Lock in, ’cause this is quite the ride. Three members of the Portland-based death metal band Vitriol just quit, mid-tour. They did so by stranding the band’s founding frontman, Kyle Rasmussen, at a gas station in “the middle of nowhere,” along with his girlfriend and dog.
Let’s start at the beginning. Earlier this week, Vitriol members Keith Merrow (guitar), Brett Leier (bass), and Andy Vincenzetti (drums) all quit the band. Merrow shared the news in a social media post, which also revealed that they had abandoned Rasmussen in their exit.
Kyle Rasmussen is the founding and sole official member of Vitriol
“HE F***ED AROUND AND FOUND OUT,” Merrow wrote, per Lambgoat. “I’LL BE HOME FOR THANKSGIVING, BABY. SORRY VITRIOL FANS. WE HAD TO ABANDON HIM AT A GAS STATION IN VERMONT.”
“MYSELF, ANDY, BRETT, AND MATT WILL NOT TAKE KYLE’S COWARDLY AND WEAK OUTBURSTS OF MISPLACED ANGER,” he continued. “WE GAVE EVERYTHING WE HAD, AND NOW HAVE NOW LEFT YOU WITH NOTHING. MASS EXODUS. THIS WAS THE DARKEST DAY OF MY MUSIC CAREER TO DATE.”
In response, Rasmussen took to Vitriol’s official Instagram and posted a lengthy two-part explanation. First, he confirms that Merrow and Co. did, in fact, leave him, essentially on the side of the road with all his gear and belongings. He noted, however, that they left him in New York, not Vermont, and that they also abandoned his girlfriend and dog with him.
Rasmussen claims that the whole thing was the culmination of a drug-fueled rage
Offering what he perceived as the catalyst for the situation, Rasmussen claimed that in the days prior, the band had been partaking in “nose beers.” He later, unintentionally, confirmed this to be a reference to cocaine.
As the band got closer to crossing the Canadian border for shows in Ontario and Quebec, he says the rest of the band began furiously cleaning the RV they were traveling in while he slept. When he woke up, he found them in a manic state, worried about being caught with illegal substances by border control. Rasmussen claims he tried to calm them down, but Merrow became defensive, which led to an explosive moment between the two men.
In the wake of the verbal altercation, Rasmussen says the band began removing his belongings from the RV, with Merrow threatening to involve a nearby State Trooper. Ultimately, Rasmussen and his girlfriend reluctantly agreed to leave the RV, taking their dog with them.
This left them stranded in upstate New York, with little money and no way home. He says they survived thanks to the kindness of strangers who let them store their belongings in a closed ice cream shop and took them to a hotel.
Rasmussen started a GoFundMe to help him and his girlfriend get home
Rasmussen then explained that he’d started a GoFundMe to help them all get home. At the time of this writing, the fundraiser has garnered over $10K, with a goal of $16K. However, Rasmussen says that this was not the goal he set, but that apparently, GoFundMe automatically raises the goal as your fundraiser earns more.
As for the band’s future, Rasmussen seems hesitant to assure fans that Vitriol will return anytime soon. He did not explicitly say he was ending the band; however, he just said that he’ll be taking a break for the foreseeable future. You can click here to find a full transcript of Rasmussen’s statement, via Lambgoat.
The post Vitriol Members Quit Metal Band Mid-Tour, Stranding Frontman at a Gas Station in ‘the Middle of Nowhere’ appeared first on VICE.
