Death metal band Suffocation recently issued a statement responding to former drummer Eric Morotti’s claims about his departure from the band, as reported on Instagram.
The band’s statement addressed what they described as false claims made by Morotti regarding the circumstances of his exit from the group.
“To address Eric Morotti’s false claims made in his social media posts on April 10th and to the news outlets who picked it up, Suffocation would like to take a moment to set the record straight,” the band said.
The statement clarified the actual reason for Morotti’s departure from the band.
“Last week, the decision was made by Suffocation to part ways with Eric Morotti due to his conflicting schedule with Sanguisugabogg, which affected Suffocation’s schedule for the year,” they continued. “Eric was notified of his termination on April 8 by email, which is released with this statement. It is unfortunate that Eric decided to falsify claims and take this to a negative place forcing us to make this statement.”
Despite the dispute, the band concluded their statement on a diplomatic note.
“Regardless, we wish him nothing but the best of luck on his future endeavors,” they said.
This response contradicts Morotti’s recent claims that he left the band due to a toxic environment. Suffocation revealed that he was actually terminated due to scheduling conflicts.
The controversy began when Morotti made his departure public through social media. He provided a starkly different narrative than what the band later presented. Morotti previously said in his statement, “There comes a point in your life where you pick you! You must choose to change, evolve, or be stuck in the same routines forever. Today. On my. Birthday. I have chosen to step away from Suffocation to prolong my health, myself. My integrity. I will not work with toxic. Abusive drug addicts. Let alone allow them to boss me around. I’ve been belittled and stepped all over for too long.”
Blunt Magazine reported that Morotti announced his departure on April 10 via Instagram Story. He called the band a “toxic group” and stated he would not “team with addicts anymore.” The drummer had been with Suffocation for nearly 10 years. He made these explosive claims just two days after the band says they terminated him via email.
The scheduling conflict mentioned by Suffocation centers around Morotti’s involvement with another death metal band. Lambgoat noted that Sanguisugabogg, Morotti’s newer band, is currently touring the USA with Lamb of God. This created the scheduling issues that Suffocation cited as the reason for his termination.
In response to Morotti’s departure, Suffocation has already secured a replacement drummer for their upcoming commitments. Metal Insider confirmed that the band announced Origin drummer John Longstreth as Morotti’s replacement for upcoming tours with Cradle of Filth, Welcome to Rockville, and Sonic Temple.
The timing of events suggests a significant disconnect between the two parties’ versions of what transpired. Suffocation maintains they made the decision to part ways with Morotti on April 8 due to scheduling conflicts. However, Morotti’s public statements two days later painted a picture of a toxic work environment that forced his departure.
