DEVILDRIVER Bassist Quits

Bassist Jonathan Miller of Santa Barbara, California metallers DEVILDRIVER has released the following statement:

"I just wanted to thank all of the DEVILDRIVER fans around the world for their die-hard love and support for the past nine years.

"Yesterday, I decided to leave DEVILDRIVER. It was the most difficult decision of my life but it is something that I needed to do for myself.

"I had the best times of my life hanging out with all of you guys, but it is time for me to move on.

"Much love to everyone."

In December 2010, Miller announced that "the drugs and alcohol" "finally caught up" with him after spending the bulk of the last decade on the road with DEVILDRIVER. He added that "the damage [was] catching up with [him] mentally and physically" and that he was going to enter "an intense rehabilitation program" in January "in order for [him] to reclaim [his] health and the person who [he] once was." He also stressed that he needed "to make a change so that [he could] save [his] own life and keep the friends that [he] still [had] left."

Filling in for Miller on the road with DEVILDRIVER for the past few months has been the band's tour manager, Bubble (a.k.a. Aaron Patrick), who has previously played with BURY YOUR DEAD.

In a February 2011 interview with Rock Radio's Tom Russell, DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara stated about Miller's health issues, "Jon's getting himself well at this point and we hope to have him join the fold, happy and healthy and back with us."

He continued, "Aaron Patrick has played around fifty to sixty shows with us. He's doing a great job, the fans have really taken to him and understand what's happening with Jon, and that Jon needs to get himself better, and you don't want your friends passing away on the road. So let's get him well, shall we?"

"Beast", the fifth album from DEVILDRIVER, sold a little over 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on February 22 via Roadrunner Records, the CD was recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in Tornillo, Texas with producer Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, ALL THAT REMAINS) and was mixed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY) at his Backstage studio in Derbyshire, England. The band recorded 14 songs during the "Beast" sessions, with 12 tracks making the standard version of the CD and all 14 songs appearing on the special edition.