Band members come and go, often due to time constraints, interpersonal drama, or better opportunities. Really, there aren’t many big bands out there that still have all of their original members together. However, it’s even rarer for a band to stand the test of time with only one original member remaining. Let’s look at a few examples of metal bands whose lineup only features one original member.
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1. Black Veil Brides
Only lead singer Andy Biersack remains from the original lineup of famed metalcore outfit Black Veil Brides. Formed back in 2006, the glammy metalcore band welcomed longstanding rhythm guitarist Jinxx in 2009. The band soon welcomed Christian “CC” Coma on drums and Jake Pitts on lead guitar not too long after Jinxx. This lineup plus bassist Lonny Eagleton still makes up the band’s current lineup today.
2. Megadeth
This is a great example of a metal band with only one original member. Despite a pretty egregious revolving door of band members since 1983, Megadeth‘s core member has always been singer-guitarist Dave Mustaine. Bassist David Ellefson hung onto the band for quite a while before ultimately leaving for good in 2021. The current lineup consists of Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, and guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari.
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3. Machine Head
In 1991, the groove-metal band Machine Head launched with guitarist Robb Flynn, vocalist Logan Mader, bassist Adam Duce, and drummer Ton Costanza. Today, only Flynn has remained from the original lineup. Nevertheless, in honor of the 25th anniversary of their debut album Burn My Eyes, Mader and Chris Kontos (the band’s second drummer) made a temporary comeback to tour with the band. The current lineup consists of Flynn, bassist Jared MacEachern, and drummer Matt Alston.
Photo by Joseph Okpako
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