Sum 41 guitarist Dave Baksh has amicably left the group to concentrate on his own band, Brown Brigade. "He was sick of this whole life and would have more fun playing in his own classic metal band," lead singer Deryck Whibley wrote on the band's Web site. "So we respect that. There's no hard feelings whatsoever.

"The fact is Dave lost interest a long time ago," Whibley added. "Not to take any credit away from him, but he really didn't have anything to do with this band creatively for a long time. I wrote all those riffs and played most of them on the albums. So from a creative stand point nothing is going to change with Sum 41."

Sum 41, which is presently in the middle of recording a new studio album, will continue as a three-piece in the studio and will not seek a permanent replacement for Baksh. "It will definitely be our most exciting and important record we've ever made," Whibley said. "And we plan on touring more and longer on this album than we ever have before."

The new album will be the follow-up to 2004's "Chuck." Sum 41's last performance was in mid-April at a Recording Academy tribute to Iggy Pop in Miami.