Long-running U.K. progressive metal unit Monuments have announced they’re going on hiatus so that founding guitarist John Browne can focus on managing his fight with Ankylosing Spondylitis.
The band announced their plan to put their guitarist’s health first over social media earlier today (August 9th), explaining that they’re pulling out of an upcoming North American tour alongside European progsters Leprous and Norway’s Fight the Fight.
“As some of you are aware, Browne was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis a few years ago,” the band wrote in a joint statement. “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.”
The statement also noted that plans to work on the band’s fifth full-length, which would follow 2022’s In Stasis album, have been put on hold. Browne co-founded the London-based Monuments in 2007, following time performing in cult djent outfit Fell Silent.
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a form of arthritis that causes inflammation within various parts of the spine, which can lead to great pain and mobility issues for those who suffer from it. Famously, former Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars is another metal musician who has been diagnosed with the condition, struggling with A.S. for 41 years before retiring from the road in 2022.
Leprous and Fight the Fight will kick off their tour at Nashville, Tennessee’s Eastide Bowl on September 4th. The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die and Earthside will fill Monuments spot on the bill at select dates, and you can find the tour details down below.