THE KOVENANT featuring Stian “Nagash” Arnesen (vocals, bass), Steinar Sverd Johnsen (keyboards), Sarah Jezebel Deva (vocals), and Jan Axel “Hellhammer” Blomberg (drums), made their triumphant return in 2024. Following their recent performance at Hellfest 2025 in Clisson, France, frontman Nagash has checked in with the following update:
“To the outside world, everything might have looked like fun and games… energetic live shows, big smiles, and a strong sense of fellowship. However, behind the scenes, THE KOVENANT has been facing serious challenges that we could no longer ignore.
It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Astennu (guitarist Jamie Stinson) will no longer be part of the band. This was not an easy decision. Astennu has been a part of our musical journey, but for some time he has struggled with personal demons, and unfortunately, this began to impact not only our live performances but also the integrity of the band. Despite repeated efforts to address these issues privately and internally, his behavior became increasingly erratic… damaging to our working relationships and harmful to the morale of everyone involved, including the band, our crew, and management.
We did everything we could to support him. However, his repeated breaches of our agreements, including sobriety on tour, treating fellow bandmates and crew with respect, and honoring the band’s goals, left us with no other option. It has been a painful and exhausting process for all of us.
That said, we believe in honesty with our fans. Our priority is to continue creating and performing music with passion and professionalism. THE KOVENANT deserves to move forward on a strong and positive path.
With that in mind, we are proud to welcome Charles Hedger – also known as Ghul – the talented guitarist from MAYHEM, into THE KOVENANT. Charles is an experienced and highly respected musician who understands our vision and energy. We’re confident that he will fit seamlessly into the band and help shape this next chapter with integrity and artistry.
We recognize that some fans may be disappointed by this news. But given what has been going on behind-the-scenes, we believe this change is both necessary and ultimately beneficial. Our commitment to THE KOVENANT ’s future and the music we make remains unwavering.”
