'METAL' MIKE CHLASCIAK: I 'No Longer Felt Comfortable' Being In SEBASTIAN BACH's Band

Guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak (HALFORD, PAINMUSEUM) has released the following statement:

"I would like to confirm that I am indeed no longer a sideman axe-slinger with [ex-SKID ROW] vocalist Sebastian Bach. My decision to depart is due to me feeling no longer comfortable on several professional levels. I wish Sebastian success. I think he is a fine singer.

"I feel privileged to have shared the stages and recordings with some of heavy metal's best and most celebrated musicians and in the process I have dedicated my soul and my heart to the music I dearly love. It is important for me to follow my own ideals on inner band relationships and business dealings. So for this book, my chapter ends here — it is time for me to move on.

"I would like to thank Sebastian's fans for being a wonderful audience and I sincerely do appreciate their warm embrace during the last couple of years."

Mike's stint with Bach included touring with GUNS N' ROSES and playing sheds and arenas last summer with DOKKEN and POISON on the "Live, Raw & Uncut" trek.

Bachannounced yesterday that he was "on the lookout for band members in the guitar and bass positions in [his] band." He said, "I am looking for musicians who love to play and create new music. Who need to play music. Who live to play music. I cannot make a good album when I have to pay all the band members to rehearse. I simply cannot afford to pay a musician to sit down and write a song with me. I myself have never once been paid to rehearse, or write a song. I do it because I love it.

"I do not understand the mentality of some of the musicians I have worked with, who demand payment to rehearse, to get better, to sharpen their craft in order to destroy the whole world on big stages and in the studio. In my mind, a good musician, a true musician, LOVES to rehearse, plays all the time, because they want to get better. Not individually. As a BAND."

He continued, "I am not saying I don't want to ever play with the 'Angel Down' guys again. On the contrary, they all know I would love to get crackin' on some new sounds with them right now. But they are all busy, or worse, I can't get ahold of them. The official word from the guitar and bass player in my current band, through management, is, 'Call us when there's some gigs.' What they don't get is, my heart is not just into playing the old music right now, my heart is always in creating new music and putting out another CD. Then there will be tons of gigs."

Chlasciak recently entered the studio to begin recording his new solo album, titled "The Metalworker". Nine tracks are being completed for the effort, which is being described by Mike as "a record that I simply needed to make." Songtitles set to appear on "The Metalworker" include "On Leather Wings", "Tonight We Ride" and "Don't Shoot The Crown".

Mike's first studio video diary entry can be viewed below.

Metal Mike's last album under the PAINMUSEUM moniker, "You Have The Right To Remain Violent", was released in 2006 via C.M.M. Entertainment. The follow-up to 2005's "Metal For Life" (C.M.M./ Demolition) was a special-edition enhanced CD release that included bonus material as well as music video, gallery and a special message from Mike.