Just before the end of 2016, Of Mice & Men lost its most recognizable member -- vocalist Austin Carlile. But as many are aware, the band added former Jamie's Elsewhere vocalist Aaron Pauley to the band in 2012, and not only did Pauley fill the void on bass, he added a cleaner vocal contrast to Carlile's more screaming vocals. When Carlile stepped down after being advised that his style of singing could continue to aggravate his continued battles with Marfan Syndrome and may cause permanent and irrevocable damage, Pauley was already in place to help continue the band's legacy. Though no longer singing for the band, it is clear that Carlile has close ties, as you can see in his response to the band's new single "Unbreakable."

Of Mice & Men issued the track earlier this month, with Pauley on lead vocals and guitarist Alan Ashby backing him up. Speaking about the new track, Carlile congratulated his former bandmates on the song. In a social media posting, he expressed not only how proud he is of the song, but how it is continuing the legacy built by past and present members of the band. See his comments and post below:

People saying "Of Mice is back"... we never went anywhere!!! Great job on new song guys, taking it back to sounding like the kings of screamo & metalcore again!!! After 8 years of touring, 4 full albums, and over TWELVE members apart of this band up until this point so far... SO many people and hearts have made Of Mice what it is today... It has always been a group effort, it has always been about what everyone individually puts in or brings to the table to form the whole... @omandm isn't just one or two people... It is many. It employs over 25 people, it gives jobs & health care to people that can't afford it (like me for example.) It brings hope to people whom may have none with it's lyrics that Shayley, Aaron, myself, and even Valentino have written over the years... It is you. It has always been about you, the fan, the listener. Because that's exactly what we are ourselves, fans of music! That's why they must continue on and I'm PROUD to see them continuing on strong, and especially proud to see @alanashby on the mic too 😂😂😂

Upon his exit from the band, Carlile revealed that he had moved to Costa Rica where he continued to heal, rest and write after once again dealing with surgeries in 2016. “I am still able to sing,” stated Carlile. “And I’m hungry for what is next to come even though I have no idea what that may be. I feel God placed me at this crossroads for a reason, and with the closing of one door, another will open.”

In early April it was revealed that Carlile was undergoing a procedure in which he received 12-24 shots once a week over a two-to-three month span. The shots were into his spinal chord, muscle and ligaments from his legs up to his hips and in his low and middle back to repair all the ligaments in the area. In addition, he receiving weekly IV’S to go along with it. "My team recently discovered that the ligaments in my body are deteriorating faster than expected and this has been a root of some of my problems and a lot of my pain," stated Carlile. "So I’m taking this next #MarfanSyndromeTreatment head on!"

As for Of Mice & Men, stay tuned for new music and keep an eye out for the band on a number of U.S. festivals and European tour dates in the coming months. See their scheduled stops here.

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