Coalesce have cancelled their European tour after parting ways with guitarist Jes Steineger following grooming allegations from a former student.
Coalesce have cancelled their upcoming European tour after parting ways with guitarist Jes Steineger in the wake of allegations from a former student regarding inappropriate conduct during his time as a university professor. The decision brings a sudden halt to the Kansas metalcore band’s scheduled run of shows as they reassess their future lineup.
Confirmation of both Steineger’s departure and the tour cancellation came via Roadburn Festival, which announced on Instagram that Coalesce would no longer be appearing due to changes within the band. The post included a statement attributed to the group: “Coalesce has parted ways with their guitarist and, as a result, will be unable to fulfill the upcoming shows.” Roadburn added that further lineup announcements would be shared in the coming weeks.
Steineger himself shared a statement with Lambgoat regarding his departure after Roadburn’s announcement:
“I made the choice to step down as guitarist of coalesce. The public attention surrounding my personal failures has become too heavy a burden for my family and loved ones, and I need to step away from public life to focus on accountability, repair, and healing, which I am now doing professionally.
I accept responsibility for my choices and for how they have impacted others. At the same time, the matters that have been made public deserve to be addressed in a private, professionally mediated setting, with restorative healing and reconciliation as the goal, not public spectacle.
I ask, unequivocally, that no one harass or attack any individual connected to this situation. Please do not contact them to direct anger or cruelty in my name or the name of the band. That behavior is unacceptable and serves no constructive purpose.
I am grateful to my former bandmates for their honesty and care in handling a difficult and painful situation. My choices are mine alone. I wish them well in continuing on without me.”
The situation stems from allegations first shared online on Christmas Eve by one of Steineger’s former students. The individual alleged that Steineger attempted to groom them while serving as their professor and academic advisor at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. Although the original post was later removed, citing concerns that it was “too long and too emotional,” the account was reposted on r/metalcore with further details.
In the reposted statement, the former student wrote: “A member of [Coalesce] taught at my university and was separated from the school after his misconduct toward me. He was my professor and academic advisor for over three years.” The allegations describe a series of email exchanges that allegedly escalated into physical contact during the Spring 2025 semester.
“During my spring 2025 semester, he began touching me and gave me a personal, non-university email and moved our correspondence there,” the post continued. “Over a short period we exchanged over 100 emails, many of them explicitly sexual.” The student also alleged that Steineger referenced a pattern of similar past relationships and used a nickname for them, and noted that at this time, he was “in charge of my academic future and clearly his feelings were more important than that.”
The post further claims that the former Coalesce guitarist invited the student into his office after hours and engaged in physical contact, stating that university legal staff later used both email and physical evidence to part ways with him. According to the account, all related emails were provided to the university and, later on via a friend, the band.
“The band knows exactly what he did. Their response has been to block anyone who raises concerns, including me. All I’ve done is occasionally view their stories because I’m terrified he will smear me publicly as my friends have made moves without my consent. I’m not asking for his removal, but it is insane to me to protect such a person.”
The person who shared the allegations said they were in therapy and struggling with the emotional impact of the situation, saying that Steineger “knew exactly how attached I was, and how much power he had, and he used it anyway.”
In response to the allegations, Coalesce previously stated they were aware of Steineger’s conduct and that he had disclosed it to the band. They said the events occurred during his time as a professor (and that there was no quid pro quo) and were unrelated to his role in Coalesce. The band also claimed they reviewed the emails and stated that “the documentation shows that the interaction was mutual, that the student’s attraction pre-dated these events, and it ended when Jes withdrew consent to pursue anything inappropriate.”
With Steineger now stepping away, Coalesce appear to have cancelled their European tour dates entirely, leaving their immediate future uncertain as they determine their next steps.
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