The news is official: the new drummer of ATROCITY and LEAVES' EYES is Nick Barker, who was the former drummer of CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR and TESTAMENT.

Says Atrocity/Leaves' Eyes vocalist/producer Alex Krul, "It's with great pleasure that we can announce Nick Barker is joining the Atrocity and Leaves' Eyes family! We always were great fans of his way of drumming, and we are happy that we will kick some ass in the future together! Nick was our No.1 choice! When we heard he would join us, we invited him right away!"

Here's a first statement from Nick Barker about joining the two bands:

Q: Nick, how long do you know Alex and the guys of Atrocity and Leaves' Eyes?

A: "I've known Atrocity for many years, I think the first time we met was on the Deicide/Atrocity tour in 1992 when I was the drum tech for support band Cancer, and since that time we've always ran into each other on the European summer festival circuit during the years that followed. Whenever I would play in the Stuttgart area with any of my previous bands, some of the guys would always be there and show their support."

Q: How did it come about that you joined the two bands now?

A: "Alex (Krull) approached me at the Metal Hammer award ceremony in London last June (2007) and said that he was looking for a drummer that could handle the complexity and savagery of Atrocity as well as the softer, more groove-laden beauty of Leaves' Eyes, and he thought I could be the right man to do both jobs. I had some prior commitments and obligations to fulfil at that time, but we spoke over the Christmas period and arranged for me to come to Stuttgart and audition; everything was fantastic both musically and from a social and personal aspect."

Q: How do you like the music of both bands? They are quite different from each other.

A: "I absolutely love the diversity of both bands. With Atrocity, you have such brutal songs from the Atlantis album such as 'Reich Of Phenomena,' 'Apocaplyse' and 'Clash Of Titans,' which I can't wait to play live and sink my teeth into. Then, on the other hand, you have Leaves' Eyes, which for me is something very new and very exciting as a drummer coming from a mainly black/death metal background. Liv has the most beautiful voice in the whole world within this genre, and the music is very moving, beautifully crafted and almost spiritual."

Q: You just jammed the first time with the guys at Mastersound Studio. How was it? What are your impressions?

A: "When I first arrived at Mastersound Studios, my first impression was 'WOW!!!' I had no idea of the sheer scale of dedication, time, money and professionalism that had been invested into the studio itself. Over the years, I have been in many first-class recording studios myself, but I have to say, Mastersound is a cut above the rest.The whole band were extremely friendly and there was an overwhelming sense of 'family' among them all, which made me feel very relaxed and at ease almost immediately. We jammed some classic songs by Metallica, Slayer and Morbid Angel to warm up before concentrating on the more serious matters of Leaves' Eyes and Atrocity, and like I said earlier, everything was fantastic, both musically and socially."

Q: What are you going to do next with the two bands?

A: "Next up is a video shoot with Atrocity in Berlin next month for the Werk 80 II album, and then in March, Leaves' Eyes will play in Mexico City. April we will be working our asses off writing songs for the new Leaves' Eyes record in the brand new, relocated Mastersound studios. In May, Leaves' Eyes and Atrocity will tour Asia (China, Taiwan, etc) for the first time ever. Upon our return from the Orient, we will continue to work hard on the new record, which is planned for an Autumn 2008 release."