Rings of Saturn have announced they’ve decided to move towards a “strictly instrumental direction.” While the group welcomes vocalist Ian Bearer to join them on any tours they have currently booked, their overall creative direction has changed.

Joel Omans and Lucas Mann issued the following statement via Facebook:

“Rings of Saturn is transitioning towards a strictly instrumental direction which will open up many new doors in terms of musical creativity for the bands future. We are looking forward to exploring new territories of writing and expand on the band’s overall sound in this way. Along with the recent instrumental album release versions of our past discography, every album since Dingir has traditionally included an instrumental track, so many fans will appreciate what’s coming next with a sense of familiarity. We would love to have Ian Bearer on any tours we currently have booked, but that decision remains ultimately up to him, and moving forward this also means that live shows will be done completely as an instrumental band. We would like to thank Ian Bearer for his years of hard work and commitment as the voice of the band during its most recent 10 years. On tour and in the studio, it has been an honor to create and perform music alongside such a great vocalist. We absolutely wish him the best in any endeavor he decides to pursue, and we hope that fans show him the same love and support as well. – Joel Omans & Lucas Mann “

This marks the group’s first announcement since Nuclear Blast dropped the band from their roster due to threats they’ve received from Mann.