Beast In Black add guitarist Markus Venehsalo as work continues on fourth album
Beast In Black have officially welcomed Finnish guitarist Markus Venehsalo into the band’s line-up, with the move coming while recording continues on their fourth studio album.
The band were already deep into sessions for the follow-up when the need emerged for a second guitarist to handle lead solos on the record. Venehsalo came into the frame after contacting the group directly and sending over videos of his own solo work, which caught the band’s attention for its mix of speed, precision, melody and expression.
According to the band, the guitarist’s playing fitted the direction of the album in progress, while his personality also clicked with the group. Venehsalo has been selected to perform the lead guitar solos on the forthcoming record, and has now been offered a permanent place in the line-up after a wider search that included candidates from Finland and abroad.
A new guitarist in the studio and on stage
Venehsalo will make his live debut with Beast In Black at a festival in Germany on 27 June, marking the first performance from the band’s new configuration.
Speaking about joining the group, Venehsalo said: “When I was 8 years old, my dad brought home a guitar he had bought from a work buddy. I plugged it into an amp, found the distortion channel, and said to my dad, ‘I’m going to be a rock ’n’ roll guitarist!’ Being now part of the Beast In Black lineup feels like an almost impossible dream come true for me, and I’m excited about what the future holds for us. Thank you for trusting me on guitar duties. I promise to do my absolute best!”
Fans can watch Venehsalo’s guitar footage here.
Daniel Freyberg steps away after recent live run
The band have also thanked Daniel Freyberg for stepping in on guitar during their recent live shows. Freyberg’s stint was always intended to be temporary, with the guitarist now returning his full-time focus to Crownshift, who are currently working on a new album.
Freyberg said: “I wanna thank Beast In Black and the fans for this amazing adventure together. We all knew this chapter would be temporary due to my long-term plans with Crownshift, but I’m really glad we got to make some great memories around the globe. Although our paths are now heading in different directions, the friendship remains strong.”
