The bass player of cult black metal icon Abbath, has decided to ‘respectfully step aside’.

King, whose real name is Tom Cato Visnes, announced his departure from ABBATH in a post on Facebook.

The post read: “King will no longer be part of ABBATH due to conflicting views on lyrical concepts of the upcoming album. The lyrics are inspired by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. King finds that Jung’s connection to Christian mysticism is incompatible with the image of the band.”

King said in the statement: “I wish members of the actual band, label, and crew all the best for the upcoming shows and album. The music itself is nothing short of brilliant. However, I must maintain artistic integrity and respectfully step aside.”

Line-ups changing in the black metal world is nothing uncommon, however the reasons for leaving are certainly interesting this time around. Has Abbath found Jesus? I guess we’ll know soon enough…