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Everyone's Replaceable

JEROEN PAUL THESSELING IS TOO BUSY TO BE IN OBSCURA

 Monday, July 11th, 2011 at 10:30am by

Hi, everyone! I am back from my first vacation since 2006. I look forward to my next vacation in 2016. In the intervening five years, please do not send me countless e-mails about your friend’s terrible deathcore band, insisting that they are awesome. It would really help my stress level/ever-increasing therapy debt. Thanks!

ANYWAY, after sitting out by a lake in Connecticut for the past week, I returned to NYC and the MetalSucks Mansion to learn that bass players suck. I mean, I guess that’s not really fair; not all bass players suck. But between the news that Michael Todd is apparently the only rock star in the history of ever to not be able to score drugs without threatening to kill people, and now the news that Jeroen Paul Thessling has quit Obscura, and, well, one could reasonably deduce that bass players suck, or, at the very least, are inveterate heartbreakers.

So why oh why did he leave Obscura, mere months after the release of their latest and greatest album,  Omnivium? Here’s his official statement:

“Due to repetitive conflicting schedules with job related obligations I have decided to depart Obscura. Beside the limited availability that kept me away from touring during the last months, I feel like taking new directions in my musical development.

“Looking back, the cooperation with Obscura has been positive and successful. However, it’s time to move on and find new challenges and opportunities for my musical career.

“I would like to thank all the fans who supported us and wish Obscura all the best with their future work.”

So that blows. The silver lining, as far as I can tell, is that a) Thessling is still in Pestilence so we’ll still get to enjoy his mad bass skillz, and b) he only received one songwriting credit on Omnivium, which leads me to believe that if the band can find another awesome bass player — and there are certainly other awesome bass players out there — they’re gonna be alright. I mean, it’s not like this is the first time Obscura have had to switch bassists.

So I have no idea who is slappin’ dee bass with the band on their current tour with Children of Bodom, Devin Townsend, and Septicflesh (remaining dates here), but, uh, yeah, it ain’t Thesseling.

Be bummed out in the comments section.

-AR

P.S. We’ll be announcing the winner of the Obscura vape contest this week. Stay tuned!

 

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  • tito

    Fucking shitty.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeremy-Schnoor/100000513072818 Jeremy Schnoor

    But I lurved Omnivium….Jeroen Paul Thessling, Y U NO Stay in Obscura!?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tim-Bartolini/100001859397919 Tim Bartolini

    okay, so have you seen the bassist for Sonic Syndicate?!?!?!?

    Sonic Syndicate may suck, and for all I know the bass player’s skills suck… I don’t even listen to them anymore.

    BUT SHE’S SO FUCKING HOT

  • Sean

    On their previous tour they didn’t bring another bass player, just had his recorded parts play so wouldn’t be surprised if they’re doing the same thing. Its a shame he’s gone tho, he definitely added a unique touch to their music with his style.

  • Jacob

    that sucks but i saw them live last night at the Children of Bodom tour with their new bassist and he seemed to be going along pretty well. One thing i can complain about is that they were the openers and Septic Flesh was after them and had a longer set. In no circumstance does Septic Flesh deserve to have Obscura open for them. I mean SF had an entertaining set but their music is nowhere close to Obscura’s and SF is just pretty much theatrics. Devin Townsend was the tits and COB put on a pretty stellar performance as well

    • Joe

      I saw them in St. Paul and SF was the opener. Damn good thing, too, because the line around the block kept me outside long enough to miss half their set. If it had been Obscura I would not have taken it well.

      Obscura was great. i thought the new bassist held his own to me as well. Hopefully they won’t miss a beat because of this.

      • Jillian

        Yeah, Septicflesh was the opener in Orlando this week. Obscura was awesome & did great without Thesseling.

        • http://gravatar.com/voidcult Will

          Obscura was in Orlando!? God Dammit!

      • farts

        I was in St. Paul as well. Obscura and Devin were amazing, no a/c in the venue was shitty….

    • Andrew

      Devin rocked that shit, got a pic with him. Obscura was meh but Septic Flesh actually got the crowd going. Left before Bodom though.

  • philly_28

    That’s a damn shame.

    Steve DiGiorgio seems like the only possible adequat replacement, which most likely won’t happen due to him being in the US and Obscura in Germany.

    Hopefully either Thesseling or DiGiorgio will be able to lay down the bass tracks for their next album and be involved in the composition process at least even if they are not permanent members.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Reagan/520958920 Mike Reagan

    Supposedly Jeroen quit Obscura because he had to take a banking job just to make rent. (I read it on his facebook page)

    It sucks that he couldn’t make enough money from being in 2 pretty well known bands just to make rent.

    • cougar party

      Sucks. But that is what happens when your “fanbase” doesn’t think your music is worth paying for.

      • http://myspace.com/theswampzombiecult Blake

        Truth, right here.

      • sasquatch

        I still buy their stuff. It’s not like they’re bringing in shitloads of money from other sources metal bands need all the help they can get even if the record labels don’t give them a lot of it.

        • Will

          I paid thirty dollars for an Obscura shirt at the Orlando show. I’m supporting them, even with their high t-shirt prices!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dan-Roshin-Wolfson/557092638 Dan Roshin Wolfson

    I heard the bassist from Defeated Sanity is replacing him

  • The Omen

    man, my favorite bass player at the moment. Loved what he did with Obscura though.

  • amelia

    A few days ago their facebook said they had a new bassist named Linus something, but now he’s not listed anymore….

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Canh-Ly/100000229735507 Canh Ly

    I saw the show in Atlanta.

    The bassist for their set was Linus Klausenitzer. Steffan announced him as “the special guest bassist” for this tour, or something along those lines. He held his own, and did a respectable job. I’m not sure if he is a permanent member or not. But Jeroen will be missed because his fretless bass skillz were phenomenal.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Danny-Alger/1219872394 Danny Alger

    The guy who is playing bass for Obscura on their current tour is a guy named Linus Klausenitzer. He’s really good and can play everything exactly the same based on what I heard live.

  • crusherdestroyer

    Yeah, the guy from Defeated Sanity has been filling in. The fretless sound i feel is pretty important for them so hoefully they get a fretless player in. Hell i would play for them if my fretless wasnt just a 4! Shame because I dont think Pestilence new stuff stands up to Obscuras.

  • Bierko

    Tony Choy.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Zach-Robinson/100001705896686 Zach Robinson

    Sad day indeed

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Juan-Aurelio-Perez/100001972135071 Juan Aurelio Perez

    Man this is terrible!! That amazing six string fretless bass player..oh well I wish them the best.I love Obscura, even had my art friends sign up to make art projects for that contest they were running a few months ago..

  • Turkey

    Man, first Brian Harvey, now this???

    Welp, guess I won’t be purchasing anymore Obscura records….

  • Josh

    Damn this sucks.. I’ll miss Thesseling’s amazing tone and style, he added such a unique touch with his playing.
    ‘Linus Klausenitzer – Bass (2011-present)’ is already mentioned in the Encyclopedia Metallum, so it looks like he’s the new bassist.

  • FongChung

    Whoever they get it, and I think I know who it is will work out ok for them.

  • Tim

    Bummed. He’s one of the best.

  • Martin

    Obscura sucks ass anyway, so?