Cold's Terry Balsamo hooked up with Evanescence for their performance at the American Music Awards in November after the departure of founding member Ben Moody. He stayed onboard for a few months of touring but was never considered a permanent member. Until now.

Evanescence singer Amy Lee announced Balsamo's promotion to Australian Web site Undercover Media (www.undercover.com.au) on Friday, before the band performed its final show of a Down Under tour.

A Wind-Up Records spokesperson, however, said the label has had no discussions with the band about Balsamo becoming a permanent member.

Since leaving Evanescence in October, Moody has surfaced as one of the co-songwriters for Avril Lavigne's next album (see [article id="1484319"]"So Where's Evanescence's Been Moody? Ask Avril Lavigne"[/article]). He is also working with goth-metal band Godhead, who toured with Evanescence late last year.

Lee indicated that Balsamo's departure from Cold is likely to spell the end of the Jacksonville, Florida, quintet, which has released three albums since Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst helped the band get a label deal in 1998.

"They could hire another guitar player and continue, but ... I don't think they're going to be making another record," she told Undercover Media.

A spokesperson for Cold said the band is not breaking up. Cold's latest LP, Year of the Spider, was released in April.

Evanescence will begin a 13-day stint in Japan before embarking on another tour of North America that kicks off February 11 in Los Angeles (see [article id="1484047"]"Evanescence Map Out Three-Continent Tour"[/article]). Five dates have been added to the trek since it was first announced.

Additional Evanescence tour dates, according to Wind-Up Records: