TIM LAMBESIS's BORN THROUGH FIRE Side Project To Release 'Purify and Refine' Album In April

BORN THROUGH FIRE, the band featuring Tim Lambesis (AS I LAY DYING) on vocals and Joey Alarcon (WOLVES AT THE GATES) on guitar, has inked a worldwide deal with Seek & Strike. The official music video for the group's new track "The Reckoning" can be seen below. "The Reckoning" is taken from BORN THROUGH FIRE's debut album, "Purify And Refine", which will arrive on April 7.

According to a press release, BORN THROUGH FIRE "deliver[s] a propulsive blend of aggression and dynamic hooks resulting in a modern heavy metal assault of epic proportions."

Lambesis states: "Before I started doing music full time again, I worked at a recovery center as a case manager and group therapy facilitator. It was incredibly formative and meaningful work to me.

"I started writing lyrics for 'The Reckoning' in regards to a friend of mine struggling with addiction, but shortly into writing I realized how much I relate to the way unhealthy coping methods and destructive behaviors can take hold. While the song isn't directly about my life, there isn't a single section of it that doesn't also apply to me at one point in my life.

"I'm hoping other people can relate to wanting to be free from harmful patterns. Moving forward often requires new environments, new interactions and addressing the root of what drives us subconsciously. This is also why I became part of the team that started the non-profit group Reintegration for people who need help coming out of whatever their version of rock bottom might be.

"The video for 'The Reckoning' fits the lyrical metaphor of struggling to breathe while performing. At times I'm literally holding my breath underwater, and there are plenty of moments where Joey is inhaling rain while trying to stay focused on crushing riffs. We chose this song as our first single because it encompasses both the riffs and rhythmic sides of our songwriting, while still having just enough melody to convey the emotion of the lyrics."

Alarcon adds: "We self-produced and mixed 'The Reckoning' from start to finish, spending months in the studio crafting our unique sound (heavy, aggressive) taking inspiration from classic metal bands, while also working to bring something new and unique to the table. We believe that 'The Reckoning' is the best song to announce the upcoming album. It perfectly represents our sound, style and the emotional themes that we explore throughout the album."

Lambesis continues: "Seek & Strike is the perfect partner for BORN THROUGH FIRE because we've seen them do incredible work with both established and developing artists. While many fans might know me or Joey from our other work, BORN THROUGH FIRE is just getting started. It's an exciting chapter for me musically because it represents writing music with my closest friend and delivering that to a label formed by someone I tremendously respect and consider a friend. The process is so far removed from music industry norms that can stifle passion to create, so I look toward the upcoming full-length with lots of excitement.

"Our new album covers a lot of ground ranging from rhythmically brutal tracks that groove, catchy sing-alongs and thrash parts to the closest thing to a ballad I've done over 15 years."

In 2013, Lambesis solicited murder by hiring a hitman to try to kill his now-ex-wife. The now-42-year-old singer was paroled in 2016 after serving two years of a six-year sentence, which followed his early 2014 guilty plea on a felony murder solicitation charge. He has since completed his parole requirements.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since the band's then-guitarist Nick Hipa categorically denounced the disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

Last year, AS I LAY DYING completed its first U.S. and European tours with the band's new touring lineup, featuring Lambesis and longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso alongside drummer Nick Pierce (ex-UNEARTH),bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff (MISS MAY I) and guitarist Ken Susi (UNEARTH).