Canadian metal band behind bizarre break-up announcement reveal drummer didn't die

[Glasgow]

They are now on an "extended hiatus"

Canadian doom-metal band Witchrot announced their break-up last month (November 27) in a dramatic post on their Facebook page. Now, they have revealed they’re staying together and, despite their claims, their drummer hadn’t died. 

Described as “hex, drugs and rock-n-roll”, the band, who have a self-titled EP, posted an update on Facebook on Sunday (November 25) which alleged: “Due to the unfortunate reality of our guitarist fucking my girlfriend of almost 7 years, WITCHROT will be taking an extended hiatus.”

The post, signed off by an individual named Peter, goes on to say that he is “ripe with hate” and about to write some “devastating torturous announcement.” Then, as an aside at the bottom of the post, Peter wrote: “Also our drummer died.” Beneath the caption was a picture of a broken, smashed up guitar in the trash.

Now, however, the band have revealed they’re not really breaking up. In a statement given to Alternative Press, frontman Peter Turik said he had posted on the band’s Facebook after being left “feeling wretched” by his bandmate and girlfriend’s betrayals.

He continued to say he had been “floored” by the attention the post had received and the feedback he had had. “At this point I am going to continue the band full force with Lea up front on vocals,” he said. “The both of us talked it over and I’m so happy that she is on board. She has that powerful voice that makes you feel small in her presence. Kind of carved out and hollow.

“We are going to use this attention to our full potential. We booked studio time and also decided to recruit some friends to play Lee’s Palace Dec 28. Of course, now we have big plans to tour extensively in the near future. No sense in waiting around, we have so many talented friends that can easily learn our songs in no time. I’ve decided to switch to guitar, that way the guitar will finally sound the way it’s supposed to.”

Turik also revealed that the band’s drummer hadn’t really died. Instead, the musician had quit in the weeks before the infamous post was published. “He said ‘Yeah, but say I died, no one will give a shit’…… Clearly they did,” Turik explained.

Last month, music fans reacted to the break-up post on social media, with some dubbing it the “best band break-up notice you will read today.” 

Witchrot are not the first band to go through a spectacular break-up, though. Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, The Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against the Machine have all had their fair share of messy break-ups in recent years.