Carl Sentence Out, Nazareth Gerak Cepat Announces New Vocalist

Nazareth (Instagram @nazarethband)

JAKARTA - Legendary Scottish hard rock band Nazareth has officially announced the departure of Carl Sentence, the vocalist who has been with the band since 2015.

As a quick step to maintain their existence on the global music stage, the band with the hit song "Love Hurts" immediately introduced Gianni Pontillo as the new throne holder in the vocal line.

The announcement of this formation change was made directly by bassist and founder of Nazareth, Pete Agnew, through the band's official social media.

"Carl Sentance and Nazareth have come to a point of parting, and he is no longer with the band," Agnew said, quoting the statement of the upload, Tuesday, December 23.

Despite having to lose Sentence, Agnew seemed optimistic about the presence of Pontillo, who was considered to have the vocal quality to bring a new breath to the band that had been standing since 1968.

Agnew believes fans will be blown away by the range of sound that Dan McCafferty's successor has.

"We want to introduce you to our new lead singer, Gianni Pontillo," said the bassist.

"Those who have seen and heard Gianni will know just how incredible a voice he had, and for those of you who have never heard him, you will be in for a wonderful surprise when you come and see us in 2026," he added.

Nazareth's move to recruit Pontillo is not without reason. His track record in the music industry is quite impressive, where he previously strengthened bands such as Pure Inc., The Order, and Souls Revival. In addition, he was also involved in the production of star-studded bands such as Rock Circus.

Since 2019, Pontillo has been listed as the frontman of the German hard rock unit, Victory, and had launched the Pontillo & The Vintage Crew project last year.

The change of vocalist occurred right after Nazareth completed the "Bending The Rules" tour series, which closed in Berlin, Germany, on December 17.

Big plans await this new formation, given that 2026 is predicted to be the busiest year in the band's long history.

"Next year will be one of the busiest years in Nazareth's history, so there's a great opportunity to see this new lineup, and we can't wait to introduce you to this incredible talent," Agnew concluded.