"They say the biggest decisions in life are the hardest to make. This decision falls under that category. As a drummer I've always enjoyed the evolution of my path. The past twelve years with Soilwork have been incredible, a portion of my life I honor with pride. When I was approached to join Megadeth– a childhood dream come true and something I never anticipated- I was beyond excited to even consider the realm of possibility. But truth be told, I couldn't have rightfully made this step without the support and blessing of my Soilwork family. For that I owe a huge thank you to Bjorn, Sven, David, Sylvain and Markus."

On behalf of Soilwork, vocalist Bjorn "Speed" Strid states:

"I just want to take the time to wish Dirk good luck on this new venture and thank him for 12 great years together. Together we have created a beast of a band and have pushed the limits musically further than we ever could have imagined."

Bastian Thusgaard has recently been playing with Soilwork for their festival shows this Summer.