In a new interview with Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco Bay Area radio station 107.7 The Bone, guitarist Phil Demmel discussed his decision to leave VIO-LENCE, the band that he formed nearly four decades ago. He said: “The VIO-LENCE thing just became… (Drummer) Perry (Strickland) left, or Perry‘s no longer in the band, and it just became — and I love Christian (Olde Wolbers, former FEAR FACTORY and current VIO-LENCE bassist) — it just became something not familiar anymore. And it hit me when we played the Whisky (A Go Go in February 2023 in West Hollywood, California) and it was Adrian (Aguilar), the drummer’s first show. And we were having this kid Miles Dimitri Baker, who plays in ICE NINE KILLS right now, come down, and he was gonna be my fill-in for some dates. And so he was gonna play on a song or two. And I show up to the show and I walk backstage and, man, there was 50 people backstage and I knew maybe the guys in the band and a couple of other people. It was just, like, ‘Man, this isn’t my home anymore. This doesn’t feel like home.’ And no slight against the dudes, ’cause I loved playing with Adrian, I loved playing with Christian, and Ira (Black, now-former VIO-LENCE guitarist, also formerly of I Am Morbid) really worked hard for the band and was a big — he was a big fighter for the band. He worked hard. He cared a lot. Ira was a very productive member of VIO-LENCE. But with everything that was happening, it was just time for me to go… The Kerry (King) thing was firing up, the CATEGORY 7 thing was firing up, and I just did not want to let that be a distraction from the other stuff I was doing.”

Demmel added: “I loved the (2022) VIO-LENCE EP (‘Let The World Burn’) that I wrote, and me and Sean (Killian, VIO-LENCE singer) wrote and we recorded with the dudes. And I’m super proud of those songs and the way that the recording came out. (Producer/engineer) Juan (Urteaga) did a tremendous job.”

Circling back to the high turnover of members in VIO-LENCE, Demmel said: “(Former OVERKILL guitarist) Bobby (Gustafson was in the band for a couple of years) and Miles and this kid Jesse‘s playing now. Ira, Adrian, (drummer) Nick Souza has played, (former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current EXHORDER guitarist) Pat O’Brien‘s been in. And this is all within the past couple years. So it just wasn’t the thing that I started in high school, and the songs meaning the same.”

Phil added that “it was cool traveling and doing the stuff that we did. And Sean wants to continue and travel and do the fun stuff. I’m still a partner with him in the business.”

As for the possibility of VIO-LENCE making new music without Demmel being an official member of the band, Phil said: “That’s all something that remains to be seen.”