Japanese metalcore act Crystal Lake has parted ways with vocalist Ryo Kinoshita, who fronted the band between 2012 and present day. Kinoshita issued the below statement citing his ongoing adjustment disorder making it difficult to continue on with the band.
"I have decided to leave Crystal Lake. I sincerely apologize to all the fans and everyone involved for whom I have caused a great deal of trouble since the hiatus from September of last year.
"As previously mentioned in the hiatus announcement last year, I have an illness known as adjustment disorder, and I have decided that it will be extremely difficult for me to continue as a member of the band in the future.
"It was certainly not an easy decision, but I believe I made the best choice by taking the time to reflect on myself. I struggled for 10 years and continued to fight. I didn’t have many allies and I relied only on myself and the voices of the fans.
"I have been suffering from adjustment disorder for about 5 years. Some days I can’t sleep, some days I can only sleep. Sometimes everything becomes pitch black and you can’t move like a corpse. There were many times when I couldn’t stop crying before a live show.
"But I am proud of what Crystal Lake has achieved around the world and what we have achieved with the help of our crew, staff and everyone. Crystal Lake has been the number one live band in the world for the past decade, without a doubt. Thank you very much to all the fans who supported me during the 10 years I was around."
Kinoshita's final effort with the band is the 2021 single "Curse" which you can check out below. Crystal Lake recently underwent a handful of lineup changes, with touring drummer Gaku Taura and bassist Mitsuru permanently joining the band in 2021. Crystal Lake also replaced Shinya Hori, who left in 2020, with guitarist Hisatsugu "TJ" Taji the same year. And while this news sucks, it's certainly a good reminder to check out Crystal Lake's music.
