THEOCRACY PRESS RELEASE MARCH 12TH

Georgia-based melodic metal band Theocracy regrets to announce the departure of longtime drummer Shawn Benson to pursue other interests. Continued work conflicts and scheduling issues simply made it impossible to move forward, so both parties amicably agreed that it was time for a change to be made. There are no hard feelings on either side, and the band wishes Shawn nothing but the best in the future.

“To be honest, I’m pretty devastated about this, as I expected to be playing with Shawn for as long as we kept going,” says vocalist Matt Smith. “But he is moving into a different phase of his life and could no longer give the commitment it takes to be in a band, so ultimately this is the only solution for all parties involved. I’d like to personally thank Shawn for helping to bring three albums from my imagination to reality, and his contributions can never be overstated. He will always be a part of the Theocracy family.”

In the interest of moving forward, Theocracy is beginning to look for candidates to fill the position. Interested parties can contact the band at theocracydrummersearch@gmail.com.

Theocracy recently returned from their third full tour of Europe and are currently working on new material. Their most recent album, As the World Bleeds, received rave reviews and landed on the Billboard Heatseeker Chart in the U.S. upon release. As the World Bleeds is the band’s third album, and their second release for Ulterium Records.
 
I felt this coming when he missed the last tour. Shawn is, no question, an amazing drummer and I hope they find the right guy to fill his place.
 
Sad news! It's good to see the band continuing to move forward, though. Good luck in your future endeavors, Shawn! And thanks for the great work on the first three albums.
 
This is sad news.
I saw Josh play with them when they were touring Europe and he seemed to be having lots of fun and was pretty good in that position. Is he an option now? Because he really is a great drummer and a fun guy.
 
Oooooo. Ouch You know your to much of a fan boy when you feel like you've been shot after seeing this. Good luck to you Shawn Bensen. Seriously.
 
Total bummer. Shawn was such a fundamental part of the band. So sad to hear, but understandable, for sure. Good luck Shawn and thanks for being a major part of three incredible albums that we love!
 
Thank you guys for everything! It means a lot to me when I read all the good things you have to say.
 
That's sad indeed - when I recently was listening to the re-release of the debut on good headphones, I was really impressed with the job you did on the drums!
I wish you all the best - that means God's blessing on all your ways!
Hope we'll hear from you here in the forum and at your drums, even if not for Theocracy! What about projects with musicians that don't tour together as a band - like Project Aegis?
 
Like some others, I thought this might be coming, but still, it's sad to see it happen. Shawn is a great drummer and whoever replaces him will have some big shoes to fill.

Best of luck to you Shawn, and thanks for your contributions in making some of the best music ever.