ARCH ENEMY Splits With Guitarist JEFF LOOMIS, Announces Replacement
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ARCH ENEMY has "amicably" parted ways with longtime guitarist Jeff Loomis.
ARCH ENEMY founder and chief songwriter Michael Amott comments: "It's been a joy having Jeff play with ARCH ENEMY for close to a decade, we truly had a blast touring around the world together! We were friends long before we played music together and we remain even closer buddies now, which feels great. We respect that he's in a place and time in life where he needs to step out of ARCH ENEMY and we all wish him nothing but the best moving forward.
"The only constant is change, and this is one of those moments where things had to change a little to move forward in a satisfactory way for everyone involved. With all that said, we are extremely pleased to announce that we have recruited Joey Concepcion as our new guitarist! Joey's a phenomenal talent and has been a friend of the band for a long time, he even filled in for Jeff on a couple of European festival shows back in 2018.
"We have touring and a myriad of other exciting things coming up on the horizon with ARCH ENEMY for 2024 and beyond and are thrilled to move forward, creating the next chapter and keeping the metal flowing!"
Loomis comments: "My time in ARCH ENEMY has come to an end. I have had a great time (9 years!) of playing and touring with them, but now it's time to enter a new chapter in my life. I wish Alissa, Michael, Sharlee and Daniel the very best and consider them all lifelong friends. I'd also like to thank the crew that have always been nothing but kind to me. Their hard work and dedication towards the band is incredible, and we wouldn't be able to put on the great shows without them. Thank you again for all your support over the years and Happy New Year."
Lastly, Joey Concepcion has the following to say about joining the ARCH ENEMY fold: "It's an honor and a privilege to be working with ARCH ENEMY and I'm very much looking forward to shredding stages across the globe together, playing for and meeting all the fans!"
In the clip here you can check out guitarist Joey Concepcion performing a headline set with ARCH ENEMY at Germany's Summer Breeze Open Air festival in 2018.
Jeff, who was the main songwriter in his previous group, NEVERMORE, joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, but was not involved in the writing for the latter act's last two albums, 2017's "Will To Power" and 2022's "Deceivers".
In a 2018 interview with All That Shreds, Jeff said that he had "a lot of musical ideas" that he was hoping to contribute to ARCH ENEMY in the future. "I did write three or four songs for ['Will To Power'], but they didn't make it, only because it wasn't in the style that they were looking for," he said. "Fortunately enough, I was able to play guitar solos on the latest album, so that makes me happy."
Six years ago, Amott said that Loomis is "a strong songwriter" in his own right, "but not in the style of ARCH ENEMY, I feel. He's always writing and recording with his own stuff," he explained. "He has a project called CONQUERING DYSTOPIA, he has his solo stuff, [and] he obviously wrote most of the NEVERMORE stuff. I've always respected him, and continue to respect him, as a guitar player — he's amazing and an amazing human being; he fits in perfectly. [There's] a great chemistry [between us]. But, you know, I've always written most of the music, so it's difficult to… I don't really wanna change the sound of the band too much. The band sort of started around my songwriting and my ideas, and those continue to be the most dominant ones, I guess. But, you know, who knows [what can happen] in the future?"
Loomis's second and latest solo album, 2012's "Plains Of Oblivion" was produced by Aaron Smith (7 HORNS 7 EYES) and featured cover artwork by Colin Marks of Rain Song Design, who had previously worked with ALL SHALL PERISH, THE END and XERATH.
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)
