Former As I Lay Dying drummer Nick Pierce spoke candidly for the first time in over a year about his departure from the metalcore band in an interview with Metal Drummers United.
In October 2024, Pierce, bassist Ryan Neff, and guitarist Ken Susi announced their abrupt departures from the band in various social media posts.
At the time, Pierce touched on his reasons for leaving, stating: “This is far from being the ending I anticipated, and I feel I need to distance myself from the band in an effort to retain my personal health and integrity.”
Guitarist Ken Susi would also exit from the band.
The firestorm surrounded the conduct of lead singer Tim Lambesis, who was convicted in 2014 of hiring a hitman to kill his estranged wife and was sentenced to serve a six-year prison sentence.
Lambesis was released from prison in December 2016, and As I Lay Dying underwent its second incarnation in 2018.
In the interview, Pierce discussed the cautious optimism he and the other members held at the time.
“We were all pretty stoked,” said Pierce. “Like we partially knew some of the predicaments that we were getting into with the pretense of Tim’s past [Lambesis was sentenced to prison in 2014 for a charge of solicitation of another to commit murder] and we were willing to give him that second — or second and a half chance — or whatever you want to call it.”
Footage from Lambesis’s home leaked in November 2024 and displayed heated exchanges with his now ex-wife, Dany Lambesis. Dany, whose maiden name is Ciara, alleges that Lambesis was physically and emotionally abusive to her during their relationship. The singer released his own statement on Sunday, stating, “Old stories resurface only when my life and career move forward again.” Ciara then released a lengthy rebuttal.
It was clear the singer’s former bandmates had enough, and the drummer spoke about reaching that breaking point.
“We gave Tim (Lambesis) that second chance,” said Pierce. “That was my second chance to Tim. He f–king blew it. Completely f–king blew it. So, just like any of my other friends, who am I to say that I could judge one character against another by not giving somebody a second chance, just like I’ve given somebody who’s a drug addict, somebody who’ been put up in the pen before? Like, I’ll treat him all the same as them because everybody gets that second chance in life, right? He blew it in the endgame, you know? So, I wish Tim would get the help that he needs, but he’s not.”
Lambesis has decided to recruit four new members into the band and is currently recording a new album.