Amon Amarth frontman Johan Hegg says drummer Jocke Wallgren is on course to become a permanent member of the band.
He was revealed as touring replacement for Fredrik Andersson earlier this year, after Tobias Gustafsson was hired to record with for 10th album Jomsviking.
Hegg tells EMP Rock Invasion: “To be fair to anyone, you need to give them a real chance to grow into it – it’s a rough lifestyle and it can be very aggravating.
“You have to make sure that you feel you get along really well, and it’s the right guy. I have a good feeling about Jocke.”
He adds of Gustafsson: “We asked him to help us write and record the album, because we didn’t want go out and find a complete replacement, start working and then realise halfway through, ‘This is not working out.’
“Tobias is an old friend and a great drummer. He contributed a lot to the end result of the album. It would not have turned out as great as it did without him.”
Jomsviking was released last month. Amon Amarth remain on the road until July.
AMON AMARTH 2016 TOUR DATES
Apr 20: Charlotte The Fillmore, NC
Apr 21: Silver Spring The Fillmore, MD
Apr 22: New York PlayStation theatre, NY
Apr 23: Boston House Of Blues, MA
Apr 25: Rochester Water Street Music Hall, NY
Apr 26: South Burlington Higher Ground, VT
Apr 28: Quebec Imperial, QC
Apr 29: Montreal Metropolis, QC
Apr 30: Toronto The Danforth, ON
May 01: Cleveland House Of Blues, OH
May 02: Detroit St Andrews, MI
May 04: St louis The Pageant, MO
May 05: Chicago The Riviera Theatre, IL
May 06: Lawrence The Granada Theater, KS
May 07: Denver The Ogden Theater, CO
May 09: Omaha Sokol Auditorium, NE
May 10: Minneapolis Varsity Theater, MN
May 12: Winnipeg The Garrick, MB
May 13: Saskatoon O’Brian’s Event Centre, SK
May 14: Calgary MacEwan Ballroom, AB
May 16: Vancouver The Commodore, BC
May 17: Seattle Showbox Market, WA
May 18: Portland Roseland Theater, OR
May 20: San Francisco The Warfield, CA
May 21: Los Angeles The Wiltern Theater, CA
Jun 03: Nuremberg Rock Im Park, Germany
Jun 05: Nymegen Goffertpark, Netherlands
Jun 09: Nickelsdorf Nova Rock, Austria
Jun 10: Interlaken Greenfield Festival, Switzerland
Jun 11: Paris Download festival, France
Jun 12: Donington Download Festival, UK
Jun 17: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium
Jun 18: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jun 23: Copenhagen Copenhell, Denmark
Jun 25: Halden Tons Of Rock, Norway
Jul 01: Norrkoping Bravalla Festival, Sweden
Jul 02: Leipzig With Full Force, Germany
Jul 15: Pecs Rockmaraton, Hungary