The Absence announced on New Year's Day that they have split with guitarist Peter Joseph. The group issued the following statement: "As most of our friends and fans know the last year has brought The Absence some ups-and-downs, and most of us have emerged a much stronger and dedicated group at the end of it all.
"We owe as much to our fans who have always offered us amazing amounts of support and we are genuinely excited about what is coming next. We have done a lot of work to get ourselves to the point where we are able to begin delivering new music, merchandise, and even a killer new live show, but the work that is left to do must be done quickly and will require unquestionable reliability, dedication, input, and above all else a mutual sense that we are in this together.
"At this time we are sad to say that The Absence will be parting ways with guitarist Peter Joseph. We will not be announcing a replacement at this time; we will have more information as things progress and we are able to sort everything out over the coming weeks.
"Keep an eye out for brand new music from us very soon and for all of the fans that have been after us for merch please come by our Facebook page below and visit our brand new digital stores where you can pick up some new gear from The Absence. This year we plan to hit harder than ever so keep your eyes peeled!"