Reactivated NASUM To Tour North America In May

Legendary Swedish grinders NASUM will play several North American shows in May as part of their "farewell" tour. So far the following dates have been leaked (not yet confirmed by the band):

May 19 - Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class (w/ BRUTAL TRUTH, DROPDEAD)
May 21 - Montreal, QC @ Sala Rossa (w/ BRUTAL TRUTH, DROPDEAD)
May 24 - New York, NY @ Europa (w/ BRUTAL TRUTH, DROPDEAD) *
May 25 - Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest *
May 28 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro (w/ EXHUMED)
May 29 - Ventura, CA @ Billy O's (w/ EXHUMED)
May 31 - Austin, TX @ Chaos In Tejas *

* Officially confirmed by NASUM on the band's official web site

NASUM was hit hard by the passing of guitarist and co-founder Mieszko Talarczyk in the 2004 Asian tsunami, but has announced the farewell performances to mark the group's 20th anniversary and close the book on the wildly influential band.

In a joint statement, the members of NASUM (Anders Jakobson: drums, Jesper Liveröd: bass/vocals, Urab Skytt: guitars, Jon Lindquist: guitars/vocals) had the following to say:

"You thought NASUM was dead? We are. This is not resurrection. It's farewell, for good.

"If things were different, if Mieszko hadn't died, NASUM would have celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2012, believe it or not. Therefore, and after long deliberation and scrutiny, we have decided that it's now or never: NASUM will do a handful of shows and festival gigs around the world in 2012 — to celebrate our anniversary, say a final goodbye to the fans and Mieszko.

"No cheesy reunion, no new albums, no epitaph for Mieszko. We will play only a few cities and festivals in a limited number of disruptive, unruly concerts.

"It will be a total blast, and we aim to go out hard. Just you wait.

"When lead singer Mieszko Talarczyk disappeared and died in the devastating and tragic tsunami of 2004, NASUM instantly ceased to exist. As the band's voice, producer and one of the main songwriters, Mieszko was a vital part of NASUM's bloodline. When he passed, all plans for tours and recordings were abruptly stopped. NASUM died when Mieszko died, and the rest of the band members went their separate ways.

"But in the years that passed, the feeling that everything had been left unfinished lingered with the rest of us. Suddenly seven years had passed, and we realized it was time for closure; for us, the band and for the fans. With our anniversary coming up it felt like a perfect time to end NASUM the way it was supposed to — exploding in a ferocious, blasting frenzy, not wither away at the mercy of tragedy. And finally we are ready, able and totally fucking charged, so expect something over the top. The shows will be a varied, intense mix of the best songs from this colossus of grind.

"To handle vocal duties on the upcoming shows we have asked Keijo Niinimaa, vocalist in Finnish grind faves ROTTEN SOUND, to join us. They were always close friends of NASUM, and while Keijo's plagued screams won't replace Mieszko, they will add a crippling viciousness to the shows. On a few occasions, we might ask a few other close friends of NASUM to do some vocal sessions. Who? Wait and see!

"Note this: if you ever wanted to see NASUM blast shit to bits, this is your last and only chance."

NASUM 2012 is:

Anders Jakobson - Drums
Jesper Liveröd - Bass And Low Vocals
Jon Lindqvist - Guitars And Low Vocals
Urban Skytt - Guitars
Keijo Niinimaa - Vocals

GoetiaMetal.com conducted an interview with NASUM drummer Anders Jakobson in November 2011 about the band's upcoming farewell tour. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Photo credit: Terése Andersson