It looks like the transition of Asking Alexandria vocalist from Denis Stoff to Danny Worsnop is not without some drama. Last night, after guitarist Ben Bruce posted the video confirming Stoff's departure, the band's label owner, Ash Avildsen of Sumerian Records, posted a cryptic tweet.
Avildsen's tweet read "As requested, I'll release a video further clarifying what happened with AA. If Denis denies the truth, Emails and texts prove everything."
As requested, I'll release a video further clarifying what happened with AA. If Denis denies the truth, Emails and texts prove everything.
— Ash Avildsen (@ashavildsen) October 22, 2016
Shortly after that, Stoff former bandmate in Make Me Famous, the band he was in before Asking Alexandria, drummer Dusty Boyles posted on his Facebook page "For anyone who keeps messaging me or tagging me in comments about the Asking situation, yes I’ve know about it for a while now and all I can say is. I TOLD YOU SO."
AltPress reports that shortly after this initial post, Boyle followed it up by saying Stoff demanded “millions of dollars,” and that he warned Asking Alexandria drummer James Cassells about Stoff "and it all came true."
In Bruce's statement last night, his insinuations about Stoff seemed to corroborate what Boyle was hinting at:
“When Denis first joined the band a year, year and a half ago, people within the music industry and fans alike, they all told us these different things about Denis‘ past, and we got many warnings and we said, that’s his past forgive and forget, we don’t know any of that side of things. So we gave him the benefit of the doubt and you know, there’s no smoke without fire and I guess we found that out the hard way."
Bruce went on to say he did not regret recording The Black with Stoff and the touring and he wasn't going to sit around and bad mouth him:
I’m not gonna sit here and talk shit on Denis, he came into this band and he was amazing for us at the time. We had a blast with him, we had the best time ever. As far as we could see everything was going great, obviously it wasn’t. There’s not really anything we can do about that. We once again have been left in a rather shitty situation and we’ve picked ourselves up off the floor and we’ve continued going. Asking Alexandria is back to the way we started with the original fucking members."
After we posted our initial story earlier today, returning frontman Danny Worsnop offered a new comment, making sure to make fans aware of all his new projects while also confirming his return to the band:
“As none, some, most, or all of you have seen, the last week has been what one would refer to as “eventful”. Rumors and speculation of recent events have circulated long before even their inception but in an ironic twist of fate or foresight have come to fruition. Two weeks ago I was approached with a question, that as to if I would consider touring with my former band, Asking Alexandria for their upcoming tour “10 Years In The Black”. Now, keep in mind that outside occasional “Hey man, how’ve you been?” texts, Ben Bruce and I hadn’t spoken since my departure, and the rest of the band, not at all.”
“It was a long week pondering the decision and figuring out what the right thing to do was. After all, my album “The Long Road Home” is about to release, which is of course my primary focus, I’m working on the new We Are Harlot record, and trying to book in as much acting work as possible. Eventually the pivotal hour came about and it was time to make a decision. I took this last year off from playing and touring to find myself (pretentious) and re-evaluate my life (cliche), which I NAILED (badass). So, now, after almost two years, I shall be going on tour again with Asking Alexandria. We have spent the last week honing the show and the set to be the best it can be, and best it has ever been, and I hope y’all enjoy watching it as much as we have creating it. It is a journey through the band’s history and maybe even a new song that isn’t actually very new but is new but isn’t new at all. I’m now in a place mentally where this is something I can embrace again, with the men I started this crazy journey with. It’s a beautiful nostalgia that feels like nothing ever changed.”
“Whatever happened with Asking Alexandria and Denis Shaforostov is between them, and for them to tell. All I can speak to is my excitement to be working with my old and dear friends, playing music we made for a decade that we are here to celebrate. Pick up your tickets to the USA, Canada, UK and Europe tours at www.askingalexandria.com My new single “Mexico”, coming November 1st. Stay tuned for the second We Are Harlot Album. Stay beautiful, sleazy, and never too sober.”
Stoff finally broke his silence earlier today, responding to Avildsen's original tweet saying he "can't be in a touring band at this point of my life. There's no drama & I don't want to be a part of it."
I left AA because I can't be in a touring band at this point of my life. There's no drama & I don't want to be a part of it.
— denisstoff (@realdstoff) October 22, 2016
