Welcome to Rockville 2025 Books As I Lay Dying Despite Chaos
Tim Lambesis moves forward with the band’s name after mass departures and internal dysfunction.
- As I Lay Dying, now reduced to only Tim Lambesis, is set to play at Welcome to Rockville 2025 despite losing its entire lineup.
- Former members, including longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso, cited dysfunction and internal issues as reasons for their departure.
- Lambesis plans to rebuild the band with a new lineup and release the album Through Storms Ahead this Friday.
The wreckage that is 2024 As I Lay Dying looks more like a construction zone than a band these days, but apparently, that’s not stopping Tim Lambesis from slapping the name on a festival poster. Yes, despite being the last man standing—and a convicted felon to boot—Lambesis has already signed the band up for next year’s Welcome to Rockville.
This move raises more than a few eyebrows considering the band’s recent implosion. The Welcome to Rockville lineup, already packed with big names, dropped its latest batch of participants over the weekend, and nestled in there like a ticking time bomb was As I Lay Dying. Let’s not forget that the entire lineup—from bassist to tour manager—walked out, with whispers suggesting that Lambesis himself was the common denominator in the mass exodus.
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From Lambesis’ perspective, it makes sense to dust off the wreckage and get a new version of the band back on stage. After all, there’s an album to push. Through Storms Ahead drops this Friday, and they’ll need some way to hype those new tunes. The plan had been to kick off a tour this month, but that fell apart faster than a flimsy drum kit once the internal drama reached nuclear levels.
Here’s the rundown: bassist and clean vocalist Ryan Neff packed up first. Soon after, the band’s tour manager Alex Kendrick, guitarist Ken Susi, and drummer Nick Pierce all hit the exit. If that wasn’t enough, longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso finally left a few days later, explaining his decision in a pointedly diplomatic statement. One excerpt makes it pretty clear how he felt about the situation:
“After all that’s been put into this, I believe that with the right adjustments and restructuring, our music can continue to thrive and explore new possibilities in a healthier environment.
“Over time, As I Lay Dying has been held back by dysfunction, and I feel that it’s no longer my responsibility to bear that burden.”
Yeah, I know, We could post the whole statement, but honestly, this snippet gets the point across. Dysfunction, burdens, and a not-so-subtle jab at Lambesis’ leadership? Sounds about right.
Meanwhile, Lambesis has taken to public statements to assure the world—or at least whoever’s still paying attention—that he plans to rebuild. His vision for As I Lay Dying 2.0 involves assembling new players, fostering a positive creative atmosphere, and sticking to the tenets of persistence and determination that supposedly defined the band’s early years. Here’s a taste of what he had to say:
“I fully support each of the guys’ decisions to leave and believe at this time it is best for everyone. With that being said, my door will always remain open to discussing anything directly as I believe closing communication led to many assumptions and problems of its own.
“Now, regarding what’s next: AILD was founded on persistence and determination. For anyone who is familiar with the foundational years from 2000-2004, you know that more than 20 people (whom I’m incredibly grateful for) have come and gone to help bring to life this vision I’ve had in my head since I was 19 years old. I look forward to building a new team, and creating an atmosphere that is supportive, positive, and fosters a creative environment.”
And there you have it—Tim’s big speech about staying the course while the ship is half-sunk. Welcome to Rockville 2025 remains the only gig on the books, but you can bet we’ll hear about the new recruits and future tour plans soon. Whether or not the reimagined band will fly or crash spectacularly? That’s still anyone’s guess. Stay tuned.
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