In a recent interview with San Francisco’s 107.7 The Bone, guitarist Phil Demmel opened up about his decision to leave Vio-lence, the band he co-founded nearly four decades ago. Demmel, who also played with Machine Head, shared that the departure was driven by a sense of unfamiliarity and disconnection from the band he once called home.
Demmel explained that the turning point came when Vio-lence underwent several lineup changes. The departure of drummer Perry Strickland and the addition of new members made the band feel different. “The Vio-lence thing just became… Perry’s no longer in the band, and it just became something not familiar anymore,” Demmel said. He recounted a specific moment at a show in February 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. It was the first show for new drummer Adrian Aguilar, and Demmel felt out of place backstage. “There were 50 people backstage, and I knew maybe the guys in the band and a couple of other people. It was just, like, ‘Man, this isn’t my home anymore. This doesn’t feel like home.'”
Demmel also mentioned that his involvement with other projects, including Kerry King’s new band and Category 7, influenced his decision. “The Kerry thing was firing up, the Category 7 thing was firing up, and I just did not want to let that be a distraction from the other stuff I was doing,” he said.
Reflecting on his time with Vio-lence, Demmel expressed pride in the band’s 2022 EP “Let The World Burn,” which he co-wrote with vocalist Sean Killian. However, the high turnover of band members in recent years made it difficult for him to feel connected to the band. “Bobby Gustafson was in the band for a couple of years, and Miles and this kid Jesse’s playing now. Ira, Adrian, Nick Souza has played, Pat O’Brien’s been in. And this is all within the past couple years. So it just wasn’t the thing that I started in high school, and the songs meaning the same,” Demmel explained.
Despite his departure, Demmel remains a partner in the band’s business and is open to the possibility of Vio-lence making new music without him. “That’s all something that remains to be seen,” he said.
Demmel’s final concert with Vio-lence took place on February 11 at Carioca Club in São Paulo, Brazil, marking the end of the band’s Latin American tour with Exhorder. In a video message shared on social media, Demmel announced his exit, stating, “My status has been undefined for a while. But given just the latest state of the band and where I feel I belong with it or feel tied to it, I just think that my time is at an end.”
He acknowledged the differences between himself and Killian, which contributed to his decision. “Me and Perry started this band in high school. It’s cool to be going to places that we haven’t been. I’m feeling that Sean is… We’ve gone far on different pages. I guess we’ve always been on different pages. But I don’t feel like I fit in with what the objective of this is anymore,” Demmel said.
Looking back, Demmel expressed gratitude for his time with Vio-lence but admitted that he no longer felt passionate about the band. “I feel fulfilled, and anything further kind of feels forced. Actually, before this tour kicked off, I honestly didn’t wanna come. But I was committed to it. I wasn’t gonna back out. I’m committed to the dudes. But I think I’m done. I think that I’ve done what I wanted to do with this band,” he said.
Demmel concluded his message with a sense of closure, stating, “June 1st, 1985 to February 11, 2024. 39, almost 40 years. So, never say never again. Try not to say that. Sometimes you do. It’s been life-defining, it’s been a pleasure, it’s been an honor being Phil from Vio-lence.”
As Demmel moves on, he will continue to be active in the music scene, particularly with Kerry King’s solo band. Fans can look forward to seeing him perform with King’s band in the near future.
