Archive | Metalcore Musical Chairs
Anthrax is all set to perform Among The Living during this year’s Metal Alliance Tour. However, the group will be playing it without drummer Charlie Benante when they head down to Australia.
It’s been announced this morning that Benante will be sitting out of the upcoming tour down under. “Charlie is dealing with personal issues right now and can’t leave the country. He’s really bummed about not being able to head down there,” explained Scott Ian via tweet. The guitarist also revealed that drummer Jon Dette (Animetal USA, ex-Testament/Slayer) will once again fill in for Benante, saying “Trust me about @jondette. He’s an animal and he’s going to make history this week.” Dette recently filled in for Benante last fall during Anthrax’s European trek.
When we recently spoke to Benante, he didn’t hint at any personal problems. Although, Benante did miss a fair amount of tours last year due to various reasons (and notably had some legal woes pop up over the summer). Hopefully Benante will be able to join Anthrax during the Metal Alliance Tour.
Their new album, Sempiternal, will be out in about three months, Bring me the Horizon guitarist Jona Weinhofen has announced via Twitter that he’s left the band. “I am no longer a member of @bmthofficial, however I can not yet comment on the reasons why or who made the decision,” a tweet stated. “I would also like to say thank you for all the love and support from my amazing fans! Hopefully you’ll all keep supporting me in the future.”
Formerly of Bleeding Through and I Killed the Prom Queen, Weinhofen joined Bring me the Horizon as rhythm guitarist in 2009. He appeared on the band’s 2010 album There is a Hell Believe me I’ve Seen It, There is a Heaven Let’s Keep It a Secret. But while shedding a member, BMTH appears to have added another, as keyboard player (and former bassist of Worship) Jordan Fish has been announced as a full-time member of the metalcore quintet.
For Today has received a lot of flack for Mike Reynolds’ tweets declaring that “homosexuality is a sin.” So it’s not too surprising that just a few days after posting the tweets, the guitarist has quit the Christian metalcore group.
The band issued the following statement revealing why Reynolds has quit and who they’ve gotten to replace him:
“Mike Reynolds is no longer a part of For Today. He has decided that now is the time for he and his wife to put their plans in motion to enroll in bible college, and to begin working toward full-time missions work in the Middle East. Mike will be replaced by long-time friend of the band, and former In The Midst of Lions guitar player, Sam Penner, who will be appearing with the band as they headline their upcoming FIght The Silence tour.”
Granted, Reynolds isn’t the first member to leave For Today for missionary work. Still, the timing of his departure seems pretty coincidental. Further proving that For Today is in “damage control” mode, a video statement from Mattie Montgomery was also released. Unlike the band’s first statement, Montgomery directly acknowledges Reynolds’ tweets in the video above and apologizes to “anyone who felt alienated” and “anyone who felt condemned, rejected or written off” by the comments made. “The last thing any Christian in the world should do is to make you feel that way, and I’m so sorry if that happened to you,” Montgomery said. In addition, the singer offered his cell phone number as a way for fans to further voice their opinion.
We give Montgomery major props for issuing the video statement. He could have just left the matter alone after For Today’s first comment, but instead he gave what seemed to be a genuine response without defending or retracting his (and his former guitarist’s) beliefs. Watch Montgomery’s public apology above.
Last week, bassist John Holgado announced his departure from Attack Attack! Then a few days later, after initially starting off as rumors, singer Caleb Shomo also confirmed he was leaving the crabcore group for similar personal reasons. And today, not only did Attack Attack! confirm its new members, but also premiered a new song.
Along with officially introducing Phil Druyor (also of I Am Abomination) and bassist Tyler Sapp, Attack Attack! is streaming and offering a free download of a new song called “No Defeat” via Alt Press. Here’s what the group had to say with the premiere of “No Defeat”:
“Ladies and gentlemen,
I’m sure you have heard and seen the posts of Caleb and AJ leaving Attack Attack. Not to worry, for Andrew and I have great news!
We’re proud to announce that Phil Druyor from I Am Abomination will be singing on the new jams. Phil totally kicks ass and is a sweet dude. You all will worship the ground he walks on before too long. Seriously.
I’m also proud to announce that Tyler Sapp will be filling out the 4th slot in the band, picking up where Aj left off. You all know Tyler. He’s been one of my best friends, roommate, merch guy, and resident Muay Thai specialist in the AA crew since 2009.
Finally, let us preface your thoughts with this. We do not give a shit. Go download our new song for free. If you hate it, then fuck you. We don’t like your ass anyways.
