As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis has addressed a controversial comment he made earlier this week in which he appeared to dismiss the musical contributions of his classic-era bandmates, stating now that he was “just having fun” and was “not that serious.”
The controversy began when Lambesis, who recently relaunched As I Lay Dying with an entirely new lineup, responded to a fan on social media who stated that they missed the “old members.” In a since-deleted reply, Lambesis jabbed at his former colleagues’ other band, Wovenwar, before minimizing their role in As I Lay Dying‘s sound.
The original comment read: “there are still a couple Wovenwar records if you want to hear what they do without me. Otherwise, if you close your eyes and listen to the new song it’s almost like they didn’t matter nearly as much as everyone thinks they did. I hope you’re able to enjoy the path ahead with us.”
The members he referred to—Nick Hipa, Josh Gilbert, and Jordan Mancino—were part of the band’s most commercially successful and long-standing lineup. They famously reunited with Lambesis following his release from prison before departing the band again between 2020 and 2022 amid new controversy.
After Lambesis‘s comment drew backlash from fans, he posted a screenshot of his own reply to his Instagram story, attempting to clarify his intentions.
“Just having fun, I’m not that serious,” Lambesis wrote over the image. “But I hope people can list to music with their ears instead of their eyes.”
The incident comes as Lambesis is promoting the band’s new single, “Echoes,” which is the first material from the brand-new As I Lay Dying roster.
The musicians who joined Tim Lambesis in the studio to create this latest track include a formidable lineup: Chris Clancy (Mutiny Within, etc.) on vocals and bass; a trio of guitarists—Bill Hudson (NorthTale, Tommy Vext, etc.), Don Vedda, and Jack Daniels (War Of Ages); and veteran drummer Tim Yeung (Tommy Vext, ex-Divine Heresy, etc.).
