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    VITRIOL’s Kyle Rasmussen Claims Bandmates Abandoned Him Over Drugs, Threats & Financial Disputes; Ex-Guitarist Keith Merrow Fires Back

    SenecaBy 151 Comments3 Mins Read
    The Mosh Network - Vitriol in March 2025

    Vitriol vocalist/guitarist Kyle Rasmussen has shared his side of a dramatic incident that unfolded during the band’s North American headlining tour earlier this week. In a video statement posted November 24th, Rasmussen detailed a dispute that reportedly led to guitarist Keith Merrow, bassist Brett Leier, and drummer Andy Vincenzetti leaving the band and allegedly abandoning him, his girlfriend Maggie, and their dog Ghost.

    The exodus occurred amid the band’s first-ever North American headline tour, with Weeping serving as support. Merrow initially announced the split on social media, writing:

    “HE FUCKED AROUND AND FOUND OUT. I’LL BE HOME FOR THANKSGIVING, BABY. SORRY VITRIOL FANS. WE HAD TO ABANDON HIM AT A GAS STATION IN VERMONT… THIS WAS THE DARKEST DAY OF MY MUSIC CAREER TO DATE.”

    Rasmussen responded with a nearly 40-minute video livestream in which he disputed several points. Key highlights from his account include:

    • Allegations that Merrow, Leier, and Vincenzetti had been heavily using cocaine and sleep-deprived prior to a heated argument and physical altercation. Rasmussen claimed Merrow threatened to “stab him in the neck.”
    • Claims that Merrow shoved Rasmussen’s girlfriend in an attempt to confront him and later involved a state trooper to remove Rasmussen, Maggie, and Ghost from the RV.
    • Rasmussen stated the group left them at a closed ice cream shop in New York, contradicting the bandmates’ Vermont account.
    • He acknowledged his own anger issues and ongoing therapy but insisted he did not physically attack anyone.
    • Rasmussen said he and his companions were left with substantial musical equipment and merchandise and have launched a GoFundMe to return safely to Portland, Oregon.
    • Rasmussen confirmed Vitriol’s future is uncertain, and he plans to take time off to assess the situation.

    Regarding the crowdfunding campaign, Rasmussen wrote:

    “The funds raised will go directly toward securing a vehicle—either a rental or an affordable used car—along with gas, food, and lodging for the long journey home. I wouldn’t ask for myself, but I need to keep Maggie and Ghost safe. Any support, no matter how small, would mean the world to us right now.”

    Merrow has issued a brief response on social media confirming the departure of himself, Leier, and Vincenzetti. He also suggested the trio will continue making music together under a new band name.

    “Me, Brett and Andy left Vitriol because Kyle sucks. That’s it. It doesn’t require an absolute psychotic 2 part video series to explain… We simply won’t tolerate it, just like all the other 19 people who left this failed band.”

    Tensions have previously flared within Vitriol, including the departure of then-bassist/vocalist Adam Roethlisberger mid-tour in September 2024.

    The situation marks another turbulent chapter for the technical death metal outfit, whose North American tour has now come to an abrupt halt.

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    151 Comments

      • Alicia Strong on

        The Mosh Network Vitriol used the live dying sounds of 12 year old Katelyn Nicole Davis suicide livestream as an intro to their song glorifying hanging, the way she ended her life, called parting of a neck. They did not tell their fans they were listening to a real 12 year old kill herself, and refused to remove the snippet and stop having the video monetized. Making money off a dead girls dying sounds and ignoring the families pleas for them to remove the snippet. In the end, we finally won, they had to remove it, but not before dating we were silencing Katelyn and that they were NOT sorry and put up a status telling their fans to come tell me to kill myself. Which hundreds upon hundreds of fans did. The posts regarding Katelyn and comments slandering me are STILL on their Facebook page to this day. They wanted to apologize in the beginning by sending a donation to the maintenance fund of Katelyn’s grave, lied about making the donation, said we REFUSED the donation, and then got their fans to harass the family and I. Vitriol are absolutely pathetic scumbags and I’m glad they’re toast. This is great news. According to vitriol, using the dying sounds and last words of a 12 year old killing herself without telling anyone it’s real or her name in any way is apparently advocating for Katelyn. Lmfaoooo. And apparently we, who tirelessly tell her story and fight for justice and work with the family to try to help Katelyn’s siblings and combat misinformation and spread kindness and such is allllllll not advocating for her, apparently we are silencing Katelyn’s voice by not letting vitriol make money off her dying sounds. Yeeeah alright then lmao.

