Guitarist Phil Demmel, a founding member of VIO-LENCE, will depart from the band following their upcoming performance on February 11. In a video statement shared by Demmel, he clarifies that his decision is unrelated to joining Kerry King‘s new band and entirely stems from his sense that the timing is appropriate.
He said: “I am announcing that this Sunday will be my last show with VIO-LENCE,” said Demmel. “The timing is weird, I know with the [KERRY KING announcement], and it doesn’t really coincide with the Kerry thing. It’s not ‘oh that got announced so I’m quitting this, stopping this’ or whatever you wanna… ‘retiring from whatever.’ It’s been I guess in the works for a bit, I kind of didn’t know. My status has been undefined for a while. I’m kind of doing things that I felt weird comfortable or fell in to my schedule or whatever.
“But given the latest state of the band and where I feel I belong with it, or feel tied to it, I just think my time is at an end. It’s not something that… I’ll always identify with the band. Me and Perry started this band in high school and it’s cool to be going places we haven’t been. In this instance, I’m feeling that Sean (Killian, VIO-LENCE singer) [and I] are on different pages. I guess we’ve always been on different pages, but I don’t feel like I fit in with what the objective of this is anymore.
“In light of some current events, I felt compelled to make the break and just thought about maybe doing a home show and saying goodbye – I don’t feel like I need that. I feel like playing those Metro shows with Perry and Dean and Ray, and having those two magical days and doing some other stuff that we’ve done, writing five songs, doing the EP – I feel fulfilled. Anything further kinda feels forced. Honestly before this tour, I didn’t wanna come. I’m here to commit. I’m comitted to it, I wasn’t gonna back out. But I think I’m done. I think I’ve done what I wanted to do with this band.”
Formed in 1985, Oakland thrashers VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they briefly reformed a handful of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time band once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet delivered Let The World Burn in 2022, a five-song EP showcasing their first new material in twenty-nine years. Delivering on the classic VIO-LENCE sound, Let The World Burn was tracked in Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS), mixed by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN), and mastered by Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, DEATH ANGEL).
Demmel is featured on Kerry King’s upcoming solo album, From Hell I Rise, on May 17. In addition to King and Demmel, the album features DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda, longtime SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph and former HELLYEAH bassist Kyle Sanders.
