Mark Heylmun is on a “Radical Sabbatical” from Suicide Silence, Vows to Return Eventually
With guitarist Mark Heylmun sitting out the current Suicide Silence tour, word was gonna get out sooner or later. His replacement, Mike “Lonestar” Carrigan (Darkest Hour) might look eerily JUST like Heylmun, but those wily, clever Suicide Silence fans noticed the difference between the two bearded blonde men anyway! Drats.
Heylmun himself has now issued a statement on his absence from the tour, elaborating on the rumors that he’s been spending time with family. The tl;dr version is this: Heylmun did, in fact, need to spend some time with a family member having a health issue, and as such didn’t feel he could devote himself to the band in the way that’s required. While he’s currently taking a break — a so-called “radical sabbatical” — he vows he’ll return to the fold in the future.
Here’s Heylmun’s statement, posted yesterday via Instagram:
“So the cat is outta the bag… I’m not on tour with the band. I’ve been on radical sabbatical since about February of this year. I just feel I need a break to spend time with my family and give my mind and body the attention it deserves. I’ve abused myself for years and a member of my families health has got me aware of mortality and the length of time I may have on this earth. It landed me on the “it’s all or nothing” state of mind for the band… and right now the attention I am used to giving the band is not there.
“I am not in a bad way of any sort or in a depressed state, I just wanna listen to my heart and do what feels right. It has never steered me wrong in the past. So with that I’m still writing music, planning new ventures, and I WILL be back to ripping for SS when the time is right. Super stoked @lonestardh is filling in for me on #Ragefest. Peace & Love y’all!!”
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me, and I fully believe Heylmun is sincere in his intentions to eventually return. Meanwhile he’s got a helluva capable replacement in Lonestar. Catch Suicide Silence on tour now; remaining dates under the IG embed below, along with a fan-filmed video of the current lineup performing a new song called “The One.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QvOoAhBRbo
07/26 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrews Hall
07/27 – Rochester, NY @ Anthology
07/28 – Boston, MA @ The Paradise Rock Club
07/29 – Bangor, ME @ Darlings Waterfront Pavillion
07/31 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
08/01 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
08/02 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
08/03 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
08/04 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
08/05 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
08/07 – Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco
08/08 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
08/09 – Greenville, SC @ The Firmament
08/10 – Jacksonville, FL @ Mavericks at The Landing
08/11 – Ft Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
08/12 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
08/14 – New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
08/15 – Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall
08/16 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
08/17 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamo City Music Hall
08/18 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live
08/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
08/21 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theater
08/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Live
08/23 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
08/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
08/25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