        Reply
    2. Cain Kelly on

      This is probably the most attention that band has ever seen, because I’ve literally never heard of them until today.

      Reply
        • Alicia Strong on

          Josh East Might be talented but he’s scum for making money off the dying sounds of a real abused 12 year old girl and refusing at all to be sorry about it.

          Reply
      • Alicia Strong on

        Cain Kelly Vitriol used the live dying sounds of 12 year old Katelyn Nicole Davis suicide livestream as an intro to their song glorifying hanging, the way she ended her life, called parting of a neck. They did not tell their fans they were listening to a real 12 year old kill herself, and refused to remove the snippet and stop having the video monetized. Making money off a dead girls dying sounds and ignoring the families pleas for them to remove the snippet. In the end, we finally won, they had to remove it, but not before dating we were silencing Katelyn and that they were NOT sorry and put up a status telling their fans to come tell me to kill myself. Which hundreds upon hundreds of fans did. The posts regarding Katelyn and comments slandering me are STILL on their Facebook page to this day. They wanted to apologize in the beginning by sending a donation to the maintenance fund of Katelyn’s grave, lied about making the donation, said we REFUSED the donation, and then got their fans to harass the family and I. Vitriol are absolutely pathetic scumbags and I’m glad they’re toast. This is great news. According to vitriol, using the dying sounds and last words of a 12 year old killing herself without telling anyone it’s real or her name in any way is apparently advocating for Katelyn. Lmfaoooo. And apparently we, who tirelessly tell her story and fight for justice and work with the family to try to help Katelyn’s siblings and combat misinformation and spread kindness and such is allllllll not advocating for her, apparently we are silencing Katelyn’s voice by not letting vitriol make money off her dying sounds. Yeeeah alright then lmao.

        Reply
      • Eric Bbaauueerr on

        Anthony Perry of course Merrow was doing it.. and he did have his little knife on him at all times(as he took out in some vids acting the fool) and surely did threat to stab him in the throat… his take on the events is likely pretty close to reality. I’m sure there’s the in between where what was truly said and in what manner wasn’t included. But all these guys, and Merrow has made posts in the past claiming his use of their prescribed anti-depressants. Everyone putting the blame in the coke. Us musicians especially rock and metal crowd, have been going on the road getting fucked up on all substances for decades. But being one of these who’s lived the very situation here, I’m tellin ya Coke added to those big Pharma drugs is what turns situations like this sideways these days. Seen it too often. I won’t touch the big Pharma “prescribed” stuff. Cause I know it don’t blend with the recreational shit we’ve been self medicating with since the 60s.

        But anyway, why would think Merrow isn’t involved? Cause he’s Mr YouTuber? He clearly partakes in shit like everyone else.

        Reply
        • Chase Nadstadt on

          Eric Bbaauueerr think the cocaine use makes it so whats the point to fingerpoint.. Basically a bunch of knuckleheads getting high.. all it takes is one dude to lose his shit and everything blows up. Everyone looks like an idiot cuz ur just a bunch of dirtbags getting messed up in the back of a van at the end of the day. Guess the main thing is to grow up and act like a man already before you end up embarrassing urself too much by acting like an ozzy osborne wannabe.

          Reply
      • Benjamin Boes on

        Devin SchumFunny that I’ve done every drug you can think of with my band mates over the years and it’s been fine…. More like jackasses are jackasses and blow makes it worse….

        Reply
    10. K.d. Murray on

      I always have the dumbest questions but how is it that he get’s to take his girlfriend and big old dog on the tour in a cramped van or bus with the other band members?

