Montreal modern death metal band Despised Icon have some beef with their former guitarist and his new band, and they aren't afraid to say it. Prior to the writing process of Despised Icon's latest release Day of Mourning, out September 22 via Century Media, guitarist Al Glassman left the band to join Arizona's Job for a Cowboy.
In an interview with Exclaim!, Despised Icon vocalist Alex Erian said that the band has moved on just fine without Glassman. When asked why the guitarist decided to leave the band, Erian replied that he had to "choose his words carefully," but then boldly stated: "You know what? Fuck Al and fuck his band, I'd rather not talk about it. But you can even quote me on that, I don't even care."
Erian said it was'nt difficult finding a new guitar player and they've enlisted Ben Landerville to replace Glassman. "I've known Ben for years and he's just somebody that's way more motivated than our previous guitar player," Erian explained. "He's got talent written all over him and he's definitely better than what we've had in the past. So with Al taking off and us moving on, I'd say everything worked out for the best."
Focusing on the good, rather than the bad, Erian said the band recruited new bassist Max Lavelle through Glassman. "We met Max thanks to Al, who was in the band Goratory with Al," he said. "I consider myself really lucky to have Max with us, he's one of my favourite bass players out there in the world of metal; he's just a great dude."
The member changes also provided inspiration for Despised Icon's songwriting of Day of Mourning. "The topic of the record is separation, whether it's making enemies out of friends or failed relationships or losing a loved one, Day of Mourning is a really strong image that I think portrays that accurately," Erian said. "The ideas kept going, we definitely didn't have any lack of inspiration on this one and I'm really stoked with how the record came out."
Before heading to Europe for the Never Say Die Tour, Despised Icon have confirmed the following dates for their North American Day of Mourning Tour:
9/12 Quebec, QC- Fleurie
9/25 Grand Rapids, MI - Mixtape Cafe
9/26 Aurora, IL - Dougs Rockhouse Grill
9/27 Buffalo, MN - The Vault
9/28 Sioux Falls, SD - Nutty's North
9/29 Lawrence, KS - The Granada
9/30 Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
10/2 San Diego, CA - The Epicentre
10/3 Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
10/4 Orangevale, CA - The Boardwalk
10/5 Portland, OR - Satyricon
10/6 Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
10/7 Boise, ID - The Venue
10/8 Casper, WY - Industrial Building County
10/9 Layton, UT - V2
10/10 Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
10/12 Fort Wayne, IN - Sunset Hall
10/13 Louisville, KY - Bulldog Cafe
10/14 Toledo, OH - Headliner's
10/15 Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
10/16 Worcester, MA - The Palladium
10/17 S. Hackensack, NJ - School Of Rock
10/19 Mt Airy, MD - Mt Airy Firehall
10/20 Springfield, VA - Jaxx
10/22 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
10/23 Spartanburg, SC - Groud Zero
10/24 Raleigh, NC - Volume 11 Tavern
10/25 Knoxville, TN - Valarium
In an interview with Exclaim!, Despised Icon vocalist Alex Erian said that the band has moved on just fine without Glassman. When asked why the guitarist decided to leave the band, Erian replied that he had to "choose his words carefully," but then boldly stated: "You know what? Fuck Al and fuck his band, I'd rather not talk about it. But you can even quote me on that, I don't even care."
Erian said it was'nt difficult finding a new guitar player and they've enlisted Ben Landerville to replace Glassman. "I've known Ben for years and he's just somebody that's way more motivated than our previous guitar player," Erian explained. "He's got talent written all over him and he's definitely better than what we've had in the past. So with Al taking off and us moving on, I'd say everything worked out for the best."
Focusing on the good, rather than the bad, Erian said the band recruited new bassist Max Lavelle through Glassman. "We met Max thanks to Al, who was in the band Goratory with Al," he said. "I consider myself really lucky to have Max with us, he's one of my favourite bass players out there in the world of metal; he's just a great dude."
The member changes also provided inspiration for Despised Icon's songwriting of Day of Mourning. "The topic of the record is separation, whether it's making enemies out of friends or failed relationships or losing a loved one, Day of Mourning is a really strong image that I think portrays that accurately," Erian said. "The ideas kept going, we definitely didn't have any lack of inspiration on this one and I'm really stoked with how the record came out."
Before heading to Europe for the Never Say Die Tour, Despised Icon have confirmed the following dates for their North American Day of Mourning Tour:
9/12 Quebec, QC- Fleurie
9/25 Grand Rapids, MI - Mixtape Cafe
9/26 Aurora, IL - Dougs Rockhouse Grill
9/27 Buffalo, MN - The Vault
9/28 Sioux Falls, SD - Nutty's North
9/29 Lawrence, KS - The Granada
9/30 Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
10/2 San Diego, CA - The Epicentre
10/3 Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
10/4 Orangevale, CA - The Boardwalk
10/5 Portland, OR - Satyricon
10/6 Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
10/7 Boise, ID - The Venue
10/8 Casper, WY - Industrial Building County
10/9 Layton, UT - V2
10/10 Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
10/12 Fort Wayne, IN - Sunset Hall
10/13 Louisville, KY - Bulldog Cafe
10/14 Toledo, OH - Headliner's
10/15 Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
10/16 Worcester, MA - The Palladium
10/17 S. Hackensack, NJ - School Of Rock
10/19 Mt Airy, MD - Mt Airy Firehall
10/20 Springfield, VA - Jaxx
10/22 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
10/23 Spartanburg, SC - Groud Zero
10/24 Raleigh, NC - Volume 11 Tavern
10/25 Knoxville, TN - Valarium
