DANIEL SVENSSON Doesn't Regret Decision To Quit IN FLAMES: 'It Felt Right'

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, THE HALO EFFECT drummer Daniel Svensson reflected on his 2015 decision to quit IN FLAMES in order to focus on his family life. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I got tired of touring. I felt that I needed to be home with my kids. I was out on tour for almost 20 years, and I felt I needed to do something else. The timing was right, I felt. I was thinking about it for a while."

He continued: "I still love playing, but the problem was that I didn't like being away from home so much… It was hectic for most of the years. So I had to take that decision and it felt right. And I don't regret it. But it feels great to be back on tour again [with THE HALO EFFECT]. Even though we might not tour as much, since [THE HALO EFFECT singer Mikael] Stanne's main priority is still DARK TRANQUILLITY, of course, so we have to adjust our touring schedule to him, so it won't be as much touring as before… It's gonna be… In Sweden, we have a word called 'lagom' — not too much, not too little. So it's gonna be perfect, I guess."

When Svensson announced his exit from IN FLAMES seven years ago, he said in a statement that it was time for him "to take care and spend more time with the most important people in my life — my wife and my three daughters."

In addition to Svensson and Stanne, THE HALO EFFECT includes three other former members of IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar),Peter Iwers (bass) and Niclas Engelin (guitar).

THE HALO EFFECT is planning to enter the studio before the end of the year to record a new EP. The upcoming effort will be the follow-up to THE HALO EFFECT's debut album, "Days Of The Lost", which recently entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 1. This was believed to be the first time a debut LP from a metal act had ever topped the chart in Sweden in its first week of release. "Days Of The Lost" also landed at No. 6 in Germany.

"Days Of The Lost" came out on August 12 via Nuclear Blast.

A member of IN FLAMES since 1997, Iwers issued a statement in November 2016 saying that he was exiting the band "to pursue other endeavors."

A founding member of IN FLAMES, Strömblad quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Strömblad's THE HALO EFFECT bandmates have been supportive in his ongoing battle with the bottle, going so far as to hire THE HAUNTED's Patrik Jensen to fill in for him at any gigs he is unable to play,

Engelin has been sitting out IN FLAMES' tour dates for the past three and a half years but has never officially confirmed his departure from the band. Engelin's replacement for IN FLAMES' live shows since then has been former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick.