Earlier this month, Finland's gothic / melancholy metal outfit To/Die/For parted ways with their vocalist Jape Perätalo.
The remaining band members issued the following statement this past Tuesday, November 26th.
"Greetings from the To/Die/For camp!
As most of you already know, our dear friend and frontman Jape Perätalo decided to take a step back from the spotlight and retire from active duty in the group. We are of course sad and a bit awestruck since the band has always been his main outlet for his creativity, but everyone must follow their hearts and do what feels right at the moment.
We know that many old fans will not like the situation but it’s only life and life must go on. We have a good enough reason in our music to carry on, which is still great and fun to play. Jape gave his blessing to the rest of the band to keep T/D/F alive and that’s what we are planning to do. We are definitely not looking for a 'New Jape' to fill his shoes since his voice is so unique and recognizable. What we look for in our new frontman is a great voice, charisma, and a certain capability to do honor to the songs which some of the remaining members have already been playing for 25 years. We haven’t got a new singer in the band yet, but we are currently auditioning for Jape’s successor.
What the future will hold for this reincarnation of To/Die/For, we’ll have to wait and see. There’s already been a great demand for more live shows all over the world. It’s not always a bad thing when a band replaces their frontman or any other member for that matter. There’s been numerous occasions throughout time when such occurrence has brought the band to a whole new level.
We have had a conversation with Jape and he is still willing to continue collaboration with the band. His role will be mostly helping with the songwriting, especially vocal melodies which have always been his strong suit.
Thanks to our loyal fans. You’re the best!"
Jape's original statement, dated November 15th, reads:
"To/Die/For has been my whole life for many, many years. The band has broken up several times, but always with strong will and perseverance it has been kept alive. In April 2024, we did a tour in Mexico, and it felt good to notice that the fans had not forgotten us. However, during the entire tour, black clouds followed us because I was in pain for almost the entire tour. I forced myself to sing and perform even if it wasn't always worth it and it really took it’s toll after coming back to Finland. I had to cancel all the scheduled acoustic gigs that I do from time to time. I’ve never had the right technique for singing anyway and now it backfired in a serious way. The remaining original T/D/F members are willing to continue making music under the name of To/Die/For, and they have my blessing to do so. They are my friends. I'm still making songs by myself at home with no plans for the future, and IF I ever get my throat / singing in shape, then in that case I might return to a more active role in music. Until then, I'll heal my mental hangover alone by sailing and figuring out the winds of my life. Love to all."
(Photo courtesy of the official To/Die/For Facebook page)
