Due to disputes between the band members and frontman Jürgen Bartsch's illness, long-running German metallers Bethlehem are calling it a day, 24 years after its inception. The band released its latest album Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia and the boxset Hau Ab, collecting the band's full-lengths, EPs and demos, last year.



Bassist and founder Jürgen Bartsch comments: "Hey guys. Bethlehem has split-up and does a break. If there will be a comeback or won't isn't certain yet. Obviously isn't. Specially my selfish studio experiments of the last thirteen years in combination with this studio guest musician bollocks did not work the wanted way. Even the live line-up did not work cos of this crap guitarist who could not play the songs right and made it all a 3rd class failure. Not speaking about the lost individuality which once made this band known. Bethlehem has to stay pure anarchy - against all odds - and certainly isn't a playground for those wannabe rockstar suckers who seriously thought they could become rich with it by sending us their "copyright" lawyers. The fuck off. All shows for 2015 got canceled, NYC (Stardust) & Austria (Sick Midsummer) already have found a surrogate. Informations can be requested from the organisers. NYC would be done at another time if this band should dare a comeback. If so, this first would result in a new longplayer anyways. Fingers (double) crossed!

Other than that I got a tendinitis again. This time it's the right wrist/underarm which fully gets swallen after practising two songs and which makes it impossible playing my instrument at the moment. We also no longer can rehearse and the momentary line-up does not want to perform without me. After the Devil's Asylum Tour this shit already appeared at the left wrist/underarm and was put in a cast for months. Practising my instrument(s) daily and for decades, completely ignoring all danger signs been sent by the body, damn caused the problem which also is for other instrumentalists I know. Actually, surgery would be wiser than a plaster cast which basically won't solve the problem. Certainly another reason why a break is more than just welcome. Even typing this crybabies message here produces pain a lot.

Therefore, you no longer can count on us. We're done for the moment or forever. Ain't get no clue yet cos I'm no foreboder. Take it easy."

Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Bethlehem