Cleveland's own Chimaira is now down to one member, founding member and vocalist Mark Hunter, after the rest of the band departed in the last few days. First to go was guitarist Emil Werstler, who departed Monday with the following statement:
"My time in Chimaira has, unfortunately, come to an end. It is time for me to move on as I continue to focus on harvesting my abilities as a musician. I'm very fond of everyone in the band and wish them all the best in the future. Although this was a difficult choice to make, I feel it was necessary in order to take the next step in my career. The best is still yet to come and I'm very excited for the multiple projects I am working on. I would like to thank the band, management, and, most importantly, all the fans for the endless support and understanding."
Following Emil, the rest of the band announced they too were leaving the band the following day. Consisting of guitarist Matt Szlachta, keyboardist/vocalist Sean Zatorsky, bassist Jeremy Creamer, and drummer Austin D'Amond, they issued this statement to thePRP:
"In light of recent news, the rest of the band have decided to part ways with Chimaira. For us this was a great stepping stone, and an honor to play these songs live, and fulfill an incredible legacy. This was an an excellent platform to help continue playing music, when our collective bands either ended or went on a hiatus. Chimaira was an amazing experience and we look forward to future music endeavors with each other."
As of yet, Mark Hunter has made no statement about the sudden departures from the other members of the band.