HATCHET Parts Ways With Singer

San Francisco Bay Area's HATCHET has issued the following update:

"We are safe and sound now back home in the San Francisco Bay area.

After a six-week full U.S. tour that spanned the entire country, we returned home to an eager, vigorous crowd on October 16 at 924 Gilman with tour mates HAVOK, as well as WITCHAVEN and WARBRINGER. Definitely one of the most energetic shows of the tour and in the Bay that we have played, and it was a nice welcome home.

"We met a lot of cool and interesting people along the way as well as fans that have been waiting patiently to see us in parts of the country we had not been to.

"We want to extend a big thank you to all who came to see us, bought merch, or take us in for the night and gave us a place to party and sleep. You all know who you are!!

"As most have noticed by now, HATCHET returned to the Bay Area a four-piece. The exact details of the events leading to this will remain brief, as we do not believe in airing dirty laundry on a public board. Basically, we had vast musical and personal differences with our new vocalist from the start, and from the first show we played, it just did not click right. These problems only escalated throughout the tour until one night in Buffalo, New York, where he decided to hit the stage beyond reasonably drunk, and embarrassed us beyond belief to a packed house, leaving five people in the club to watch HAVOK after our set. Afterwards he quit and flew home that same night, leaving us across the country without a vocalist.

"Instead of throwing up our arms and coming home, we decided to continue the tour with guitarist Julz Ramos, on vocals. We took three shows off from tour and practiced our material with this arrangement in our new bass player's hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, picking the tour up again in York, Pennsylvania.

"After that was resolved, we were able to continue the tour with HAVOK, and had a total blast.

"HAVOK are definitely some of the coolest dudes around and it was awesome sharing the stage with them every night whether it was a packed club, or a few people standing near a crowded bar.

"Partying with you guys was awesome and we can't wait to do it again...soon!!!

"A big thanks to everyone who supported us along the way and we promise we will see you out there again soon in early 2010!"

HATCHET was signed to Metal Blade Records in October 2007 and released its debut album, "Awaiting Evil", in the spring of 2008. The band takes the roots of '80s thrash metal and combines it with its own distinct elements to present a sound that is fresh, yet familiar.

HATCHET was quickly welcomed to a fastidious San Francisco metal scene and was one of the newer thrash acts key in resurrecting the scene — all but dead for more than a decade.