- - ’90s Metal Band Announces New Member Ahead of World Tour

Rana AlsoufiFebruary 3, 2026 at 2:45 AM

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Miikka Skaffari/Redferns

Finnish death metal band Omnium Gatherum's lead vocalist Jukka Pelkonen will be temporarily stepping away from the band ahead of their upcoming European tour following a heartbreaking lymphoma diagnosis.

The band announced on Monday that Henry Hämäläinen of Shade Empire and HALYSIS will be taking Pelkonen's place as he focuses on treatment. The European tour is set to start on Feb. 11 in Copenhagen and will continue as normal with the new vocalist in tow.

"While I’m truly saddened by Jukka having to step away from this tour, I’m extremely honored to be called upon in the band’s time of need," Hämäläinen said. "The trust shown by the whole band—and especially Jukka himself—means a lot to me."⁠

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Fans of Omnium Gatherum expressed their support for Pelkonen as he begins his journey of recovery, and for the band as they welcome Hämäläinen to the team and prepare for their upcoming performances.

"Get well soon Jukka. Best wishes and all the strength for a speedy recovery," wrote one fan on Instagram.

Omnium Gatherum was founded in 1996 in Karhula, Finland. Their debut album, Spirits and August Light, was released in 2003, which launched the band into newfound fame within the underground death metal scene. Pelkonen stepped in as lead vocalist in 2006, and following a successful UK tour in 2007, the band signed to Candlelight Records and released their album Stuck Here on Snakes Way, which is the first album to feature Pelkonen as lead singer.

With Hämäläinen — an experienced and talented metal band frontman — now in the lineup, Omnium Gatherum fans excited for the upcoming tour can rest assured that they will still get to enjoy the music they love while continuing to offer their well wishes to Pelkonen as he begins treatment for his lymphoma.

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The band will be kicking off their 2026 European tour next week, with the full list of dates below:

Feb. 11: Copenhagen, Denmark — Pumpehuset⁠Feb. 12: Hamburg, Germany — Gruenspan⁠Feb. 13: Leipzig, Germany — Hellraiser⁠Feb. 14: Berlin, Germany — Lido⁠Feb. 15: Krakow, Poland — Hype Park⁠Feb. 17: Budapest, Hungary — Barba Negra⁠Feb. 18: Prague, Czech Republic — Rock Cafe⁠Feb. 19: Vienna, Austria — Szene⁠Feb. 20: Munich, Germany — Backstage Halle⁠Feb. 21: Aarau, Switzerland — Kiff⁠Feb. 22: Stuttgart, Germany — Im Wizemann⁠Feb. 23: Lindau, Germany — Club Vaudeville⁠Feb. 25: Hannover, Germany — Musikzentrum⁠Feb. 26: Aschaffenburg, Germany — Colos-Saal⁠Feb. 27: Almelo, Netherlands — Metropool⁠Feb. 28: Oberhausen, Germany — Kulttempel⁠March 1: Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg — Rockhal⁠March 3: Colmar, France — Le Grillen⁠March 4: Paris, France — Petit Bain⁠March 5: Utrecht, Netherlands — TivoliVredenburg⁠March 6: Kortrijk, Belgium — DVG⁠March 7: London, England — The Dome⁠

Related: '80s Heavy Metal Band Set for First-Ever North America Tour After 45 Years

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”