Evanescence returns this fall

Goth-rock outfit Evanescence will follow the Oct. 3 release of its new album, "The Open Door," with an October run on the North American club and theater circuit.

The group launches the trek in Toronto two days after "The Open Door" hits the shelves, and is scheduled to make stops in 17 cities by the time it wraps up on the West Coast in late October. The itinerary is shown below.

The band has set up the small-venue outing "with the aim of rewarding hardcore fans with intimate theater/ballroom dates before heading into larger venues for shows in 2007," according to a press release.

The upcoming tour will mark the debut of new bassist Tim McCord, former guitarist for Revolution Smile. McCord replaces recently departed bassist William Boyd, who quit the band earlier this summer.

"He said that he just can't go through with another huge tour right now, and wants to stay a little closer to his family instead," frontwoman Amy Lee said in a July post at EVBoard.com. "Tour[ing] is hard--you kind of have to sacrifice your life for it, so we can all understand. We love Will very much and wish him nothing but happiness in everything he does. We've been playing music together since I was in [junior] high. I miss him already!"

In addition to Lee and McCord, Evanescence's lineup features drummer Rocky Gray, and guitarists John LeCompt and Terry Balsamo. Formerly a member of the group Cold, Balsamo replaced Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody, who split abruptly during the band's 2003 tour behind "Fallen."

"The Open Door" is the follow-up to Evanescence's multi-platinum debut, "Fallen," which spawned the band's breakthrough hit, "Bring Me to Life," and Top 10 single "My Immortal." The 2003 disc earned the group Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance ("Bring Me to Life").

"Call Me When You're Sober" the first single from "The Open Door," is streaming at Evanescence's MySpace website. The song's lyrics reportedly stem from Lee's now-defunct relationship with Seether frontman Shaun Morgan--who, coincidentally, announced last month that he was heading into rehab.