Christian Heavy Metal Band Frontman Admits He’s Actually an Atheist

If you grew up Christian, or just really emo, you might remember the band As I Lay Dying from your teenage years. They mixed heavy metal instrumentation and angsty lyrics with a tinge of religion. But it turns out that was something of a lie. The band’s frontman, Tim Lambesis, just admitted that he has been an atheist for years—and he wasn’t the only band member to drop out of their creed.

This confession wasn’t the first time Lambesis betrayed his fans, however. He was also recently arrested for hiring an undercover detective to kill his soon-to-be former wife—he was angry that she had restricted visits with their children and would get a share of his income in the divorce. His wife, Meggan, has filed a $2 million lawsuit against him.

Lambesis says he was the third guy who became an atheist in the band, a fact that had come to light in the couple’s divorce papers. “In the process of trying to defend my faith, I started thinking the other point of view was the stronger one,” he said in an interview with Alternative Press. “In 12 years of touring with As I Lay Dying, I would say maybe one in 10 Christian bands we toured with were actually Christian bands.”

The singer has been sentenced to six years in jail, but the band’s near future probably isn’t a good bet, either.