Set to kick off their headlining North American tour this week, Finnish melodic death metallers INSOMNIUM have announced a live replacement for vocalist/bassist Niilo Sevänen. The band comments:

“Dear fans,
Last Saturday we got unexpected phone call while driving to Gothoom Festival in Slovakia. Unfortunately, serious illness had taken place in Niilo’s close family. We all felt devastated but somehow we were still able to pull through the show. However, due to these unpredicted circumstances, there was no way Niilo could have been able to leave his family behind and attend the upcoming US tour. Family is the most important thing and always comes first.

We were left with two equally bad options. To cancel the tour altogether or to go and try to find replacement for Niilo in couple of days notice. We had already invested considerable amount of money on this tour and whole tour personnel had made commitments to take time off from other work to do this tour. At the same time we felt really bad about thinking about financial side of things while one of our best friends was going through terrible family tragedy. After series of emergency meetings we decided to go and look if there would be anyone that could help us out. All things considered, 50% original line up would be better than no line up at all. We also did not want to let down all the people who had already bought the tickets. Most importantly, we did not want to give up.

So we went and wrote to all our friends on the state side and asked if anybody knew anyone. The response and the number of people who wanted to help us out overwhelmed us. Several talented individuals were ready to step in with short notice. We are eternally grateful and humbled by this response and it only shows how dedicated and compassionate people in US metal scene are. After numerous encounters we came across Mike Bear (ARTISAN, PROTOTYPE) who will be handling growling and bass duties on this tour.

Mike Bear comments ‘It’s a huge honor to be able to help out INSOMNIUM as they embark on their first headline tour of North America. I’ve been to their shows each time they’ve visited the U.S. over the years, and the performances and energy are something I hold in my mind as a benchmark to bring to this coming tour. All agree these are unfortunate circumstances. Though I am excited to play with the band, I will keep Niilo and his family in my thoughts and I hope all of you will as well. As a fan of the band I can tell you, the set lists that have been put together are amazing. I hope to see everyone out there in support of this tour. See you all soon!’

It does break our hearts to go out on tour like this. INSOMNIUM has always been about solidarity and unity. However, we are left with no other choices. Otherwise you would not be reading this statement. We hope that you will welcome Mike Bear and Nick Cordle (stand-in guitarist for Ville) with open arms. Moreover, I hope you give thumbs-up for both Markuses for their headstrong attitude to go out and make this tour happen no matter what. It goes without saying that these guys will put on a hell of a show every night. We can only hope that you will do the same and support us during these difficult times. We will make up this in the future and will come back only stronger.
Yours,
Ville, Markus V., Markus H. and Niilo”

INSOMNIUM and OMNIUM GATHERUM tour dates:
Aug. 9 – Montreal, QC – Heavy MTL festival
Aug. 11 – New York, NY – The Gramercy Theatre
Aug. 12 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
Aug. 13 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
Aug. 14 – Clifton Park, NY – Trick Shot & Billiards
Aug. 15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Altar Bar
Aug. 16 – Westland, MI – Token Lounge
Aug. 17 – Joliet, IL – Mojoes
Aug. 18 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
Aug. 19 – Winnipeg, MB – Zoo Cabaret
Aug. 21 – Edmonton, AL – The Starlite Room
Aug. 22 – Calgary, AL – Nite Owl
Aug. 23 – Vancouver, BC – Red Room
Aug. 24 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
Aug. 25 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Aug. 26 – San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside
Aug. 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Whiskey a Go Go
Aug. 28 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
Aug. 29 – Las Vegas, NV – LVCS
Aug. 30 – Tempe, AZ – Club Red
Sept. 1 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
Sept. 2 – Kansas City, MO – The Riot Room
Sept. 3 – Louisville, KY – Expo Five
Sept. 4 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom
Sept. 5 – Toronto, ON – Garrison
Sept. 6 – Ottawa, ON – Ritual
Sept. 7 – Quebec, QC – Le Cercle