COLD have called it a day after the disappointing sales performance of the band's fourth album, "A Different Kind of Pain". Frontman Scooter Ward's official statement on the matter (as it appears on the band's message board) reads as follows:

"This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to write, but I've always been straight-up with y'all [the fans] and kept you informed.

"The week before our record was released, Jason Flom and Lee Trink (the two presidents of Lava and Atlantic) were fired. Those were the two people that we had faith would deliver this record like it should of been delivered.

"I'm not blaming Atlantic for what happened, because they did give us a chance to put these songs out and see what was to come. And a few people that tried to work it, COLD thanks them for their time and help.

"When you put a song out on the radio, it is what it is. It's a gamble on your life and your career and your hope. People just didn't react the way we had hoped they would.

"We appreciate all your hard work on trying to promote the record and we love all of you guys, but now I ask you to lay down your arms! The battle is over.

"Since we've gotten off tour in December, we haven't even talked to the label. Hell, I wouldn't even know who to call. But instead of having someone tell us that it's over, we choose to tell them instead. We bled on those tracks and the label just didn't see what they had. The industry today is too jaded and fake.

"Instead of being upset and bitter about this, we reflect on what we did do. We got to touch people's lives for the better part of a decade. We got to experience things we only dreamed about all our lives and for that we are grateful. God, I love you guys so much! And I'm more worried about y'all than I am myself.

"I know that some of you need our music like we do too. And I'll never quit writing songs for y'all. Sam [McCandless, drums] and I are going to start a new project. If God allows us to do this (which I have confidence that he will), you will hear songs again from us some day.

"We made it through a lot of hard times and a lot of bands dream of having a career that lasted as long as ours. We have never made a DVD, and that's the first thing I'm gonna work on. We have footage from the making of the first record until now.

"Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart for what you have given me and COLD. It's too hard to express in words how I feel about y'all, so I'm not even attempting that.

"I know a lot of people are gonna be mad and say that I gave up on them. But I didn't. This is just another bump in the road called life.

"Music has been the important thing to me since i was a lil' kid. I chose to make records instead of being with my family and my two lil' girls, so don't ever say that we gave up, please.

"Some might say we gave up becuase of the money. For some reason, people think we're rich rock stars who live in mansions and all that, but that is far away from the truth. We made enough to survive and we have no regrets.

"I hope that you understand our decision to bow out gracefully instead of being told that we can't do this anymore. I wanted to disappear and shut myself off from the world of music, but I can't do that. My world is music. All I have in my life now are these songs that we created and memories of our life as COLD.

"Thank you guys for being our family for the last 10 years. We love you all and please try to understand our decision."