      Reply
      • Alicia Strong on

        Christopher McMeeken I’m glad to hear that <3 Vitriol used the live dying sounds of 12 year old Katelyn Nicole Davis suicide livestream as an intro to their song glorifying hanging, the way she ended her life, called parting of a neck. They did not tell their fans they were listening to a real 12 year old kill herself, and refused to remove the snippet and stop having the video monetized. Making money off a dead girls dying sounds and ignoring the families pleas for them to remove the snippet. In the end, we finally won, they had to remove it, but not before dating we were silencing Katelyn and that they were NOT sorry and put up a status telling their fans to come tell me to kill myself. Which hundreds upon hundreds of fans did. The posts regarding Katelyn and comments slandering me are STILL on their Facebook page to this day. They wanted to apologize in the beginning by sending a donation to the maintenance fund of Katelyn's grave, lied about making the donation, said we REFUSED the donation, and then got their fans to harass the family and I. Vitriol are absolutely pathetic scumbags and I'm glad they're toast. This is great news. According to vitriol, using the dying sounds and last words of a 12 year old killing herself without telling anyone it's real or her name in any way is apparently advocating for Katelyn. Lmfaoooo. And apparently we, who tirelessly tell her story and fight for justice and work with the family to try to help Katelyn's siblings and combat misinformation and spread kindness and such is allllllll not advocating for her, apparently we are silencing Katelyn's voice by not letting vitriol make money off her dying sounds. Yeeeah alright then lmao.

        Reply
    12. Vanghele Cristian on

      The only thing I learned from the Vitriol drama is confirmation that cokeheads are the most insufferable people on the planet

      Reply
    13. Oliver James on

      Over 20 years ago I played a show with Kyle and his band Slaughtermaster. Funny Gwar style stuff, cool guy, but as Rick James stated “cocaine is a hell if a drug”

      Reply
      • Alicia Strong on

        Oliver James Vitriol used the live dying sounds of 12 year old Katelyn Nicole Davis suicide livestream as an intro to their song glorifying hanging, the way she ended her life, called parting of a neck. They did not tell their fans they were listening to a real 12 year old kill herself, and refused to remove the snippet and stop having the video monetized. Making money off a dead girls dying sounds and ignoring the families pleas for them to remove the snippet. In the end, we finally won, they had to remove it, but not before dating we were silencing Katelyn and that they were NOT sorry and put up a status telling their fans to come tell me to kill myself. Which hundreds upon hundreds of fans did. The posts regarding Katelyn and comments slandering me are STILL on their Facebook page to this day. They wanted to apologize in the beginning by sending a donation to the maintenance fund of Katelyn’s grave, lied about making the donation, said we REFUSED the donation, and then got their fans to harass the family and I. Vitriol are absolutely pathetic scumbags and I’m glad they’re toast. This is great news. According to vitriol, using the dying sounds and last words of a 12 year old killing herself without telling anyone it’s real or her name in any way is apparently advocating for Katelyn. Lmfaoooo. And apparently we, who tirelessly tell her story and fight for justice and work with the family to try to help Katelyn’s siblings and combat misinformation and spread kindness and such is allllllll not advocating for her, apparently we are silencing Katelyn’s voice by not letting vitriol make money off her dying sounds. Yeeeah alright then lmao. Kyle is a terrible person

        Reply
    20. Mario Raic on

      Say what you will, and it is clear Kyle is difficult to work with for whatever reasons, but Vitriol is one of the best bands playing Metal today
      This is a shame
      And, whatever happened, they should not have left him and his girlfriend stranded in the middle of nowhere. They should have left them somewhere more sensible unless he was absolutely outside his mind

      Reply
      • Jimmy Dedios on

        Mario Raic agreed. It’s actually sad the community is acting like this. I get it, Kyle shouldn’t have threatened em, but it could’ve been way worse. The least they could’ve done is send em home safely and parted ways unharmed.

