Carly Smithson joined former members of Evanescence

Carly Smithson, sixth-placer of American Idol season 7, has teamed up with the three former members of Evanescence to form a new rock group The Fallen.

“I kept getting told that ‘you don’t have the rock voice, you can’t do rock music’,” Smithson told Los Angeles Times, “But it’s everything I am. It’s everything I listen to. I’m not the regular girl next door.”

The Irish rocker Smithson will be the band’s lead singer. The Fallen will also include Ben Moody, Evanescence lead guitarist and co-songwriter, drummer Rocky Gray and guitarist John Lecompt. Marty O’Brian will be the band’s bassist, who was not in Evanescence.

Evanescence, the band founded by Moody and Amy Lee, sold 15 million copies worldwide of their album “Fallen”. However, the original lineup was slowly disbanded due to some disagreements.

Recently, Moody contacted his former bandmates and set out to find their “soul mate”.

“It was just clear to me that we had found our better half,” Moody told the Times. “This is bringing more energy than Evanescence could ever muster.”

The Fallen will formally announce the news on Monday, when they’ll release their first single, which will be available for download on their website www.wearethefallen.com.