EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland has announced the “sudden” and “tragic” death of his 28-year-old son Simon.

Ian wrote in a post on his Facebook page: “It’s impossible for me to understand and to grasp the cold fact that I’ll never again see [Simon‘s] glowing warm eyes, never hear his cheerful chuckles, like when I told him one of my bad jokes that only him and me were deranged enough to find amusing. But hardest of all is to realize that I will never again hear him say, ‘I love you, dad!’

“Right now I feel like I’m drifting in a boat on an endless cold black ocean, just holding on not to get draged down into the deep. Still, I feel lucky to have friends and family to share my grief with. But, most of all, I’m truly blessed to have my wonderful wife Marie Haugland that understand me and lifts me up through this emotional roller coaster. She is the lighthouse that I’m navigering by on this vast sea of sadness… and also Simon‘s words that echo from far beyond the horizon: ‘It will all be okay, because you know I’ll always love you, dad!’

“Until we meet again, rest in peace, Simon, my son.”

EUROPE‘s latest album, “Walk The Earth”, was released on October 20 via the band’s own Hell & Back label through Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to 2015’s “War Of Kings” was laid down at London, England’s legendary Abbey Road studios and was produced by Dave Cobb, who also helmed the band’s last disc.

Dear Friends…
It’s with the deepest sadness i tell you this…
My beloved son Simon has very suddenly and very…

Posted by Ian Haugland – the official page on Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net