Finnish dark metallers Before The Dawn have issued the following update:

"Before The Dawn as we know it now will see its end on June 25th at the Nummirock festival, and will regroup for one month and come back on stages stronger than ever at the Tuska Open Air after party on July 24th.

Formed in 1999, Before The Dawn has reached a crossroad after six full-lengths, numerous tours and gigs in over 20 countries and several label changes that led the band under the mighty wings of Nuclear Blast in the end of 2010.

The past few years have been difficult for the band in many ways, and in the end there was only two ways to go: bury the band or continue through big changes in lineup and eventually in the music, too.

With mutual decision in the band Lars Eikind (bass/clean vocals) and Atte Palokangas (drums) will no longer be members of Before The Dawn after the gig at Nummirock festival. Decision with Lars was mainly personal and with Atte purely musical. The new style will bring the band closer to melodic death metal and the gothic influences will be part of the band's history.

Before The Dawn leader and the sole songwriter Tuomas Saukkonen and the lead guitarist Juho Räihä have been the key members of the band's sound since the Deadlight album, with Tuomas delivering the music and production and Juho working behind the mixing desk in the studio with recordings and also mixing the two latest releases (Decade Of Darkness and Deathstar Rising). Their teamwork will be a guarantee of a top quality in music and production in the future also when the band returns to the studio in winter 2011. Before The Dawn will also return the stages of Europe in winter 2011 and before that the new lineup will release a digital single and music video, 'Phoenix Rising', from the forthcoming seventh album.

In the words of the band leader Tuomas Saukkonen: 'Current changes were difficult and unfortunate but still inevitable and necessary so that the band could continue and release seventh album as stronger than ever.'"