Baroness have confirmed the death of founding drummer Allen Blickle, aged 42.
“It breaks my heart to have to share the news that my dear friend, creative partner and former bandmate Allen Blickle passed away a few days ago,” Baroness frontman John Dyer Baizley wrote in a statement on social media.
“I’m still in shock that he’s gone. We ask for understanding as his family and this band process his passing and grieve his loss. Allen, I love you and miss you. I treasure every moment we shared.”
Baizley’s confirmation comes a day after rumours began circulating of Allen Blickle’s death. While a cause of death has yet to be made public, Laura Pleasants of the band Kylesa wrote on Monday, suggesting that Blickle was ill: “I was so heartbroken… finding out how the past month was. I am just gutted, dude. We all thought you had this thing beat. Fuck, we were supposed to hang out when i got back from tour… Gone too soon my friend. I’m glad you are at peace and no longer in pain.”
Blickle formed Baroness in 2003 alongside vocalist/guitarist Baizley, bassist Summer Welch, and guitarist Tim Loose. Loose left the band in 2003, and was replaced by Blickle’s brother Brian, who was later replaced by Pete Adams in 2008.
Allen Blickle featured on the band’s acclaimed first three albums: 2007’s ‘Red’, 2009’s ‘Blue’ and 2012’s ‘Yellow & Green’. In 2013, the band were involved in a bus crash while out on tour, resulting in the vehicle falling over 30 feet. The crash resulted in Allen Blickle and then-bassist Matt Maggioni fracturing their vertebrae and leaving the band the following year.
Reflecting on the accident and his recovery to The Fader in 2013, Blickle said his brush with death forced him to re-evaluate his life and revealed that his relationship with his former bandmates strained after his departure: “After the accident, there was space put between us that I regret to say was mostly my fault. I was in some way pushing myself in another direction. I didn’t know how to handle the horrible situation we all went through, but who does?
“It’s not easy and continues to be somewhat difficult. I do miss playing with them and I have relayed to them that when the time is right, I would like to be on the road again. It’s not up to me at this point. I just don’t want any resentment to build between any of us. We are old friends and have worked really hard together for years. Friends first — that’s the most important thing to remember.”
Following his departure from Baroness, Blickle would drum for Romantic Dividends, A Place to Bury Strangers and Alpaca. Most recently, he worked in TV and film as a composter and sound design artist. Some of his biggest works include Netflix’s 2020 series We Are The Champions.
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