AGONIZER Parts Ways With Singer, Seeks Replacement

Finnish melodic metallers AGONIZER have parted ways with vocalist Pasi Kärkkäinen and are currently seeking a replacement.

Commented Kärkkäinen: "A little over a year ago, at Spinefeast festival, I had a strong lack of motivation to be a singer in this band and also disbelief in my own skills and whether they are good enough. I discussed it with my wife and also with the rest of the band and decided that I would give this band a real effort for a while and then see what happens.

"This winter that feeling of failure came again probably as a result of my over-growing problems with my throat. My voice would just not fuction as it used to be. Regardless my problems being real or just psychological, I started to lose the motivation and started to wonder about continuing. I have always enjoyed making songs and playing them to the audience, but I never enjoyed the fame side of the band. I'm a bit of a recluse, if you will. Also, I had my daughter born at the spring and it just pushed everything else aside, including the band. Together these things influenced the need to talk with the other members about my future in the band. I told them that I would like to resign from this band and concentrate to my personal life and daughter with the fullest.

"We had one gig that I enjoyed as much as ever before and will not forget it. That made me question if I was making the right decision. However, other bandmembers thought that since the new record was almost ready to be recorded, it would be better to have a new vocalist that have the necessary motivation to continue the work on the band after the recording itself. So Joni called me and told me that they have decided to look for a new singer and with a relief I realized that they were right.

"So I hereby resign as a vocalist of this band and AGONIZER will be looking for a new replacement. It is my wish that AGONIZER will find someone really good so that I myself can enjoy this good metal music from the audience side. I also hope that someday I will enjoy a trip again with this band, perhaps as a driver or other more alcohol-spiced job available. I also wish good luck and success to the band and thank all the fans for these years that I have had. They have been amazing and memorable."

The band adds in a statement: "We are looking for a highly motivated, creative and musically talented person, who has the ability to nail our older material and take our new stuff into another dimension. If you think that you have what it takes, do the following: Download the instrumental versions and lyrics for 'Prisoner', 'Prophecy' and 'Black Sun' from www.agonizer.org. Return the material to us with your own vocals recorded on top to [email protected] in MP3 format. Include some info about you, and remember that you don't have to record all three songs."

AGONIZER reportedly made the Guinness Book of World Records in the "Deepest Concert Underground" category for their CD-release show for the band's debut album, "Birth / The End", which took place on August 4, 2007 at the Pyhäsalmi mine (the deepest mine in Europe) at 1,410 meters below sea level. The concert was available only for a limited audience as a safety measure.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE tried a similar stunt on November 20, 2007, but they only reached 700 meters in a former salt mine in Erfurt, Germany.

Formed in 1998 in Pyhäjärvi, Finland, AGONIZER released five self-produced demos in addition to representing Finland in Wacken Open Air's "Metal Battle" contest in Germany.

"Birth / The End" was recorded at Astia studio in Lappeenranta, Finland.