Hellyeah have announced that guitarist Greg Tribbett has been forced to leave their current tour with Clutch due to a family emergency.

In an official press release, Hellyeah have announced that Tribbett has already returned home to deal with the unspecified emergency and instead of drafting a replacement, guitarist Tom Maxwell will pull double duty while the band finishes the tour as a four-piece.

The affected dates include the band’s show last night (May 22) in Lynchburg, Va., as well four additional upcoming gigs.

Vocalist Chad Gray, Tribbett’s bandmate in both Mudvayne and Hellyeah, offered his, as well as his band’s, well wishes to the absent guitarist in the official statement:

We all stand with our brother Greg while he tends to personal matters. Our thoughts are with him and his family, and while the shows won’t be the same without him, we will soldier on for our fans and close out this tour in the same kick ass fashion we always do. There’s a lyric in our new song ‘Band of Brothers’ that says ‘I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine,’ and that couldn’t be more true for us right now.

Speaking of Hellyeah’s new album, the third disc from the hard rock supergroup is still on track to hit stores on July 17 and is said to be their heaviest offering to date. The band is also set to embark on a tour with Volbeat and Iced Earth in late June. No word yet on whether Tribbett will miss those dates, as well.

Hellyeah Remaining Tour Dates w/o Tribbett

05/24 — Indanapolis, IN — The Vogue

05/25 — Huntington, WV — V Club

05/27 — Pryor, OK — Rocklahoma

05/28 — El Paso, TX — Balloonfest

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