People joining and leaving bands is one of the most common occurrences in metal but it has a different ring when the person leaving is a really long time member or an actual founding member of the band. That’s seems to be the case with Dark Tranquillity’s Martin Henriksson who just announced his departure from the band.

Henriksson revealed the news with the following message via the band’s Facebook page:

“I recently quit the band. I feel I have lost the passion for playing music, and Dark Tranquillity deserves to have members that are 100% committed to the art. Therefore I decided it’s in everyone’s best interest to step aside and leave the band with the best possible ability to grow and get even stronger. I’ve had 26 years filled with wonderful memories and we made a lot of great music together, and for that I’m forever grateful. Thanks to all the fans, crew and other people involved that supported Dark Tranquillity through the years!”

It must be really tough to quit something you’ve been a part of for a quarter of a century and readjust yourself to do something else but it’s understandable that if you don’t have that drive to keep pursuing a professional career as a musician, particularly a metal musician, it’s better to step down.

The band haven’t announced a replacement yet but we’re sure it will happen in no time as the band has many shows scheduled coming up this year, including their run through North America at the end of the year with support of Swallow The Sun, Starkill and Enforcer. You can find the dates for the trek below:

11/04 – New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre
11/05 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
11/06 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theater
11/09 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes
11/10 – Quebec, QC @ Le Cercle
11/11 – Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
11/12 – Toronto, OT @ The Opera House
11/13 – Westland, MI @ Token Lounge
11/14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
11/15 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom
11/15 – Columbus, OH @ Park Street Saloon
11/17 – Crest Hill, IL @ Bada Brew
11/18 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
11/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
11/20 – St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
11/21 – Merriam, KS @ Aftershock
11/22 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
11/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
11/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
11/26 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
11/28 – Reno, NV @ PB&J’s
11/30 – Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove
12/01 – San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
12/02 – Las Vegas, NV @ LVCS
12/03 – Tempe, AZ @ Club Red
12/05 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
12/06 – MacAllen, TX @ Cine El Rey
12/07 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar