On April 20th, Internal Bleeding drummer and veteran FDNY firefighter Bill Tolley passed away after falling five stories from a rooftop while battling a two-alarm apartment fire in Queens, New York. The tragedy touched family, friends, his bandmates, the city of New York, and the worldwide metal community. Many fans expressed concerns as to whether Internal Bleeding would continue. The band utilized the drum services of basher Kyle Eddy for their recent The Strike Of The Empire US tour with Vader and are pleased to welcome Eddy as a permanent member.

Issues the band in a collective statement, "Losing a beloved friend and band mate has been a traumatic event for us, and needless to say, the past few months have been a roller coaster of conflicting emotions. But, through it all, there was never a thought given to packing this band up and calling it quits. There was no doubt in our mind that Bill would want the band to continue. As a matter of fact, he spoke about it numerous times with us. In short, he always said, 'the band needs to go on.'

“We're not quite sure how we managed, but we pulled off a full US tour with a fill-in drummer who only had a few weeks to practice and get the set down. That drummer was upstate New York native, and death metal veteran Kyle Eddy. He did an amazing job learning the music, getting the set down, and fit in perfectly with our personalities. We had a great time with him on tour, and it felt like he'd been in the band for years - that's how comfortable we were with him.

“Kyle is a true professional in every sense of the word. He is deeply dedicated to his craft and brings unrelenting enthusiasm and energy to the band. For those reasons - and many others - we have chosen him to become the new drummer for Internal Bleeding.

“Longtime fans of the band may remember seeing a much younger Kyle bashing the skins for Internal Bleeding during our second Onward To Mecca tour. He did a superb job then, and we're supremely confident that his skills will help propel the band to new heights. It's always painful to move forward after a tragic loss, but it must be done. We've decided that Kyle should be our new drummer, and we think - scratch that - we know that Bill would be really happy about our choice. Please welcome him to the Internal Bleeding fold!"

Adds Eddy: "It's a honor to be accepted into the Internal Bleeding family. Lookout everyone - we are driven to conquer all!"

Internal Bleeding's digital single, "Final Justice," was released just one day after Tolley's passing. The track serves as a teaser from the band's forthcoming full-length, Corrupting Influence, currently in preproduction with producer Frank Bones. While filled with all the hooks, slams, and grooves you've come to expect from the band, the track is more focused, sophisticated, and sharper, than anything they're released previously.

Hear "Final Justice" below:

Internal Bleeding will appear at NY Deathfest 5 next week at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn alongside Malignancy, Thanatology, Immortal Suffering, and more. The band will also be headlining the Berlin Deathfest in October with additional live abrasions to be announced in the weeks to come.

(Photo - Undead Scene)