Drummer JOHN TEMPESTA Exits THE CULT After 20-Year Run

Drummer John Tempesta has announced his departure from THE CULT.

Earlier today (Saturday, November 7),Tempesta released the following statement via social media: "After 20 years, my chapter with THE CULT has come to an end.

"So many unforgettable shows, experiences, and memories.

"I'm incredibly thankful to every single fan who was there along the way. Your support has meant so much to me.

"I'm looking forward to getting back out there, playing music and seeing where the next chapter takes me. Here's to 2027!

"Wishing the guys all the best!"

In a career spanning more than three decades, Tempesta has built a body of work that's deservedly earned him a place among metal's most popular and well-respected players. John's extensive professional resume includes gigs with WHITE ZOMBIE, ROB ZOMBIE, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, Tony Iommi, HELMET and SCUM OF THE EARTH.

Growing up in the Bronx, John was first inspired to play drums as a child after watching the classic THE BEATLES film "A Hard Day's Night" on TV.

Coming up, John was further influenced and inspired by the techniques of hard-hitting rock drummers like John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN, Alex Van Halen of VAN HALEN and Bill Ward of BLACK SABBATH.

Early in his career, John gained crucial experience on the road and in the studio as drum tech for ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante.

In 1989, after four years with ANTHRAX, John moved behind the drum throne of San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal stalwarts EXODUS, with whom he recorded three albums. He then joined fellow Bay Area thrashers TESTAMENT.

Although Tempesta recorded only two studio albums with TESTAMENT (1994's "Low" and 2001's "First Strike Still Deadly", a collection of re-recordings of songs from "The Legacy" and "The New Order"),he left a lasting impression on TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson.

"John is definitely one of the best drummers in the country," Peterson remarked. "He has the power of John Bonham, the finesse of Carter Beauford, and the aggression of Dave Lombardo. As a drummer, John really has it all."

John's profile grew in 1994, the year he joined industrial metal juggernauts WHITE ZOMBIE. The release of 1995's "Astro-Creep 2000" made WHITE ZOMBIE a household name, largely due to the dance club hit "More Human Than Human" and its accompanying video.

Regarding how he landed the gig with THE CULT back in February 2006, Tempesta told Remo.com: "A friend of mine who is a booking agent for THE CULT told me that they were auditioning drummers. At that time I was lined up to record another album with HELMET, and I was also scheduled to go to Dubai to play with TESTAMENT. It was one of those things where everything happened in a week. After securing the audition, I learned all of THE CULT material that I'd need to play and I felt really confident about the audition, because I'd always been a fan of THE CULT. It just clicked, basically."

Image credit: Drumeo