Swedish/American extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY kicked off their summer 2026 European tour on Friday, July 17, at the Area 53 festival in Leoben, Austria — the band's first European concert with new singer Lauren Hart (ex-ONCE HUMAN), who stepped in for Alissa White-Gluz late last year.
Drummer Daniel Erlandsson addressed the fan reaction to Hart's arrival in a recent interview with Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda, calling the response "overwhelming." He drew a comparison to one of the band's most iconic former vocalists: "It seems like the fans, they see something in Lauren that they really like, and it kind of connects a little bit to [former ARCH ENEMY singer] Angela [Gossow]... And now we're playing the first few shows [with Lauren] as well, and you can tell that the vibe inside of the room or the atmosphere inside of the room is electric."
Erlandsson described White-Gluz's exit as a natural conclusion to a long-running partnership rather than a rupture, noting she has since started her own band following a run of solo work. "We had a long, lasting relationship together, and I guess you could say that it came to an end naturally," he said, adding that fans shouldn't feel forced to choose sides: "You can still be a fan of ARCH ENEMY and Alissa, if that's the case."
On Hart specifically, Erlandsson said the singer named ARCH ENEMY's 2001 album "Wages Of Sin" as the record that made her want to become a vocalist in the first place, and that her prior band, ONCE HUMAN, had gone largely inactive by the time she joined. "She's doing these shows with us, and you kind of get to see the whole experience through her eyes... Everything is a little bit new and fresh, and it brings a certain freshness and positivity to the band as well."
With Hart now behind the mic, ARCH ENEMY's current lineup includes guitarists Michael Amott and Joey Concepcion, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo and Erlandsson on drums. The band is already looking toward new material, with Erlandsson saying the group hopes to work on its next album as soon as next year, while prioritizing touring behind Hart's arrival in the meantime.