Sweden melodic death metallers Arch Enemy and longtime guitarist Jeff Loomis have gone their separate ways. The decision is said to be cordial, and In his place will be (ex-The Absence, ex-Sanctuary).
Yesterday (Dec. 30), the band posted the following announcement to their official site (and on social media): “Arch Enemy and long running member Jeff Loomis have amicably parted ways.” From there, “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!
Arch Enemy’s website also includes the following statement from Loomis:
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 [White-Gluz, vocalist], Michael, Sharlee [D’Angelo, bassist] and Daniel [Erlandsson, drummer] 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, Concepcion proclaims [via Arch Enemy’s website]: “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!”
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So far, the band’s announcement has received mostly supportive responses from fans on social media.
For instance, one Instagram fan cheered: “Wow @jeffloomis1 was amazing,we know @joeyconcepcionguitar is very capable of playing the songs.” Likewise, a follower on X (formerly Twitter) confessed: “i dont know , im sad and happy , Jeff and Joey are both very nice people and great musicians . Good luck to both of them !” Finally, one Facebook user wrote: “Good luck to Jeff in future projects and welcome to Joey , cant wait to see what yall have in store for 2024!”
As Amott noted, Concepcion filled in for Loomis during a few European shows in August of 2018, so it seems like he was the logical choice to pick up the six-string mantle. In addition to joining The Absence and Sanctuary, Concepcion has worked with Dee Snider, Michael Vescera, Armageddon (which featured ex-Arch Enemy guitarist Christopher Amott) and Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed).
Earlier this year, he released his second solo LP – Divine Technical Machine – which followed 2017’s Alignment. Similarly, Arch Enemy’s latest studio album – Deceivers – arrived in August of 2022 and was included in Loudwire’s list of The 50 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2022.
So, how do you feel about Concepcion replacing Loomis? Let us know!
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