TROUBLE: New Bassist Announced

Chicago doom metal legends TROUBLE have announced the addition of bassist Rob Hultz to the group's ranks.

Hultz is no stranger to the heavy metal, hard rock, and doom metal genres as his lengthy music resume boasts. While still in high school, he joined an East Coast hardcore band called SOCIAL DECAY which served as his introduction to recording and touring. After a decade, he left with the guitar player to form the doom metal band GODSPEED and was signed to Atlantic Records. Their debut album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York and produced by Rachel Bolan of SKID ROW. The band was represented by Gloria Butler Management and toured with iconic bands such as BLACK SABBATH, DIO and CATHEDRAL, to name just a few.

In 1996, Hultz helped form SOLACE, another notable doom metal band, which was signed to Meteor City Records, and played large arenas, clubs, and festivals such as Roadburn and Hellfest. Their last recording, "A.D.", was released on Small Stone Records in 2010 and voted Best Metal Album of the Year on iTunes. Since then, Hultz has lent his talents on projects for LETHAL AGGRESSION and DISEASE CONCEPT.

Commenting on the band's decision, TROUBLE founder and guitarist Rick Wartell states, "Bruce Franklin and I played the bass parts on 'The Distortion Field', with the exception of one song. However, as we began preparing to tour in support of the album, it became really important to choose the right person for the band. Rob is not only a great bass player but also a total pro with an impressive band history, and he's got the TROUBLE personality so he definitely fits in well. We look forward to him joining us on the road and being a bandmate for a long time to come."

Hultz has already begun rehearsals and will debut live with the band for a series of European show dates scheduled for October 2013, the details of which are still pending and will be announced separately.

"The Distortion Field", the first studio album in six years from TROUBLE, sold around 760 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 25 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Due in Europe on August 23 via FRW Records, the 12-song follow-up to 2007's "Simple Mind Condition" was helmed by veteran producer Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, W.A.S.P., ARMORED SAINT, DARK ANGEL, SACRED REICH, CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER, D.R.I.) and marks the recording debut with TROUBLE of lead singer Kyle Thomas following the departure of the group's frontman of four years, Kory Clarke (of WARRIOR SOUL fame).

"The Distortion Field" track listing:

01. Sink Or Swim
02. Paranoid Conspiracy
03. Glass Of Lies
04. The Grey Chill Of Autumn
05. When The Sky Comes Down
06. Butterflies
07. Your Reflections
08. Have I Told You
09. The Apple From The Snake
10. Hunters Of Doom
11. Sucker
12. The Broken Have Spoken

Decibel magazine is streaming three songs from the album: "When The Sky Comes Down", "Butterflies" and "Sucker". Check them out using the SoundCloud widget below.

Says TROUBLE founder and guitarist Rick Wartell: "Kyle is one of the most impressive singers I've ever heard, and by far the most extraodinary singer I've ever had the pleasure of working with. He's got incredible range, incredible power, and an incredible knowledge of TROUBLE, as he's been a fan for 20-something years. We've known him forever, and he innately understands what TROUBLE is about. He's like the perfect guy to come in and do this job. It's awesome."

He adds: "Musically, I think this album is a true TROUBLE record.

"In the early days, we used to just write what we felt and didn't really care about what anyone said. We just wrote heavy riffs and played our music our way. But outside influences can kind of get a hold of you and start telling you what to do.

"When we were writing this album, the thinking was, we don't care what anybody thinks. We're going to write what we write. So this is basically a return to our roots, while combining some reflections of our band's long history as well.

"With the two different music writers, Bruce [Franklin, guitar] and myself, we have a slight variation in our writing; Bruce has more of a '70s groove to his writing, and I'm more the old-school doomy metal thing. And when you put it together, you get TROUBLE."

TROUBLE 2013 is:

Kyle Thomas: Vocals
Bruce Franklin: Guitar
Rick Wartell: Guitar
Mark Lira: Drums
Rob Hultz: Bass