Sweden's GENERAL SURGERY has issued the following update:

"Once again, our resident alcoholic Scottish doctor has decided to take leave of the band. Due to 'administrative problems pertaining to morgue-related issues' (he's too busy getting intoxicated to be of any use) he has finally broken down and given up his active duties in the band.

The torch has been handed over to new pathological talent, Dr. Erik Sahlström (MAZE OF TORMENT, SERPENT OBSCENE). Rest assured he has been schooled well, and is already a nervous wreck from various initiation ceremonies to our wonderful world of gore."

Dr. Sahlström comments: "Greetings. It's an honor for me to get this promotion when Dr. McWilliams is stepping down. My working methods will of course be different than his, and this will undoubtedly change the proceedings of our future pathology work in some ways. I'm confident that I can rise to the challenge and make incisions even deeper. I'm eager to be a part of future decomposition and dismembering along with the great Dr. Carlsson, Dr. Mitroulis, Dr. Wallin and Dr. Eriksson. There is a lot of work ahead, and I can just smell the offensively malodorous corpses advancing".

The band adds: "Dr. McWilliams will continue to taint the band in the role of consultant. Nobody in the band seems to know what this means, but it most likely entails paying the Scotsman ludicrous amounts of money to help write lyrics, hold motivational speeches for the band and generally just be the usual psychotic waste of space he's always been, albeit minus the vocal duties in the band."

In his own words: "Dr. Sahlström will bring striking good looks to the band, in a swashbuckling pathologist kind of way. Plus he isn't a balding scottish git. Not to mention the fact that his methods will not only be different, but will also be considerably better and cause less consternation, grief and legal attention for the band."

The band continues: "Dr. Sahlström will be making his first appearance with the band at the Obscene Extreme Festival on Friday, July 6th, thus beginning a new era of audio insanity in the epic and drunken saga of General Surgery. To commemorate this historic event, we have planned a massive set-list (close to 20 songs) with both old songs and quite a few tasters off the new recording.

In the meantime, for further proof of Dr. Sahlström's vocal talents, we have uploaded a new song entitled Restrained Remains from the forthcoming split with Butcher ABC to our MySpace page. Head on over there and check out his first vocal contribution to the band.

Also, we've uploaded a second new song, Decedent Scarification Aesthetics, from the same session featuring the departed Dr. McWilliams, who is the featured lead vocalist on the split. We hope you will enjoy the new songs, and see you in the pit at the OEF."

(Photo: General Surgery 2007: Andreas Eriksson: bass, Johan Wallin: guitars, vocals, Joacim Carlsson: guitars, Adde Mitroulis: drums, vocals, Erik Sahlström: vocals)