• facebook
  • twitter
  • rss

DEAD BY APRIL Parts Ways With Guitarist/Backing Vocalist

April 23, 2010

Swedish "pop/metal" band DEAD BY APRIL has issued the following update:

"Pontus [Hjelm, guitar/backing vocals] has, after some time off from the band, decided to leave DEAD BY APRIL permanently. He feels that he wants to focus on his work as a songwriter, which is where much of his heart has been since day one.

"It is, of course, sad for the band, the fans and everyone involved to see an important member leave, but if that is his wish; we accept and respect his decision. We owe it to everyone involved to continue what has only been started...

"Pontus has been with us from the start and will, in some senses, of course, always be a part of DEAD BY APRIL as he will continue to write songs with us. So don't be too alarmed; nothing is different in the songwriting department!

"There are however some differences in the singing and guitar departments, or
to be very specific: We have a new vocalist.

"We decided that we didn't really need two guitars for the sound and felt that we just wanted to focus on finding a great singer and a great personality who was willing to give this his everything and together take this band to new heights.

"That guy is that very same some of you might have seen filling in for Pontus
before: Zandro Zantiago.

"Zandro stepped in to fill Pontus' place on short notices and has always done a great job and with time he has accelerated into a great fit for us. He became a member in our hearts before even really joining and tomorrow in Gothenburg he can finally do his first gig as an official member of DEAD BY APRIL! We hope all of you give him a great welcome to this band and stand behind him fully as we all do."

Pontus Hjelm had the following to say regarding his decision to leave DEAD BY APRIL: "The time has come for me to step aside from DEAD BY APRIL.

"These years have been filled with new experiences, memorable moments and I have truly learned a lot. I will be forever grateful for getting the opportunity to have lived out the dream I had since I was a little boy and experienced something I'd
never thought I would experience. I also deeply hope that Zandro gets the same magical and warm reception that I have gotten around everything with this band. My focus is now on my job as a full-time songwriter, I will continue to write for the band and, of course, also for other artists and bands."

Zandro Zantiago stated about his addition to the group: "To get this chance is not only very flattering, it is also a big challenge that I take on with all my heart! Now being a part of the band is a great honour, that we work great together
and have a lot of fun just makes it even more definite. This is where I belong. Indeed it is a big pair of shoes to fill up after Pontus as a singer and as a person, but I can assure the fans that I will give you my all and strive to be the very best I can be, with DEAD BY APRIL!"

A photo of the new DEAD BY APRIL lineup can be viewed below.

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).