American metallers Dark Empire have recently welcomed a new member to the band: guitarist Christian Colabelli. He will replace Andrew Atwood, who split with the band just prior to the recording of last year's album, From Refuge To Ruin. You can watch a video of Matt Moliti and new guitarist Christian Colabelli going through some new material for 2013.

Christian had this to say about joining Dark Empire: "It's an honor to be an official member of Dark Empire. Since I've known Matt, we've had a mutual respect and admiration for each other's playing. When he initially asked me to fill in on guitar for live performances, I quickly recognized the chemistry, power, and potential of the lineup and was amazed at how natural it felt. I know Matt and I will challenge each other as guitarists and I expect huge accomplishments for Dark Empire in 2013."

Guitarist/vocalist Matt Moliti had this to say: "I'm really excited to have Christian a part of Dark Empire. His technical ability and songwriting skills are definitely going to take things to the next level, and fans can now expect a dual lead guitar attack reminiscent of bands like Racer X and Cacophony on the new material. Yes, we have already started writing some new riffs with the intention of releasing a free 5-track EP by the end of 2013. Stay tuned to the Dark Empire Facebook page as we will be periodically updating with videos of the writing, rehearsal and recording process!"

Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Dark Empire