ANDERS BJÖRLER AND PER MÖLLER JENSEN QUIT THE HAUNTED
It would appear that The Haunted are falling apart.
Just six months after vocalist Peter Dolving quit the band, guitarist Anders Björler and drummer Per Möller Jensen have now announced that they’re doing the same.
That means that only Anders’ brother, bassist Jonas Björler, and guitarist Patrik Jensen are left in the group. The duo have issued the following statement:
“It’s with deep regret we have to inform you of another two departures from The Haunted; guitarist Anders Björler and drummer Per Möller Jensen. No animosity whatsoever caused these events, nor are there any other feelings than that they will both be dearly missed. We wish them all the best in whatever, and wherever, their future endeavors will take them.
“For all you who have any knowledge about the band, and know how to count, you will realize that there are only two band members left; Jonas and myself. We are still committed to the The Haunted. However, in the light of these recent events, we honestly don’t know what will happen. We hope for your appreciation of our current situation, and for your patience.”
With all due respect to Jensen and the remaining Björler brother, it’s almost impossible for me to to imagine that this isn’t the end of The Haunted, at least for now; I’m not sure I can think of any other band where everyone but the bassist and rhythm guitarist (the two members of the band most likely to be asked to stand in the background during a photo shoot) split and yet the group managed to continue. And even if they did find three new members to round out the line-up… I’m not even sure I want to know what a Haunted album with Anders sounds like. And Per Möller Jensen has played on every one of the band’s albums besides their self-titled debut. So any new version of The Haunted would be a completely different band basically just taking advantage of fourteen years of branding.
Meanwhile, The Björler Brothers will continue to perform together in At the Gates, whose never-ending reunion currently has seven shows scheduled for between the end of this month and May of next year. And it seems worth noting that ATG vocalist Tomas Lindberg recently responded to an interviewer’s query regarding the possibility of a new studio album by saying “I’ve learnt never to say never.” Is it possible At the Gates becoming a 100% full-time band again is now on the horizon?
-AR
