Swedish power metal outfit Civil War have parted ways with vocalist Kelly Sundown Carpenter. While it appears to be an amicable split, Sundown decided to part ways. The singer joined the group in 2017, replacing original vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson, who left in 2016 and recorded one album with them, 2022’s Invaders. A new frontman has yet to be revealed.

The band issued the following statement:

“Kelly is parting ways with Civil War!
It’s a sad day, but not unexpected for us.
Kelly is a man that deserves to be out there and showing himself more than we’ve been able to do so far .
No matter how sad we are about him leaving, he has all our love and support for the future. 
He has been a great addition to Civil War and done a wonderful job on the Invaders album and our live-performances, but not least of all……. he is an even greater friend.
So we hope all of you fans out there give him the same love and support as we do!
//Myhr,Mullback,Petrus & Thobbe
Here are some words from the man himself!
Salutes to all of you Warriors out there. 
After some very serious thought and a heavy heart, I’ve decided to move on.
It’s been an immense pleasure to play and make music with my brothers in Civil War. I’m proud of the record we made together. 
I believe “Invaders” is a powerful album from start to finish. We put our hearts and souls into it, and I hope you’ll agree that it shows. 
We brought the thunder to the stage and forged some moments I’ll never forget. The guys in the band are some of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever worked with in my life. 
We will always be brothers, and I’ll miss them terribly. I want to thank the fans for embracing me and for their continued support of the band, nothing’s possible without you!
Carry On!
Much love,
Sundown”