After The Burial say guitarist Justin Lowe is in “the care of his family” after suffering an apparent mental breakdown.
Lowe this week posted a lengthy Facebook entry in which it appeared he was not in a sound state of mind. The post has since been removed and After The Burial have issued a statement.
It reads: “This is a very sad and hurtful situation for us to grasp, and unfortunately it is one we still don’t fully understand. Our dear friend, our brother onstage and off, has fallen into a very broken state of mind. A state that, despite our continued efforts, we have been powerless to get him out of.
“Early yesterday after he made the post, he went missing for the entire day. He was in minimal contact with only a few people over the phone, and the information we gathered from them gave us reason to believe he was unsafe in his current state of mind. We were on our phones all day with family, friends, and local authorities trying to regain control of the situation.
“We felt it was definitely not the appropriate time for us to make a statement, in fear that it may escalate things further. Fortunately, he’s back home now. He’s safe and in the care of his family.”
They add that they will support Lowe an his loved ones as he recovers. “Justin is ill, and right now he needs more than ever to be shown that the world is not against him,” they say.
“He needs support and love from everyone, and to know that we only want what’s best for him. We will continue to support him and his family as best we can through this tough time.”
The band were working on their fifth album when Lowe posted his comments.