Bassist Ryan Neff, guitarist Ken Susi and drummer Nick Pierce left As I Lay Dying in October 2024. Their public statements gave different reasons: Neff cited his personal and professional journey, Susi said his personal morals had been tested to a breaking point, and Pierce said he needed distance to protect his personal health and integrity. None named a single shared cause.
Who left As I Lay Dying?
Ryan Neff announced his departure first, followed by Ken Susi and Nick Pierce, according to The Independent’s October 24, 2024 report. Neff had joined the band on bass and clean vocals, Susi on guitar, and Pierce on drums. All three had joined in 2022.
What reasons did the musicians give?
Ryan Neff
Neff said the decision followed reflection and that he believed it was “the right step for my personal and professional journey.”
Ken Susi
Susi wrote that his “personal morals have recently been tested to a breaking point,” calling the departure “the saddest ending to what could have been the greatest second chance for this band.”
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Nick Pierce
Pierce said he needed “to distance myself from the band in an effort to retain my personal health and integrity.” The Independent reproduced the statements from the musicians. Their wording differs, so it should not be reduced to one definitive explanation or treated as proof of an unstated motive.
How did the departures relate to Through Storms Ahead?
When the musicians left, As I Lay Dying’s eighth studio album, Through Storms Ahead, was scheduled for release on November 15, 2024. The Napalm Records album description lists Neff on bass and clean vocals, Pierce on drums, and Susi on guitar among its performers. Their exits therefore came as the album featuring their contributions was approaching release.
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What does the controversy in the headline refer to?
The Independent’s report notes that As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis was convicted in 2014 of hiring a hitman to kill his wife. That history is relevant background to the band’s controversy, but the three departing members’ statements do not identify it as the reason for their individual decisions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who is in As I Lay Dying now?
As of October 8, 2026, the band’s official website lists Tim Lambesis on vocals, Chris Clancy on bass and clean vocals, Bill Hudson and Don Vedda on guitar, and Tim Yeung on drums. Napalm Records’ band page lists the same lineup and a self-titled album scheduled for February 5, 2027. These are later listings and do not describe the band’s 2024 roster.
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