As I Lay Dying Guitarist Phil Sgrosso Just Quit
More than a week after As I Lay Dying began imploding with the sudden exits of bassist and clean vocalist Ryan Neff, the band’s tour manager Alex Kendrick, guitarist Ken Susi, and drummer Nick Pierce, the final member not named Tim Lambesis has officially quit.
Long-time guitarist Phil Sgrosso just posted a lengthy statement on his Instagram explaining how the band no longer “offers a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved—whether creatively, personally, or professionally” and that’s why he’s out.
In his statement, Sgrosso said he personally witnessed “concerning patterns of behavior” that led him to realize that the band he’d been a member of for 21 years was no longer where he wanted to be. That’s a pretty damning statement without having to provide any specifics about what happened.
“Hey everyone,
“Thank you for your patience as I took time to gather my thoughts before speaking on the current state of As I Lay Dying.
“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.
“Simply put, 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.
“For these reasons, I feel it’s in my best interest to completely distance myself, both creatively and personally, from As I Lay Dying.
“I also want to share my full support for Ryan, Ken, and Nick, who made the choice to step away recently. I’m grateful for our accomplishments and friendship over the past 3 years.
“With 21 years that I have dedicated to this band, it does not sit well with me to leave or abandon what I’ve considered to be my “life’s work.” I don’t feel that I, or others, should be forced out like so many have in the past.
“After all that’s been put into this, I believe that with the right adjustments and restructuring, our music can continue to thrive and explore new possibilities in a healthier environment.
“Over time, As I Lay Dying has been held back by dysfunction, and I feel that it’s no longer my responsibility to bear that burden.
“Thank you to everyone who has shown support for me and the music of As I Lay Dying. I’m looking forward to putting my energy and creativity into new, more positive ventures in the near future.”
-Phil Sgrosso
You may recall that Susi said his morals had been “tested to a breaking point” and Pierce said he needed to walk away “in an effort to retain my personal health and integrity.” Sgrosso’s statement, which you can read in its entirety below, echoes similar comments from the aforementioned former members of the band.
It really causes one to wonder what the fuck happened that everyone’s saying shit got so bad? Remember, this is the band whose frontman was convicted of literally trying to hire someone to kill his now ex-wife.
This isn’t the first time Sgrosso’s addressed the ongoing turmoil in the embattled band, though he said at the time that he was navigating the “bureaucracy/business” side of things before going public with his thoughts.
All that’s left now is for As I Lay Dying (aka just Tim Lambesis) to put out a statement about the future of this band. After all, they have a brand new album coming out in just a couple weeks.
Wild.
