Death metal band Malevolent Creation recently parted ways with bassist Jesse Jolly and guitarist Chris Cannella. But the split has turned ugly with a public back and forth between the two ousted musicians and the co-founder of the band, Phil Fasciana. It started with an official statement from Malevolent Creation, posted on October 26, 2026, to their Facebook.
The statement began with the news that Jolly and Cannella were “no longer members of the band’s touring lineup.” It continued, “During rehearsals for our now complete Latin American Tour it was apparent [their] services as live musicians were not needed. The core members Ronnie Parmer (drums) Deron Miller (vocals, guitar) and band founder and guitarist Philip Fasciana were going in one direction and Jesse and Chris were going into another.”
Malevolent Creation has been working on their 14th album, Return Fire, and the statement included an update about their plans. The album is “on schedule”, they said, with 2027-2028 touring plans “still in the works”.
Malevolent Creation Parts Ways with Bassist and Guitarist, Co-Founder Phil Fasciana Issues Taunts
Malevolent Creation added that they have “a lot of touring plans” for the upcoming years that could no longer include Jolly and Cannella. The band “prides themselves on [their] live performances and we need to keep the future live shows to be as powerful as possible.”
They allegedly have “a few great bassists in mind” to replace Jolly. However, they “have not made a decision yet on who will be the right one for the job.” They did include an email where potential bassists can send videos for virtual auditions. There was no mention of replacement guitarists.
Chris Cannella acknowledged his dismissal form the band with little fanfare, writing, “As of today I am no longer a member of Malevolent Creation.” Meanwhile, Malevolent Creation’s co-founding guitarist Phil Fasciana took to social media on October 27 to seemingly taunt Cannella and Jesse Jolly.
“My offer to Mr. Chris Cannella is to pick any song from the setlist we were playing live with him and make a video of himself playing a song from start to finish without any mistakes and i will personally give him $1,000,” Fasciana wrote. “He has till Friday to prove himself. This will clear up any questions as to why he was fired from the band and why Jesse Jolly had to go as well.”
He added, “No band would ever allow someone to join [their] band if one of [their] members could not play the band[‘]s songs. It’s unnatural!!”
Fans Show Support After Jesse Jolly Shares ‘Toxic Element’ Within the Band
While Cannella allegedly didn’t engage with Fasciana’s taunts, Jolly replied own observations. His post painted a picture of a toxic work environment created by Fasciana.
“Though my time was short with [Malevolent Creation], there were/are elements within the band (phil) that are far too toxic for me to tolerate any longer,” Jolly wrote. “I don’t plan on laying out a ton of specifics; but I only want to say that I tried my very best to deliver every night for the fans.”
He expressed regret at having to part ways, but also promised he’d be playing for fans again soon. Jolly also hinted at the toxic environment a couple more times in his statement.
“I feel a great sense of relief that I will never share the stage with someone who has such vitriol for those who only try to help,” he wrote. “From promoters, tour managers, stage crew, long-time fans and, yes, even we as his bandmates have endured unspeakably absurd mood-swings from the aforementioned toxic element.
“I will no longer personally witness the abuse handed down by someone who hardly deserves the pleasure of performing for the very people who made it all possible. (You.)”
He expressed love and gratitude to fans for their kindness and support. In the comments on the Facebook post, longtime fans shared their own observations of Malevolent Creation through the years, including the many turbulent lineup changes. Overall, those who know the band’s history showed support for Jolly and Cannella parting ways and moving on to bigger and better things.
Photo by Luis Gutierrez/Norte Photo/Getty Images
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