According to Loudwire, Alex Rüdinger has been announced as the official new drummer of American deathcore band Whitechapel. Rüdinger replaces former drummer Ben Harclerode, who played with Whitechapel from 2011 through 2017. On September 3, the band took to social media to reveal the news.

“Over the past few years our good friend @RudyRudinger has been filling in the drumming spot for live shows, and we now welcome him as an official member after his stellar performance on our new album Kin,” read the band’s statement. “Give him a welcome and follow!”

Whitechapel 2021

Over the past few years our good friend @RudyRudinger has been filling in the drumming spot for live shows, and we now welcome him as an official member after his stellar performance on our new album “Kin”. Give him a welcome and follow!
: @alexmorganimaging pic.twitter.com/sMgJCKLg9E

— Whitechapel (@WhitechapelBand) September 3, 2021

Rüdinger previously served as one of the band’s touring members in 2019. However, he has been a part of multiple bands including American technical death metal band The Faceless, Canadian metalcore band Threat Signal and progressive extreme metal band The HAARP Machine. 

Harclerode left the band in 2017 due to the fact that he was no longer “emotionally invested.” He further claimed that it was “not fair to myself, the band or the fans for me to continue” in response to a fan’s tweet asking about his departure from the band. In another tweet, he said that leaving the band was “the hardest move I’ve ever made, but I was truly unhappy with [Whitechapel].”

very true. I’m not emotionally invested any longer so its not fair to myself, the band or the fans for me to continue

— Ben Harclerode (@BenHarclerode) August 9, 2017

Rüdinger will make his first ever studio appearance in Whitechapel on their eighth studio album, Kin. The album is expected to drop on October 29 and will serve as the follow-up to their previous album titled The Valley that dropped in March 2019.