Punk mainstays The Misfits have cancelled the remainder of their U.S. tour, citing an "excessive work load," and the band notes that rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated.

The band has pulled the plug on six upcoming shows (including a homecoming show in New York this week and an appearance at the March Metal Meltdown), leading to rumors and speculation that The Misfits were no more.

"It's not over yet," Misfits bassist and leader Jerry Only said of the situation. "We're gonna work all this out and come back better than ever."

The band nixed shows slated for New York's Roseland Ballroom this Thursday, Buffalo's Showplace on Friday, Hartford, Connecticut's Webster Theatre on Saturday, Albany's Northern Lights on Sunday, Huntington, West Virginia's Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse on February 25, and the March Metal Meltdown on March 11.

Spokespeople for the band say that a full slate of activities (including appearances on World Championship Wrestling, the

launch of a line of Misfits action figures, and touring) began taking its toll on the band, and that the pressure of an "excessive work load" led to the cancellations.

The band's work with WCW brought even more pressure to situation, as some members of the Misfits wanted to sever the band's relationship with the company, while others wanted to continue. The band has not appeared at a WCW event in several weeks, and The Misfits' official Web site (Misfits.com) notes that the band currently has no connection with WCW.

The abrupt end of the tour has launched numerous unfounded theories and rumors, including tales of the band calling it quits, the group kicking out Jerry, and Jerry being tossed from WCW after failing a drug test. For the record, the band denies all of these theories, and once again vows that The Misfits will soldier on.

The band had taken on its many taxing duties in support of last year's "Famous Monsters" album.

Before the tour cancellation, the band's schedule appeared to be paying dividends, as The Misfits action figures were named action figure of the year in the 8-inch class at this week's American International Toy Fair in New York. The band was also hitting millions of eyes each week during its WCW appearances, and so far has managed to turn the exposure into sales of close to 50,000 copies for "Famous Monsters" (exceeding the group's last effort, 1997's "American Psycho").