Guitarist Phil Sgrosso has quit As I Lay Dying, following in the footsteps of three other band members who exited last week. That leaves the veteran metalcore band with just one member remaining: frontman Tim Lambesis.
While the other three musicians who quit had only been in the band since 2022, Sgrosso was a longtime member of As I Lay Dying, having joined in 2003. Sgrosso, along with other classic members of As I Lay Dying, returned in 2018 when Lambesis re-formed the band following his prison stint for attempting to hire a hitman to murder his then-wife.
Sgrosso stuck with Lambesis and As I Lay Dying even after fellow longtime members Nick Hipa (guitar), Jordan Mancino (drums), and Josh Gilbert (bass) all quit by 2022. They were replaced respectively by Ken Susi, Nick Pierce, and Ryan Neff, the three musicians who exited the band last week.
Now, Sgrosso has departed as well, explaining that “As I Lay Dying no longer offers a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved.” His full statement posted Wednesday (October 30th) on his social media channels reads as follows:
“Thank you for your patience as I took time to gather my thoughts before speaking on the current state of As I Lay Dying.
With recent events, including the departure of band members and the cancellation of our European tour ahead of a new album release, it’s clear we’re in a difficult and serious situation. Simply put, recent actions have shown that As I Lay Dying no longer offers a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved — whether creatively, personally, or professionally. After witnessing some concerning patterns of behavior, I’ve realized that I can no longer, in good conscience, enable further actions that could negatively affect anyone working within this space. For these reasons, I feel it’s in my best interest to completely distance myself, both creatively and personally, from As I Lay Dying.
I also want to share my full support for Ryan, Ken, and Nick, who made the choice to step away recently. I’m grateful for our accomplishments and friendship over the past 3 years.
With 21 years that I have dedicated to this band, it does not sit well with me to leave or abandon what I’ve considered to be my ‘life’s work.’ I don’t feel that I, or others, should be forced out like so many have in the past.
After all that’s been put into this, I believe that with the right adjustments and restructuring, our music can continue to thrive and explore new possibilities in a healthier environment.
Over time, As I Lay Dying has been held back by dysfunction, and I feel that it’s no longer my responsibility to bear that burden.
Thank you to everyone who has shown support for me and the music of As I Lay Dying. I’m looking forward to putting my energy and creativity into new, more positive ventures in the near future.”
As Sgrosso mentioned, the band’s upcoming European tour has been canceled. As of now, the new album Through Storms Ahead is still slated to be released on November 15th.
Lambesis served two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to solicitation of murder. While that incident certainly hung over As I Lay Dying like a dark cloud, it appears that undisclosed recent actions by the frontman have led to the mass exodus of band members.
See Phil Sgrosso’s Instagram post below.