New Jersey metal band Reign go viral after split with two members over “unforeseen and disgusting reasons”

New Jersey metal band Reign have found themselves suddenly everywhere online after posting an urgent search for new members, following the removal of two bandmates for what they described as “unforeseen and disgusting reasons.”

What started as a fairly ordinary week on Instagram, where the band has around 7,000 followers, turned into something else entirely when one of their recent posts crossed over two million accounts. Even Reign seemed taken aback by the scale of it, and the comment sections quickly followed suit.

The fallout has prompted a wave of Fleetwood Mac comparisons, though the details Reign have shared are far messier and more immediate. In a statement from remaining members CJ, Aiden and drummer Cork, the band said: “Due to unforeseen and disgusting reasons, Ryan and Aubrey are no longer in Reign. Their actions in zero way are a reflection of the morals of the band and everyone who is involved with the band.

“The things going on behind the scenes that were brought to the light was simply unacceptable and THAT is the honest and genuine truth. Now that we look to the future we are looking for a new vocalist and bassist because this is 100 per cent not the end of this band and we plan to move the same way as before,” the statement continued, with the band promising more details in a later post.

That vagueness only fuelled the curiosity around what had happened between Ryan and Aubrey. Reign then offered additional “context for those who ask/assume the wrong stuff,” saying: “Aubrey cheated on our drummer (Cork) with Ryan months ago and kept the relationship a secret for months.

“As soon as we found out we decided it was best to kick out both members because at the time (Tuesday) they were still together and were persistent on being a thing. We kicked them because these are supposed to be people that we can trust and the fact they did that to our drummer was enough for us to do what we did (that’s not the only reason).”

The band also pointed to “other horrific things that Ryan has done to other women” that had come to light, saying they wanted “absolutely nothing to do with him” after that.

“To everyone new here that’s never heard of us. We seriously have no fucking clue why this is blowing up the way it is,” Reign wrote in a later post, alongside a screenshot from the account dashboard showing the post had passed one million accounts.

Formed in 2002, Reign are still due to play Chaos & Carnage at Pennsylvania venue Reverb this Friday (May 15), even if they have to get through it without a bassist or vocalist. The band has already made a last-minute appeal, asking fans to “Please hit us up and share this all over,” as they look to fill the gaps before the show.