Ira Black
Ira Black has quit cult California heavy metal band Lizzy Borden, so he can concentrate on his solo career and his side project Prophesy.
The guitarist recently joined Prophesy, but insists the new project has nothing to do with his departure from Lizzy Borden.
In a statement to rock news website Blabbermouth, Black says, "After all we've been through together, we remain friends, even though we didn't always see eye-to-eye with the personal and business dealings with the band.
"We had some good times and we made some great music together that I am proud of. It was an honour to play with them, as I grew up as a teen listening to their first couple of albums, and I will cherish our time together. Now it is time for me to move on and do something new. I am looking to the future with my new band Prophesy, and I am also working on a solo record."
It has been a headline-making year for Black so far - on 3 January, he was taken into police custody after failing to pay an unpaid fine. While in jail, Black staged a hunger strike as a protest against the American prison system's lack of food choices for vegans.