Arch Enemy vocalist Johan Liiva has officially put an end to speculation about his return to the band. On Tuesday, the 25th, the musician denied that he will reassume the position left vacant by the sudden departure of longtime singer Alissa White-Gluz .
Liiva, who recorded the group's first three seminal albums — Black Earth (1996), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999) — addressed the future directly on his social media. Responding to a fan who asked if he would "return" to Arch Enemy now that Alissa has left, Johan was categorical.
“No, I’m not going,” the singer replied. “I’m as surprised as all of you. I think Alissa was perfect for AE [Arch Enemy]. The mystery continues…”
Although he rules out a definitive return for now, Liiva has maintained ties with the band members in recent years. In 2016, he joined current members Michael Amott (guitar), Daniel Erlandsson (drums), and Sharlee D'Angelo (bass), along with former guitarist Christopher Amott , in the Black Earth . The group toured Japan playing exclusively material from Arch Enemy's first three albums.
Furthermore, Liiva had already made a special appearance with the band at the Loud Park festival in Japan in 2015. Despite this historical proximity, today's statement makes it clear that Arch Enemy will follow a different path to fill the vacancy left by Alissa White-Gluz.
Alissa White-Gluz's departure
The Swedish band announced White-Gluz's departure last Sunday, the 23rd, without providing specific reasons for the split. In contrast, Alissa confirmed the separation on her own Facebook page and acted quickly: she released "The Room Where She Died," the first single from her highly anticipated debut solo album.
Alissa White-Gluz joined Arch Enemy in 2014, replacing Angela Gossow , who left the stage to focus on managing the band. During her 11-year career, Alissa recorded four studio albums, including the recently released Blood Dynasty (2025).