A major shake-up has hit the ranks of Suffocation, as longtime drummer Eric Morotti has officially exited the band after nearly ten years of service—doing so in very public and uncompromising fashion.
Interestingly, the band had already moved forward with plans for upcoming live shows before Morotti’s full statement surfaced. Suffocation recently revealed that John Longstreth of Origin will step in behind the kit for their Spring 2026 North American tour. The run includes dates supporting Cradle of Filth, along with appearances at Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple, plus select shows with Sepultura.
In their announcement, the band stated: “SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! For our upcoming shows in Spring 2026 including support to Cradle of Filth, Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple we are beyond excited to announce that legendary drummer John Longstreth (Origin) will be joining us behind the drums as a very SPECIAL GUEST!
“Known for his incredible speed, precision, and groundbreaking work in extreme metal, John will be the perfect fit to Suffocation‘s energy making this something you do NOT want to miss!”
Only hours after that news broke, Morotti took to social media on April 10th—his birthday—to confirm his departure and explain the reasoning behind it. His initial message, shared via Instagram Story, read: “Thanks for the birthday wishes. My gift to myself is walking away from a toxic group, and knowing my worth. I’m choosing me from now on, I will be not teaming with addicts anymore.
“Peace and love, there’s a lot in store for me, keep your eyes peeled!”
He then followed up with a more direct and detailed post, making it explicitly clear that his comments were aimed at Suffocation: “There comes a point in your life where you pick YOU! You must choose to change, evolve, or be stuck in the same routines forever. Today. On my. Birthday. I have chosen to step away from @suffocationofficial to prolong my health, myself. My integrity. I will not work with toxic. Abusive drug addicts. Let alone allow them to boss me around. I’ve been belittled and stepped all over for too long.
“That being said. I’ve been having an absolute BLAST with @sanguisugaboggband and have been shown what it’s like to be part of real FAMILY. no egos, no power trips. Just bros that love music and being together. Catch me on tour with them still on the @lambofgod tour around the USA!! I love you all, thank you very much to all my fans for supporting me over the years, keep your eyes open for what’s next!!”
Morotti joined Suffocation in 2016 and played a key role in the band’s more recent era. As of now, the band has not publicly responded to the accusations made in Morotti’s statements.
Outside of Suffocation, Morotti continues to stay active musically. He remains a member of Sanguisugabogg and is also part of the supergroup Ablation. However, that project could present an interesting dynamic moving forward, as it also features Suffocation bassist Derek Boyer, while former Suffocation vocalist Frank Mullen appears on Ablation’s forthcoming debut EP.
