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Metal Thanksgiving 2025: With Over $10,000 Raised, Vitriol’s Kyle Rasmussen Begins Journey Home After Being Left Mid-Tour

After being abandoned by his bandmates mid-tour earlier this week in New York, Vitriol frontman Kyle Rasmussen is now on his way back home to Portland, OR. According to Rasmussen, he was deliberately left at an abandoned ice cream shop/gas station in Redwood, NY following a heated confrontation fueled by cocaine use, sleep deprivation, and mounting tension within the group.

The departing members—each of whom joined Vitriol over the course of 2025—publicly criticized Rasmussen after leaving him behind during the band’s first-ever U.S. headlining tour. They attributed their exit to Rasmussen’s behavior, accusing him of “cowardly and weak outbursts of misplaced anger.”

In a sharply worded rebuttal to Rasmussen’s 45-minute video response, former guitarist Keith Merrow, bassist Brett Leier, and drummer Andy Vincenzetti claimed that “[Rasmussen] irrationally screamed at the whole crew at the top of his lungs on multiple occasions. We simply won’t tolerate it, just like all the other 19 people who left this failed band. What more needs to be said? It’s the same shit as every other victim of abuse.” The trio further stated that they intend to continue on as a new band without Rasmussen.

Rasmussen, meanwhile, attributed the breakdown to a cocaine binge, tight living quarters, and exhaustion from life on the road. He alleged that Merrow threatened to stab him during an argument, and that Merrow shoved his girlfriend—who, along with Rasmussen and their dog, was left outside the gas station with what Rasmussen described as a large amount of band merch and gear.

He also claimed that his former bandmates enlisted a state trooper to facilitate the removal of him, his girlfriend, and their dog from the shared tour RV.

With Rasmussen left as the sole remaining member, Vitriol’s tour came to an abrupt end. Having placed Merrow in charge of tour finances, Rasmussen said he and his partner were uncertain how they would get home.

Rasmussen ultimately launched a GoFundMe, which as of press time had raised $10,869 on a $2,500 goal. In a statement shared through the campaign on Tuesday, November 25th, Rasmussen said they planned to put the funds toward purchasing a used car. That statement read:

“Hello, everyone. Maggie and I have been beyond moved by the response to our GoFundMe. I set our initial goal at 2.5k, hoping to only make it home. After being donated 4x that amount, we will be able to purchase an affordable used car, rather than throwing money away on a cross-country rental. This is beyond helpful, as we are a carless household. We have plenty to keep us safe and comfortable. Any additional donations will be put toward paying off debts from this tour; merch, RV, management, and PR fees. Thank you very, very much. We are out of crisis.

With deep love and appreciation,

Ghost, Maggie, and Kyle“

In a new video statement shared by Rasmussen he offers an update on the situation. He opened the clip by poking fun at his former bandmates for incorrectly claiming they had abandoned him in Vermont, reiterating that the incident took place in Redwood, NY. He also clarified that he and Maggie ultimately opted to rent a vehicle for their drive back to Oregon rather than purchase one immediately with the GoFundMe funds.

Here’s what Rasmussen said in the video:

“Hello, everyone. Here we are in a beautiful, thriving, Redwood, New York — or Vermont — I suppose, it’s all in the eyes of the beholder. I have good news for anyone who is interested in seeing Maggie, Ghost, and myself, make it home safely. The outpouring of support has been beyond overwhelming. I know that might sound like a tired thing to say, but I don’t know what else to say.

If any of you are wondering why we weren’t just getting a train, or a bus home, you’re looking at it. We have about three weeks worth of merchandise loosely smashed into this Jeep, which is the largest vehicle that Hertz had available for us. I have all my equipment, all of our luggage. With that being said, we, of course, have our dog, which complicates things further.

Massive, massive shout out to Felder’s Convenience. If you’re ever rolling through Redwood, New York on your way to Canada, check out Felder’s Convenience. They got deli, they got pizza, they got gas, they got cigarettes, they got coffee, they got everything you need. He even has an out-of-season ice cream shop, that he was kind enough after witnessing this whole snafu go down — he was kind enough to offer to keep all of our equipment and belongings safely in this building until we were able to come back and retrieve it. So MVP. Relying on the goodwill of people this entire time has been extremely humbling.

That’s about it. We’re about to hit the road. The Maggie Ghost and Kyle tour begins now. We’re about to head to Chicago. And then after that, Denver, to kiss that beautiful Dave Otero on the mouth. I’m coming for you, buddy. Okay, give me more cocaine [mimics sniffing noises.]”

Rasmussen captioned that video as follows:

“Ghost, Maggie and Ghost tour begins now. Thankyou to everyone who went above and beyond with their generosity. Maggie and I are perfectly secure and won’t have any issues making our way home. Any extra funds that remain after our journey home will go towards paying off various debts that Vitriol has been saddled with making this tour happen. The future not only looks bright for the three of us, but for Vitriol as well.

You can’t kill what is already dead.

I’m coming to smooch ya, @daveotero”

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