Chelsea Grin finally have a new permanent drummer, Josh Miller. He will be replacing temporary drummer Nathan Pearson and longtime drummer Pablo Viveros, who is officially leaving the band.
Viveros is allegedly leaving the band due to diverging visions for the band, but there is no bad blood. Instead, he will be focusing on his new project with former members Alex Koehler and Jacob Harmond, dubbed Ameonna.
Miller was formerly in Emmure and Spite and goes by the moniker Baby J. He has also been working with Chelsea Grin vocalist Tom Barber on a project called Darko US.
The band say about the lineup change:
“We hope everyone has been doing well; we have some updates.
“We have parted ways with our fill-in drummer, Nathan Pearson. We sincerely value his friendship, as well as his devotion to furthering his craft and bringing his all to the stage. We truly look forward to watching his drumming career continue to blossom and advance, and value his time with us.
“Furthermore, the band and Pablo have mutually agreed to separate. Pablo is one of our oldest friends, the life of the party, a masterful player, and a powerful creative. After Pablo spent some years away from the band, we all came together and realized that personal visions had diverged through time. We will always wish the very best for him, and seriously value all that he brought not only to the band, but to our lives. Nothing but tremendous love for him, always. We also encourage everyone to show support for him, Jaek and Alex’s new band, Ameonna.
“Moving forward, we are proud and excited to announce that Josh Miller will be joining Chelsea Grin. It goes without saying that the future is bright – you will hear it in our music and witness it in our performances.
“We keep very much to ourselves at this stage in our lives, but when we check in we want each of you to know that you are deeply and sincerely valued – we are so grateful for the opportunity to do what we love. We cannot wait to bring more of our vision to you all. Thank you for the years of support and love, and we will see you on our current tour supporting Fit For a King.”
Viveros says in response to the announcement:
“My time with Chelsea Grin has come to a close.
“These were the best 12 years of my life. I’m looking forward to the future with my drumming and my producing career. If you haven’t yet, please go check out @ameonnamusic
“I owe my entire life to this band. I have everything I have because of this band and because of you guys, the fans. Chelsea Grin gave me my shot and I will forever be grateful for that.
“Alex, Jaek, David, Dan, Jason, Speave, Tom, I love you guys forever, we did some cool fucking shit! To all our crew ever, thank you for everything. Nathan, I cant thank you enough for stepping up and filling in for me. Baby J, I can’t think of a better fit for this band. You’re gonna crush and I’m so stoked to see what comes of you joining. Thanks to all my friends that I’ve made through this band, your support over the years has meant the world to me. Last but not least, thanks to every single fucking fan. Without you guys, I ain’t shit.
“Thank you.
(Source: www.metalsucks.com)