        Reply
        • Mario Raic on

          I hear that
          You’re going to bail on the band and all that, you don’t lose nothing by dropping the guy off somewhere decently
          In my eyes, with both sides of it, it looks like a mess all around: Kyle’s explanation was bad, but Keith’s sucked too
          I hope he gets the band on track and does better to cooperate with his bandmates

          Reply
        • Mario Raic on

          All you need to calm the fuck down acting like you were there
          The only info we have is a bit of social media shit that two coked out dudes have been throwing at each other

          Reply
      • Alicia Strong on

        Mario Raic no shame when a band this fucked dies. Vitriol used the live dying sounds of 12 year old Katelyn Nicole Davis suicide livestream as an intro to their song glorifying hanging, the way she ended her life, called parting of a neck. They did not tell their fans they were listening to a real 12 year old kill herself, and refused to remove the snippet and stop having the video monetized. Making money off a dead girls dying sounds and ignoring the families pleas for them to remove the snippet. In the end, we finally won, they had to remove it, but not before dating we were silencing Katelyn and that they were NOT sorry and put up a status telling their fans to come tell me to kill myself. Which hundreds upon hundreds of fans did. The posts regarding Katelyn and comments slandering me are STILL on their Facebook page to this day. They wanted to apologize in the beginning by sending a donation to the maintenance fund of Katelyn’s grave, lied about making the donation, said we REFUSED the donation, and then got their fans to harass the family and I. Vitriol are absolutely pathetic scumbags and I’m glad they’re toast. This is great news. According to vitriol, using the dying sounds and last words of a 12 year old killing herself without telling anyone it’s real or her name in any way is apparently advocating for Katelyn. Lmfaoooo. And apparently we, who tirelessly tell her story and fight for justice and work with the family to try to help Katelyn’s siblings and combat misinformation and spread kindness and such is allllllll not advocating for her, apparently we are silencing Katelyn’s voice by not letting vitriol make money off her dying sounds. Yeeeah alright then lmao.

        Reply
      • Eric Bbaauueerr on

        Chris Burgess agree it’s not that hard. The worst thing that happened in my experience was the next day, didn’t really want to play the next show… until we got more Coke, and then it ended up being “That’s the best set we ever fucking played!” Haha

        Reply
        • Eric Bbaauueerr on

          Altho, I know Merrow has made mention of it and clearly this Kyle guy is in this Big Pharma anti-depressants… most of the people I know who have bad reactions on the recreational shit musicians have been doing for decades, are the ones who are also on these Anti-depressants.. put that with coke and turns people crazy…

          Reply
    24. Dana Bishop on

      “Kyle experienced a psychotic episode on coke and began directing abusive, threatening behavior toward Keith and the rest of us. At one point, he even threatened Keith with physical violence. At that point, we knew we had to act.
      Since Keith had financed all of the band’s equipment, and Kyle could not be trusted with it in that state, we decided to take the RV and trailer. Kyle refused to cooperate. Fortunately, a police officer happened to be nearby and assisted us in safely removing Kyle from the vehicle. Keith and I were then able to recover the trailer and leave Kyle to manage his own situation”

      Reply
    33. Marcus Bäckbrant on

      Drugs and music is NOT a good combo!!
      Let’s see what this pathetic online fight will sound like. Getting my popcorn ready

      Reply
      • Tib Er Ius on

        Marcus Bäckbrant what are you on about. Most of the rocknroll and metal music you enjoy was made on drugs :)) name me a popular band and I guarantee they did some drugs at one point in time. What doesnt go well is drugs and anger management issues.

        Reply
    42. Ty Cee on

      Dude has shit loads of talent but he’s got to get his life together or he ends up on the same asshole addict scrap heap as Michael Keene and many many others. Squash the ego, curb the blow down to weed or less and just play music. I hope the guy gets some help.

      Reply
    43. Sasha Lee Ann Tardif on

      12yr old girl named Katelyn Davis who was dealing with extreme abuse and such, had been a lil YouTuber, but when things got bad, the poor little girl live streamed her breakdown, people told her to kill herself, and she hung herself.

      Vitriol decided to use the audio clip of her last dying struggle while hanging, for the intro to a song called “Parting of a NECK”

      Refused to take it out of the song when her family became aware and pleaded.

