EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee has posted the following message on the EVANESCENCE message board EVBoard.com:
“I know everyone is dying to hear whats going on, and it’s been a little while since I’ve posted.
“There’s some stuff I really shouldn’t talk about right now, but I want you to know that the record is coming out beautifully. Through all of the scary and insane drama over the last six months, there has also been a lot of good — I feel like a new person.
“As most of you already know, Terry [Balsamo, EVANESCENCE/ex-COLD guitarist] had a stroke in November. A small chunk of this recording process was spent in the neurology unit at ULCA. Every time he would wake up, all he could talk about was getting out of the hospital and playing guitar. He actually had us bring his polka-dot Randy Rhoads guitar to the hospital. It’s funny — after being stuck on lyrics for a month on one song, I remember finally writing them at the foot of Terry’s bed in intensive care. It’s wild how life inspires you — again reminding me that we have no control over anything.
“It’s been two months, and Terry has made miraculous progress. He is in the studio with us right now, and everything is going ahead as planned. We are certain that he will make a full recovery — he’s too stubborn to settle for anything less. Meanwhile, we were (and are) going through firing our manager, and as you can see (all over the freaking Internet), that hasn’t been very easy for us either. BUT it always hurts to break through to the other side — to make the changes you have to make to help yourself, and I already feel so good. Weird. I feel better than I have in years. I love my album, I love my band, and I’m grateful for our lives. This album is meaning more and more to me as we finish it. Most of it was written when we came into the studio, but much more has poured out through all of this, making it that much better — that much more passionate.
“We will be finished with mixing and everything by March First. THAT MEANS it will be early fall when the album is actually on the shelf. We’re thinking August.
“I hope you can understand the delay, and I promise the music will be worth it. I just can’t wait to share it with everyone.
“Thank you all for being so patient and supportive. We love you!”
Lee sued her former manager, Dennis Rider of Rider Management, in early December for breach of fiduciary duty, professional negligence, conversion, sexual assault and battery, and other claims. Rider had previously filed a lawsuit against Lee over alleged unpaid commissions. Under the agreement, Rider Management was entitled to 20 percent of gross earnings. He is asking for a minimum of $10 million.
EVANESCENCE’s major-label debut, “Fallen”, has sold 6.4 million copies in the United States.
Lee also expects the next Evanescence album to be out by the fall.