Lineup Change
Another Longtime Member Leaves As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying have said goodbye to another longtime member following their 2018 re-formation after frontman Tim Lambesis’ prison stint. Bassist and clean vocalist Josh Gilbert has left the veteran metalcore band, following the footsteps of guitarist Nick Hipa, who exited in 2020. Lambesis was infamously arrested in 2013 on suspicion of attempting to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife. He was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison in 2014, but was released after only two and a half years behind bars. He ultimately decided to revitalize As I Lay Dying, and was joined by longtime members Hipa, Gilbert, Phil Sgrosso and Jordan Mancino. The band has been touring again ever since, and released the new album Shaped by Fire in 2019. In a statement on Monday (May 16th), Gilbert said,...
Deftones Part Ways with Bassist Sergio Vega
Deftones have parted ways with bassist Sergio Vega after an apparent contract dispute. Vega replaced Chi Cheng after the latter fell into a coma following a horrific car accident, and remained with the band following Cheng’s death in 2013. However, Vega claims he never became an “official member” of Deftones despite handling bass duties for roughly 12 years. Vega, who’s also the bassist for New York post-hardcore band Quicksand, took to Instagram TV to read a lengthy statement explaining the situation. As he tells it, an unreconciled contract negotiation related to Vega’s limited role in the band led to his exit last year. Related Video The statement read [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]: “To give a brief history about me and my friendship with Deftones. We met in 1995. I filled in for [la...
Testament Part Ways with Drummer Gene Hoglan in Advance of “Bay Strikes Back” Tour
Testament have announced that they’ve parted ways with drummer Gene Hoglan as they prepare to headline the “Bay Strikes Back” tour this spring. The veteran thrash band cited scheduling conflicts involving Hoglan’s other projects as the primary reason for the split. Hoglan, one of heavy metal’s most skilled and respected drummers, has earned the nickname “The Atomic Clock” for his precision playing. He briefly played in Testament from 1996 to 1997, appearing on 1997’s Demonic. He then rejoined the band in 2011 and had been Testament’s drummer for the past 10-plus years, performing on their last three albums, including 2020’s Titans of Creation. A statement from Testament reads as follows: “First off, we are beyond grateful to have had Gene Hoglan behind our drum throne for ten years, severa...
Mike Portnoy’s Son Is Now Drumming for Code Orange
Legendary metal drummer Mike Portnoy’s son Max is now drumming for Code Orange, who are currently on tour as part of Slipknot’s “Knotfest Roadshow.” Going by the name “Mud Max” and donning a Mankind-style mask, Max Portnoy has appeared on drums during the band’s recent shows, though it is undetermined if it’s a permanent role. Singer Jami Morgan is the band’s studio drummer, but he has given up the role on tour to concentrate on being a frontman onstage. Ethan Young previously held the role of touring drummer, but now Max has taken over the drum kit during live gigs. Max, who also plays in the band Tallah, certainly brings an impressive pedigree to the Code Orange lineup. His father Mike is considered one of the greatest metal drummers of all time, having been the longtime stickman for pro...
The Offspring Oust Drummer Pete Parada for Choosing Not to Get COVID Vaccine
The Offspring have apparently parted ways with drummer Pete Parada. According to the stickman, it’s because he has chosen not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 due to medical reasons. Parada, who had been the band’s drummer since 2007, explained his departure in a lengthy statement on Instagram, saying that his medical history and advice from his doctor has led him to choose not to get vaccinated at this time. He added that, as a result, the rest of the band feels he’s “unsafe to be around, in the studio, and on tour.” Back in April, The Offspring released their latest album, Let the Bad Times Roll, which marked their first studio LP in nine years. It’s also the first Offspring album where Parada played drums on the entire effort, having previously appeared on just four of the tracks on 2...
Fieldy Announces Hiatus from Korn After Falling Back on “Bad Habits”
Founding Korn member Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu has announced a hiatus that will keep him from the nu-metal pioneers’ upcoming US tour. According to the musician, he needs time off in order to deal with “personal issues” that have led him to fall back on “bad habits.” The bassist revealed the news via his Instagram page on Monday, June 21st. Korn recently announced an extensive 2021 tour with Staind that kicks off in early August and runs through late September. They’ll be out in support of their latest album, The Nothing, which came out in October 2019. In an open letter to fans, Fieldy didn’t specify what the “bad habits” were, but stressed that he needed “some time off to heal.” His full message reads as follows: “To all Korn fans worldwide. The past 6 years I’ve been dealing with some pe...
