Progressive metal titans Monuments have made the difficult decision to hit pause on their career, prioritizing the health and well-being of their guitarist, John Browne, who is currently navigating life with ankylosing spondylitis. This chronic inflammatory condition, which primarily impacts the spine and large joints, is a struggle not unfamiliar within the metal community—most notably endured by Mötley Crüe’s estranged guitarist Mick Mars, who has contended with the disease since his youth.
In a heartfelt statement released yesterday, August 9th, Monuments announced their withdrawal from the highly anticipated US tour with Leprous and Fight The Fight. The band also revealed that work on their upcoming album will be put on hold to give Browne the necessary time to focus on managing his condition.
The full statement from the band reads as follows:
“Dear friends, fans and supporters. It is with great sadness that we must announce that we will not be able to play the upcoming US tour together with Leprous and Fight The Fight. We are also halting the songwriting process for M5 for the time being.
As some of you are aware, Browne was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis a few years ago. To get his condition under control and in the right direction he’ll be spending a bit of time to make it more comfortable to live with. For now, we’ll be on indefinite hiatus until it’s under control. Please keep the MONUMENTS flag flying high until we return.
—Browne, Andy, and Werner“
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