AMON AMARTH bassist Ted Lundström says he and his bandmates "don't have time for drama" involving their former drummer Fredrik Andersson. Andersson was fired from AMON AMARTH in March 2015, just as the band was preparing to enter the studio to begin work on its "Jomsviking" album. AMON AMARTH opted to enlist a session drummer, Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY, CUT UP), during the recording sessions for the disc, but hired Jocke Wallgren to join them on the road. Wallgren was named a permanent member of AMON AMARTH in September 2016. Asked for opinion on the war of words that ensued between Andersson and AMON AMARTH singer Johan Hegg over the circumstances behind the drummer's exit, Lundström told Spain's GoetiaMedia.com (hear audio below): "Things like that, of course, it gets infected when you have two different views, two different opinions. And it was okay when we separated, and then there was nothing for maybe two years, and then this kind of little war started. For us, now it's more than four years ago, maybe, since he left. We continue. We don't have time for drama going on." Earlier this year, Andersson called out Hegg for allegedly spreading "lies" about him in interviews and slammed his former bandmates for not giving him his "full share" when he was forced out of the group. Asked to explain his bitterness over his split with AMON AMARTH, Fredrik told Australia's Wall Of Sound: "[Johan] did in Sweden Rock Magazine last year where he stated some lies about me and also basically said that I should be thankful that I was being paid as much as the other members when I was part of the band. Even though this was the deal we had, that everyone should get equal shares, but when I was fired, they backed away from that deal and said I shouldn't get my full share and I should be thankful what they had 'given' me throughout the years. As if the money I got was not for the work I put in. Also implying that my work was worth nothing, which is another backstabbing comment about me. They've sure made a few about me since I was fired. And my bitterness comes from that, not from not being in the band anymore." He continued: "Getting kicked out from the band is the best that has happened to me even if I didn't think so at first. As a member, it was years of struggles for me — years where I felt I was never treated as an equal member. When I pointed it out, they only ridiculed me and said I was being silly. The irony is that now I'm proven right, they do not consider me an equal member, only now they say I never should've been either. That's what I'm bitter about." In a 2016 interview with Brazil's "Wikimetal" podcast, AMON AMARTH guitarist Olavi Mikkonen stated about the band's split with Andersson: "I don't really wanna go into details regarding Fredrik, but, basically, we just separated. It's kind of like a marriage that doesn't work, and you get divorced. And that's kind of what happened to our band." AMON AMARTH is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Berserker", which was released in May via Metal Blade Records.
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