Half of Massacre quits band one year after joining: “I have been Kam Lee’d”

Sean Furtado

Massacre, the Kam Lee-fronted early Florida death metal band who have over 20 former members including musicians who went on to play in Death, Obituary, Six Feet Under, and other legendary bands (not to mention Kam Lee himself was in Death when Death was called Mantas), have two new additions to their "former members" list.

Guitarist Taylor Nordberg and drummer Jeramie Kling, who both also play in The Absence together and who only joined Massacre one year ago, have quit the band, saying "I have been Kam Lee’d." In a statement that MetalSucks posted in full, they continued, "To everyone who warned us a year ago when we joined the band: you were right." They also called the band a "dictatorship," and said they were "accused of trying to take over the band, which is a paranoid delusion."

Here's the full statement:

Well this comes as no surprise… I have been Kam Lee’d. I had been warned by many people and I set aside all of the rumor mill whispers, in hopes of creating quality Florida death metal.

A warning to anyone who may work/associate with him, I would highly consider against it or you will certainly be writing a message similar to this one. I can almost guarantee it.

It is with both regret and relief that we announce our departure from Massacre. To everyone who warned us a year ago when we joined the band: you were right. It has been a year of severe ups and downs and unfortunately it has become a working environment we cannot be a part of any longer. What was presented as a democracy turned out to be a dictatorship with an excruciating lack of communication. We will not stand by and have our reputations meddled with by childish behavior. We present ourselves as professionals and bring 110% of our beings into all of the projects we have. We wrote and presented 14 songs for the band’s new album, provided our contacts in the industry which we have naturally/organically procured through our years of touring, only to be accused of trying to take over the band, which is a paranoid delusion. It is also unfortunate that a certain individual refused to speak on the phone to us to discuss any issue of the band, but we have no choice but to bow out of this unhealthy relationship. We apologize to our fans and the Massacre fans that they will not get to hear the new album we wrote for the band…at least not as a Massacre album. We cherish our time spent with Michael Borders and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Michael Borders, who played bass in the band in the mid '80s, also rejoined in 2019 and appears to still be a member. If that new album still comes out, it'll be Massacre's first since 2014's Back from Beyond and first with Kam on vocals since 1996's Promise.

Original Massacre (and Mantas) member Rick Rozz was back in the band briefly in 2019, and -- along with Terry Butler (Massacre, Death, Six Feet Under, Obituary) -- was part of a Kam-less version of the band that happened from 2011-2014 with Edwin Webb on vocals.

Massacre were scheduled to play Maryland Deathfest (and a rare NYC show) in 2020 before the pandemic hit, and they're now scheduled to play MDF 2021.