DAN DONEGAN Says FIGHT OR FLIGHT Does Not Mean End Of DISTURBED

DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren have launched a new project called FIGHT OR FLIGHT, with the band's debut album, "A Life By Design?", due out on July 23. The first single, "First Of The Last", will arrive at radio on May 21. In addition to Donegan and Wengren, the group features EVANS BLUE singer Dan Chandler, Sean Corcoran of RA on bass and Jeremy Jayson on guitar.

Donegan began writing songs on his own last year and approached Chandler about a possible collaboration. The two began emailing music to each other and getting together to write whenever Chandler was in Chicago, where Donegan lives, until they had enough material to record a full album.

In a brand new posting on the DISTURBED Facebook page, Donegan writes: "[I] just wanted to thank you all for taking the time to check out mine and Mike’s new side-project FIGHT OR FLIGHT! No, this does NOT mean the end of DISTURBED, as David [Draiman, DISTURBED singer] has also made that clear.

"We love you the fans that have given us this life and the outlet to express ourselves for many years now. This has just become another extension of us.

"I get it, I understand why some of you may be mad that we are all doing other things right now, but let me assure you that all of us are looking forward to the day we return as DISTURBED to show you how much you mean to us. But in the meantime, we are all focused and giving 110% to our individual projects.

"Whether you love it or hate it, we all pour our blood, sweat and tears into making music for us and the satisfaction we get from it. We hope you find a connection with it as well …

"Music has always been therapeutic for everyone. That’s why we do it. It makes me feel good and any worries go away. It brings me peace in my life and I cannot live without it.

"I look forward to hopefully seeing some familiar faces once we hit the road with FIGHT OR FLIGHT and then again with DISTURBED someday!"

Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that he liked the idea of playing with other musicians. "This whole career with DISTURBED, I've always been jamming with the same people, which has been amazing. But I want to feel that I can actually, you know, just continue to expand and explore, you know, different paths as we progress, hopefully, in the future, maybe if there is another album from us."

Donegan said in a statement about the FIGHT OR FLIGHT album, "This is more hard rock. It's got edgy moments, but there's more melody across the board. We had the chance to experiment as well. There are acoustic guitars and some electronics even. It's different all around."

Dan Chandler has been the vocalist for EVANS BLUE since 2009, when he replaced original singer Kevin Matisyn. The band's most recent offering was 2012's "Graveyard Of Empires".

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman released the self-titled debut album from his new project, DEVICE, earlier this month. The record entered the Billboard album chart No. 11. The act, which also features members of DOPE and EVANESCENCE, is on tour now.

Pictured below: DISTURBED's Mike Wengren and Dan Donegan with EVANS BLUE singer Dan Chandler