Love, -Wetzel, Andrew, Phil, Tyler”
Eloquently said, eh? Alt Press also interviewed Druyor and drummer Andrew Wetzel. In addition to talking about the new album and lineup changes, Attack Attack! also talk about their free agent status (saying they hope to self-release the next album, but that it’s still too soon to tell). In case you’re really curious as to what the new and “improved” Attack Attack! sounds like, listen or download the song over at Alt Press.
Unearth will be kicking off 2013 on the road with Whitechapel and Emmure. However, it turns out bassist John “Slo” Maggard will be absent from the tour to tend to personal matters. Luckily for Unearth, though, they were able to find a fill-in with Fear Factory bassist (and former Chimaira guitarist) Matt DeVries.
Unearth singer Trevor Phipps gave the following explanation behind the switcheroo:
“John ‘Slo’ Maggard will unfortunately be sitting out the Brothers of Brutality Tour (Whitechapel, Emmure, Obey the Brave, The Plot In You) this coming January/February. His absence is simply to take care of personal matters at home and is only temporary. Slo will remain a member of Unearth moving forward and is actively involved in the writing process for our next album, which we plan to record and release some time in 2013.
Luckily, our long-time friend Matt DeVries (Fear Factory, ex-Chimaira) will be taking over bass duties for the tour. Slo will certainly be missed on this tour, but having DeVries on board is something we are all looking forward to. He’s a true pro, a great performer and one of our closest friends in the business. Good times ahead!”
DeVries himself had the following to add:
“I couldn’t be more excited to be filling in on bass for my long-time friends in Unearth on the upcoming Brothers Of Brutality Tour. They are like family to me and I’m extremely happy to step up to the plate for my good buddy Slo.”
Dates for Unearth’s upcoming tour with Whitechapel, Emmure, Obey The Brave, and The Plot In You can be seen after the jump. Read more »
Wow, you can’t accuse For Today of not sticking to their Christian beliefs. Just one week after their fifth album, Immortal, had an unbelievable debut in the top 15, drummer David Morrison has left the band. He’s decided to leave the band to do missionary work in South America. He mentions that God spoke to him while he was praying, and told him to do so. With the band on the Warped Tour, which starts this weekend, the band has tapped former Crimson Armada drummer David Puckett to play. Morrison talks about his decision to leave the band in the above clip. Whether you’re religious or not, you’ve got to admire Morrison for sticking to his conviction.
Late Monday night, Killswitch Engage took fans by surprised when a photo of them posing with a familiar face appeared on their website. The picture seemed to confirm that after much speculation following Howard Jones’ departure, Killswitch Engage have indeed reunited with former singer Jesse Leach. And now, for those who were hesitant to rely on only an image, the band and Leach have released a statement confirming the news.
Killswitch Engage had the following to say about Leach’s return to the lineup:
“After much deliberation and careful consideration, we are pleased to announce that Jesse Leach has rejoined Killswitch Engage. Our job was to find the best person to fill Howard’s shoes: a decision based on talent and not familiarity. Truth be told, Jesse blew us away in auditions. The room seemed charged with electricity. He commanded both new and old material, and proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he wanted to do this. The choice became very clear and apparent.
This change is very exciting. We know you’re going to love it. This is truly a new era in Killswitch Engage history and it is ready to shred your face off. So, please help us in welcoming Jesse back into the Killswitch Engage family; he is a rare and great talent, a fact that older Killswitch Engage fans have known for years. Here is to a killer new record and a bright future. The five of us cannot wait to write this record and play shows together and bring that feeling to our fans. It’s been far too long.”
Leach shared a similar excitement via his own statement:
“It is a great honor to rejoin my brothers after all of these years. After some discussion and much reflection, it was obvious to me this was the path I was meant to take. We got together and jammed on the ‘Howard-era songs,’ as well as some Alive Or Just Breathing-era songs and we all felt the synergy.
I look forward to writing the new record, since the demos sound absolutely amazing, as well as breathing new life and getting comfortable with the soulful songs Howard has written. It is a new chapter of my life filled with new and exciting challenges. I will give all that I can to honor the position I have been given and take nothing for granted. I will sing every note with all of my soul. I am very blessed and very thankful to be back in the Killswitch Engage family! All things happen in their due time and now is the time for this reunion and new direction.”
It’s a little surprising to hear that Leach actually auditioned for his old role, especially since he was the most obviously choice for replacing Jones in many fans’ eyes. However, it’s pretty cool to hear that he’ll be singing material the band recorded with him and after his departure in 2002. It’ll definitely be interesting to hear his take on Jones-era songs, as well as the new music they’re currently working on.
