OMNIUM GATHERUM Announces New Guitarist

June 17, 2011

Finnish melodic death metallers OMNIUM GATHERUM have announced the addition of guitarist Joonas "Jope" Koto (MALPRACTICE, ex-TO/DIE/FOR, ex-HATEFRAME) to the group's ranks.

Commented the band: "OMNIUM GATHERUM is a twin-guitar squad again and what's even better is that now we have Jackson guitar tour de force on both sides of the stage!

"[Joonas] has been playing already a big bunch of gigs with OMNIUM GATHERUM as session live member as the previous guitarist Harri Pikka left the band over a year ago, and Jope was even filling up Harri in some gigs even before we separated ways.

"Jope has been [OMNIUM GATHERUM guitarist] Markus' [Vanhala] partner in crime in a progressive metal band MALPRACTICE for many years by now, so he was the first, the most natural and the only candidate for the job for us and gladly we got him on board! He has been playing and recording previously in TO/DIE/FOR and HATEFRAME too, so he is a hardcore professional dude."

Added Joonas in a statement: "After two years as a session guitarist, the guys finally asked me to join OMNIUM GATHERUM and I didn't hesitate one second! From the get-go I have felt like part of a family. The guys are very great as persons and professional as musicians. I'm very happy and proud to be a part of such a great band of brothers."

OMNIUM GATHERUM officially announced Joonas' addition to the band during their performance at last week's Sauna Open Air festival in Tampere, Finland.

OMNIUM GATHERUM will mark on a Finnish club tour in September and the "Neckbreakers Ball" European tour in October/November.

"New World Shadows", the fifth album from OMNIUM GATHERUM, entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 5. This marked the highest chart entry in the group's history, having previously landed at No. 24 with 2008's "The Redshift" and No. 31 with 2007's "Stuck Here On Snakes Way".

"New World Shadows" was released in Europe in February via Lifeforce Records and was made available in North America on March 1. The CD was recorded at Astia Studio 2 in Lappeenranta and OmG Studio in Karhula, Finland with Teemu Aalto, and was mixed and mastered at Unisound Studio in rebro, Sweden by Dan Swan (EDGE OF SANITY, HAIL OF BULLETS, NOVEMBERS DOOM). Swan also contributed clean vocals to two songs while Niilo Sevnen from INSOMNIUM added "a few guest growls."

"Soul Journeys", the Jussi Rautaniemi-directed video from OMNIUM GATHERUM, can be viewed below.

"Soul Journeys" video:

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