Sabaton’s guitarist, Tommy Johansson, has recently announced his departure from the band after seven years, marking it as the most challenging decision of his life, as stated in an official Instagram post from the band.
The musician said the following in his statement:
“My dear friends! After 7 glorious years of Heavy Metal, I have decided to step down as the guitarist of Sabaton. This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my entire life. As many of you may know, I do a lot of things outside of Sabaton. I play with another band, perform with various artists, and have a career as a singer that I’ve put aside for years to focus on Sabaton.”
Gratitude To Fans And Optimism For The Future
He added, further explaining his decision:
“After doing this for seven years, I feel it’s time to start following my heart. This means I will no longer tour with my brothers in Sabaton and will not meet all you lovely Sabaton supporters on the upcoming tours with the band.”
In the rest of his message, Johansson emphasized that his departure from Sabaton does not signify an end to his musical journey. He will continue to tour with Majestica and engage in other projects, though not at the same intensity as with Sabaton. He expressed gratitude to Sabaton fans for accepting him and showed confidence that they would welcome his successor with the same enthusiasm.
Sabaton’s Farewell To Johansson
Sabaton also released a statement acknowledging Johansson’s departure. The band wrote on the same Instagram post:
“After 7 amazing years in the band, our guitarist, Tommy, has decided to leave Sabaton to pursue his own path. We wish him nothing but the best on his journey. We have been a close family, and we will continue to support him in the adventures that await him in the future.”
The band, which includes Joakim Brodén, Pär Sundström, Chris Rörland, and Hannes Van Dahl, has released 10 studio albums, with Johansson featured in the latest two, ‘The Great War’ and ‘The War to End All Wars.’
Check out their post below.
Photo Credit: Sabaton – Instagram
