LACUNA COIL Parts Ways With Guitarist CRIS 'PIZZA' MIGLIORE And Drummer CRISTIANO 'CRIZ' MOZZATI

Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL have released the following statement:

"It is with a heavy heart that we share this news with you today: Our two brothers Cris 'Pizza' Migliore [guitar] and Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati [drums] have decided to retire from LACUNA COIL. Both Pizza and CriZ have had big changes impact their lives recently. We know how stressful and difficult it can be to balance both real life and the life of a professional touring musician, and we have nothing but total respect for their decisions to focus on their families and lives at home.

"We have such incredible memories of traveling and exploring the world together with Pizza and CriZ, and we want to wish them both all the best as they begin these exciting new chapters in their lives. We will never forget the important roles they played in this band, or the incredible times we shared together. THANK YOU, PIZZA AND CRIZ! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!"

Says Pizza: "After over 16 years spent with the LACUNA COIL family, I decided to move on and begin a new chapter in my life. This hasn't been an easy decision, as you can imagine, but I felt like I needed to change some things around.

"I'm glad and honored that I've had the chance to be able to embark on such an amazing adventure, with such wonderful people as 'travel companions!' I will never forget my time in LACUNA COIL and I wish my sister and brothers all the best for whatever the future may bring.

"I'm sure you understand! I would also really like to thank every single one of you for showing such amazing love and support for a small band from Milan, Italy, who would've never thought would become what it has during these incredible 16 years. Thank you all and enjoy this last record we did with me and CriZ as part of the lineup — it's some of the best music we've done and I'm sure you'll love it! Keep on rockin'!!"

CriZ states: "As many of you guys and gals know, during this last year lots of very important things happened in my life — something really amazing, and deep enough to make me sit in front of my laptop to write these bittersweet words...

"I'm leaving my 'second family' LACUNA COIL because I need this change in my life... this hasn't been an easy decision at all and I've come to it with pain in my heart, because together we laughed and cried; we fought and gave all our lives to this amazing band. Together we lived the dream for 16 wonderful, intense and unforgettable years. All you guys around the world gave me such positive and sincere vibes and emotions that will stay embedded in my heart for the rest of my life! I want to say thank you Coilers, friends, crew, partners, and people that listen to our music for being such an inspiration for me. To my brothers and sis I'd like to say the following: Never stop to kicking asses, you sure know how to!

"The new record is the best thing we've done together. I have put all my passion and feelings into it and I'm sure you'll love it. I'll never stop playing drums — as we all know, if you were born with rock inside your veins, you'll die with it... and this is what I will do. Take care and stay Coilers!"

LACUNA COIL will release its new studio album, "Broken Crown Halo", in North America on April 1 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded Italy by producer Jay Baumgardner (P.O.D., SEVENDUST, EVANESCENCE, PAPA ROACH) and engineer Kyle Hoffmann (P.O.D., BUSH, ZEBRAHEAD). The effort was mastered by Howie Weinberg, whose credits include RAMMSTEIN, SOUNDGARDEN, NIRVANA, DEFTONES and SHERYL CROW.

"Broken Crown Halo" is LACUNA COIL's seventh studio effort, and the highly-anticipated follow-up to "Dark Adrenaline", which was released in January 2012 and saw the band tour with acts including MEGADETH, MOTÖRHEAD, VOLBEAT and SEVENDUST after debuting at No. 15 on The Billboard 200 album chart.

"Broken Crown Halo" track listing:

01. Nothing Stands In Our Way
02. Zombies
03. Hostage To The Light
04. Victims
05. Die & Rise
06. I Forgive (But I Won't Forget Your Name)
07. Cybersleep
08. Infection
09. I Burn In You
10. In The End I Feel Alive
11. One Cold Day

The song "Nothing Stands In Our Way" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

LACUNA COIL will return to the road to introduce North America to "Broken Crown Halo" as part of the Revolver Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock Tour, which launches February 20 and features LACUNA COIL sharing a stage with SICK PUPPIES, Century Media Records labelmates EYES SET TO KILL and CILVER. The tour launches in Wilmington, North Carolina, and runs through March 20 in Anaheim, California. Visit www.hottestchickstour.com for additional details and VIP packages.

"Nothing Stands In Our Way" audio stream: