Less than five months after their sophomore release Revolution Rise, Vinny Appice has left Kill Devil Hill, with former Type O Negative drummer Johnny Kelly stepping in. Via a press release, Appice offered the following comment:
“It’s been a great musical adventure from the beginning, but the time has now come to go our separate ways and continue to make music that we love.”
Rex Brown also commented the departure of Appice:
“We all have a lot of love and respect for Vinny and have been honored to have jammed with him over the last few years – we wish Vinny well with all his future endeavors, it has been a blast!”
As a former drummer for Black Sabbath, Appice was one of the bigger names in the band when it first debuted alongside Rex Brown. Naturally, you’d expect his replacement to be someone else with a noteworthy musical resume. Such appears to be the case as Johnny Kelly, of Type O Negative fame, has been announced as Appice’s replacement. Kelly commented on joining the band:
“I’m really excited about coming on board with Kill Devil Hill. I’ve been a fan since their debut and have known the guys for a long-time. It’s also clear that I have some really big shoes to fill. I’m ready for that challenge as I prepare for KDH’s next chapter – this is gonna be a blast!”
We have to wonder what Appice might be up to since it appears he has other projects planned (including recording new material with Last In Line). In any case, Kelly will make his live debut with the band in April while the group supports Killswitch Engage in Australia.
