Helix frontman Brian Vollmer has checked in with the following update:

"At the end of touring for 2019, longtime Helix guitarist Kaleb Duck gave me his resignation. Kaleb was a baby-faced kid when he was hand picked by The Doctor himself (Brent Doerner) to replace Jim Lawson, who I had to let go for various reasons. Kaleb was so green then that he didn't know how to play the boogie beat in 'Animal House' (LOL). He's come a long way since then and has developed into an awesome player. In the end it WASN'T friction with other members that caused him to cash in his chips - it was his dedication to his wife and two young children, and his high paying construction job, where he is the foreman over multi-million dollar jobs. Frequently we would be in airports flying somewhere and he'd be on his cell phone arranging dry-wallers, electricians, carpenters, building inspectors, etc. Throughout it all he didn't complain once! But with this last summer's touring he confided to Brent, 'My kids are starting to call me Uncle Kaleb!' He realized he had too much on his plate and had to make a decision. He chose his family - ALWAYS THE CORRECT CHOICE. After all, a band is ultimately just a band; your family should always come first.

I gotta say here that for someone so young (early 30's, as opposed to myself - 64) Kaleb has shown remarkable maturity, not only as a player but as an outstanding human being. I love him like a son, and him leaving the band changes none of that. He also graciously offered to "help out in a pinch" and will be playing our two acoustic shows coming up next April. Total class.

Kaleb is being replaced by ace axe-man Gary Borden, who has played with us in the past. Gary also has a great voice and is a song writer, so expect to hear collaborated tunes in the future. Gary spent many years playing for Sass Jordan. Lastly, Gary's demeanor and sense of humor fits right in. He gets along with everyone and is a welcome addition to the Helix band."