Drummer Mark Castillo Receives Cochlear Implant, Quits Emmure

Emmure drummer Mark Castillo has released the following statement via his personal Facebook page:

“To all my fans: it is with a heavy heart that I announce my departure from Emmure. I know this is going to come as a shock to quite a few of you, but I was actually born deaf, and learned to play drums purely based on the vibrations. (I know this may sound extraordinary, but it’s more common in metal than you’d think… for example, the guy from Avenged Sevenfold is also deaf.) I liked metal because it allowed for the most vibrations, and I joined Emmure because of Frankie’s throat tattoo — I figured anyone with a throat tattoo must be a real badass, right?

“Recently, however, as you can see from this photo, I was the beneficiary of a miraculous cochlear implant, and, consequently, have actually HEARD music for the first time! So, of course, one of the very first things I did was listen to all the Emmure music I’ve been playing for the last four years, and… holy shit, did you guys know that this band is TERRIBLE? I mean, like, really, truly, deeply, irredeemably horrendous. I was mortified. How come nobody bothered to tell me? Don’t my loved ones care about my well-being???

“I was so ashamed of my participation in the creation of this abomination that I briefly decided to have my cochlear implants removed, which would render me deaf once again. Luckily, my otolaryngologist convinced me that this was an extreme measure, and that I’m a young man, I could still spend the remainder of my life atoning for my sins.

“So yeah I’m out. I admit I had fun while I was here — ignorance is bliss, right? — but I cannot, in good conscience, continue on with this crap. Thanks for your support!!!”

Okay, okay, so I obviously made that whole thing up. But Castillo really has the “left the band under amicable circumstances,” according to Lambgoat. All Shall Perish’s Adam Pierce is apparently sitting in for Castillo on Emmure’s current European tour. If this becomes his regular gig, that means All Shall Perish is even more fucked than they already were — at this point, everyone save for bassist Mike Tiner has either left the group (Eddie Hermida, Ben Orum) or found another gig which, I think we can safely assume, is going to take priority for the foreseeable future (Pierce, Francesco Artusato).

So Emmure soliders on, while All Shall Perish perishes. The bad guys win again.