Danish metallers MANTICORA have announced the addition of guitarist Stefan Johansson to the group's ranks. Says the band: "Stefan is not all new to the band, as he did tour with us nine years ago, on the European tour with ANGRA. He also joined us for festival shows in both USA and Romania at that time. "Stefan is a shredder in the vein of Jeff Loomis [NEVERMORE] and John Petrucci [DREAM THEATER], and he is an overall positive and genuine guy, who will bring some good spirit into the band." Adds MANTICORA guitarist Kristian Larsen: "I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Stefan some nine years ago, and we did have a great time. He knows his way around that fretboard, and he is at the same time quite tight and aggressive in his approach to the rhythm parts. This is a must for me, as we have a lot of parts in our music, which demand two tight rhythm guitarists." Says Stefan Johansson: "I don't have much to say other than thanks to the guys for giving me the chance to step into this awesome band. "MANTICORA is a legendary band, having released seven amazing albums and having toured so many times. "It was quite a ride, back in 2005 (debuting in front of 1200 screaming fans in Milano my first show EVER!), and I hope this ride will be even more fun. "I'm here to stay for good this time around." In other news, MANTICORA has parted ways with bassist Kasper Gram who "has chosen other musical paths." A replacement bassist has not yet been announced. MANTICORA is working on material for its eighth full-length album. The band previously released seven CDs over an 11-year period, completed six European and one U.S. tours and played a number of festivals in Europe and the U.S. Due to a lot of personal tragedy, the band went into a writing/touring hiatus following the release of 2010's "Safe" and has only been playing festival shows for the last couple of years. However, MANTICORA promises all of its fans that it will be back, re-energized a and stronger than ever and ready to deliver another 15 years of dark and powerful metal.
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