Lamb of God have issued their first public statement following the tragic conclusion of their inaugural Headbanger's Boat voyage that set out from Miami, FL to the Bahamas from October 31st to November 4th.
The maiden voyage saw several fan-driven experiences along with performances from Mastodon, Testament, Hatebreed, Gwar, Municipal Waste, Shadows Fall, God Forbid, Lacuna Coil and of course Lamb of God themselves - which included a Ashes of the Wake performance in its entirety.
While the event was a resounding success, the excursion culminated in tragedy as a 41-year old fan aboard the ship went overboard. Norwegian Cruise Lines issued the following statement during initial news of the incident.
“On the early morning of Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified that a 41-year-old male guest went overboard while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas on its way to Miami. The authorities have been notified and the United States Coast Guard search and rescue operation is underway. The investigation is ongoing, and we will share updates as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Sadly, recovery efforts were unsuccessful with an investigation into the incident ongoing. Issuing their first statement since the cruise, Lamb of God shared a recap video of the event and took the opportunity to not only thank the bands and fans that made the cruise feel so familial, but also reiterated the sense of community that remains at the core of metal - even when tragedy struck.
“Thank you to everyone who joined us on the inaugural Headbangers Boat. It was truly one of the most special celebrations of heavy metal, bringing together artists spanning decades of music.
We want to thank every single band, host, comedian, staff member and of course fan who made the trek to Miami and on-board with us. Overall, it was truly one of the most positive and fun atmospheres we’ve been a part of.
It was shocking that a joyous occasion could so quickly turn tragic. While we don’t know all of the specifics, we know every single person on that boat is part of our family, and we witnessed everyone onboard experience grief at the loss of one of our own. We couldn’t have been more proud of how the metal community on board rallied together to support each other and celebrate heavy metal in the only way we know how. This music community truly is just that – a community.
Thank you to Mastodon, Testament, Hatebreed, Gwar, Municipal Waste, Shadows Fall, God Forbid, Lacuna Coil, Gatecreeper, Fit For An Autopsy, Vio-lence, Malevolence, Bleed From Within, Dying Wish, Jesse Leach, Jose Mangin, Riki Rachtman, Frank Castillo, Steve Furey and everyone else involved in making this inaugural event what it was."
See the recap video from the inaugural Headbanger's Boat below.
