday (October thirtieth) on his social media channels reads as follows:
“Thanks on your endurance as I took time to assemble my ideas earlier than talking on the present state of As I Lay Dying.
With latest occasions, together with the departure of band members and the cancellation of our European tour forward of a brand new album launch, it’s clear we’re in a tough and critical scenario. Merely put, latest actions have proven that As I Lay Dying now not gives a wholesome or secure surroundings for anybody concerned — whether or not creatively, personally, or professionally. After witnessing some regarding patterns of conduct, I’ve realized that I can now not, in good conscience, allow additional actions that might negatively have an effect on anybody working inside this house. For these causes, I really feel it’s in my greatest curiosity to utterly distance myself, each creatively and personally, from As I Lay Dying.
I additionally wish to share my full help for Ryan, Ken, and Nick, who made the selection to step away just lately. I’m grateful for our accomplishments and friendship over the previous 3 years.
With 21 years that I’ve devoted to this band, it doesn’t sit effectively with me to go away or abandon what I’ve thought-about to be my ‘life’s work.’ I don’t really feel that I, or others, needs to be compelled out like so many have previously.
In spite of everything that’s been put into this, I imagine that with the appropriate changes and restructuring, our music can proceed to thrive and discover new potentialities in a more healthy surroundings.
Over time, As I Lay Dying has been held again by dysfunction, and I really feel that it’s now not my duty to bear that burden.
Thanks to everybody who has proven help for me and the music of As I Lay Dying. I’m trying ahead to placing my vitality and creativity into new, extra constructive ventures within the close to future.”
As Sgrosso talked about, the band’s upcoming European tour has been canceled. As of now, the brand new album Via Storms Forward remains to be slated to be launched on November fifteenth.
Lambesis served two and a half years in jail after pleading responsible to solicitation of homicide. Whereas that incident definitely hung over As I Lay Dying like a darkish cloud, it seems that undisclosed latest actions by the frontman have led to the mass exodus of band members.
See Phil Sgrosso’s Instagram put up under.