Vocalist Kat Katz Leaves Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Says "Tired of Being Bullied by Dudes"

UPDATE: Both Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Kat Katz have issued followed-up statements clarifying the circumstances behind the singer's departure from the group. The split reportedly stems from an incident around the band's appearance at Quebec Deathfest on October 20th. You can read AnB and Katz's updates on their respective Facebook pages.

ORIGINAL STORY, 10/24/18: Kat Katz announced her departure from Agoraphobic Nosebleed in a Facebook post, stating: "Tired of being bullied by dudes. Salome and now Agoraphobic Nosebleed. I quit Agoraphobic Nosebleed tonight. Hopefully, I find a band that respects me and treats me as an equal."

She started playing on albums and EPs (most notably, 2016's sludgy Arc EP) with the grindcore collective since 2008, and before that was the vocalist for Virginia doom outfit Salome until 2011. Katz also lent her talent to Agoraphobic Nosebleed bandmate Scott Hull's main band Pig Destroyer several times, providing guest vocals on three full-length albums and a single. 

The band responded to the allegations, posting, "News update: We've had some disagreements with Kat about how we should interact in the band, and as a result she quit. We wish her well with music in the future. Scott has some writing and recording to wrap up with Pig Destroyer, and after that he'll start writing music for the next ANb record."

Katz has long been vocal about the issue of sexism in the heavy-metal community. In a 2016 interview with Noisey, she stated, "When I began playing in bands, I encountered a great deal of misogyny — I was often denigrated and dehumanized by the metal community, including my own bandmates. Yet, how I was treated didn't differ much from how I was treated by men in general ... In order to change the culture, I think we need more well-respected men in metal who are confident and secure enough to openly discuss discrimination and diversity and challenge bigoted attitudes and behaviors."