Sebastian "Seb" Sippola, drummer of Swedish riff-lords GRAND MAGUS, has left the band in the run-up to the recordings of the band's new album, The Hunt. Job and family preclude him from getting on with his drummer-activity with Grand Magus. Above all he can't go on tour anymore because of temporary reasons. He leaves the band in close friendship and can't await to finally hear The Hunt.

The new man behind the drums is Ludwig “Ludde” Witt (SPIRITUAL BEGGARS, FIREBIRD, SHINING).

Sebasitan comments on the addition of Ludwig: "It took a load off my mind that Ludwig was chosen because he is a friend of mine. By the way, honestly and objectively: In my opinion Ludwig is the best replacement for me because he already knows

JB and Fox and he exactly knows which demands the drumming at Grand Magus will make on him. They will be a great team and I'm really looking forward to see them live - though I have no idea, how my reaction will be in this situation."

But Sebastian won't chuck the sticks away: he'll keep on playing drums as a "leisure activity".

Grand Magus guitarist and vocalist JB states: "When Sebastian told us that he wanted to concentrate on his family and thus leave the band, it was a tough blow. How to move forward? I knew only one possible drummer who had the combination

of old school rock drumming and metal chops like Sebastian and that's Ludwig Witt who I knew through my tenure in Spiritual Beggars. Me and Ludwig have stayed in touch after I left Beggars and I knew he was busy with other bands so I couldn't really hope that he would be available. But like it was destined to happen Ludwig agreed to do the album and join the band. It's weird, because just like it felt completely natural when Sebastian joined, it feels like Ludwig totally belongs in Magus! Ludwig is an awesome drummer and we are super excited to have him on board. We'll pound out the metal together

starting end of May. Prepare for The Hunt!"

Ludwig commented: “Hi everybody, I'm very happy to announce that I Ludwig Witt am the new drummer of Grand Magus. I've known JB for over ten years and I've been a fan of GM since day one so it's great to be on board. At the moment I'm learning all the classic GM songs and I get a huge buzz from playing along to songs like 'Kingslayer' and 'Like The Oar Strikes The Water' so I can't wait to get out and play the stuff live together with the new stuff from our new album the hunt. See you on the road.”

Nuclear Blast Records will release Grand Magus' new album, The Hunt, on May 25th.

The album artwork for The Hunt was done by Arik Roper (CATHEDRAL, HIGH ON FIRE, SLEEP), he also did the cover artwork for the Grand Magus album, Iron Will.

JB commented: "Arik Roper is a super-talented artist and we've had the pleasure of working with him before when he did the cover art for our album Iron Will. This time around with the overall feel and lyrical themes of our new album The Hunt, Arik was the perfect choice once again. We basicallly just gave him the title and he created one of the most haunting and suggestive images ever seen. He totally nailed what the album is all about. To say we are pleased is a gigantic understatement! This piece of art will stand the test of time and become classic."

Check out the artwork below:

Upon their signing to Nuclear Blast, JB commented: "Grand Magus have finally found their hailing port – we’ve wrapped up a deal with the mighty heavy metal label Nuclear Blast. By this, a new chapter will be opened, both in our band and in metal history. With The Hunt we will consequently keep on marching down the metallic path we’ve started to pursue over the course of the past years. Be prepared to be lined up in our sights from the end of May on, when The Hunt will strike! FUCK THE WORLD!“

Andy Siry (label manager of Nuclear Blast) added: "We’re delighted to welcome Grand Magus to the Nuclear Blast family. These guys class among the best today’s heavy metal scene has to offer, though Grand Magus are MUCH more than just that. Both live and on their albums, Grand Magus are terrific, plus they indicate a continuous development. This is why we’re happy to turn over a new leaf in the history of band and label.”

Updates to follow. More on Grand Magus here.