Polish metallers Decapitated have issued the following update from guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka:

"It's time to come back! After a two-year break, Decapitated is coming back with new members. The official new line-up for Decapitated will be announced at the end of December.

As you all know, the decision to continue the band was really, really hard for me, but everything I do now is to keep Decapitated alive. [Vocalist]Covan's situation has not improved much and he is still in bed and unable to function on his own. He still fights to recover as we speak and we are all still 100% behind him and hope for the best. It has been the hardest thing for me to move on without [brother and drummer] Vitek by my side, but he would have wanted me to continue with the band.

Finally, I have found some great musicians who can continue the work of Vitek and Covan. At the beginning of April, Decapitated will start to play our first reunion shows. We will visit the biggest cities in Australia and play some of the biggest summer festivals in Europe. Don't worry, we won't forget about the UK! After this, the band will concentrate on the making of a new album! I would like to thank all the people who have supported us all this time."

Maurizio Iacono of the artist management firm Hard Impact Music adds: "I feel very privileged to have been given the management duties of guiding this great band's future. Decapitated was a band on the verge of greatness until tragedy hit them and the band's world stopped suddenly. Today, we have a man on a quest to bring the glory back that was taken from them prematurely. Vogg, the band's last remaining founding member, has had the gut-wrenching task of forming a new lineup for Decapitated. You can bet that the mission has been accomplished and in honor of the fallen, their legacies will be given the justice they deserve. Our job at Hard Impact is to make sure that Decapitated are guided the right way back to the top."

Gerardo Martínez, Nuclear Blast USA's Label Manager comments: "I don't think there's anyone happier to know that the legacy of Decapitated will continue and the fact that Vogg has overcome the biggest obstacle of his life. We all at Nuclear Blast are extremely excited about the news and know that 2010 and beyond will bring a new chapter for Decapitated in the shape of live shows and the imminent new album. The masters of modern technical death metal are back!"

Decapitated's Australian + New Zealand tour dates and Metalfest Open Air festival appearances are as follows:


2010 Australian + New Zealand Tour dates:

April 01 - The Transmission Room - Auckland, New Zealand
April 02 - The Esplanade Hotel - Melbourne, Australia
April 03 - The Gaelic Club - Sydney, Australia
April 04 - The Hi Fi Bar - Brisbane, Australia
April 05 - Fowlers Live - Adelaide, Australia
April 06 - Black Betty's - Perth, Australia


2010 European Festivals:

May 13 - Metalfest Open Air - Mining, Austria
May 14 - Metalfest Open Air - Pratteln, Switzerland
May 15 - Metalfest Open Air - Dessau, Germany
May 22 - Metalfest Open Air - Budapest, Hungary
May 23 - Metalfest Open Air - Pilsen, Czech Republic


A North American tour is on the horizon for the summer of 2010. More Decapitated tour dates to come.

Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Decapitated
Event:	Decapitated: Australian + New Zealand Tour