CRIMINAL Parts Ways With Guitarist, Announces Replacement

Anglo-Chilean thrash masters CRIMINAL have announced the departure of lead guitarist and founding member Rodrigo Contreras.

Band leader Anton Reisenegger (guitar, vocals) comments: "As some of you may be aware, Rod decided to go back to Chile a few months ago, leaving the future of the band uncertain. After much deliberation, we have now decided to replace him in order to be able to carry on as a band.

"This is not something we wanted to happen, but we have to be realistic, and being thousands of kilometers apart wouldn't have allowed us to work as a functioning band. This is not a studio project, our music is meant to be played live, and we have many plans for the future which require the four of us to be geographically close.

"Rod and I started this band almost 20 years ago and he wrote some of the band's best and most characteristic material, which made this situation extremely difficult for me personally. I feel, however, that we've done the right thing, as everything was talked through with all people involved, and Rod's departure happened in the most open, civilized terms possible.

"We hope that you, the fans, will understand this decision. It's not an easy step for us to take, and it wasn't a rushed decision, but if the only other choice is to stop playing as CRIMINAL, we'd rather take the flak and soldier on.

"We may still play a few shows with Rod in South America next year when we celebrate our 20th anniversary, but nothing is set in stone yet.

"Rod's replacement is Olmo Cascallar [pictured below] from the Basque band GAMORA, who already did a fantastic job as a stand-in on our last few European dates. Not only is he an excellent guitarist with a great stage presence, we also feel he will contribute an entirely new approach to our songwriting."

A photo of the new CRIMINAL lineup can be found below.

CRIMINAL will enter HVR Studios in Suffolk, U.K. in March 2011 to record its seventh, as-yet-untitled studio album.

CRIMINAL's video for the song "Incubus" can be viewed below. The clip was directed and edited by renowned Chilean visual artist Carlos Toro, who has previously worked with KREATOR, VADER, LACRIMOSA and MERCENARY, among others.

"Incubus" comes off CRIMINAL's latest album, "White Hell", which was released in February 2009 by Germany's Massacre Records. The CD was widely hailed as the band's finest record to date.

CRIMINAL supported METALLICA in Chile in front of over 55,000 raging metalheads.