In a rather surprising move intended to show respect for their late original frontman Phil Lynott, the members of Thin Lizzy have announced an end to regular touring -- as well as recording -- under the band name.

The group broke the news via its Facebook page, leading off with longtime member Scott Gorham saying, "Out of respect to Phil Lynott and the legacy he created, we have decided that we should not release a new album under the Thin Lizzy name. It was a very difficult decision as we put a lot of time and effort into re-building the Thin Lizzy brand over recent years."

Acknowledging the tough choice faced by a good many reconstituted rock acts, Gorham continued, "Releasing a new album was the only way to continue this success. We all know how much Phil meant to this band and the fans."

While revealing that "we have written 20 songs that we all feel very strongly do the band and Thin Lizzy name credit" and insisting that "we believe Phil would have been proud of them," Gorham said it came down to the fact that "we always knew a new record was a touchy subject with some people and as such really want the quality of these songs to be heard by everyone without any judgment or prejudice."

Concluded Gorham, "We will release this material soon and you will be hearing some great new music with the classic Thin Lizzy sound intact. We will announce future plans early in the New Year."

Added current lead singer Ricky Warwick, who joined the band in 2009, "Without a new album to gain new press and keep the momentum we have built up over the past two years, we are worried the Thin Lizzy brand and all it stands for will diminish to a point we would never want to see. Therefore our regular touring as Thin Lizzy will cease at the end of this year after our European tour."

Concluded Warwick, "I do want to stress that this does not necessarily mean we will never play together again as Thin Lizzy. If there are options for other parts of the world, in territories that this lineup has never visited, then we may still play odd shows in 2013 and beyond if people want to see us."

More From 92.9 WBUF