German thrashers Cripper have announced that bassist Bastian "Bass-T" Helwig is leaving the band. Helwig explained his departure: "For everyone comes the time to say goodbye one day. After two successful tours, lots of festivals, single gigs and a cruise under the sign of Metal, I now lay down the Cripper bass scepter with a heavy heart."

"To not tell the typical 'due to musical differences' phrase, we have decided to give a more honest statement. I had lots of fun in Cripper, and it was certainly a privilege to enjoy all these things. However, behind the scenes one needs a lot of strength and endurance, which has increasingly begun to crumble for me. Problems in the private sector are doing their part. I won't blow my chance to say goodbye to our fans in my own personal way, and therefore I will play all shows before August. I wish the rest of the Cripper pack success and much of the 'secret' ingredient - fun."

The band also commented: "As you can imagine, this line-up change is not easy for us. We accept Bass-T's decision and wish him all the best for his future. We need to look ahead and won't let this stop us. We wanna make use of the time until August to find and incorporate a new bass player properly. Here we go, bass players. Apply, so that we can rock all shows as planned from August on. So far, 2012 looks like there's a lot coming."

"The new one on bass guitar is:
- no beginner
- time-wise flexible
- lives near Hanover or is willing to drive a lot
- has show and in the best case also studio experiences
- has a good stage presence (limelight hog!)"

"References, video links, absurdities and ants in the pants are welcome. Write to band@cripper.de. Cheers, the Cripperants."

Source:

cripper.de