Textures are Breaking Up :(

Fans of progressive metal pioneers Textures that have been wondering what the hell ever happened to part two of that promised double-album they announced in late 2015 aren’t just being anxious worrywarts: the album is being shelved.

What’s more, the band is breaking up.

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Whew… just needed to collect myself for a moment there.

I first discovered Textures on the Silhouettes album cycle in 2008 and immediately fell in love. Not to toot my own horn (ok, maybe a little), but I believe that the press MetalSucks gave Textures on that record (before any other U.S. publications were writing about them) played an important role in raising their profile Stateside.

The articles I wrote during that time period about Textures indirectly led me to an opportunity to manage the band’s U.S. affairs on the Duality album cycle several years later. I put every ounce of energy I had into making that record successful for the band, making sure their first and only U.S. tour (with Periphery) went smoothly, and came to know the bandmembers over the course of a few days I spent out on the road with them.

All that’s a long-winded way of saying that this breakup strikes deep on a personal level.

But most bands eventually move on, and in this case it seems there’s no bad blood behind the split. A statement from the band cites “personal motives,” which usually simply means that the balance of being in a touring band vs. keeping regular jobs, being with families, etc. has become too much of a burden. The band has already gone through a number of lineup changes over the years for the same reason.

Phenotype was one of my favorite albums of 2016, and while it’s a shame that its counterpart Genotype won’t see the light of day anytime soon, the band does leave open the possibility of doing something with it down the line. They will also embark on a farewell tour in Europe this coming fall (dates below), but for us North Americans that one tour a few years back was it: but damn, it was a good one!

Here’s their official breakup statement via Facebook:

Ladies and gentlemen,

There is no easy way to say this, so here it is:

TEXTURES comes to an end.

Personal motives have led to this decision and it has not been made in haste. These personal reasons made it harder to be the productive band TEXTURES always has been in the past and which this band needs to be. Without this dedication TEXTURES would merely be a shell of what it used to be.

Break-ups are never easy and always bring difficulties. Unfortunately we have to announce that our anticipated 6th album ‘Genotype’ will not be released and so there will be no double album. At least not for the coming years…

The break-up of TEXTURES doesn’t mean that there is any hardship within the band. We still have a strong connection with current and former members and this decision won’t lead to any tensions whatsoever. Furthermore the individual bandmembers will continue to make music and persue new musical endeavours. Keep your eyes and ears open…

Thanks to all the friends, fellow musicians and other colleagues we have had the pleasure to meet along the way. And of course special thanks to all the fans who have supported us throughout the years. It is your dedication, appreciation and continued presence at our shows all over the world that made this journey one to remember for a lifetime.
We hope to see you all very soon on our farewell tour.

TEXTURES – OUT

Sayonara, Textures, and thanks for everything! You will be missed.

03/11 Netherlands Zoetermeer Boerderij w/ Exivious
04/11 Netherlands Utrecht Tivoli De Helling w/ Exivious
08/11 France Paris Backstage Btm w/ Exivious
09/11 France Toulouse Connexion Live w/ Exivious
10/11 Spain Madrid Caracol w/ Exivious
11/11 Spain Barcelona Apolo 2 w/ Exivious
12/11 France Lyon Cco w/ Exivious
15/11 England Manchester Rebellion
16/11 Ireland Dublin Voodoo Lounge
17/11 Scotland Glasgow G2
18/11 England London Underworld
23/11 Germany Hamburg Hafenklang
24/11 Germany Berlin Musik & Frieden
25/11 Czech Rep. Prague Futurum
26/11 Austra Vienna The Chelsea
02/12 Netherlands Tilburg 013 w/ Exivious

[via Lambgoat]