The San Francisco Bay Area-based metal band Forbidden is now two band members short.
First off, Matt Camacho, the band’s bassist, has decided to leave the band for good. Guitarist Craig Locicero comments on the departure of his fellow band mate:
For those that know and love Matt, this may be a shock to you. Matt’s always been gung-ho for the band since the beginning and was a positive guy. But ever since he went to law school after FORBIDDEN split up the first time, he was on a career path that would eventually take him to this day. His job position keeps getting better and taking care of our families is the most important thing.
While this is sad news indeed, the reasons are understandable. The biggest issue for the band, however, might be that they lost not only their guitarist, but also their singer, Russ Anderson, at least for the time being. The latter has decided to take a break from the music business in general. Locicero does, however, sound a bit more hopeful about the possibility of their vocalist returning:
Russ Anderson has made the decision to take a break away from music to get his bearings back and rekindle his fire for Forbidden. Russ is not quitting, but has decided that he needs to do this for himself. We support him and his decision to not fake his way through what needs to be real.
The immediate consequences of the changes in their lineup will be felt during this year’s Wacken Open Air festival – with their band two members short, they will not be able to perform as planned:
So then there is the unfortunate reality that under these circumstances Forbidden will not be appearing at the Wacken Open Air festival this year. This breaks my heart as much as anything else! Steve [Smyth, guitar], Sasha [Horn, drums] and myself were very much looking forward to playing in front of that crowd and we had been holding out hope for Russ to change his mind. But he feels strongly that he just can’t do it right now. So we must respect his wishes and let him have his space.
We’d like to apologize to our fans, Continental Concerts, the Wacken Open Air organizers and everyone at Nuclear Blast Europe. You’ve all stood by us for so long and we understand how bad the fans in Europe want to see Forbidden again. But you deserve to see Forbidden at its best. Not under these circumstances.
This is our promise to you we’ll come back with stronger and with new material! We’ve already got half of the new record written and we’ll finish it up when Russ feels good enough to thrash it up again!
Thanks to you all from the bottom of our hearts…
The decision makes sense, although it feels like maybe Russ should have granted them this one last show at one of the biggest annual metal events worldwide. But with the circumstances being what they are, not performing is most likely a wise choice. One can only hope that the singer will reconsider his decision rather sooner than later so that new record can be finished and new stages can be smashed. Matt Camacho, while certain about his decision, seems saddened nonetheless:
Playing in Forbidden has been a dream come true for me. It has allowed me to tour the world, play with and meet some of the most amazing bands, make friends for life, perform some phenomenal shows, and, most important, experience the most amazing FANS… I’ll truly miss the inspiration and love that people from around the world have shown towards the MUSIC. As I leave for a new endeavor, I want to express my thanks and gratitude for all the incredible musicians both past and present who have graced their magical touch on Forbidden’s music. To be a part of this band and to have these guys as friends and family for life is a true blessing. Thanks guys for the support and I look forward to seeing Forbidden carry on for years to come.
Why thank you Matt, and we do hope there will be new Forbidden material some time soon.
[via Blabbermouth]
