Chris Garza, the founding guitarist of the deathcore pioneers Suicide Silence, has officially announced that he is taking a hiatus from the band’s live performances. The musician, who has been the group’s constant anchor since its formation in 2002, addressed his recent absence from shows in a direct message to fans, clarifying that he remains a full member of the band but requires a break to recharge.
In his statement, Garza emphasized the toll of two decades of uninterrupted work with the group.
“What’s up everyone,” Garza wrote. “As some of you have noticed, I’ve missed the last couple Suicide Silence shows. It’s because I’m on a hiatus from the band. SuSi has been on my brain every day since 2002 with no break. Everything is fine. I just need to press the reset button so I can make the right decisions in the near future. As the Terminator said… I’ll be back.”
The guitarist has recently expanded his profile within the metal community through his popular platform, the “Chris Garza Podcast,“where he hosts deep-dive conversations with other artists. His decision to step back mirrors a similar move made by his bandmate Mark Heylmun, who took a “radical sabbatical” in 2018 to prioritize his personal well-being before returning to the lineup.
Despite Garza‘s temporary departure from the road, Suicide Silence will proceed with their scheduled touring commitments. The band is set to join the massive “Grizzly Winter Tour” across Europe alongside Slaughter To Prevail and Dying Fetus starting in January 2026.
Suicide Silence 2026 European Tour Dates:
- Jan 13 – Poppodium 013 – Tilburg, Netherlands
- Jan 16 – O2 Academy Brixton – London, United Kingdom
- Jan 17 – O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester – Manchester, United Kingdom
- Jan 18 – O2 Academy Birmingham – Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Jan 23 – Mitsubishi Electric HALLE – Dusseldorf, Germany
- Jan 24 – Velodrom – Berlin, Germany
- Jan 25 – Sporthalle Hamburg – Hamburg, Germany
- Feb 02 – Jahrhunderthalle – Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
- Feb 06 – Zenith – Munich, Germany
- Feb 07 – Haus Auensee – Leipzig, Germany
- Feb 08 – Forum Karlín – Karlín, Czechia
