According to Loudwire, founding guitarist Ben Bruce has announced that he is going to be stepping away from Asking Alexandria in order to spend more time with his family. The announcement was made on January 19 via the band’s Instagram story.

The statement read in part, “As I’ve grown older and my life has inevitably changed, I have come to realize how precious time is. The time I have spent with all of you has been the time of my life. But now it’s time to dedicate my life to my family. On top of family medical situations, leaving my children means missing out on too many important moments in their lives. It’s so important for me to be there for them as they grow and to be there for my family as they need me to be, which means, after a lot of thought, I will be stepping away from Asking Alexandria.”

The band has yet to reveal who they have found to replace Bruce as lead guitarist. The announcement comes a month before the group is set to kick off their touring circuit with their next scheduled live date being February 27 at in Santiago, Chile. After a brief trek throughout Latin America, Asking Alexandria will be heading out for a string of U.S. tour dates in spring alongside Memphis May Fire, The Word Alive and Nerv. The ‘All My Friends’ tour, as it has been dubbed, will conclude on May 18 with a show in Tempe, Arizona.

Asking Alexandria’s latest album Where Do We Go From Here? arrived in August of last year and is the last record to feature Bruce.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat