as i lay dying
18:22 Sunday, 19 June 2022
As I Lay Dying continue to undergo changes, with drummer Jordan Mancino being the latest member to exit the group. Mancino recently revealed via social media that he would not be drumming on the band's upcoming touring, citing "internal issues" that needed to be worked out. Following that statement, As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis has revealed that the group intends to move forward without Mancino as attempts to reconcile proved unsuccessful.
In his statement, Lambesis revealed that Mancino had refused to communicate with the rest of the band except through lawyers, and that they recently received legal documents stating that the drummer wished to move on from the group. Lambesis statement can be read in full below:
There was a public statement recently made by Jordan Mancino regarding “internal issues within AILD”. We feel that it’s necessary to share a little more information with the fans on the matter in order to better understand the situation and avoid making any wrongful assumptions.
For about the past 2 years, Jordan has ex-communicated himself from the remaining members of AILD informing us that he wishes to only speak through lawyers moving forward.
There have been numerous attempts by the remaining members to reconcile with Jordan to find common ground in how to continue AILD in a healthy and positive manner.
In preparation for post-pandemic band activity, the remaining members felt it unfair to have our ambitions hindered by someone who refused to contribute or communicate openly. We feel this is not an efficient way for a band (or business) to operate productively.
We offered Jordan the chance to get together and jam old songs, or even just get into a room together to talk weeks prior to an established deadline before needing to find a fill in drummer for the upcoming tours. We had no response until we were met with legal documents that Jordan wished to move on from the band and expected a payment in return.
The remaining members feel that we must find other solutions to keep AILD moving forward without Jordan Mancino involved. There is nothing personal with this situation in any way. We want to continue playing music and we cannot be an effective team if a member wants to limit all progress and productivity by refusing to communicate.
The remaining members who write the songs, handle touring logistics, merchandise, etc feel confident that we can pursue our creative ambitions moving forward with greater ease knowing that all members, producers, agents, crew members, etc are enthusiastic to be involved. The driving force of AILD is still well in tact.
Jordan has had a long career of performing AILD songs very well, and his drumming on our earlier records in particular really pushed the genre as a whole. We’ll forever be grateful for his contributions and the good times we shared.
Mancino becomes the third band member to exit As I Lay Dying since they reunited with Lambesis in 2018. Guitarist Nick Hipa was the first to leave, confirming his exit in an August 2021 statement. Bassist Josh Gilbert's departure came in May of this year. And now Mancino is exiting the band as well, leaving Lambesis and guitarist Phil Sgrosso as the lone remaining classic lineup band members.
The band's most recent album was 2019's Shaped By Fire. Though Mancino is not with them, former Unearth drummer Nick Pierce is handling drumming duties for their current tour. Dates for the run can be seen here.
