Metal
Chris Kontos is no longer Forbidden’s drummer. He announced it on social media on 4 November, twelve days after the Fremont band released their self-titled album, their first in sixteen years, and with their US tour still under way.
“I have been trying to not have to do this and resolve many issues with Forbidden for quite some time now,” he wrote. “I have expressed my concerns to the band members as well as our management, the legal team, and accounting. Financial integrity, a lack of transparency in accounting, ongoing business decisions I did not agree with, or was not made aware of or told about till after the fact, resulting in conflicts with the band. These issues have become irreconcilable.”
In the same post, alongside the grievances, there was pride: he said he was “incredibly proud” of the music they made together, the new album and videos included, said he’d never worked harder on a project, and thanked fans for “nearly four years of incredible support”.
The band’s reply came in a separate statement: “We found out about his leaving the band the same way everyone else did. A social media post. What we created together with this album will hopefully stand the test of time. Chris was an integral part of the process. We wish him nothing but happiness.”
Kontos was already sitting out the autumn tour with Heathen, as was bassist Matt Camacho: in September the band said both were staying home for personal reasons. Forbidden re-formed in 2023 with Kontos on drums. The tour ends on 22 November in Los Angeles, and the band haven’t said who will drum for them after that.
Text by Roger Estivill