Founding Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel is leaving the band after one final show on February 11. In a video statement published by Demmel and transcribed by Metal Injection, he explains that this has nothing to do with joining Kerry King's new band and everything to do with feeling like the time was right.
"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 instace, I'm feeling that Sean [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."
Demmel played with every incarnation of Vio-Lence across their career between 1985 and 2024.
