As I Lay Dying‘s implosion was nothing in need of spectacular.
It began with each member of the band, bar the lead singer Tim Lambesis, exiting the band with comparatively comparable statements stating that their morals or beliefs had been put to the check, they usually merely could not transfer ahead in November of 2024.
Then, Lambesis provided a non-denial denial relating to the state of affairs, making an attempt to place the state of affairs to mattress earlier than leaked safety footage made its method onto the web, exhibiting Lambesis being violent in direction of himself and extremely agitated throughout a heated argument along with his spouse.
Lambesis made a second assertion that then provided one other rationalization for the behaviour, claiming his spouse was bodily and verbally abusive, suggesting that the leaked footage was a conspiracy to defame him as a result of he served his ‘abusive’ spouse with divorce papers.
By mid-January of this yr, two days after doing an interview that provided Lambesis‘ side of events, extra footage of Lambesis was leaked on-line, this time bodily abusing his canine, and his spouse refuted his claims, and returned with accusations of her personal.
Lambesis has a historical past of violence after being convicted of a murder-for-hire plot that surrounded his ex-wife in 2014, with ex-As I Lay Dying guitarist Ken Susi explaining that regardless of giving him a second likelihood after Lambesis‘ authentic jail stint, he could not condone his behaviour any longer. Susi then detailed how among the safety footage ended up on social media (as transcribed by thePRP):
“I’m not going to defame anyone, however I’m going to exit and say that [Lambesis], personally along with his statements after the band, have simply depicted me and the opposite bandmates as unstable… It defamed my character. The man wrote one thing alongside the traces of like ‘Phil [Sgrosso, ex-As I Lay Dying guitarist] stop, stop later, and the band took [Sgrosso]’s aspect and others rushed to statements when once they had been fearful about rumors that had been circulating.’
Like that was on November 4th, proper. He wrote that on his on the non-public As I Lay Dying web page to a fan that was commenting about stuff. That was extremely incorrect. I believe the 25 years that I’ve been in bands, I’ve been fairly fucking vocal and trustworthy to individuals… I wouldn’t stop over a rumor. Christ. I used to be within the band with a man that loads of rumors circulated about. However the factor is these rumors had been truly fucking true.
If you wish to know what precisely occurred and why the band broke up is as a result of we had been at Metalfest and we had the best fucking time in my kitchen. We had all of the the all of the band, all of the members, all of the crew, all people and some individuals had been staying at a resort. After which me, being a superb host, after the pageant.
Now, thoughts you, [Lambesis] and his spouse, they weren’t they weren’t vibing on tour. issues… We had been uncertain if his spouse was even going to return to this brief weekend of reveals, However I’m going to say, they had been staying in a resort down the road and I provided, I mentioned, ‘Hey, you’re going to go get a tattoo. My spouse works from dwelling. I bought to go to Fishman. In case your spouse needs to simply chill all day, my spouse and your spouse are mates. You’re welcome to simply keep right here and save the cash. And you should utilize certainly one of our automobiles. You don’t need to lease a automotive.’
Like simply go do your factor. However what ended up taking place is, my spouse and I are having a child. She’s placing a bassinet collectively proper now… However we [had] simply introduced to my entire household that we’re having a child. We bought my mom crying, my father crying. [Lambesis]‘s spouse is witnessing this, taking video in our home, it was a joyous event the day after Metalfest.
After which inside 2-3 hours later, there was like an incident the place now thoughts you, I’m simply going to select up the, I’ll decide up the fucking digicam proper now. I bought these enormous honking safety cameras all around the home, and a label on the entrance door saying you’re being filmed 24/7, proper?
And this man like comes into my home in the midst of the night time, corners his spouse in my kitchen and spits in her face. After which retracts 4 or 5 steps again and has some kind of episode, which I’ve by no means seen out of someone earlier than in my whole life.
After which begins screaming and working round my home for assist. And it alarmed my spouse. She awoke and he or she’s like, ‘What’s happening?’ And I’m like, ‘I’ve heard him scream for assist earlier than.’ I’m going to go see what’s happening.
However in the end, I’m not 20-years-old. I’m not going to show a blind eye to home violence. I’m not going to show a blind eye to love improper habits. , when shit occurs, you fucking deal with it. And in that state of affairs, I didn’t know what occurred. I separated them, I introduced them all the way down to my studio. I requested him particularly what the fuck is occurring.
And I, is there something I have to know? And he was similar to, ‘Oh my marriage’, this and that. And I’m like, ‘cool.’ I’m going upstairs. I requested [Lambesis‘ wife] what’s happening. She tells me the reality.
I truly pull up the digicam footage in entrance of her and I see precisely what was mentioned. He spit on me. He threw a match. I used to be making an attempt to calm him down the entire 9. And to be completely trustworthy with you, that’s what fucking occurred.
