Nick Hipa, guitarist of As I Lay Dying, comes forward to share his reason of why he left over a year ago. He also apologizes about his absence stating “real life has a way of crowding out time for things like social media, so I apologize to those of you who reached out to me for answers regarding my disassociation from As I Lay Dying and never heard back. I’ve been trying to move on peacefully in life,” according to theprp.

Hipa’s reason can be found on the Instagram post he released today:

 

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A post shared by Nick Hipa (@nickhipa)

He says after the band reunited from Tim Lambesis being in jail “the story and meaning [they] built [their] reunion upon decayed considerably over time.” Hipa also states what is left “is a superficial pursuit I cannot justify supporting or being part of.”

He doesn’t deny that talent that is now makes up the band and he will always cherish the memories he made in the last 17 years: “The talent and unshakeable ambition of the band is undeniable. They will continue to release successful music and do great business [and] I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned and the incredible people I’ve been able to meet and connect with the past 17 years.”

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat