Drummer Brandon Short Leaves Tim Lambesis’ Austrian Death Machine

As I Lay Dying’s lineup has slowly dwindled down to one sole member: Tim Lambesis. Now, Lambesis’ other project, Austrian Death Machine, has lost a member of its group.

Austrian Death Machine, largely a solo side project, was created by Lambesis as a parody and tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s films in 2008. The band included a rotating lineup of live members, including drummer Brandon Short. While Short had been a touring member of the group since 2023, he announced his departure on Friday.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my decision to step away from Austrian Death Machine,” Short said in a statement on Instagram. “For the sake of my mental well-being and personal beliefs, and in light of the recent developments surrounding the As I Lay Dying camp and Tim, this has become an inevitable step for me. Although it feels necessary, it’s one I made after deep reflection as these events began to unravel.”

“The repeated promises, the endless cycle of ‘I’ll do better’ — words that once gave me hope — have turned into a broken record that has brought no real change. Instead, I found myself trapped in a pattern that eroded my trust and well-being. This cycle has reached into my personal life, affecting my mental health in ways I can no longer ignore.”

Short’s departure is the latest hit for Lambesis; the singer is now the only remaining member of AILD after the four other members left the group. Bassist/clean vocalist Ryan Neff was the first to announce his departure, and less than a week later, guitarist Ken Susi and drummer Nick Pierce followed suit. Longtime member Phil Sgrosso was the latest to exit the band, noting that, “simply put, recent actions have shown that As I Lay Dying no longer offers a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved — whether creatively, personally, or professionally.”

Following their exits, Lambesis released a statement of his own, agreeing that “there was an unhealthy environment that made leaving for a new tour with the previous lineup unrealistic” and it became “difficult to figure out even the smallest details” within the group. However, he assured that AILD does not end here, as ““I can stick strong to my vision for the future of AILD even when others think it should go another direction.”

Lambesis noted that he “fully supports” their decisions and “my door will always remain open to discussing anything directly.”

The metalcore outfit has received harsh criticism since their return to the music scene, as Lambesis served two and a half years in prison for attempting to hire a hitman to murder his now ex-wife. While AILD reformed in 2017, and have since released 2019’s Shaped By Fire and Through Storms Ahead this past week, Austrian Death Machine only made a comeback in 2023 and dropped their fourth LP Quad Brutal this past February.