Norwegian thrashers DEAD TROOPER are parting ways with guitarist/vocalist Birger Larsen.

Birger states: "After 10 wonderful years in Dead Trooper I have decided to leave the band. The reason for me leaving is that it takes a lot of time, and effort, to make Dead Trooper the band it is today, and the band it will be in the future. The band needs members that have the possibilities for doing that, and for the time being it is not me.

There is no bad blood between me and the rest of the band. It has been 10 years with so many good memories, Mexico, the European tour in 2005 with SUSPERIA and the Norwegian tour with fellow bastards PANTHEON I is standing out as highlights. My last two shows will be the Inferno Metal Festival Norway and Musikkflekken (Sandvika) April 13th. Let’s make both nights a night to remember.

I’m still playing in METAL MILITIA and GROTESQUE HYSTERECTOMY.

A big fucking thanks to the fans of Dead Trooper, and of course my brothers in crime Meister Müller and Jon-Eirik Bokn, good luck with the new album and all that follows. Love ya all!"

Dead Trooper recently released a live album with a bit of a difference. The eight track album, No Tan En Vivo En Mexico, with artwork by Danny Larsen, was released digitally March 9th, and is inspired by the band’s appearance at Mexico’s Wild Metal Fest last year which was rained off after only one and a half songs into the set. As a result the band decided to release a live studio recording of what would have been the entire show as a tribute to the fans who took Dead Trooper to their hearts after they performed an impromptu set at a local biker bar following the cancellation of the festival.

Frontman Meister Muller describes what happened: “To cut a long story short Dead Trooper went to Mexico last year to play their biggest outdoor concert to date at the Wild Metal Fest 2011. We hit the stage and what did we get? Rain. Insane amounts of it which drowned the stage and cut the power. So much rehearsing and anticipation for this gig and we only got to play 1.5 songs before Mother Nature pissed on us. We don’t need to tell you how passionate Mexican fans are about their metal and with the festival called off there ensued the usual riot, fire, fists and shit kickers. After quite a few depressing cervesas and tequilas we got word that a bunch of disgruntled fans thirsty for Norwegian metal were gathered at a local biker bar, together with a local band and back line, so we headed off to the Route 666 bar and shredded through some songs, including a bunch of covers, together with eminent guests! The bar exploded! We were welcomed as stars! Unbelievable! The intensity, heat and adrenaline of the packed club was only matched by the rain of bear hugs, kisses, praise and love from the crazy metal heads of Cancun when we eventually stumbled off stage. Before we were due to appear we had made this brilliant studio recording of our intended live set which really captured our live sound in the best way possible and which was only meant for us to dissect and analyze for the sake of perfecting the set. But we had to give something back to Mexico for treating us like metal royalty! “No Tan En Vivo En Mexico” is the set we intended to play at Wild Metal Fest, and here it is, raw, dirty, heavy, and passionate! This album is for you, Mexico! Te amamos, you bastards!!”

Dead Trooper, who describe their music as “groovy, aggressive thrash metal” are currently on the hunt for a label to release what will be their sophomore full-length album, which features guest appearances by some of Norway’s extreme metal elite. The band’s next live appearance will be at the Inferno Festival in Oslo on the 6th April. More information about Dead Trooper can be found at this location.

'Kiss Of The Kannibal', a track from No Tan En Vivo En Mexico” together with other tracks from Dead Trooper, can be heard in the SoundCloud player below:

DEAD TROOPER by DeadTrooper

Below you can hear Meister Muller explaining the decision to release No Tan En Vivo En Mexico, during a recent interview with DJ Malice for Canada’s Nuclear Holocaust Radio:

The video below shows Dead Trooper playing the track 'Inner Riot' from the 2010 EP, Sickening, live in Oslo: