FORBIDDEN's CRAIG LOCICERO Explains Lineup Changes For Fall 2026 Tour: MATT CAMACHO And CHRIS KONTOS 'Have Real-Life S*** To Deal With'

In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of Pod Scum, FORBIDDEN guitarist Craig Locicero discussed the band's recent announcement that FORBIDDEN bassist Matt Camacho and drummer Chris Kontos would sit out the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' fall 2026 U.S. tour with HEATHEN and VOID due to "personal reasons". They will be temporarily replaced by Avery Thurman and Eli Lucas, respectively. Craig said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've known for a little while, and we've had to contend with this, both Matt and Chris cannot do this tour. They both have personal commitments that they have to handle as real adults in the real world that they can't do this run, but we got them back for next year when we do other stuff. The intention is they come back as soon as they can. And that's already started to happen. But the guys we got are fucking phenomenal, and they're younger and hungry — hungry, hungry — and great musicians."

Locicero continued: "It's funny, because we put up the note, like, 'Man, people are gonna be bummed,' and then immediately people are, like, 'Those two guys are amazing.' They switch right to who those guys are, and people respect that Matt and Chris have real-life shit to deal with. So you live in a world now where all these things confluence to being what they are, and how you handle it and how adult you are about it is how it really turns out. If you are still being childish or you still have hangups and resentments, you're not going anywhere in this world. You gotta be, like, 'Okay, these are real-world problems. These are real-world issues. People have shit going on in their lives. They need to handle their shit.' And I think these days a lot of fans get it, 'cause how many times do we see TESTAMENT goes out without Alex Skolnick? Shit just happens. People want everything. You can't have everything. You can't afford everything as a consumer. You can't afford it. You can't afford what you're asking for. You want the world. It doesn't exist like that."

Regarding what Thurman and Lucas have brought to the table, Locicero said: "We've had multiple rehearsals with these guys. We're actually playing more songs than we've ever played, and we're pulling from a pool of material that we... Some of this shit we haven't even touched in fucking decades. So, they're on fire. Eli Lucas on drums, who was the runner-up that should've probably got the FORBIDDEN gig in 2011, but he was too young. I was, like, 'This guy's so young.' But he's phenomenal, and people know him around here. They're, like, 'Oh my God.' And then Avery Thurman, who plays in BLIND ILLUSION, is playing bass. And he's a 21-year-old… He's been a prodigy, but now he's 21, so now he's just a fucking great bass player. You're a prodigy till you're 21; now you're just a great bass player. But he's great. He has raging stage presence. So we've already been hitting it hard. And Matt handpicked Avery, and Chris suggested Eli, and that's cool. So that's the way to do shit."

Asked if FORBIDDEN's touring schedule in support of the band's upcoming self-titled album will be "more aggressive" and "ambitious" than has been the case in the past, Craig said: "Yeah, I think it is gonna be more aggressive and ambitious, but at the same time, I think that the reality that you can't go every single place you wanna go and afford to get there.

"There's a lot of things you could talk about that are hard for the consumer to handle," Locicero explained. "And I'm not one to pull punches or try to be condescending and talk down to anybody about anything, but there's a lot of factors that go into every decision that costs money to make it work and still continue to do it. You could throw all your life's work into a big hole and it turns into just this fucking vacuum of cash. Are you ever gonna see money from the album you made? Probably not. So how else do you survive? You survive on the road. Okay, well, you gotta go play places. You better sell some shirts. If people aren't buying your merchandise, you're not really making money when you have to fly or drive from place to place, with the price of fuel. But nobody wants to hear that. They're, like, 'Ah, na, na, na, na…. I just want you here. Do what I ask. Play what I want you to play. Play the songs I want you to play. Be the kind of band I remember you being.' FORBIDDEN doesn't fit neatly into any of those categories, so I think the real answer here is that we'll do everything we can do, and we'll build as much as we can build, and we'll supply as much as the demand is. So if there's a demand, we will supply it, and that's always been the plan. That's all I told these guys to begin with. I told them when started writing this record. I'm, like, 'There's two things. One thing, write the greatest record you possibly can. Be a part of that. Get that piece of art done. Two, you supply the demand that you can make. Be a part of it. Do as much as you can do.'"

FORBIDDEN's "Chaos By Design" U.S. tour with HEATHEN and VOID will launch on October 23 in Las Vegas and conclude on November 22 in Los Angeles, California.

FORBIDDEN will release its new, self-titled album on October 23 via BLKIIBLK, the heavy metal imprint of Frontiers Label Group. The band's long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Omega Wave" album was tracked at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with engineer/co-producer Zack Ohren.

Formed in 1985 in Fremont, California as FORBIDDEN EVIL, FORBIDDEN quickly became one of the defining bands of the Bay Area thrash metal movement alongside the genre's biggest names. Following lineup changes that solidified the classic lineup featuring vocalist Russ Anderson, guitarists Locicero and Glen Alvelais, Camacho and drummer Paul Bostaph, the band released their landmark 1988 debut "Forbidden Evil" before shortening their name to FORBIDDEN. Acclaimed follow-up albums "Twisted Into Form" (1990),"Distortion" (1994) and "Green" (1997) showcased the band's technical precision, melodic songwriting, and Anderson's unmistakable vocals, while extensive tours with acts including SACRED REICH, EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL, TESTAMENT and MALEVOLENT CREATION helped cement their reputation as one of thrash's most respected acts. After disbanding in 1997, FORBIDDEN reunited in 2008, released the acclaimed comeback album "Omega Wave" in 2010, and toured internationally before going on hiatus once again in 2012.

FORBIDDEN returned in 2023 with founding guitarist Locicero joined by longtime members Camacho and Steve Smyth (guitar),alongside vocalist Norman Skinner and drummer Chris Kontos. The revitalized lineup made its live debut at Belgium's Alcatraz Metal Festival before returning home for sold-out Bay Area performances supporting DEATH ANGEL's annual Christmas shows. Focused on creating new music, the band entered a new creative era in 2025 with the release of its first new song in 15 years, "Divided By Zero".

Last November, FORBIDDEN announced it had parted ways with VOIVOD guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain and replaced him with Jeremy Von Epp.

Mongrain originally joined FORBIDDEN in July 2024 as the replacement for Steve Smyth.

Smyth exited FORBIDDEN in July 2024, saying in a statement that he "decided it's time to part ways with FORBIDDEN, and return to my band ONE MACHINE as priority, along with other projects on the horizon, and of course session work, and teaching music as always."

The first lineup of the resurrected FORBIDDEN — consisting of Locicero, Camacho, Skinner, Kontos and Smyth — made its live debut at a "secret" show in July 2023 at Baltic Kiss in Richmond, California under the TWISTED INTO EVIL banner.