The American Plague

"Yeah, it's like this," James "Jaw" Alexander says as he listens to the catchy title track from Heart Attack, the third full-length release from Tennessee rock trio The American Plague. "To me, this is what rock radio should be playing, not the bullshit that's on 90% of the time." Spend a few minutes with Alexander, bassist Dave Dammit and drummer Tilmon Navare, and it's obvious their reverence for rock's rich past is just as strong as their vision for its potential present.

It's only fitting that Heart Attack would draw its influences from classic rock and earlier genres, including rootsy rock'n'roll that permeated the American music scene in the 50s and 60s. "I like singles," Alexander says. "I like loud guitars and songs with hooks in them. A lot of earlier rock groups had it right - they made their point in under three minutes, and then they got the hell out."

Released on Valentine's Day 2008 (2/14), Heart Attack is a culmination of hard work, frustration and introspection. The album contains some of the band's most recognizable music to date, thanks to a sonic lift from producer Ryan "Tater" Johnson, guitarist of native-Knoxville rockers and Universal / Republic recording artists 10 Years. Heart Attack sees the return of The American Plague's trademark post-apocalyptic bend on songwriting, present on several tunes like "Far & Away," "Last Drop" and "Animal Mother," but what may take fans by surprise is the peppier tracks. Rockers "Made In the Shade," "Heart Attack" and "Let It Roll" are semi-new territory for the band, although the familiar sonic weaving of Alexander, Dammit and Navare makes the songs feel like a perfect match. "I went through a lot of different emotions when I was writing this album," Alexander says. "We've all grown as musicians, as a unit and as individuals, and we weren't scared to let the writing take us places we hadn't been before." When asked if the new songs can hold their own against fan favorites like "Highwayman" (God Bless the American Plague, 2006) and "Past the Machine" (The American Plague, 2001), Alexander doesn't mince words. "This is the best one we've done, to date... and we ain't done yet."