Canadian folk metallers Blackguard have gone through some line-up changes. The band announced the departure of guitarist Kim Gosselin and welcomed Louis Jacques to the band as his replacement.

The band released this statement about it: "Unfortunately we must officially announce the departure of lead guitarist Kim Gosselin from Blackguard. For those of you who have seen us play during our last few tours this will not come as a shock seeing as Kim has been absent from the live lineup for quite some time."

"Kim has decided not to continue with the band, and we'd like to thank him for his invaluable contribution to this group over the years. As hard as it is seeing a brother go, this is truly the best thing for both parties as Kim's interest in touring and writing have been waning over the last year. We wanted to wait until we had found a suitable replacement before making any official announcement and we're very happy to finally be able to let everyone in on what's going on."

The new addition Louis Jacques said: "I'm very glad to joining the mighty Blackguard! Together we'll get to a new level. Expect more violence, originality and shred!"

Here is a video of Louis showing off his skills. The band is working on the follow-up to last year's Firefight record and expect an early 2013 release through Victory Records.

Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Blackguard