Ira Black‘s run with Bay Area thrash veterans Vio-Lence has come to an end, with the band confirming the guitarist’s departure as he shifts his focus entirely to his new project, Apocælypse, and its upcoming album, Faenix.
Black‘s association with Vio-Lence began in August 2022, when he stepped in as a touring guitarist for founding member Phil Demmel during the band’s European dates. Demmel was on the road with Lamb of God at the time, and Black made his live debut with the band at that year’s Brutal Assault festival in Jaroměř, Czech Republic. What started as a fill-in role quickly turned into a steady position, with Black becoming a fixture of Vio-Lence‘s touring lineup through its most recent shows.
Frontman Sean Killian addressed the split with a statement thanking Black for his time in the band: “I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to my brother, Ira Black, for everything he has brought to Vio-Lence and for sharing his incredible talent with us.
“Ira has a dream of releasing his new album, Faenix, and moving forward with his new band, Apocælypse. With that, it is with a heavy heart that I announce Ira Black’s departure from Vio-Lence as he dedicates his full focus to Apocælypse.
“Ira, much love and respect to you, brother. I truly believe you are going to achieve great success with this new chapter, and I support you 100 percent. I’m proud of you and excited to see what the future holds.
“Thank you for everything, Ira.
“Cheers, brother!”
Black‘s resume extends well beyond Vio-Lence. Over the years he’s lent his guitar work to Metal Church, Heathen, Vicious Rumors, Lizzy Borden, Dokken, and I Am Morbid, building a reputation as one of the scene’s more versatile hired guns.
