Whitechapel vocalist Phil Bozeman has issued a statement revealing that the group will not make their upcoming South American tour as he addresses his personal mental health.
The official statement accompanying his video reads, “To all of our Mexican, Costa Rican, Colombian, Chilean, Brazilian and Argentinian fans. We regret to inform you that we will not be embarking on this tour due to mental health concerns regarding myself.”
He added, “I will be ok but I need time to get right for myself, my fiancé, family, friends and all of you. Your support is immeasurable. Thank you all so much for everything. Here’s to strengthening and healing. Take care of yourselves and never stay silent on your mental health. It is our foundation for life. OUR FRIENDS IN THY ART IS MURDER WILL STILL BE PLAYING THESE SHOWS. YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THEM. GO AND SUPPORT OUR FRIENDS!”
What Else Phil Bozeman Had to Say
The post was accompanied by a video where Bozeman offered his own statement in person.
Going further in depth about his mental health issues, the singer stated, “A lot of you may know, I have had a traumatic childhood; I’ve been on mental health medications since I was a teenager. I started to come off of them because I wanted to. I wanted to try to not rely on medication months back. And it has had a very bad effect on me. I [have] been having mental health issues.”
He continued, “I’ve been on Zoloft ever since I was a teenager. For those of you that don’t know, the childhood I’m talking about is my dad passing away when I was 10 years old, and then my mom passing away around five years later from drug abuse and … Yeah, and from an early age, I was put on Zoloft. And that basically numbed me for 30 years.”
Bozeman said he’s attempted to come off the medication prior and it had not gone well. He’s also tried to stop it cold turkey and that hasn’t worked at all. But giving it another try recently, he felt he was doing it the right way in tapering off his usage.
“It seems as if … it’s not making me necessarily worse, but I’ve just haven’t felt… because I’ve been numbed for 30 years, and coming off of it like the way I have, has been the healthy way, but it’s also come with consequences. And I have not felt things that I should have felt in those past 30 years. And it [has], you know, really affected me [I’m] very, very emotional,” said the singer.
“In a nutshell, yes, I’m just dealing with some mental health issues, and I just need time to to correct all of this. And to all our South American fans and Mexican fans and, yeah, getting on a plane and traveling over and over and over every day just seems like hell to me right now. I’m just coming to you as just a normal person. I’m just a normal person, just like all of you. And yeah, I just… With the love and support of all the guys in the band, my family, my fiancée, I’m going to correct this. And [I] want to get better for not only myself, and my family, and friends, but also for you guys, so that I can continue to perform at the level that is expected of me.”
“In this metal community, a lot of us found metal because of having our own mental health issues, and that was the same for me. It’s a real thing. And I encourage all of you who may be dealing with stuff like this —or whatever mental health issue that you’re dealing with — is that you, you do seek help, you do talk to people you don’t just keep it in,” he added before sharing, “I’ve made that mistake a lot, and just don’t make that mistake.”
“Talk to people in your life, professionals. Mental health is the foundation of our life. It is what dictates our quality of life and the overall well being of, of life in general,” he pleaded.
READ MORE: Is Metal Not Serious Enough Today? Whitechapel Vocalist Weighs In
“I just think that you guys in Mexico and South America as a whole deserve to understand and know why that we aren’t coming down there. And just to everyone around the world that are fans of us, that you know what is happening right now,” he concluded. “I appreciate all your guys’ support, and we’ll get through this. And thank you guys so much for the support. It’s just… it’s on the top of my pedestal as to what I appreciate, you know.”
His full statement can be viewed below.
What Others Are Saying
Bozeman’s statement was met with a lot of support from both fans and others in the metal community.
Whitechapel bandmate Alex Wade commented, “We are proud of you for standing up and saying you need help, that’s the first step. Love you man everyone’s got your back.”
Cattle Decapitation’s Travis Ryan stated in the comments, “Honest, matter of fact and brave. That’s how it should be done. You’re a badass, Phil.”
Scott Ian Lewis of Carnifex added, “Sending you hugs and love bro.”
Metal Blade CEO Brian Slagel offered, “Get well dude!! Well said.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse and Darkest Hour also both sent heart emojis.
While Bozeman’s statement did address their South American dates that were scheduled to kick off tonight (Nov.. 27) in Monterrey, Mexico, there are two shows on the band’s schedule for Dec. 19 and 20 in Chattanooga and Nashville that were not addressed. Ticketing info on those shows can be found through the band’s website.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357) or send a text message to 1-800-487-4889.
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