COLD GUITARIST JOINS EVANESCENCE FULL-TIME; COLD SPLITS UP?

EVANESCENCE have brought in Terry Balsamo as a permanent fixture to the band, to replace Ben Moody, who left in the middle of a European tour last year.

Singer Amy Lee told Undercover News that bringing Balsamo into Evanescence means that his former band, COLD, is history. "They could hire another guitar player and continue, but I'm pretty sure that their lead singer is in and out of rehab and having real problems," says Lee. "He has been for a long time and I don't think they're going to be making another record. Terry was in a situation also where their band was very unhappy, so I think we came together on a common ground".

Intially, Balsamo was brought in to temporarily patch a hole left by Moody, but he clicked so well with Lee and the rest of the band, that he was made permanent. Lee says the situation is "better than I ever expected, because I knew him"... "but I didn't know him so well that it was like we were best friends. I knew I could count on him and it's been such a relief. It's like one thing in a million other things that has happened so naturally. Terry's an insane guitar player with awesome stage presence. He has a good personality and he's down to Earth and on top of all that stuff he's a great writer and he's done a lot of great writing. I didn't really realize when we first brought him into the band, so all around Terry is one of the best decisions we've made".

Lee is still unsure as to whether hiring Balsamo full-time has caused any friction with the other members of the Cold camp. "I haven't talked to them" she says. "We all went on tour together in the States, which is funny, that's how we met. Scooter, the lead singer was really hurting, it was not good, but the rest of the guys in the band are really awesome. I love Jeremy and Kelly's really cool and I was friends with both of those guys. I didn't know the drummer very well, but I don't think there is any sore feelings, I think they were all pretty sick of the situation in their band".

(I don't necessarily think mentioning that another band's singer is in and out of rehab...when that band isn't really saying anything about it... is too cool. But that's just me. Maybe I'm an asshole)