ANIMOSITY Calls It Quits

San Francisco Bay Area death metal/hardcore act ANIMOSITY has officially split up. Frontman Leo Miller has released the following statement to Lambgoat regarding the bandmembers' decision to go their separate ways:

"You have never seen us rest this long.

"For those of you wondering about ANIMOSITY, you are correct to have assumed that we disbanded.

"It has been nearly a year since all five of us were in a room (or the same state) together. In this time, we have written zero songs and played zero shows. In short, nothing happened, which I mean to say plainly and clearly. We are all still alive and friends, but following our last tour we just did nothing band-related.

"Many of us grew up in this band, and for me personally, ANIMOSITY was somehow prioritized over everything including my very own life. This band formed our communities, relationships, experiences and the lens through which we view the world. Eight years later, I look back to being 14 years old playing ANIMOSITY shows in garages and backyards and I can honestly say that our musical and experiential goals have been exceeded in ways that once seemed impossible to me.

"If you haven't gotten enough of ANIMOSITY, please rest assured that we have. This is not to say that everyone is gone from music.

"In the time since our last show, Navene [Koperweis; drums] finished his spectacular debut solo album called FLESHROT – 'Dementia/Dyslexia'. Navene wrote played and recorded all the music himself and features beastly vocals from Jonny Davy [JOB FOR A COWBOY]. Check out the project here and stay posted for album release info. Also, Navene has teamed up with Tosin Abasi and is drumming in their new band ANIMALS AS LEADERS. Chase [Fraser; guitar] also has a new band called SON OF ARELIUS from which you can expect a full-length album out soon. New music from Evan [Brewer; bass] and Frank [Costa; guitar] can be anticipated in various different forms.

"As for me, I moved out east to study the environment.

"To ANIMOSITY fans worldwide, thank you for doing this with us, it was an awesomely epic journey. "

ANIMOSITY was:

Frank Costa - Guitar
Evan Brewer - Bass
Chase Fraser - Guitar
Navene Koperweis - Drums
Leo Miller - Vocals

Video footage of ANIMOSITY performing live on December 3, 2008 at the Ottobar in Baltimore, Maryland can be viewed below.

ANIMOSITY's "Toothgrinder" video received its "Headbanger's Ball" premiere in April 2008 on MTV2.

Under the direction of skate video extraordinaire Richie Valdez (JOB FOR A COWBOY, EVERY TIME I DIE),ANIMOSITY took its goofy antics and running-a-muck silliness to the gritty streets of San Francisco, hilariously ravaging several cultural attributes that epitomize the city.

ANIMOSITY first hit the scene in 2000, when most of the members were only 15 years old, with a blistering brand of death metal/hardcore that sought to defy stereotypes and spit in the face of the mainstream. Almost two years after their Black Market Activities debut, ANIMOSITY showcased its tremendous talent and growth with its most recent release, "Animal" (2007).

(Thanks: Unreal Shand Elnimio)