In an era of home recordings, in-the-box production, and laptop speakers, sometimes your ears simply long to experience something unhindered – something unleashed – something massive. After a fifteen year pause, Atlanta’s Dropsonic have returned to answer that call – and they have not lost a step. The trio’s forthcoming, self-titled record is every bit as slick and immense as anything from their illustrious catalogue and builds upon their established DNA of mega riffs, scorching guitar solos, and three-piece tightness. Co-produced by current Alice in Chains vocalist, William DuVall, Dropsonic is both a steady upholding of the band’s legacy and a bonafide statement about the swagger and grandiosity that lies ahead.

Beginning in the late 90’s, Dropsonic began a prolific onslaught of records and live performances totaling six albums and nearly one thousand shows. Once the initial breakneck phase of the band ran its course, Dan Dixon (vocals / guitars) began to explore other projects and delved deep into the world of production. “After disbanding in 2011, I released albums and performed as PLS PLS and began producing records for other artists full time,” says Dixon, “But after COVID hit, I decided to remix, remaster, and re-release three of the old Dropsonic records as well as a collection of rarities and unreleased songs.” And with that, a new sense of momentum for Dropsonic began to build. Once the re-releases came out, the band booked a reunion show, added a new drummer (Chandler Rentz) and decided to start working on a new record. “Sonically, I wanted to make something with both fidelity and personality,” says Dixon. “Things that are flawed have character, so retaining that was really important to me. At the same time, I also wanted it to sound as hi-fi as possible.” Bassist Dave Chase adds, “[the approach was to] stay raw at the core, but also with higher fidelity and more depth for the tracks that would benefit the most.”

Lyrically and tonally, the new record explores similar gloomy territory as others in the discography, traversing larger thematic questions surrounding desperation, drugs, love, narcissism, and money – “Everybody has something they are beholden to,” says Dixon. Born out of the pandemic, the project began remote and minimal, but evolved and grew as Dixon and Chase built from initial demos and arrangements; however, certain particular and early one-take solos or scratch vocals ended up making the record. “The goal is to be able to keep any super inspired moments that may happen at any stage throughout the process,” says Dixon. “I’m definitely a much better engineer and mixer than I was the last time Dropsonic made an album, fifteen years ago. The only way we used to make records was by spending months writing together then going to a studio and recording live together— that’s one way to do it, but there’s a lot more ways to approach recording now and I’m a lot more open to different ways of working than I used to be.”

Along the way, Dixon called on friend and former tourmate of twenty years ago to collaborate on the production side of the project, William DuVall (Alice in Chains). “We’ve been friends a long time and I trust his ears and opinions,” says Dixon. “So, when we started making the new album, I wanted an outside opinion from someone who knows our catalog and was a genuine fan of the band. I’ve seen so many bands get back together, only to make the worst album of their career and William helped by letting me know if we were going in the right direction.” In addition to directional and production support, DuVall also lent vocals to the song “Honeytrap.”

Prior to joining the revered roster of Spartan Records, Dropsonic’s fingerprints have helped in-part to shape the aesthetic of the label through Dixon’s production work with other bands, namely Traindodge, Shiner, and Allen Epley. “It’s great to be on a label with so many of our good friends who play amazing music that we love and have supported throughout the years,” says Chase. “Hardcore touring back in the day was our gateway [to all of this].”

So why a self-titled record now, six albums later? “New drummer, new decade, and it’s something we never did,” says Dixon. “I don’t know if this record is the period at the end of the sentence or if it’s the first chapter of a novel – either way it felt right.”

With LP 7, on the way May 16th, with its looming darkness and explosive sense of urgency, and with the band continuing to hone and deepen their groove even further, we can only hope that this new era of Dropsonic is only a glimpse of what is to come.