Technically, the Alive Or Just Breathing-era lineup first reunited for a few encore sets during KSE’s 2010 tour. However, the band’s first performance since Leach’s official return (and since Jones’ departure) is still slated to take place at this year’s New England Metal & Hardcore Festival. In case you plan to be outside of the country this Summer, you can check out a rundown of European festivals the band will be playing after the jump. Read more »
It’s been a rumor that’s spread around the web ever since Howard Jones’ departure, with multiple parties downplaying the reports. Killswitch Engage kept quiet for the most part, while Jesse Leach started to play the “no comment” game. And though no official statement has been made at this moment, we’d say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Just now, a new image of Leach with the members of Killswitch Engage has been posted on the band’s website. The picture (as seen above) seems to confirm news that many fans have been hoping to hear: that Killswitch Engage have been rejoined by Jesse Leach.
Leach, who first left the group in 2002, was an obvious choice to replace Jones, having joined the band onstage back in 2010 for an encore set in NYC and forming Times Of Grace with guitarist guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. Still it’s definitely quite a nice surprise for fans to hear that it’s actually happening. We’ll keep you posted as more is revealed in this breaking story.
It’s been over a year now since Unearth parted ways with drummer Derek Kerswill. And while they utilized the services of a few drummers (including Killswitch Engage’s Justin Foley for both recording and last Summer’s Mayhem Fest), the Masscore group still couldn’t find a permanent member. Today, though, the search has ended as Unearth have announced Nick Pierce as their new drummer.
Pierce has played for multiple bands in the Seattle/Tacoma area, but may be most known for his time in The Faceless, which though was brief saw him play on the instrumental title track of the band’s debut album Akeldama. While Pierce has been playing with Unearth during their recent shows in Alaska and Japan, as well as during their U.S. tour with Chimaira, he was confirmed as a permanent member until today.
“I’ve been a fan of Unearth for many years and I’m excited to shred with a great group of guys and support our fans,” said Pierce on officially becoming a new member of Unearth. Singer Trevor Phipps added the following about Unearth’s new drummer:
“Nick is a beast of a drummer and a great guy to hang with. I look forward to jamming with him around the world for years to come.”
Unearth supposedly first discovered Pierce via videos he posted on YouTube of himself covering Unearth songs, including his cover of “This Glorious Nightmare” seen above. You can watch drum cam footage of Pierce performing “Watch It Burn” with Unearth in St. Petersburg, FL this past November after the jump. Read more »
It looks like Times Of Grace has become an even bigger Masscore supergroup. The group featuring Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and ex-KSE singer Jesse Leach has announced that Shadows Fall guitarist Matt Bachand will be replacing bassist Daniel Struble in their touring lineup. Bachand will be joining KSE guitarist Joel Stroetzel and drummer Dan Gluszak.
Jesse Leach had the following to say about the band’s new addition:
“Losing Daniel was a blow to the Times of Grace camp, but we knew he had to do what was best for him and his family. Having Matt show interest in joining the touring lineup could not have been a better fit! I have been a fan of Matt’s voice and guitar work for many years. I am honored and very stoked to have him join us on tour to play bass and sing backup vocals. Matt is a great guy, and someone Adam, Joel and I have all known for years. Personality-wise and as a musician, it clicks so well. I am certain Matt will add a great vibe and bring his own style to the live show!”
Adam Dutkiewicz added the following:
“I’ll miss the crap out of Dan, but I’m so stoked to be bro-ing down with our longtime beer-swilling bassist bud Bachand. Come out to the shows and prepare to flex!”
Bachand had the following to say about joining Times Of Grace:
“I am very excited to be a part of Times of Grace. Not only will it be great to get onstage with some old friends, but I am looking forward to something new musically as this role as bassist will be a very different experience from my role as guitarist of Shadows Fall.”
This now marks the second project to feature members of Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall. In addition, Bachand is still working on his new side project with fellow Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais called Dead Of Night. Bachand will be making his debut with the group during the band’s supporting set on Underoath’s upcoming North American trek dubbed Illuminato(u)r. For more information regarding dates, you can check out the tour’s official website.
[picture via]
Anthrax is all set to perform Among The Living during this year’s Metal Alliance Tour. However, the group will be playing it without drummer Charlie Benante when they head down to Australia.
Posted by Zach Shaw on Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 9:54 am
Metalcore Musical Chairs