Thank you very much!

Ever since I can remember I have been playing and enjoying the fruits of music. From playing brass instruments through elementary to playing in my first garage band just into high school to touring the country. I have always had a strong passion for music and singing, as many of you who know me already know. You have watched me grow and expand over the last fifteen years and blossom into many different forms depending on the project I happened to be working on at any particular time.

A year and a half ago I joined HoA with high hopes and strong conviction. We recorded and released an album, made many new friends, toured the U.S. for a month spanning 10,000 miles of the heartland, performed over 50 times and most of all we’ve all learned so much about music and ourselves. I learned many things about myself. Some things I am proud of, while other things I learned I didn’t like so much about myself. One thing I began to realize growing up through the years is how easy it is for us to focus on such a small spectrum of light and not see all of the colors and rhythms going on around us. We tend to get ourselves locked into a certain rhythm and being able to passively, peacefully break free is next to impossible. Being able to see at a distance further then the end of our nose and understand other people. The ability to change the world you live in comes only from changing within. Now this is something I have come to realize, as most would probably agree, people tend to look onward without really focusing on that statement and asking ourselves what we are really looking for and what we need to feel the peace we all seek.

King Solomon the Son of David King of Jerusalem once said around 970 BC “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” Can you ask yourself the same question? What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?

With this in mind I would like to thank God for everyone who has supported me in my musical efforts throughout the years. To each of you I pray for the very best and I wanted to take this time to tell you all how much your support has meant to me. Anyone who knows anyone in this business or has ever experienced it at a level beyond their city limits understands how much passion, heart, hard work and patience goes into doing what bands like HoA do.

Over the past four months I have felt the change coming from within me. I have come closer to God and Mike than I ever could have imagined I would have (if I ever even wanted to before). God has softened my heart and changed me one day at a time and the closer I get to my Lord and the real rhythm of the universe I realize the true reality that our time here is truly vanity. “That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun” he said. I believe we were created for a purpose (if you could ever believe it) much greater than ourselves. I think of how amazing the designer of the Heavens and Earth is and how awesome the design is and how much the Creator loves us that he would create all of this and put us in the position to enjoy it. To live in a country where you can live free and you have the God given right to protect that very liberty. For most of us to walk through life without ever ‘stopping to smell the roses’, to me begins to form into a calamity and a very sad reality. To be able to surrender yourself and love the giver before the gift brings true gratitude and humility.

I have made one of the hardest decisions of my life thus far and decided to leave Hiss of Atrocities. I have battled with this for months and months and I have come to realize this is the right thing for me and for Hiss of Atrocities as well. I love these guys. They are four of the best friends, nicest people a guy could ever wish to have as friends and share music with. The time I have spent with this band, especially, and throughout my time in the music scene thus far has truly changed my life in so many ways I could write a book about it (in fact maybe I will!). There are things that have happened that have broken me down, taught me lessons and have caused me to wake up to truths that I have needed to take notice of in my life. I will miss performing with HoA and I truly only hope for the highest pinnacles of success for this band and the men that make it. As for me I have a new direction in my life and I can not tell you that I have a solid grasp on where it will take me next or where that direction might be. I leave those questions up to God and His will for me and my life. I feel so very relieved and at peace after getting this off my chest and I owe all of the credit for the ongoing transformation and culmination to God.

This doesn’t mean I am quitting music or that I am angry with this band or anything whatsoever. I need to do this for myself. There are things at hand that are bigger than me, and at this time for me, those things are bigger than playing in a metal band. Any singer lucky enough to play with these musicians should truly see it as a blessing, they are an amazing group. This I can guarantee will not be the end of music for me, I love music. It’s been a part of me since I can remember. This is merely the opportunity for me to slow down and smell the roses, admire the things God has done for me and see what He has in store for my life next.

I appreciate all of you and I wish to express my gratitude for everything each and every one of you has done for me, even if you or I will know it or not.

Thank you,

Mike ‘Zero’ Sweigart