Polish female fronted sludge/post-metallers Obscure Sphinx have shocked fans by announcing that they have parted ways with longtime guitarist Tomasz "Yony" Jońca. Yony has been part of Obscure Sphinx for the last eight years and has contributed his share to the band's three full-length releases.

Here's the official statement, taken from their Facebook page: "Dear Friends, we have a few important announcements to make.

You're familiar with our work and through it you should partly know us as human beings. You're aware that we are a self-managed band with no record label, booking agency, managers, merch companies, etc. In turn, our art is a result of not only individual emotions and a world perspective, but also (and foremost) the relations between the band members. It's a great responsibility to keep that kind of entity alive and perform as best as we can - both artistically and as an establishment. Obscure Sphinx is a huge and vital part of our lives - within it we want to feel free, inspired, sincere, trustworthy, exchange energy and ideas in order to create the best art we can.

Unfortunately for some time we've not been able to say that everything works as expected. We've been unable to feel comfortable within our own band. We couldn't state that everything clicks between us, that we play along, are 100% professional and that quality we deliver is the best it can be. For a long time we've existed, thinking this is the only possible way. But simultaneously, we felt that all that we were building through our lifespan is slowly withering away to the detriment of us all.

We faced a very emotional and hard decision. With the stability of the band and ourselves in mind, we've parted ways with our guitar player Tomasz 'Yony' Jońca. Yony, we would like to thank you for the years that we spent together in this band. We've achieved a lot of good and despite our discord - we wish you luck on your path, whatever you decide to do next.

To keep the essence of Obscure Sphinx, to be able to rebuild the energy, we've decided to solidify our bonds and remain as a four-piece - both live and in the studio.

Our current live plans remain unchanged - Metal Mine Festival and Summer Dying Loud is where you will be able to experience the band in its new form. Other live plans are on hold (except possibly single large shows) as we want to dedicate time to collectively create the next record.

We believe that these changes will help us create the best Obscure Sphinx possible, both creatively and as an establishment.

We also want to let you know that the band's drummer duties are held by Paweł 'Pawulon' Jaroszewicz, who currently plays with us as a session drummer.

Thank you for your understanding and your continuous support."

Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Obscure Sphinx