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Philip Sneed is on the far right in this 2017 photo.

@StoryoftheYear is announcing the departure of guitarist/bassist Philip “Moon” Sneed today. He will be dedicating more time to Greek Fire, Goldfinger, and The Rizzuto Show on KPNT, 105.7 The Point. The band wishes Moon well on all of his future endeavors. — Story of the Year (@StoryoftheYear) March 27, 2018

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St. Louis rock band Story of the Year, one of the most well-known locally based acts of the 2000s, has cut ties with bassist Philip "Moon Valjean" Sneed.The news comes via Sneed's Instagram account . In a lengthy post, Sneed claims to have learned through the band's management that he was out. "To be clear, this was not mutual or voluntary on my part," he writes."This isn’t what I’ll choose to remember though," he continues. "What I will choose to remember, and keep near to my heart, is the FIFTEEN years of sacrifice, dedication, loyalty, fun and hard work that were given to this band and the incredible amount of PEOPLE, experiences, bands, crew, relationships, education and love that was given back to us throughout this amazing ride."Story of the Year has confirmed the news though its Twitter account:Sneed had been a member of the group nearly since its inception, joining as rhythm guitarist in 2003 and performing on the group's breakout album,. He's performed on every one of the band's albums, in fact, switching around over the years between guitar, keyboards and bass.The news comes less than two weeks after Story of the Year announced the return of founding member Adam "the Skull" Russell, who left the group in 2014. This means the band is, so far, still operating as a four-piece, as it has been since Russell initially departed. As of now, all four members of the group are founding members.Story of the Year is gearing up for an Australian tour in May, in support of its latest album, December's. Sneed, meanwhile, joined Goldfinger in 2016, playing lead guitar on July's. He also fronts local act Greek Fire and is a radio personality/producer on the Point's (105.7 FM) morning radio show.Read Sneed's full statement below: