EVERGREY's TOM S. ENGLUND On Longtime Guitarist HENRIK DANHAGE's Decision To Leave: 'He Hasn't Told Us Why He Chose To Do What He Did'

In a new interview with Poland's MetalSide, EVERGREY frontman Tom S. Englund was asked if the band's recently departed guitarist Henrik Danhage contributed to the Swedish metallers' upcoming fifteenth album, "Architects Of A New Weave", which will arrive on June 5, 2026 via Napalm Records. Tom responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, [Henrik] didn't participate at all, so this album is made by the four of us. When we couldn't get a communication going with Henrik, we needed to make a decision because we were going into mix, and we didn't have any solos. That was pretty much the gist of it. I've recorded all of the rhythm guitars for the last five albums, basically. And I didn't wanna call in a super-brilliant guitar player from some other band or some other famous guitar player just because to have a guitar player. So I asked Johan [Niemann, EVERGREY bassist], the bass player, if he could play half the solos, and he did. So half of the solos are Johan playing. In a perfect world, we would have had Stephen [Platt, new EVERGREY guitarist] come in before, but we didn't, so... And then we didn't wanna bring anybody in. We wanted it to be an album by the band EVERGREY, and now it really is. So it's by the four of us: Simen [Sandnes, EVERGREY drummer], Johan, Rikard [Zander, EVERGREY keyboardist] and me. So, really cool."

Asked why Henrik left EVERGREY, Tom responded: "You need to ask him, honestly. He hasn't told us why he chose to do what he did. But we asked for some changes. We asked him to be participating in a band. Where you split money in five ways, you need to work. And I guess it's the same — if you have a football team, you need to have five guys, or 11 guys, in a football team, that play for the same team, that wanna do the same thing, that are as eager and as hungry to play for the team as anybody else. And if they're not, then you probably should do something else. But we don't know, really. We asked him for some changes, and he didn't reply."

Regarding the fact that Niemann contributed guitar solos to "Architects Of A New Weave", Tom said: "I think that's the best story for us. Instead of, like I said, bringing in Yngwie Malmsteen on guitar or somebody who's super famous on YouTube, like Ola Englund [THE HAUNTED] or somebody... Since Johan and me wrote most of the music anyway, he knows the music. So that would be the difference, coming in knowing the… I mean, I had to produce him a lot, but he's a brilliant guitar player. And he also plays guitar solos in a way that I like the most. It's solos that you can sing along to, in the Adrian Smith [IRON MAIDEN] type of way. So, yeah, I think it worked out perfectly. I don't think people will miss any soloing, for sure. I think it's also a lot of guitar solos on this album."

On the topic of Platt's addition to EVERGREY after Stephen previously filled in for Henrik on the road, Tom said: "Yeah, we obviously — we were in no rush. The album was already recorded and mixed. We had a long tour with him. We got to know him, and we actually asked him, like, four weeks ago, so it's not that long ago, if he wanted to be in the band. We thought so, but you never know, because he also had an obligation with SCAR SYMMETRY and all of that. But that seems to be no problem now since they are not touring, according to Per [Nilsson, SCAR SYMMETRY guitarist/vocalist]. Maybe they're doing a show here and there. That's what I heard anyway. So, all is good."

Danhage previously took a break from touring with EVERGREY last fall. Stepping in for the band's fall 2025 tour with KATATONIA was Platt.

Danhage's first EVERGREY record, 2001's "In Search Of Truth", is generally regarded as one of the best progressive albums of all time, thanks in large part to his singular approach to riffs and rhythms.

While he took a break from EVERGREY in 2008 to focus on other projects, Danhage found his way back to the band in 2014 and was a main contributor to metal standouts "Hymns For The Broken" through 2022's "A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Treatment)".

"Architects Of A New Weave" will arrive just days before EVERGREY takes the stage as special guest to IRON MAIDEN for two shows on the British heavy metal legends' "Run For Your Lives" world tour.

"Architects Of A New Weave" was produced by Tom S. Englund and Vikram Shankar, with a mix by Adam "Nolly" Getgood.