BLACK DAHLIA MURDER GUITARIST QUITS, BECAUSE… UM… WHY?

John Kempainen, lead guitar player for The Black Dahlia Murder, has quit the band just days before the start of their tour with Misery Index and Soilent Green. The band will still do the tour, only as a four piece. I’m glad that BDM care enough about their fans to soldier on, but the idea of that band as a four piece totally bums me out; for one thing, half the fun of listening to BDM is in the interplay between Kempainen and co-guitarist Brian Eschbach, and for another thing, I always really loved Kempainen’s guitar solos (which I assume Eschbach will now play in at least some capacity.). In fact, I’ve written a love letter to this guitar duo in the past.

In a statement, vocalist Trevor Strnad says that Kempaninen’s decision was “abrupt” and that “The remaining members of the band apologize for these unprofessional circumstances.” No actual reason is given for Kempainen’s departure.

I’m actually listening to one of my favorite Kempainen solos right now, from the track “Deathmask Divine,” and it’s just making me sadder that he’s not in the band anymore. I would assume there’s more to this story, which will come out in due time. While we wait, here’s a pretty decent quality clip of BDM and Kempainen in better times, playing my favorite love song of 2007, “Deathmask Divine.”

-AR