ALKALINE TRIO signs to Epitaph Records; new album in 2010!

As reported by Spinner.com:

It's been 11 years since Alkaline Trio released their first full-length album, 'Goddamnit.' In that time, they've been signed to three different labels and expanded their sound beyond their origina straight-ahead punk style, incorporating more melody and production. Now, with the pending release of their seventh album on their newly formed Heart & Skull label - a joint venture with Epitaph -- the Chicago rockers are heading back to their roots.

"This record is a rock record but our punk rock upbringing definitely shines through, more so than our last few records," singer/guitarist Matt Skiba tells Spinner. "The vibe is similar to our humble beginnings. It's a step forward but I also think it has glimmers of our past in it." To recapture the sound of the early days, Skiba says the band took a simpler approach to recording the album, which will feature 11 tracks and be released in February. While Skiba says there's a little bit of synth on the record and one trumpet solo in the style of Neutra Milk Hotel, not ska-punk, the band mainly kept things straightforward. "We went with a less-is-more approach on this record. A lot of it is just one guitar rather than overdubs or three or four guitars," he says. "We wanted a record that we could easily play live. For the most part, it's pretty bare bones while still sounding full and big."

Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.spinner.com/2009/11/18/alkaline-trio-new-album/