Aussie Metal Band Fire Member In The Best Way Possible

Melburnian metal mainstays Blood Duster are no strangers to line-up changes, having seen a few players come and go over their more-than-20-year career, but it's probably safe to say nobody ever got the boot quite so spectacularly as Scott "Beltsy" Pritchard, revealed at the weekend to have become the latest initiate of the Ex-Blood Duster Members Club.

Although informing the public that they had made the call "with a heavy heart", Blood Duster apparently (pretty understandably) reached their limits with Pritchard after "numerous warnings" about his unashamed fandom for US outfit Anthrax, "the most unmusical band ever", their hilarious notice of dismissal pointing out that Pritchard had been warned "that listening to Anthrax could undermine his ability to judge music with any objetive sense of good or bad".

"He may say that he left because of family commitments, but we can assure you that he was asked in no uncertain terms to leave Blood Duster after numerous warnings from the rest of the band," remaining members Tonebone, Jason PC, M-Lo and Matt Rizzo wrote in their tongue-in-cheek missive, even going so far as to provide their own quotes, such as this gem from Tonebone himself:

"I reiterated the band's view that former Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz is not someone to be looked up to but he simply put more Ninja Turtles stickers on his guitar and ignored us."

"We really do wish Scott the best of luck with his future little endeavours and we don't want to sound too bitter about US deciding to give HIM the boot," the band continued. "Last we heard he will be starting a hardcore band with just about anyone.

Pritchard's departure from the band comes in the wake of the exit of former drummer Dave Haley, well-known for his work with fellow veteran outfit Psycroptic — or not, if you ask Blood Duster.

"Recently we also were forced to ask drummer Dave Haley (AKA Dive Taxation Forms) to step aside from Blood Duster," the band wrote. "This was because he said he really liked the sound of all black metal that was released after Darkthrone's A Blaze In The Northern Sky.

"He is currently getting by in his little side project 'Psycroptic', a band with a name that is completely made up. It's not even a word, seriously… look it up.

"Oh, that's right, you can't."

The new and improved Blood Duster have a handful of dates lined up on their upcoming Good Fucking Riddance To Bad Rubbish Australian Full Blown National Tour, kicking off at Sydney's Factory Theatre this Friday, 6 Feb (with Summonus, Bastardizer and Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Shirt) and heading to The Underdog, Brisbane, on Friday, 13 Feb (with Bloodgin, Coffin Birth, Bitter Lungs, Wartooth, Decapitated Mum and Malakyte) and The Tote, in Melbourne, on Friday, 20 Feb (with The Blacklist, Chaingun and Blunt Shovel).

For more information, hit theGuide or see The Music App.