STONE SOUR has set "Hydrograd" as the title of its new album, It will be the band's sixth studio album and is scheduled for release on June 30, via Roadrunner Records, It follows the band's previous two covers EPs Meanwhile In Burbank... and Straight Outta Burbank.... Hydrograd will also be the band's first full length since the departure of guitarist Jim Root.
“Hydrograd” was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER. It will also be the first to feature Christian Martucci and Johnny Chow.
Speaking previously, frontman Corey Taylor said of the album: “We just destroyed it and it sounds incredible. Everyone is saying the same thing – not only are the songs good, but the energy is incredible because it has that live vibe.
“This is not beat-detected, auto-tuned or pitch-corrected. It’s so bad ass it’s not even funny."
“It is the best stuff that we’ve ever written. It’s got a lot of different directions, but at its core it’s very hard rock, almost in a modern/classic sense. There are some hints of punk in there. There’s some cool hard rock/heavy metal. There’s just all of these really cool elements that we’ve never maybe allowed ourselves to kind of go to.”
Bassist Johnny Chow described the disc as “a straight rock and roll album” in an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, adding, “It’s just very groove-oriented, very melodic (with) big choruses. We’ve got some mellower songs on there too, which are equally just as amazing and have a lot of groove to them.”
Chow called the record a “bit of a departure” from previous STONE SOUR albums.
The band tracked the album live in the studio, cutting a total of 18 songs from which 14 or 15 will make the CD.
STONE SOUR will play the Rock On The Range Kick-Off Party on Thursday, May 18 at Express Live! in Columbus, Ohio. The event will start the Rock On The Range weekend, with METALLICA, SOUNDGARDEN and KORN headlining this year’s festival.
STONE SOUR will also be special guests of KORN on the latter act’s “Serenity Of Summer” trek, which starts on June 16 in Salt Lake City and wraps on August 2 in Cleveland.