Wormrot announce departure of vocalist Arif Suhaimi

Singaporean grindcore band Wormrot have announced the departure of founding member and vocalist Arif Suhaimi, as well as the band’s manager, Azean.

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The band took to social media on Tuesday night (May 31) to break the news. In the statement, Arif explained that he and Azean – who are married and have a family together – have “been going through a lot of personal hardships and it’s taken a toll on our mental health and well-being”.

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A post shared by WORMROT (@wormrot.official)

Arif continued, saying that several personal issues have “become priorities that we just can’t avoid” and that “our family is our priority and we do not wish to hold the band back”.

Besides personal issues, Arif also cited a lack of interest in the band as a reason for his departure: “I have to stop pretending that I am still interested being in the band. It feels wrong and disrespectful to Rasyid and Vijesh whom I regard as part of my family. The best people I have ever worked musically with.”

The band’s two remaining members, guitarist Rasyid Juraimi and drummer Vijesh Ghariwala, also issued a statement on the future of Wormrot, asking fans for “patience as we handle this to our best ability”. “As of 1st June 2022, Wormrot will continue without Arif,” the two wrote.

Rasyid also shared a post on Instagram thanking Arif for the shared memories and recalling sticking to “our vision and beliefs” since forming the band in 2007.

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A post shared by Rasyid Juraimi (@cyberrasyid)

“Our goals were simple and naive. Naysayers ridiculed us. We didn’t belong and weren’t even welcomed in our local punk and metal scenes back then. But we didn’t listen. We stuck to our vision and beliefs, minded our own damn business and did our own shit. And it worked. Our dumb plan worked,” Rasyid wrote.

Wormrot are set to release their fourth studio album, ‘Hiss’ on July 8 via Earache Records, with physical pre-orders for CD, vinyl, cassette tape and merch bundles available here. The album will be Arif’s last with the band.

In May, the band released a three-song music video titled ‘Grieve Trilogy’, which tells a continuous narrative through three songs from ‘Hiss’: ‘Grieve’, ‘Weeping Willow’, and ‘Voiceless Choir’.

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