A week after three members of As I Lay Dying abruptly quit the controversial metalcore band, guitarist Phil Sgrosso has also announced that he has left the band amid a “difficult and serious situation.”
Last week, guitarist Ken Susi, drummer Nick Pierce, and bassist Ryan Neff jointly quit As I Lay Dying — fronted by singer Tim Lambesis, who infamously spent nearly three years in prison after pleading guilty to soliciting an undercover cop to murder his then-wife — ahead of their since-canceled European tour.
Susi wrote in a statement that “personal morals have recently been tested to a breaking point, and it’s now the saddest ending to what could have been the greatest second chance for this band.”
On Thursday, Sgrosso — who joined As I Lay Dying in 2003 and was one of the few members of the current lineup who predated Lambesis’ conviction — revealed on social media that his tenure with the band has also ended.
“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,” Sgrosso wrote. “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.”
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The guitarist — who also voiced his support for the previous three band members who left As I Lay Dying — continued, “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… 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.”
The remaining members of As I Lay Dying, which release their new album Through Storms Ahead in two weeks, previously briefly addressed the departures and the band’s unsteady future, “We are still sorting through details of what is going on within AILD and will have more details for you soon.”
