Underoath issues statement on split with guitarist James Smith

American hardcore outfit Underoath has issued a statement regarding their recent split with longtime member James Smith.

The guitarist and backing vocalist had been in Underoath since 2003, aside from a brief hiatus Smith took midway through his tenure, and has played on all of the band’s albums since “They’re Only Chasing Safety”.

“As some of you have noticed, James was not on the Blind Obedience tour and we want to clarify that we have officially decided to part ways,” the statement begins. “We care for James, we want the best for him, and that will never change. There were differences that we hoped we’d be able to work through that unfortunately, we realized weren’t able to be.”

As for what specifically occurred to split with Smith, the group commented they were not at liberty discuss the details. “This was an incredibly difficult situation and isn’t something that can or should be addressed on the internet and we hope y’all understand,” they wrote on Twitter before adding, “We appreciate you all. Thank you all so much for all the support over the years and we’ll see you soon.”