Afterward, you recognize, he tried to vary. I went again downstairs. I mentioned, ‘I’m disillusioned in you.’ And he’s like, ‘I didn’t spit on her face. I spit at her toes.’ And I’m like, ‘Why are you spitting in my home typically?’ In the event you’re going to lie about it, you recognize? And the trustworthy to God fact is, you’re not going to insult me. I requested him to depart instantly. He left. And at that time, the remaining is historical past.
If [Lambesis], needs me to love… After I stop the band, he despatched a message via his spouse, via his spouse’s cellphone, saying he would sue me if I ever launch that footage as a result of he didn’t know — he was filmed with out his consent, or he was posting up like, [Lambesis‘ wife] would sue me.
However like, in the end I’m not fucking scared. I’ve the receipts. With [Lambesis]’s permission, if you wish to test if I’m a reputable supply, if you wish to see if I’m a upstanding individual, I’ll launch it. If you’d like me to launch it, that’s wonderful. [Lambesis], like I’ve no downside with it.
However I’m not going to take a seat right here and allow you to say issues like, ‘Oh, [Sgrosso] left the band.’ Otherwise you had been actually distant from the band and you recognize, everybody was like making an attempt to drag you again in, however you had been simply on this place and blah, blah. You, you recognize, you’re making a lie. You’re making a lie for the fanbase. And it makes me look dangerous. It makes the blokes look dangerous. You probably did one thing incorrect. You need to come clean with it.
And to be trustworthy with you, I despatched the video to [Sgrosso] and I simply mentioned, ‘[Sgrosso], you’re the different like working officer on this band. You might be technically HR. , I want you don’t share this with anyone.’ However I simply mentioned, ‘I’ve to stop the band. I’m out of right here. I don’t wish to take care of the sort of shit.’ After which I additionally mentioned that we had like, you recognize, cash on the road for a tour and pyro and all this different shit.
I mentioned, I’ll end the tour, I’ll do the European Tour, so long as like this man has assist or he goes to get assist, you recognize? I actually didn’t wish to be part of the mission anymore, however I did perceive like how a lot cash was on the road for these guys. It’s a giant funding whenever you go abroad with scrims and pyro and all this different crap, and the deposits which are laid down.
And I didn’t wish to depart them excessive and dry, although the the severity of the problem was like so critical, however I used to be keen to see via that. However by the point it went into the As I Lay Dying, like band circle, that’s when issues imploded.
No one wished to be part of it anymore. They didn’t care concerning the funds. They didn’t care about something. And and that’s actually what went down, you recognize, it’s what it’s. What am I going to say? I’m telling the reality. I simply, I simply don’t just like the ‘the band broke up due to communication issues and everybody adopted [Sgrosso]‘ or, you recognize… [Lambesis] actually blew up the excursions that I used to be alleged to be on, proper? With all of the earnings that I used to be going to make on that. I by no means bought paid on royalties for the songs that I did write, or assist write, on the file.
, he threatens me, clearly, once more, I mentioned, with a lawsuit, if I discuss or, you recognize, ship footage round that he clearly knew as a result of I’ve cameras in my widespread areas and an indication on the entrance door that he’s being filmed. And, you recognize, principally mendacity [about me online.]
I’ve been on this enterprise for 20 years, proper? 20 years, and truly longer than him. And to painting the band and us, like for leaving the best way he did. I simply don’t assume it’s cool. And it’s what it’s.
Simply don’t abuse your spouse in my fucking home and put my integrity on the road. And somebody must say one thing. I don’t. I don’t really feel like that is the.. I didn’t come on the present to to mean to take action. However since we’re within the second, I’m going to fucking say it in your present over anyone else’s as a result of I really like you as an individual, and other people do should know. Don’t subscribe to one thing that’s not good. However once more, I’ve the receipts.”
After a number of months of silence, Tim Lambesis has resurfaced with the most recent model of As I Lay Dying, that includes Chris Clancy on bass, Invoice Hudson and Don Vedda, and Jack Daniels on guitars, with Tim Yeung on drums, and a model new single, “Echoes.”
Slightly than bask within the ‘new starting’ for As I Lay Dying, Lambesis took it upon himself to answer some hate feedback circulating the web, with one his responses specifically, framing him as a sufferer whereas he claims is not a sufferer in the identical breath. Lambesis:
“I agree as a result of I don’t contemplate myself a sufferer. That is the highest quality of life for me to date and all of the loss from final yr is likely one of the best blessings I’ve ever had in my life. So grateful. Possibly you misunderstand me standing up in opposition to false narratives about me as me considering I’m a sufferer. I’m simply a part of the few individuals in society who cares to dig for fact reasonably than the media’s narrative.”
