"I just lost my passion for drumming for that matter. I'm not saying I will never play again, it's just that I'm ready for something different, and more challenging for me that will not take me far away from home to do it. I love what we have built as a band and with friends, but after years and years of dealing with the in and outs of the industry, I'm just over it for now. I'm not a person that can do two things at once, and I feel I want to put everything I have into pencil art. I know that sounds crazy, but it's something I fell in love with and strive every day to excel at. So it was a very hard decision for me to decide between the two for this year, but I choose art. I choose being happy and spending time with my family and not touring."

There's no official word just yet on who will replace Noonan in the Alaskan metal band.