High on Fire are set to embark on a tour across North America in fall, but their drummer and Des Kensel won’t join them for the trip. Kensel, who is one of the group’s founding members, just confirmed on social media that he is departing the band after more than two decades.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Kensel explained his decision to exit High on Fire and thanked the fans for the support while wishing his band-mates “best of luck in the future.”
“Being a full-time professional musician can have its challenges,” Kensel wrote. “One gets through those challenges with patience, hard work and perseverance. After much consideration, it is time for me to announce that I will no longer be performing with High On Fire. I will now be focusing on new opportunities and spending time with my family.”
This past year was rather tumultuous for High on Fire, as the band was forced to cancel or reschedule several tours and live shows due to guitarist Matt Pike’s health issues. Pike has been feeling better in recent weeks, so the band decided to give it another go and schedule a co-headlining tour with Power Trip. The tour will kick off in November and will run until the end of the year.
