Bassist Sam Rivers has spoken about what was going on behind the scenes during his hiatus from Limp Bizkit.
Longtime Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers – who took a hiatus from the band between 2015 and 2018 – has spoken about the real reason he had to step away from music for several years: he had "really bad liver disease", and ultimately had to get a transplant.
In new music book Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From The Lives Of Metal Legends by Jon Wiederhorn, Sam explains that he was drinking too much and did some serious damage to his liver – though a statement at the time of his temporary departure actually pointed to a back condition being the reason for him leaving the band.
"I got liver disease from excessive drinking," the bassist admits in the book (via Loudwire).
"I was diagnosed in 2011," he explains of the origins of his illness. "I didn't really get what was happening back then. I stopped drinking and battled the liver disease for a bit. I got clean for about nine or 10 months and went on tour. I was super clean, but my home life wasn't that great at the time and as soon as I got off tour I started drinking, and then drinking more. I fell right back into being a horrible drunk again."
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Speaking of the 2015 departure, Sam continues: "I had to leave Limp Bizkit in 2015 because I felt so horrible, and a few months after that I realised I had to change everything because I had really bad liver disease. I quit drinking and did everything the doctors told me. I got treatment for the alcohol and got a liver transplant, which was a perfect match."
Thankfully things seem to be fine now, with the bassist touring with the nu-metal titans at their run of summer festivals in 2019, as well as their December benefit show at Los Angeles' Roxy in which Hollywood superstar/rapper Machine Gun Kelly appeared onstage with the group to perform Break Stuff. Wishing you all the best in your continued wellbeing, Sam!
Grab your copy of Raising Hell… right here, featuring the likes of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Disturbed and more.
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