Andols Herrick Quits Chimaira

Following the departure of his former bandmate, keyboardist Chris Spicuzza, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that drummer Andols Herrick has formally quit Chimaira. “I am no longer a member of Chimaira, and actually haven't been since before Christmas,” he announced in a recent statement. “I did play at Chimaira Christmas 11, which was my last show. I certainly couldn't have asked for a better and more memorable way to go out.

“The short story is that the guys had taken issue with certain aspects of my role in the band. Nothing discussed was out of anger or anything personal, but I was definitely not expecting it and it was quite the spirit crusher for me. The decision was made that it would be in the band’s best interest to move forward without me. I was obviously devastated, but again there was no ill will between us. Later I was asked to rejoin, but after some painful contemplation in my mind, I decided it was best not to. I started to see everything that happened as something that was ultimately positive.

“I share some of the same concerns that Chris mentioned in his statement, namely the current state of the music industry and concerns about my future.

“A major transition in life is much more manageable at 31 than it is in your late thirties or early forties, so as a guy with literally zero experience in anything else, better now than later. Plus, it would be hard to go back without feeling constantly uneasy about the situation.

“So where does that leave me musically? Well, I damn sure am not done as a drummer! I will be releasing an instructional book/DVD through Hal Leonard later this year. I teach private drum lessons in New Jersey. I’m also really trying to get busy with session recording work, so if you’re a guitarist or a band that needs drum tracks, I can be contacted at drummerandolsherrick@yahoo.com.”