      Once they DID remove it, said they weren’t sorry, no apology, and that we were silencing “Katelyn” while he was trying to uh idk some weird explanation of honoring her death?

      Vowed to donate money to her burial, for upkeep of her tombstone and such, and never did.

      He claimed he was the victim pretty much, just trying to help this now dead little girl?

      Reply
    44. Zack Alter on

      Bad publicity is publicity. People who aren’t involved should basically shut the fuck up. Been rooting for these fuckers for not playing poser metal for years. Thicker skin and minding your own business and not buying both sides. Nice fucking kids, don’t fuck with dope

      Reply
    46. Chris Andrews on

      “I’m going to hold myself accountable without robbing other people of their accountability”
      Ok, i think i finally understand what “gaslighting” means

      Reply
    47. Ryan Michael Hills on

      I’m disappointed by all. I WAS a big fan of both Vitriol pre Keith and Keith himself… But if they can’t handle a night on the sniff without imploding I’m not going to bother with either.. weak sauce.

      Reply
      • Alicia Strong on

        Ryan Michael Hills Vitriol used the live dying sounds of 12 year old Katelyn Nicole Davis suicide livestream as an intro to their song glorifying hanging, the way she ended her life, called parting of a neck. They did not tell their fans they were listening to a real 12 year old kill herself, and refused to remove the snippet and stop having the video monetized. Making money off a dead girls dying sounds and ignoring the families pleas for them to remove the snippet. In the end, we finally won, they had to remove it, but not before dating we were silencing Katelyn and that they were NOT sorry and put up a status telling their fans to come tell me to kill myself. Which hundreds upon hundreds of fans did. The posts regarding Katelyn and comments slandering me are STILL on their Facebook page to this day. They wanted to apologize in the beginning by sending a donation to the maintenance fund of Katelyn’s grave, lied about making the donation, said we REFUSED the donation, and then got their fans to harass the family and I. Vitriol are absolutely pathetic scumbags and I’m glad they’re toast. This is great news. According to vitriol, using the dying sounds and last words of a 12 year old killing herself without telling anyone it’s real or her name in any way is apparently advocating for Katelyn. Lmfaoooo. And apparently we, who tirelessly tell her story and fight for justice and work with the family to try to help Katelyn’s siblings and combat misinformation and spread kindness and such is allllllll not advocating for her, apparently we are silencing Katelyn’s voice by not letting vitriol make money off her dying sounds. Yeeeah alright then lmao. Just I’d wanna know if it was a band I liked.

        Reply
    52. Marcus Bäckbrant on

      There is no way I could have a junkie in my band. So, good riddance, you fucked up, and the world will know now because of your video…. Pathetic 🙈

      Reply
    54. Alicia Strong on

      Vitriol used the live dying sounds of 12 year old Katelyn Nicole Davis suicide livestream as an intro to their song glorifying hanging, the way she ended her life, called parting of a neck. They did not tell their fans they were listening to a real 12 year old kill herself, and refused to remove the snippet and stop having the video monetized. Making money off a dead girls dying sounds and ignoring the families pleas for them to remove the snippet. In the end, we finally won, they had to remove it, but not before dating we were silencing Katelyn and that they were NOT sorry and put up a status telling their fans to come tell me to kill myself. Which hundreds upon hundreds of fans did. The posts regarding Katelyn and comments slandering me are STILL on their Facebook page to this day. They wanted to apologize in the beginning by sending a donation to the maintenance fund of Katelyn’s grave, lied about making the donation, said we REFUSED the donation, and then got their fans to harass the family and I. Vitriol are absolutely pathetic scumbags and I’m glad they’re toast. This is great news. According to vitriol, using the dying sounds and last words of a 12 year old killing herself without telling anyone it’s real or her name in any way is apparently advocating for Katelyn. Lmfaoooo. And apparently we, who tirelessly tell her story and fight for justice and work with the family to try to help Katelyn’s siblings and combat misinformation and spread kindness and such is allllllll not advocating for her, apparently we are silencing Katelyn’s voice by not letting vitriol make money off her dying sounds. Yeeeah alright then lmao.

      Reply
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