As I Lay Dying’s longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso has departed the San Diego metalcore band, just days after guitarist Ken Susi, bassist Ryan Neff and drummer Nick Pierce also announced their exit.
The guitarist took to social media to share a statement detailing why he’s choosing to split from As I Lay Dying, leaving just controversial frontman Tim Lambesis in the lineup. Lambesis spent nearly three years in prison after he was arrested for soliciting an undercover agent to murder his then-wife, Meggan Lambesis. Tim gave the agent $1,000 in cash and instructions on how to kill her, including her photo, address, security-gate code and dates he would be with their children to give him an alibi, prosecutors said.
“Thank you for your patience as I took time to gather my thoughts before speaking on the current state of As I Lay Dying,” Grosso began his statement. “With recent events, including the departure of band members and the cancellation of our European tour ahead of a new album release, it’s clear we’re in a difficult and serious situation.”
He added the the band “no longer offers a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved—whether creatively, personally, or professionally,” and after “witnessing some concerning patterns of behavior,” Grosso “realized that I can no longer, in good conscience, enable further actions that could negatively affect anyone working within this space.”
He continued, “For these reasons, I feel it’s in my best interest to completely distance myself, both creatively and personally, from As I Lay Dying.”
Grosso added that the door to As I Lay Dying isn’t totally shut, and that if the band puts in the “right adjustments and restructuring, our music can continue to thrive and explore new possibilities in a healthier environment.”
Read his full statement here.
On Friday (Oct. 25), Susi, Neff and Pierce shared individual statements detailing their own departures, which you can read more about here. The band’s touring manager, Alex Kendrick, also announced his exit.
The group’s eighth album, Through Storms Ahead, is still set for release on Nov. 15.
