It took Toronto, ON-based outfit Piledriver - currently known as the Exalted Piledriver - 22 years to follow up the band's sophomore effort, Stay Ugly, with 2008's Metal Manifesto. And while things were looking better for the thrash metal stalwarts after years of inactivity a message from vocalist Gord "the Exalted Piledriver" Kirchin has proven otherwise. The band are on official, indefinite hiatus.
"Major health problems have been hampering live performances for over a year and that's one of the numerous reasons for this season of 'downtime' for me right now. I need to have a few things fixed or adjusted, and I'll be back in the health saddle in a few months," Kirchin wrote on the band's MySpace page, adding "numerous insurmountable obstacles and negativities prevent me from moving forward at this time... it's only wise that I pull the plug until this metal machine works properly again and no one else gets hurt."
He goes on to note that band-mates Mark "Kinky Pork Cream" Kopernicky and Rob "Lobo El Fsnort" Tollefson forced the hiatus by tendering their resignations via email. The now ex-Piledriver members assert they delivered the blow out of concern for Kirchin's well-being yet it is currently unknown whether the band will return or not. The sad news comes on the heels of the Exalted Piledriver having to cancel a European tour do to the "global economic downturn rendering [it] a depressing financial bloodbath."
"Major health problems have been hampering live performances for over a year and that's one of the numerous reasons for this season of 'downtime' for me right now. I need to have a few things fixed or adjusted, and I'll be back in the health saddle in a few months," Kirchin wrote on the band's MySpace page, adding "numerous insurmountable obstacles and negativities prevent me from moving forward at this time... it's only wise that I pull the plug until this metal machine works properly again and no one else gets hurt."
He goes on to note that band-mates Mark "Kinky Pork Cream" Kopernicky and Rob "Lobo El Fsnort" Tollefson forced the hiatus by tendering their resignations via email. The now ex-Piledriver members assert they delivered the blow out of concern for Kirchin's well-being yet it is currently unknown whether the band will return or not. The sad news comes on the heels of the Exalted Piledriver having to cancel a European tour do to the "global economic downturn rendering [it] a depressing financial bloodbath."
