Pitchfork

Break out the black bong, because it's mourning time. According to MTV.com, drummer Jon Theodore has quit the Mars Volta and will be replaced by Blake Fleming, who co-founded the band and played drums on their early demos. There has been no official announcement from the band to either completely confirm the news or give an official explanation for the split.

The change will be effective on the Mars Volta's upcoming tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, where guitarist Pablo Hinojos-Gonzalez will also start including "sound manipulation skills" as part of his role with the band.

The band's upcoming full-length, Amputechture, will now be released September 12 on Universal, instead of August 22 as previously reported.