Lineup Changes
Guitarist Sin Quirin Quits Ministry Following Last Year’s Allegations of Underage Sexual Relations
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-17T15:39:27+00:00“>May 17, 2021 | 11:39am ET Sin Quirin has exited Ministry a year after two women alleged that the guitarist engaged in sexual relationships with them when they were underage. The veteran industrial band will have a significantly different look the next time they hit the road, having recently announced a drummer change, as well. In January 2020, an investigative report by Spin told the stories of two women, one named Kelly Longoria and another who chose to remain unidentified. Longoria maintained that she met Quirin (then a member of the industrial band Society 1) in 2002 when she was 15 years old, and that the two had sex several times while she was still a...
Bassist Marko Hietala Quits Nightwish, Condemns Music Industry on the Way Out
Former Nightwish bassist Marko Hietala, second from right, courtesy of Nuclear Blast Longtime Nightwish bassist Marko Hietala has quit the symphonic metal band after joining the Finnish group in 2001. Hietala issued a highly personal statement regarding his departure, condemning the music industry in the process. Among his grievances, Hietala cited “streaming company big guns demanding 9-to-5 work from artists of inspiration while unfairly sharing the profits.” Nightwish have long been a leading artist in the world of symphonic metal, and their 2004 opus, Once, remains one of Nuclear Blast Records’ most successful releases after topping the charts in multiple countries. The bassist didn’t expressly call out his record label, specific promoters, or any of his bandmates, but said that a pers...
Singer Alex Varkatzas Parts Ways with Atreyu
Alex Varkatzas, photo by Thaib A. Wahab Atreyu have announced that founding singer Alex Varkatzas has parted ways with the band. The metalcore act delivered the news via its social media pages on Wednesday (September 30th), promising that the group “will not disappear.” Varkatzas was Atreyu’s vocalist since the band formed in 1998 in Anaheim, California. His passionate screams were a staple of the band’s metalcore style. In fact, in 2018, Varkatzas claimed Atreyu had invented metalcore, comments that raised some eyebrows in the scene. The band issued a statement on social media announcing the split, which appears to be mutually amicable, though it doesn’t specify any definite reason for Varkatzas’ exit: “We have been a band for over 20 years now. Lived our dreams together as friends and as...
