BARONESS bus crash victims Matt Maggioni and Allen Blickle have left the band in the aftermath of the accident that nearly killed them.

They were on board their touring vehicle near Bath in England last August when it left the road in heavy rain and plummeted 30 feet. All nine passengers including the driver were injured, some seriously.

Now frontman John Baizley – who later revealed doctors had come close to amputating one of his arms – has explained bassist Maggioni and drummer Blickle don’t feel able to remain in the band.

Baizley says: “Nothing can truly prepare you for a brush with death. The event is unique one, singular to the observer. Trust me, you don’t want to invite the experience.

“Our accident left indelible marks: external and internal, physical and mental. Each of the nine of us went through and continues to go through an entirely different, yet common experience. Thankfully, injury was not dealt out evenly; unfortunately, it was dealt in great supply. The nine of us each find ourselves in drastically different circumstances, and we each move forward accordingly.”

As a result, Maggioni and Blickle have decided to follow a different path.

“The details of their departure are not sensational,” Baizley says.

“They do not come with hard feelings. While we would never have asked them to leave, we have the utmost sympathy for this situation. We wish Matt and Allen the best in the future.”

He reports that BARONESS have already recruited replacements, and aim to finish the tour that was interrupted last August. The three members along with guitarist Peter Adams will appear at the Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee on June 13-16.