While the band is set to release their next full length record on November 15th, the future of metalcore unit As I Lay Dying has all but flatlined. In the last couple of weeks, all four members of the current line-up have walked away from the band with each citing personal conflict as their reason for making the break.
The recent developments have also led to the cancellation of the band's headlining Through Storms Ahead European tour with Caliban, Decapitated, Ov Sulfur. While the headlining band has yet to confirm the news, each of the supporting bands have gone ahead and issued their own statements, sharing the unfortunate news.
Last month, bassist Ryan Neff was the first to announce his split from AILD. Though keeping his statement short and to the point, Neff did share that he felt the move was "the right step for my personal and professional journey." As I Lay Dying would be dealt another significant blow October 24th when guitarist Ken Susi announced he was out as well.
Taking to his social media platform to share the news, Susi said, “Unfortunately, my personal morals have recently been tested to a breaking point, and it’s now the saddest ending to what could have been the greatest second chance for this band.”
Just hours later, former Unearth drummer Nick Pierce would also follow suit, announcing his resignation from As I Lay Dying. "As of now, I am no longer playing drums for As I Lay Dying. This is far from being the ending I anticipated, and I feel I need to distance myself from the band in an effort to retain my personal health and integrity."
Among the remaining members of the band, the longest tenured other than vocalist Tim Lambesis is Phil Sgrosso. In the wake of the ongoing shake-up, Sgrosso would also announce his decision to go his own way just days after Pierce and Susi confirmed their exit. In much the same way the other members communicated an unhealthy working environment, Sgrosso articulated his concern with moving forward in the band.
“…Recent actions have shown that As I Lay Dying no longer offers a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved—whether creatively, personally, or professionally. After witnessing some concerning patterns of behavior, I’ve realized that I can no longer, in good conscience, enable further actions that could negatively affect anyone working within this space.”
Less than a week following Sgrosso's split as the final member of the current iteration of As I Lay Dying, frontman Tim Lambesis has finally broke his silence on the shake-up and issued a polished statement. Lambesis discussed that the initial split was between him and Sgrosso, yet in solidarity, the other members began to announce their departure though the source of the fallout was between Sgrosso and Lambesis.
The frontman confided that the two were no longer seeing eye-to-eye "personally, creatively, or financially" and as such, the band began to come apart at the seams. While Lambesis explained how he was disheartened by the split, he was optimistic about the forecast for AILD and reminded fans that several different people have been a part of the band at one point and time.
Lambesis finished the statement by reaffirming that the release of Through Storms Ahead will proceed as scheduled with a November 15th release date. Read the complete statement from Tim Lambesis below.
“I needed some time to process all that has happened recently with AILD. As I reflect, I certainly agree that there was an unhealthy environment that made leaving for a new tour with the previous lineup unrealistic. It had become difficult to figure out even the smallest details, and I admit I can stick strong to my vision for the future of AILD even when others think it should go another direction.
It saddens me to think about the behaviors, communication, and patterns of interaction that led up to the tour cancellation. Phil and I no longer saw eye to personally, creatively, or financially. Discussions during this time prompted his decision to depart first, with each of the touring members deciding to leave shortly after, as they were not interested in going on without him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the order in which everything was made public, as some statements were rushed out during a chaotic time in response to rumors.
I fully support each of the guys’ decisions to leave and believe at this time it is best for everyone. With that being said, my door will always remain open to discussing anything directly as I believe closing communication lead to many assumptions and problems of its own.
Now, regarding what’s next: AILD was founded on persistence and determination. For anyone who is familiar with the foundational years from 2000-2004, you know that more than 20 people (whom I’m incredibly grateful for) have come and gone to help bring to life this vision I’ve had in my head since I was 19 years old. I look forward to building a new team, and creating an atmosphere that is supportive, positive, and fosters a creative environment.
“Through Storms Ahead” will still be released November 15. I am proud of what we created and look forward to sharing it with all of you.”