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Megadeth Part Ways with Bassist David Ellefson: “Working Together [Is] Impossible Moving Forward”
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-24T17:44:47+00:00“>May 24, 2021 | 1:44pm ET Megadeth have announced that they are parting ways with longtime bassist David Ellefson. The news comes after the veteran thrash-metal musician confessed to an “embarrassing” online sexual encounter with a young woman, but denied reports that he had groomed her. In a statement posted to all of their social media channels on Monday (May 24th), Megadeth announced that Ellefson was no longer in the band, also suggesting that the relationship between frontman Dave Mustaine and Ellefson had already been strained. The full statement reads as follows: “We are informing our fans that David Ellefson is no longer playing with Megadeth and that we...
Trapt Drummer Quits Band Over Singer’s MAGA Rants
Trapt made headlines in 2020 for the first time since they hit it big with their 2002 song “Headstrong”, but it wasn’t for their music. The group’s singer, Chris Taylor Brown, turned the band’s social media channels into a MAGA mega horn, and now it has resulted in the departure of drummer Michael Smith. Much like Donald Trump, Trapt’s Facebook and Twitter accounts were both suspended recently. Brown and company were knocked off Facebook for a pro-Proud Boys post, while Twitter shut the band’s feed down for a post that seemed to condone statutory rape. Those posts came after Brown questioned whether systemic racism exists, exclaiming, “Civil rights act was passed over 50 years ago. Move the f**k on!” He also called for the firing of Dr. Anthony Fauci, claiming the infectious disease expert...
Suspect208 (Weiland, Slash, Trujillo Sons) Already Looking for a New Singer
Suspect208 (clockwise from upper left: Noah Weiland, London Hudson, Tye Trujillo, Niko Tsangaris) The new band Suspect208, featuring the sons of famous rock stars, are already looking for a new singer, just a couple months after making a splash with their debut single. It appears that Noah Weiland, son of late Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, is no longer in the band. Suspect208, who also feature drummer London Hudson (son of Slash), bassist Tye Trujillo (son of Metallica’s Robert Trujillo), and guitarist Niki Tsangaris, arrived like a house on fire with their first single, the hard-rocking “Long Awaited”. A combination of curiosity and a strong musical debut propelled the track to nearly 1 million listens on YouTube. But now, after releasing another single, the poppier “All Black...
Frontman Burton C. Bell Quits Fear Factory
Veteran industrial metal act Fear Factory are without a singer after founding frontman Burton C. Bell quit the band on Monday (September 28th). In an open letter posted on his official website, Bell listed a number of grievances that led to his decision. Bell’s departure comes a couple weeks after Fear Factory launched a GoFundMe campaign to support work on their new album. The fund-raising effort seemed to be spearheaded by guitarist Dino Cazares, with Bell insisting, “Let me be clear: I am not part of, nor am I benefitting from, any GoFundMe campaign.” That dispute came after a long legal battle between Bell and former members Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera over the Fear Factory name. As Bell points out in his letter, the legal wrangling and recent developments within the ban...
Filter’s Richard Patrick on Quitting Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor Told Me to Deliver Pizza
In a new interview, Richard Patrick pointed to a couple of conversations with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor that both motivated and angered him into forming his own band, Filter. One of those exchanges included Reznor suggesting that Patrick deliver pizza to earn some extra cash. Patrick was a member of Nine Inch Nails from 1989 to 1993, mostly as part of the band’s touring lineup, as his only recorded contribution to NIN was a drone guitar on Pretty Hate Machine’s “Sanctified”. He reminisced about his decision to part ways with NIN during a recent appearance on the Stop! Drop & Talk podcast, co-hosted by Halestorm’s Arejay Hale. “I started in Nine Inch Nails, but then I quit when I was, like, 26,” recalled Patrick. “Nine Inch Nails was the only time I actually had a boss. … [Trent and...
Eric Moore, Drummer/Manager of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Leaves Band
Eric Moore, the drummer and manager of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, has left the band. In a social media post, he said that he “will keep working with Gizz putting out records but I will no longer be an active member or manager of the group.” While he didn’t give a reason, the band added that he plans “to focus solely on Flightless Records.” Moore was one of two drummers in the outfit, along with Michael Cavanagh. Moore founded Flightless in 2012 in Melbourne, Australia, shipping LPs in any old container, including pizza boxes. The label has since put out 18 releases by King Gizz, including their most recent effort Infest the Rats’ Nest, as well as albums by The Murlocs, Amyl and the Sniffers, and more. In his statement, Moore said, “I’m excited to keep growing the label and co...
