As previously reported, Malevolent Creation recently parted ways with touring members Chris Cannella (guitar) and Jesse Jolly (bass). At the time, the duo claimed their exits were related to a toxic work environment. However, guitarist Phil Fasciana claimed they were incapable of performing their songs. Now, Fasciana has clarified his claims.
Fasciana said the following:
“A few things need to be said and cleared up.
1 We all know there will be no video of Chris doing a playthrough of a MC song. It’s been nearly 2 yrs, and if it hasn’t happened yet, it’s not gonna happen. (Sorry Chris, you know that is the truth.)
2 People want honesty and know the truth as to why Chris and Jesse were let go from the band, and when truth be told everyone (not everyone) gets upset.
3 Jesse brought Chris into the band and begged me to give him the chance to play with us and me also knowing Chris from all his yrs working for guitar companies agreed to give him that opportunity. I figured how bad could it be? He’s a guitarist and a nice guy and the songs are not that complicated so let’s give it a go. It was apparent when i came to Tampa for rehearsals with Jesse, Chris and Ronnie before our European summer tour that Chris was very confused and having a very hard time trying to play our setlist. We did what we could in a short period of time to correct his issues but time was running out and we had to cross our fingers.
4 As most of you know during the beginning of that tour (a week into it) i collapsed after a festival show and was hospitalized and went into a coma for 8 days and had to remain in a French hospital for an additional 5 weeks in the ICU unit coughing up blood from Bacterial Pneumonia that i must of contracted somewhere on our Asian Tour in December of 2024. That’s what i was told by doctors in Europe and then home in Florida. While i was recovering and going through physical therapy the band members (Jesse and Ronnie) told me that while completing that tour without me it became a nightmare with Chris being the only guitarist on stage and that it was nearly impossible to get through any song.
5 After watching video footage of MC as a 3 piece throughout Europe my stomach turned and could not believe my eyes and yrs. We still gave Chris the benefit of the doubt and gave him a bit more time to tighten up with the songs. That simply never happened. He did 4 tours hacking his way through our setlist and it had to come to an end. Just because you are all friends outside of the band doesn’t mean playing together in a band is going to work.
6 Fast forward to rehearsals for our Latin American tour this October 2026 nothing had changed with Chris and i made the decision to let him go and be relieved of his duties.
7 Jesse all along had told us he would work with Chris through these last 2 yrs and make sure he was playing the songs correctly and that never happened. Before rehearsals began for that said tour i asked Jesse if Chris learned the songs correctly and could play them now and his answer was “No, but i could live with it” That answer cemented Jesse‘s fate with me and MC. I admire his loyalty to a friend but having no loyalty to the band made me furious. Now Chris is an ok lead guitarist, but he cannot play rhythm guitar in a Death Metal band like Malevolent Creation.
8 For the last 4 yrs i have brought the band around the world a few times and split all money from shows and merchandise equally with the band members and a couple of them got to comfortable and thought they could just cruise through everything and make a circus of my bands live performances. That’s simply not nor ever going to happen to the band i started 40 yrs ago. I want MC to be it’s best at all times. During bad times and good (and God knows i have seen it all!)
9 Jesse was not let go because of his bass playing abilities by no means. He is an amazing bassist and nice person. But, having no respect for me or the band has tarnished my friendship with him. He would rather keep a band member who cannot play MC songs in the band, and continue down the toilet! Sorry pal! Not gonna happpen! According to Jesse and Chris they are happy to be out of the band and continue to slander me and the MC name and i am totally fine with that. If this was Jesse‘s band i highly doubt he would want a band member going on stage and playing His songs wrong for 2 yrs straight. And that’s Facts!
Malevolent Creation cannot and will not ever become a low level band when it comes to live performances while i am alive and carrying the torch for MALEVOLENT CREATION……
Phil Fasciana // Malevolent Creation @realmalevolentcreation”
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