Of Mice And Men Frontman Austin Carlile Leaves For Second Time

Of Mice and Men frontman Austin Carlile has announced that he has decided to leave the metalcore band for a second time. According to a statement made by the band on Facebook, Carlile’s departure is due to the fact that he “suffers from a rare connective tissue disorder called Marfan syndrome” and that the illness has continually taken the toll on him as he “has been struggling with the physical demands of touring since the band began.” Carlile also took to social media to address his struggles and his sadness for having to leave Of Mice and Men behind.

According to The Marfan Foundation, what Carlile suffers through is a genetic disorder that causes problems with the body’s connective tissues, therefore preventing the body from proper development in addition to causing pain in vital parts such as the heart. Because it is genetic, he had the disorder since birth. A lack of obvious symptoms at the start make it very difficult for people to identify Marfan’s presence.

Late last month, the former Of Mice and Men frontman opened up on social media regarding Marfan and what he is going through. He also addressed fan questions who showed some interest in better understanding his situation. According to the Alternative Press, Carlile’s struggles was the reason Of Mice and Men had to cancel several shows and tours and that Carlile was oftentimes unable to perform properly. He shared an extensive number of tweets that covered topics from trying to treat his symptoms to how he feels each day.

Now that he has left Of Mice and Men, Carlile said that he will be spending time in Costa Rica, where he lives, to rest while he continuing writing and creating music. He simply will not be spending as much energy as he tries to continue to get by. In his efforts to bring awareness to Marfans, Carlile said that as of right now there is no cure, and currently there is no way for his health to make any improvements.

Austin Carlile’s music career began in 2007 when he started the metalcore band Attack Attack! He soon left to begin another project in what became Of Mice and Men in 2009. He had left Of Mice and Men once before, the reason being his health issues and requiring heart surgery, Carlile told PureVolume. It is difficult to say if he will return to Of Mice and Men ever again, since this time the decision seems to be more for his long-term benefit.

The rest of the band members of Of Mice and Men have issued a statement in regards to the former frontman’s departure. They added that Carlile’s doctors had warned him that the strain from performing, especially doing aggressive screaming vocals, was the main cause for additional damage to his body and would continue to do so as long as he remained with Of Mice and Men, specifically causing “permanent & irrevocable damage to his spine & nervous system.” They will now be proceeding as a band of four members with the continued support of their fans.

Of Mice and Men will be going back to business in June when they play their first show without Carlile at the Download Festival in the UK before going on a European tour later in June, according to the Of Mice and Men official webpage.

[Featured Image by Amy Harris/Invision/AP Images]