Phil Demmel reveals more details about his split from Vio-lence

Phil Demmel, the founding guitarist of Vio-Lence, has refuted assertions that he demanded the dissolution of the band after his departure nearly two years prior, as per Lambgoat. His concluding performance with the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal ensemble occurred in February 2024 at the Carioca Club in São Paulo, Brazil.

I asked Sean to end the band with me, then perform the material as solo act as I felt the rapid turnover of the band wasn’t something I wanted to be involved with. When he told me he didn’t want to, I didn’t ask again. It was a request, not a demand. For my last few years of my time in Vio, Sean was doing the scheduling/ booking, I wasn’t making any band decisions. He’d ask me if I was available to play and I was able to cherry-pick the gigs I wanted/could do until it was time for me to stop. I was in no way ‘controlling’ the band or making unilateral band decisions (except maybe getting [former Fear Factory bassist] Christian on board to fill in) that I can recall. Sean and I decided on things together. Vio-Lence is forging ahead as am I. Can everyone else?

Vio-lence is an American thrash metal ensemble established in 1985 within the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the course of their career, they have produced demo recordings, three extended plays, and three full-length studio albums. The band is primarily recognized for their affiliation with the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal movement and is frequently regarded as a prominent figure in the second wave of the genre. Furthermore, Vio-lence is considered a member of the “Big Six” of Bay Area Thrash Metal, alongside Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit, and Forbidden. The most prominent lineup of Vio-lence consisted of Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Deen Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums, and Sean Killian on vocals. This configuration recorded all three of their studio albums: “Eternal Nightmare” (1988), “Oppressing the Masses” (1990), and “Nothing to Gain” (1993). Following their disbandment in 1994 and subsequent sporadic live performances from 2001 to 2003, the band reconvened in January 2019. In March 2022, they released the EP “Let the World Burn”, marking their first new material in nearly thirty years. The current lineup features Sean Killian along with live performers Nick Souza, Claudeous Creamer, Jeff Salgado, and Ira Black.