Bassist Jean-Yves “Blacky” Thériault has left the band Voivod for “personal reasons,” according to an official post today on the band’s Facebook page.

The announcement states that the 51-year-old bassist will no longer be performing live with the Canadian thrash metal outfit he co-founded back in 1982 and that he has left the band entirely. Blacky first quit Voivod after the release of their 1991 album Angel Rat, but returned to the fold in 2008 and was on their latest effort, 2013’s Target Earth.

Here’s the official announcement from Voivod regarding Blacky’s departure:

And carry on they surely will. Formed in 1982, the band has survived several line-up changes, including Blacky’s first departure; nearly a decade without their original singer Snake (Denis Bélanger); and the passing of original guitarist Piggy (Denis D’Amour) in 2005. From 2002 to 2008 former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, going under the moniker Jasonic, was a member of the band, performing live and appearing on the albums Voivod (2003, released on Newsted’s Chophouse Records label), Katorz (2006), and Infini (2009).

No announcement has been made yet regarding Blacky’s replacement, but Voivod’s next live show is scheduled for this Saturday, July 12, 2014 at the Jonquière En Musique festival in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada; they’re also booked for Heavy Montreal festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Saturday, August 9, 2014.

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