Malevolent Creation guitarist and founding member Phil Fasciana has been having a difficult time getting back on track since contracting a life-threatening illness of bacterial pneumonia while on tour in France back in August. Less than two months later, Fasciana did his best to get his strength back on the road for the North American Tour with Vader, Kataklysm, and Skeletal Remains. Unfortunately, it may have been too soon for the guitarist to return. On Thursday (16th), Fasciana was forced to withdraw from the tour due to health complications, admitting to mixing alcohol with prescription medications against his doctor’s advice, leaving him unfit to perform.
Fasciana shared the following statement on the band’s social media:
“I must apologize to my friends, family and most importantly my band members Chris Cannella Jesse Jolly and Ronnie Parmer for my stupidity on our North American Tour with Kataklysm Vader and Skeletal Remains and everyone involved on the Carnival of Death Tour. I really believed i was healthy enough to do that tour. But one day before the tour started in Tampa, Florida I received some very heavy prescription medication for my lungs and heart by my Doctor from complications sustained in France which left me in a coma because of bacterial pneumonia and 3 weeks in ICU coughingout the blood that filled my lungs.My doctor contacted me a few days into the tour and told me do not drink alcohol on these medications because it could kill me. And like an Idiot I was drinking ridiculous amounts of Jack Daniel’s and everything came to a hault in Los Angeles when I stepped off the tour bus and walked into a bar at 11am and drank ungodly amounts of whiskey before our show at the Whiskey A Go Go (how ironic) and nearly killed myself and had to leave the tour. I am still deathly sick and I am home and have to see multiple doctors and find out if I am ok or did permanent damage to myself. I take responsibility for my actions and all I can say i am very sorry to everyone involved on the Carnival Of Death Tour. I have to get ultra sounds on my Aorta and xrays on my entire chest cavity on October 21st and if they don’t find anything life threatening I would like to finish the remaining dates on the tour if possible. Once again I am very sorry and I really let down a lot of people because of my stupid decisions. “
The band later issued their own statement on Friday (17th) to clarify that they will continue the remaining dates of the tour:
“Just to clear up any confusion about Malevolent Creation regarding the Carnival of Death tour, we are definitely finishing the tour in Phil’s absence. Following his initial statement, many people were under the assumption that we would drop off the tour entirely, but this is not the case. We thank all of our amazing fans and friends for your continued support of us, as well as the continued concern for Phil’s health. This is an incredible tour package to be involved in, and we’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue. So please come out and rage with us!
Thank you all!
MC”
Remaining Tour Dates
10/20 Lakewood, OH @ Mercury Music Lounge
10/22 Ottawa, ON @ Overflow
10/23 Quebec City, QC @ Salle Montaigne
10/24 Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre
10/25 Syracuse, NY @ The Lost Horizon
10/26 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch
