Vio-lence co-founder Phil Demmel announced in a video message on Instagram that he would be performing his last show with the band on February 11 in São Paulo, Brazil.
This concert will conclude Vio-lence’s Latin American tour alongside Exhorder, marking the end of an era for the guitarist with the band he helped form in 1985. Demmel’s announcement comes after news broke of his involvement in Slayer’s Kerry King’s solo project. Addressing his followers, Demmel clarified that his decision to leave Vio-lence was not made in light of his new project with King, saying:
“I am announcing that this Sunday will be my last show with Vio-lence. The timing is weird, I know, and it doesn’t really coincide with the Kerry thing. It’s not that, ‘Oh that got announced, so now I’m quitting this, stopping this,’ whatever you wanna [call it], retiring from, whatever. It’s been, I guess, in the works for a bit.”
Assessing His Fit Within The Band
He continued, sharing details of his decision:
“My status has been undefined for a while. I’m kind of doing things that I felt comfortable or fell into my schedule or whatever. But given just the latest state of the band and where I feel I belong with it or feel tied to it, I just think that my time is at an end.”
Reflections On A Long Career
The musician also recalled the journey he embarked on with Vio-lence, explaining:
“I’ll always identify with the band. Me and [drummer] Perry [Strickland] started this band in high school. It’s cool to be going to places that we haven’t been. I’m feeling that [Vio-lence singer] Sean [Killian] is… We’ve gone far 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. And in light of some current events [laughs], I felt compelled to make the break.”
Demmel considered a farewell show with Vio-lence but felt his past accomplishments with the band were enough, making anything more feel unnecessary. Despite initial hesitations about their recent tour, he fulfilled his commitment to his bandmates. Reflecting on his nearly 40-year journey with the band, he expressed gratitude for the experience.
In related news, Kerry King revealed the lineup for his solo project, which includes Phil Demmel among an impressive roster of musicians. The project named ‘From Hell I Rise’ will be released on May 17 through Reigning Phoenix Music.
You can watch his video announcement here.
