Asking Alexandria Loses Founding Member

English hard rock band Asking Alexandria has lost its final founding member. Metal Injection reports that lead guitarist Ben Bruce has announced his exit from Asking Alexandria after 18 years. In a statement shared to the band’s social media, Bruce explained that his decision was based on wanting to spend more time with his family.

“To my amazing AAFamily,” Bruse wrote. “First and foremost I want to say thank you to everyone for the years of love and support. It means more to me than you can imagine. I’ve spent my entire life dedicated to music. It’s been my first love since about the age of 2 and the journey I’ve been on has been absolutely incredible as I’ve grown older and my life has inevitably changed, I have come to realize how precious time is. The time I have spent with all of you has been the time of my life. But now it’s time to dedicate my life to my family.”

“On top of family medical situations, leaving my children means missing out on too many important moments in their lives,” Bruce continued, “It’s so important for me to be there for them as they grow, and to be here for my family as they need me to be, which means, after a lot of thought, I will be stepping away from Asking Alexandria. Thank you to everyone who has come and seen me play live and listened to the songs I’ve written over the years. The memories will live on in my heart forever. I truly love you all so much for the years of support you’ve given me and Asking Alexandria. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Bruce co-founded Asking Alexandria in 2006, along with James Murray (lead vocals), Robin Everett (rhythm guitar), Lucas Brown (bass), and Hitesh Gandhi (drums). The band was originally formed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but Bruce moved to England in 2008 and recruited new members James Cassells (drums), Cameron Liddell (rhythm guitar), and lead vocalist Danny Worsnop. 

Asking Alexandria also featured bassist Joe Lancaster for a short time, but he was eventually replaced by their now-longtime bass player Sam Bettley. Additionally, Worsnop left the band in 2015 for a period of time, though he eventually returned the following year. During Worsnop’s departure, Denis Stoff served as the band’s frontman. At this time, Asking Alexandria does not appear to have commented on Bruce’s exit.