A few things I'd like to say:

First and foremost, I hope Justin is found in good health and able to get the help he needs. For those of you that aren't as crazily in love with the metal genre as I am, Justin is the co-guitarist for (IN MY OPINION, YMMV) one of the best djent/metal bands of all time, After the Burial. I'll link some of their music in the bottom of this post for those wishing to indulge their heavier musical needs.

Justin originally posted on Facebook about a month ago, claiming to be part of a rather long-winded conspiracy to take his genetic material, and a generally nefarious plot he CLAIMS the band was in on to "undo" him.

The rest of the band neglected to comment on the matter until he was found a few days later, and to quote directly from the article I just linked (for you lazier folks):

"This is a very sad and hurtful situation for us to grasp, and unfortunately it is one we still don't fully understand. Our dear friend, our brother onstage and off, has fallen into a very broken state of mind. A state that, despite our continued efforts, we have been powerless to get him out of.

"We are very sorry we haven't made a statement until now, but there is reasoning behind our decision. Early yesterday after he made the post, he went missing for the entire day. He was in minimal contact with only a few people over the phone, and the information we gathered from them gave us reason to believe he was unsafe in his current state of mind. We were on our phones all day with family, friends, and local authorities trying to regain control of the situation. We felt it was definitely not the appropriate time for us to make a statement, in fear that it may escalate things further. Fortunately, he's back home now. He's safe and in the care of his family.

"Justin is ill, and right now he needs more than ever to be shown that the world is not against him. He needs support and love from everyone, and to know that we only want what's best for him. We will continue to support him and his family as best we can through this tough time.

"We must ask that, out of respect for friends and family, you refrain from making any comments or speculations about what's going on. We ask also that you respect the privacy of everyone involved while we work through this.

"Mental illness is a very serious matter, and we are treating it as such. If you or anyone you know may be suffering from a mental illness, the time to find help is now."

I fully agree with AtB's words on the issue, and although I've remained silent until now (to respect the wishes of all involved), Justin has unfortunately been reported missing as of about 17 hours ago in Wisconsin.

I'm incredibly worried, as both an avid fan of After the Burial, and as someone that also struggles with a mental illness; my heart goes out to the band and Justin especially, as I know these are trying times. We love ya, Justin. Please be safe :c

(I'd like to ask, by extension of his sister's wishes via the article linked in the main post, that postulation regarding potential mental disorders of any parties involved not be discussed here, out of respect for Justin and his family. He needs love and support from us, not baseless theories.)

Get well soon, Justin. \m/

--Fluff

For those interested that would like to hear some of the amazing work this band has done to make the world a heavier place, please enjoy:

"Your Troubles Will Cease and Fortune Will Smile Upon You"

"Berserker"

(for those that would like a lighter intro, but the same amazing djenty goodness) "Aspiration"

and finally, a video of Justin himself, demoing an Ibanez 9 string (model RG90BKP), and exhibiting just some of the incredible musicianship that I know makes him an awesome person, as well as one of my guitar idols.




posted 3194 days ago