WE ARE THE FALLEN To Release Debut Album In May

WE ARE THE FALLEN — the new band featuring original EVANESCENCE members Ben Moody (guitar) and John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) along with "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson — will release its debut album on May 11 via Universal Republic Records. The group's first single, "Bury Me Alive", has just been made available exclusively via the digital domain.

WE ARE THE FALLEN will make its live debut on March 23 at at Kings College in London, England. A 28-city U.S. tour as the support act for H.I.M. will launch on March 26 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

WE ARE THE FALLEN was officially unveiled during a press conference on June 22, 2009 in Hollywood, California. The group also performed a two-song set consisting of "Bury Me Alive", and a rendition of EVANESCENCE's "Going Under".

"This all happened by accident," Smithson — who sang EVANESCENCE's "Bring Me to Life" during the 2008 "Idols Live" tour— told USA Today. She's friends with Moody's housemate, Monique Morrison. "I met him once or twice (at the house) before the band thing," said Smithson, who had been working on a solo project.

Smithson doesn't see herself as replacing EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee. "Amy let the boys go," she told USA Today. "We just started a new band, called THE FALLEN. It's got really nothing to do with EVANESCENCE." WE ARE THE FALLEN initially may perform a few EVANESCENCE songs live, she said, "but we're pretty much focused on new music. You have an amazing writing team here, and amazing musicians."

"Our voices are completely different," she said of Lee. "This music is, obviously, the players from EVANESCENCE, but Marty's bringing a different flavor from what he does. I'm bringing a different flavor from what I do, and Ben has completely explored many different genres over the last few years. It's not EVANESCENCE anymore. It's huge. It's big, big, big songs that I can wail my ass off on, because that's what I love to do."

In an interview with Billboard.com, Moody stated about his former band, "There's not really an EVANESCENCE now. It's [singer] Amy Lee playing as EVANESCENCE with a bunch of other guys hired to play our parts. And she's amazing — an incredible front person, a great songwriter, an incredible singer. There's no reason we can't both exist in the world. Musically, we're going in completely different directions; 'The Open Door' (EVANESCENCE's 2006 album) sounds nothing like WE ARE THE FALLEN."

The energetic creative engine behind the launch of EVANESCENCE, Moody and the other members of WE ARE THE FALLEN found a true partner in Smithson, who always envisioned a band environment as her dream move following "Idol". Moody, who left the platinum-plus breakthrough metal act in 2003, has since co-written major hits for Chris Daughtry and Kelly Clarkson, among others.

Carly Smithson was a sixth place finisher during Season 7 of the landmark television series "American Idol", duly recognized for having one of the hit shows most loyal fan bases. The fiery singer's "elimination" sent shockwaves through the "Idol" blogger nation, with a critic for Entertainment Weekly even calling her dismissal "an embarrassing lapse in judgment." Her acclaimed performances on the 2008 "Idols Live" tour confirmed her stature as a preeminent female rock powerhouse.