Ex-IRON MAIDEN Singer PAUL DI'ANNO Slams ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ Bandmates As 'Traitors'

Paul Di'Anno has slammed the most recent members of his German band ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ as "traitors" after they announced they would be continuing without him.

The former IRON MAIDEN singer originally formed ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ a couple of years ago with musicians from his longtime German touring backing group THE PHANTOMZ. AOC's debut album, "The League Of Shadows", was subsequently recorded and released in 2015 to mostly positive reviews.

ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ has been largely on hold for the past year as Di'Anno has dealt with a host of health issues, including undergoing an operation to remove a "rugby ball-sized abscess" on his lungs that turned out not to be cancer.

On Wednesday, August 3, the other members of ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ took to their Facebook page to announce their split with Paul, explaining that they wanted to "start a new chapter and find a new singer who can transport the energy."

They wrote: "This is maybe the hardest thing imaginable for us, but we have to tell you that (as painful as it is for us),for his own health and dignity, Paul is no longer part of the band!!!

"With the second album already written, we wanted to enter the studio this October, which turned out to be impossible with Paul!

"Of course, we will release this monster (which by the way will be even stronger than 'The League Of Shadows'!) as soon as possible! This is not the end of AOC! It will start a new chapter!

"During the last year, it became obvious that there is no way to keep the ARCHITECTS alive under these circumstances.

"Many of you have seen Paul suffering on and off stage during our last tours. His health got even worse during the last months and as much as we hoped that there will be a surgery that gets him back on his feet, we had to find out that it is not going to happen! So the five of us decided that it would be the best to part ways!!!!

"Touring was only possible because we know really passionate and lovely people who would do everything possible for us. With their time limited, it gets more and more impossible to tour!

"We would love to tell you we were big enough in business and our tours and income was big enough to pay for two additional people only taking care of Paul. But we are not. We are just the metalheads and punks that we have always been. Everything is DIY!

"Trust us, nobody shed more tears over this than we did, because the five of us have spent the last eleven years together and if there ever were brothers from different mothers, it was us...

"The future will bring great new music!

"We will start a new chapter and find a new singer who can transport the energy!!!

"AOC will rise again!!!!!"

Earlier today (Thursday, August 4),Paul responded via his own Facebook post, claiming that he would prevent his former bandmates from using the name ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ and insisting that he would reform the band with new musicians.

He wrote: "I have just got a message from my so-called German bandmates, who have decided to go on without me. However I will not let them use the name ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ. I hope my new AOC will debut next year with new members and an even heavier sound and energy. I'm looking at my bros in Brazil for this. Goodbye, traitors!!"

Joining Di'Anno in ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ were Joey Siedl (guitar),Andreas Ballnus (guitar),Christoph Lücker (bass) and Dominik Fox (drums).

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Martin Buckwalter (DESTRUCTION, PERZONAL WAR, SUIDAKRA),the songs on "The League Of Shadows" were said to "follow the tradition of classic New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM),including influences of modern power metal."