Bad Wolves has announced Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz as their new singer replacing Tommy Vext who left the band in January.
In a joint statement, Bad Wolves said, “We are excited to officially announce that Bad Wolves has a new singer – Daniel “DL” Lasckiewicz. DL is a tremendous songwriter and singer, and we can confidently say that the album we are working on, titled ‘Dear Monsters,’ is the best Bad Wolves album to date.”
The band added, “DL is one of the most talented and hard-working people we have ever had the pleasure to know. He is a team player, a creative force, and overall a great human being who fits perfectly with our BW family. It feels incredible to be surrounded with such positive energy and the music we’ve made is certainly reflective of this new-found optimism and collaborative spirit. This new album shows a more cohesive and unique reflection of the band. There is a lot to prove and expectations are high with a new singer coming in. And we nailed it. The songs speak for themselves, and if you’re a Bad Wolves fan we know you won’t be disappointed.”
Bad Wolves concluded, “So much has happened since Tommy publicly quit Bad Wolves a few months ago – and we disagree with the validity of much of what he has said publicly about our parting of ways – but we would prefer to not look back on the past and instead focus on this new chapter. And most importantly, we’d like to let the music speak for itself. Thanks for believing in Bad Wolves and please join us in welcoming DL to the family. We can’t wait for you to hear what’s coming.”
notes, “DL has carved out an impressive career for himself over the last 15+ years, most notably as a founding member and lead guitarist of metalcore band The Acacia Strain, in which he was a member since 2001-2013. A talented songwriter and producer, he’s also worked on projects with All That Remains, Legion, For the Fallen Dreams, and collaborated with Bad Wolves on their 2019 studio album N.A.T.I.O.N., where the creative relationship with the band started.”
Following his exit from Bad Wolves, Vext released a lengthy statement that read in part, “Our future was bright, and our trajectory was undeniable, until Covid struck and changed all our lives. I saw things happening that I didn’t understand. During the first quarantine, I publicly voiced my concerns about where we are going as a nation and what is happening to America, the country I love.”
Vext added, “I voiced my disappointment of protests turning into violent riots. Cities, businesses, lives destroyed “mostly peacefully”. I criticized the media standing idle and even condoning that behavior. I pointed out that Good causes were infiltrated by bad actors, hijacked and delegitimized a good movement. I dared to question who financially benefits from this and who was funding these events. I questioned the lockdowns as small businesses were driven into bankruptcy yet big chains were allowed to operate. I questioned the imposed social distancing and why rioting and looting are exempt, or why you can’t have family gatherings or eat at restaurants unless you are a politician. A repeated hypocrisy we saw time and again.
Vext continued, “And for this they came after me. Me, an African American artist speaking his mind. I became unacceptable by the gatekeepers because I walked off the plantation. I had to be silenced. Cancel culture came after my band. I was threatened, ridiculed, blackmailed and smear campaigns were launched to destroy my career and my livelihood. These events really opened my eyes, because this was no longer just an urban legend.”
In addition to Vext’s far-right views, he also received press following allegations of domestic violence from ex-girlfriend Whitney Johns. Per Metal Sucks, Johns was granted a two-year domestic violence restraining order last month on Vext from the Superior Court of California following a five-day virtual trial in Los Angeles. Vext has denied Johns’ allegations which included a number of instances of graphic physical violence against Johns.