According to DIO's official website, longtime bassist Jimmy Bain has left the band. The posting read as follows: "Rumors, rumors, rumors. There's always truth in rumors. Dio bassist Jimmy Bain has officially left the band. No replacement has been named at the present time. Ronnie, guitarist Craig Goldy and drummer Simon Wright will be entering the studio at the end of March to record a new as yet untitled album. There will be a European tour starting in July 2004, following by a US tour in August." Dio commented, "Jimmy has chosen to follow his own career path, and we wish him well." Aside from Dio, Bain had been with the band since their Holy Diver debut in 1983. Their history goes back to 1976 and RAINBOW's sophomore effort, Rising, which was once voted the greatest heavy metal album of all time by Kerrang! readers in 1981.

Another bit of metal news from Hard News