Why Danny Worsnop doesn’t need to front Asking Alexandria again

Information travels fast. Social media, as it so often does, has once again stirred up a gargantuan of a rumor mill regarding musical state of affairs amongst band members. The victim? Modern metalcore veterans Asking Alexandria. The cause of this was nothing but a drink.

Yes, a drink.

Drank almost a handle of Jameson and partied old school style with @benjaminbruce. So there’s that…

— Danny Worsnop (@dannyworsnop) September 18, 2016

Danny Worsnop recently tweeted out a claim that he and fellow ex-bandmate Ben Bruce had put their feud to rest over an alcoholic beverage. Most recently, Danny also tweeted that he was flying to Bruce’s location in Arizona with producer Matt Good of From First To Last to work on new music, presumably the new Asking Alexandria record.

Well, where one issue can rest in peace, another arises from the bitter grave. Supposedly, Ben Bruce also unfollowed Denis Stoff on Twitter (which is *totally* headline-snagging press) after the current AA frontman deleted all of his social media accounts (which have since been re-activated). Denis has yet to comment on the reunion rumors.

Honestly, he’s made the wisest move out of the three by doing so because after all of this broke onto the internet, Asking Alexandria’s fanbase have been spreading absurd reunion rumors. Even going so far as stating that Denis has already been kicked out of the band for Danny.

I’m only a writer, but I’m going to be attempt to be a voice of reason here and break down WHY Asking Alexandria should NOT drop Denis Stoff and allow Danny Worsnop back onto the mic.

1. Separate Ways, Worlds Apart

Despite going for over a decade now, Asking Alexandria are still a young band with a sound rooted in partying and break-ups. While it’s true that Danny Worsnop did push his band members into more mature directions across their career with him, his ideas were really only laying the blueprint for his current band, We Are Harlot. When Danny fronted AA, his voice was cleaner and almost poppier in nature. As time went on and his habits took shape, Danny’s voice took on a rugged form along with his appearance. Naturally, this changed the trajectory of Asking Alexandria into a rock & roll way of playing and presentation. The Asking Alexandria fronted by Danny Worsnop was an ascending rock & roll-influenced metalcore act with more potential for mature audiences and active rock radio play.

But AA’s long-time fans made it clear that it was difficult to follow this direction when compared to their earlier work. This, combined with Danny’s dwindling passion for fronting a heavy act, made his departure less of a surprise and more a telegraphed turning of the tide. When Denis Stoff was enlisted, those who had followed his back-catalog of musical endeavors knew that he was the perfect fit for Asking Alexandria to return to their former direction. And that they did.

Where Danny was portraying unhappiness and a lack of interest in Asking Alexandria at the end of his run with them, he appears happy and comfortable in We Are Harlot. Denis, who has stated consistently that Asking Alexandria are one of his favorite bands, appears hungry and inspired as their frontman. His cleaner voice and wider repertoire of influences across the board have allowed Asking Alexandria the opportunity to try more new sounds than ever before. Ben specifically stated that Danny was holding the band back repeatedly, but has actively endorsed Denis as further inspiration for himself and a reignition for every member of the band’s love for Asking Alexandria’s music.

Why then bring back who he claimed to be the near death of the band?

2. It’s Better This Way

After having seen Asking Alexandria with both Danny Worsnop and Denis Stoff, it’s undeniable that their live show with Denis is not only tighter and more accurate, it’s Asking Alexandria as they were meant to be heard. Bringing Danny back after all of the negative press Ben has slung his way would not only be disingenuous but incredibly unfair to Denis, who has hardly begun to show his wide array of skills. On the contrary, even though Danny’s performances with AA only lacked quality due to his habits and lack of interest, maybe now that he has had time to be himself away from AA he could perform better than he did before, but that is still an irrational and quite frankly, silly proposition considering the rough direction Danny’s voice has gone in.

It’d be tough to picture him singing a song like “The Black” with a gritty voice that lacks the pristine quality of Denis’ cleaner voice. Denis himself hasn’t even reached his peak and is singing better than Danny did in AA. None of this is meant as an insult towards Danny, rather an honest evaluation as a long-time fan and an endorser of the direction both parties have went in.

3. A New Beginning

I encourage the rest of Asking Alexandria’s fans to embrace Denis in AA and Danny in We Are Harlot because each have ended up exactly where they want to be. No more, no less. Each frontman has grown as a person and musician in the time since the widely-covered split, to the point where I couldn’t even see Danny pursuing heavier music anymore. He is after all preparing to release a country rock solo album.

Maybe that’s just by design though. Holding Danny, Denis or Ben to who they used to be isn’t being fair to where they are now. The fact of the matter is, I’m ecstatic that Danny and Ben have made up because they had a strong bond and friendship that was often publicly embraced. If a guest appearance by Danny with Asking Alexandria does happen on an upcoming tour, I would fully support it. That’s a much better way to go about this situation.

Furthermore, stop hating on Denis Stoff. He has fully proven himself as Asking Alexandria’s frontman and is a perfect fit as their frontman. In that same way, appreciate Danny reaching the classic rock status that he always dreamed of as the lively and egocentric frontman of We Are Harlot.

There’s a future for both Asking Alexandria and We Are Harlot with their current set-ups, but I do not see a future for either camp by dropping Denis for Danny. There’s a saying that it’s always darkest before the dawn. Indeed it was for Asking Alexandria and Danny Worsnop both. But it would be even darker with Danny back in Asking Alexandria. The dawn is here right now.