Hellevate, the speed / thrash metal band from Kansas City, Missouri have announced the arrival of new members to the band. To start, Ed "Shredward" Unfred (Wicken) is joining the band as the new drummer. Ed states: "I am very happy to have this opportunity before me and I am thrilled to be a part of Hellevate. There is much work that needs to be done and I am very eager to hit the stage.”

In bittersweet news, vocalist Andrew "Drew Blood" Lufkin has departed from the band. Due to personal affairs and changes in his life he was no longer able to commit at a level he felt he needed to. The band wishes him all the success in the world in his current endeavors. As a replacement, vocalist Erik “Jager” Schmutzler (Coitus, No Cause / No Cure) has agreed to join Hellevate as their new lead singer.

Erik states: “I’m excited to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. We’ve been jamming and writing together for a while now and it’s been fun for me – returning to my roots in metal. The guys in Hellevate bring a lot of talent and passion to the table, and it’s fun to combine that with my creativity and unique point of view. We share a love of traditional heavy metal and classic thrash and it’s been a blast combining our forces. I’m eager for the world to see what we have to offer and I can’t wait to share the new Hellevate with the fans and the entire metal community.”

Longtime guitarist Dan "Danowar" Whitmer says, "Hellevate has been revitalized, and we’re extremely excited to see what the future holds! We’ve been lucky enough to meet and work with such talented and driven guys as Ed and Erik, and can’t wait to see where the future takes us. Hellevate has always been the kind of band to expand and explore new opportunities artistically, and with the addition of these two most excellent individuals, we are more excited than ever to see what the future holds, and can’t wait to see what kind of creative potential we can collectively reach!"

The new lineup will debut at Swordmetal Fest VII in Savage, Minnesota on September 16th, and afterward will perform in Kansas City, Missouri on November 9th in their first hometown show in over a year, with more shows to be announced. The new lineup is also rehearsing and writing a new album.