Finnish Melodic Death metallers INSOMNIUM recently encountered a predicament when their guitarist, Jani Liimatainen, seemingly disappeared without a trace. Through a social media announcement, the band revealed their inability to locate or reach Liimatainen over an extended period, prompting the decision to carry on as a four-member band.
Initially, the band chose not to address the situation publicly, hoping for Liimatainen‘s return or an explanation for his absence. Unfortunately, it became evident that his priorities no longer matched those of the band, resulting in an agreeable separation.
Band said in a statement: “Many of you have been asking where Jani Liimatainen is and why there has been no update about his status in the band. The answer is weirdly simple: For a long time we didn’t know where he was and we could not reach him by any means.
“The reason why we did not address this situation publicly was that we hadn’t given up hope yet. Obviously, Jani has been a close friend and much-valued member of this band for years. We wanted to allow him to either solve the situation or at least provide a statement to his fans.
“Sadly it is now evident that Jani and the rest of INSOMNIUM have different priorities. We have hence agreed to go separate ways and INSOMNIUM will continue as a 4-piece unit from here on.
“This will not affect any of the forthcoming live shows: Ville Friman will be joining for the Finnish shows, Brandon Ellis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER) and Nick Cordle (OMNIUM GATHERUM) have agreed to fill in the second guitar during the forthcoming North American tour.
“We wish Jani all the best in the future and want to thank him for the past years spent with INSOMNIUM.”
INSOMNIUM‘s latest studio album, Anno 1696, was released in February 2023 via Century Media Records. Like their 2016 album Winter’s Gate, the album is based on a short story by vocalist/bassist Niilo Sevänen.
