Vicious Rumors Parts Ways With Drummer Larry Howe After Show Cancellations

Show cancellations tied to Larry Howe’s political statements finally pushed Vicious Rumors into a full breakup with its longtime drummer, turning a live-routing problem into a lineup crisis just weeks before the band’s European Asylum tour.

Howe announced on April 16 that he was stepping away after more dates fell off the calendar, writing that “cancel culture wins again.” The decision followed a February 18 band statement saying Vicious Rumors would no longer tour with Howe because of disagreement over his personal political ambitions. At that point, four European shows had already been canceled because of the controversy.

The situation briefly seemed salvageable. On April 7, Vicious Rumors was still telling fans it would move ahead with Howe on drums and vocals for the spring European run. That plan unraveled after additional cancellations, and Howe’s exit made the split official. The band said it had tried to preserve the relationship, but the fallout had already cost it shows, touring opportunities and added strain that affected the rest of the group.

For a band built around founder Geoff Thorpe, the rupture lands hard because Howe has been a defining part of the Vicious Rumors story for decades. The San Francisco Bay Area metal act first formed in 1979, while Howe’s own tenure has been unusually cyclical: he joined in 1985, left in 2000, rejoined in 2005, and now exits again after another major break with the band’s live operation.

The timing matters just as much as the personnel change. The Devil’s Asylum, released on August 29, 2025 through Steamhammer/SPV, was meant to give the group a fresh push after years on the road. Promotional material for the album said Vicious Rumors had already played well over 150 shows in the previous five years, underlining how central touring has been to keeping the band visible and moving. The European Asylum tour is still scheduled from May 9 to June 20, but now it will do so with a new drummer in place of one of the band’s most recognizable figures.

Beyond the politics, the split is a reminder of how quickly a legacy metal act can lose momentum when public controversy collides with touring business. Vicious Rumors now has to reintroduce classics like Digital Dictator and Welcome To The Ball with a new rhythmic voice at the kit, and that is never a small adjustment for a band whose identity has long been tied to stability at the back of the stage.