Spiritbox said in a statement on Sunday (May 22) that they had parted ways with their bass player, Bill Crook (pictured above at left).
The Canadian alt-metal band currently includes touring drummer Zev Rosenberg in addition to principal members Courtney LaPlante, the lead vocalist, and guitarist Mike Stringer.
In the same message Sunday, Spiritbox announced a fill-in musician to take Crook’s place at shows. They’ll hit the road in North America with Ghost and Mastodon this summer.
Spiritbox wrote on social media, “We are saddened to announce that Bill Crook will no longer be in Spiritbox. This decision was mutual and with no hard feelings. We ask that you respect his privacy on the matter and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
The band then revealed, “We would like to thank Josh Gilbert for giving us his time on such short notice to fill in with us.” Gilbert was the longtime bassist for the California metalcore act As I Lay Dying.
As I Lay Dying and Gilbert announced they’d split last week. Gilbert joined the Tim Lambesis-fronted group in 2007. He returned in 2018 when they reunited after Lambesis’ release from prison.
Spiritbox’s Eternal Blue was Loudwire’s 2021 Album of the Year, not to mention a favorite debut of that year. It contains the singles “Holy Roller,” “Constance,” “Circle With Me, “Secret Garden” and “Hurt You.” Spiritbox also made Loudwire’s 2021 rankings for Best Metal Songs and Best Rock and Metal Albums.
See Spiritbox’s 2022 tour dates here.
Watch: Loudwire’s 2021 Interview With Spiritbox
17 Non-Singer Lineup Changes That Impacted Rock + Metal
Switching singers is one thing, but what about the rock and metal lineup changes that didn’t involve a lead vocalist? Here are 17 specifically non-singer lineup changes that still reverberate today.