COLD are on the verge of signing a new deal with Lava Records (KID ROCK, MATCHBOX TWENTY, SUGAR RAY), informed sources have told BLABBERMOUTH.NET. The band, who recently completed a run of U.S. dates with SEVENDUST, were previously signed to Geffen Records, with whom they parted ways in March. At the time, the group's frontman Scooter Ward blamed the split on "a disagreement on how to promote our band. They wouldn't do what we wanted, so we asked if they would let us go," he said.

Last month, COLD parted ways with guitarist Kelly Hayes and replaced him with Matt Laughran, formerly of the pre-COLD outfit GRUNDIG. Hayes, who is believed to have joined the Jacksonville, Florida-based "modern rock" band ALLELE, was the second guitarist to leave COLD in less than six months. Late last year, Terry Balsamo exited the group to hook up with EVANESCENCE. He has since been replaced by former DARWIN'S WAITING ROOM axeman Eddie Rendini.