The Cranberries have confirmed that they're taking a two-year sabbatical to concentrate on solo projects.

"We've been together for 13 years," Dolores O'Riordan says from her second home in Toronto. "It's a much needed break. It was getting predictable and lacking in a challenge. Time to experiment."

The announcement is something of a surprise given that only two months ago Dolores told hotpress.com that all in the Cranberries camp was well and that they were already demoing material for their next album.

Mention was made, though, of her collaborating in the studio with Italian superstar Zucchero and German dancemeisters Jam & Spoon, and possibly getting involved in the rock opera version of Helen Of Troy that's being put together by AC/DC's Brian Johnson.

"She's also recorded a song for Mel Gibson's controversial new film about Christ, The Passion," reveals Cranberries spokesperson Lindsey Holmes. "Noel (Hogan), meanwhile, has been working on some demos of his own with the Indian sitarist Nishat Khan. There's no word on where and when they're going to come out yet, but I imagine you're looking at sometime in the New Year.

"Meanwhile, Dolores is staying on in Canada for longer than planned because her husband Don's step-mum hasn't been well."
Whilst acknowledging that it's the first time the Cranberries have officially taken time out, Holmes doesn't believe the break is permanent.

"They're still on good terms and in regular contact with each other, so I think fans can take the contents of the statement on face value," she maintains.

As part of their "temporary shutdown in activities", the Cranberries will no longer be represented by co-manager Lewis Kovac. Kovac will, however, continue to work with Fergal Lawlor and Noel and Mike Hogan who are planning an album together under a new name.