Sabaton have announced that former guitarist, Thobbe Englund, is rejoining the band. This news comes hot on the heels of Tommy Johansson’s departure announcement less than a month ago on 20th January. The band will open the upcoming US tour for Judas Priest, along with their own shows and 25th anniversary celebrations all year. Watch the announcement video with comments from the band here.
Thobbe originally joined Sabaton in April 2012 and amicably parted ways with the band in July 2016 to focus on his personal life and expand his creativity. Eight years later, he’s back and ready to hit the global stage once more. Watch the official announcement video here.
Englund recorded two studio albums with Sabaton, namely Heroes (2014) and The Last Stand (2016), and assisted with the songwriting of some very popular songs including ‘Shiroyama’ and ‘Fields Of Verdun’, among others.
On his return, which is effective immediately, Englund declares: “Words can’t express how ready and how excited I am to jump back into Sabaton. It feels like I was on a short holiday. The time is right, love is in the air and the best is yet to come!”
Sabaton bassist and band manager, Pär Sundström comments: “This is a full circle moment for Sabaton and we are beyond excited to have Thobbe rejoin the band. He’s a talented guitarist, songwriter and a kind guy who we have a lot of fun with. We didn’t even need to hold auditions with other guitar players. All that was needed was to spend New Year’s Eve together to know that the time was right for Thobbe´s return.”
Echoing Pär’s sentiments, frontman,Joakim Brodén states: “This decision was a no-brainer for us as a band and for Thobbe. He knows the drill and is the perfect fit. This is a great outcome, and we think everyone is going to be psyched about the news! The time is right. Welcome back brother!”
Meanwhile, drummer, Hannes Van Dahl adds: “Who? Thobbe f***ng Englund, that’s who! The man is back! I’m happy to once again share the stage with one of my best friends! Welcome back brother!”
And finally, fellow guitarist, Chris Rörland, says: “I’m beyond excited and happy for the return of the king! We’ve had so many good times together, both on stage and off stage. It’s gonna be great to share the stage again. Welcome back and welcome home my brother! Love ya!”
Sabaton are currently preparing for a 19-show US tour with heavy metal legends, Judas Priest, which kicks off on 18th April in Wallingford, Connecticut and wraps up on 22nd May in Syracuse, New York. The five-piece band are also currently in the studio working on their 11th studio album.
In the two and a half decades since their launch, Swedish metallers, Sabaton, have achieved quadruple-platinum sales, headlined major festivals and sold-out arena concerts across the globe, and earned a legion of loyal fans by carving out a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in rock, always going their own way. Sabaton combine standout stage design and production with epic concept albums, linking real-life historical war events with classic kick-ass metal. To date, the band has released ten studio albums, amassed six Gold, two Platinum, and one four-times-Platinum awards, seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5. Sabaton have also accumulated more than two billion streams across all streaming platforms as well as 1.5 billion views on YouTube.
Band Members:
Joakim Brodén – vocals
Pär Sundström – bass
Chris Rörland – guitars
Thobbe Englund – guitars
Hannes Van Dahl – drums
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